1182758685isrm NJ 9-3

Volume 9 Number 3 December 2006
ANNUAL REVIEW 2006

Message from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The 2006 ISRM Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
News from the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Report of the ISRM Secretary-General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The ISRM Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Mller Award Recipient 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Rocha Medal Recipient 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Rocha Medal Paper 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Nominations for Regional Vice-Presidents 2007-2011 . . .28
11th ISRM Congress Lisbon, Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Symposia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Regional Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Commission Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
News from National Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
ISRM Corporate Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
3454 ISRM Journal repaged.qxd 31/5/07 12:44 Page 1
SENIOR EDITOR
Prof. Nielen van der Merwe
South Africa
President ISRM
Technical Director, Bon-Terra Mining (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
Republic of South Africa
Tel: (+27) 11 245-6960
E-mail: nielen.vandermerwe@cicenergy.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Phil Piper
Managing Director
Groundwork Consulting (Pty) Ltd
P.O. Box 1166 Auckland Park 2006
South Africa
Tel: (+27) 11 482-8838
E-mail: phil.piper@groundwork.co.za
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Send news of meetings and publications to:
N.F. Grossmann
ISRM Secretariat, c/o LNEC
101 Avenida do Brasil
P-1700-066 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 351 21 844-3385 Fax: 351 21 844-3026
E-mail: grossmann@lnec.pt
ISRM Homepage
Submit comments via website
http://www.isrm.net
ISRM SECRETARIAT
Send articles, advertising and other material to:
Dr. Lus Lamas
Secretary-General
E-mail: secretariat.isrm@lnec.pt
Maria de Lourdes Eusbio
Executive Secretary
E-mail: secretariat.isrm@lnec.pt
101 Avenida do Brasil
P-1700-066 Lisbon, Portugal
Tel: 351 21 844-3419 Fax: 351 21 844-3021
2
Volume 9 Number 3 Annual Review December 2006
I
n the past, every issue of the
ISRM News Journal was
printed and distributed to
members via their National
Groups. In 2004 the Board took
a decision that only one issue
per year would be printed on
paper and the others would be
distributed electronically.
It was also decided that the paper
copy would be an annual review of
the events of the previous year. I
am pleased to present the 2006 Annual Review issue and I
hope that you will find the contents interesting and a useful
permanent record to keep in your bookshelf for future
reference. An electronic copy will also be available on the
website. You will notice that the content is slightly different
from the earlier electronic issues. Extended reports from the
President and the Secretary General, as well as information
on ISRM award winners, replace the technical contributions
from one of the regions.
One of the more significant events of 2006 was the creation
of the Federation of International Geo-Engineering
Societies (FIGS), comprised of the three sister societies, the
ISRM, the International Association for Engineering
Geology and the Environment (IAEG) and the
International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical
Engineering (ISSMGE). The result of the voting at the
ISRM meeting in Singapore was unanimous approval of the
FIGS Cooperation Agreement. Approval has also been
given by the IAEG and the ISSMGE Council will consider
the Agreement at their next Council meeting in October
2007.
Hearty congratulations go to the two prestigious award
winners announced during 2006, Professor Ted Brown for
the 2007 Muller Award, awarded only once every four years,
and Hideaki Yasuhara, the 2007 Rocha Medal recipient.
The ISRM website (www.isrm.net) is a excellent resource
which is visited over 7000 times each month from 85
countries. Dr Luis Lamas and the webmaster are to be
congratulated on the content and usefulness of this regularly
updated site. Did you know that members can download
Suggested Methods free of charge? Did you know that
micro-sites for three of the Commissions (Geophysics, Case
Histories and Maintenance) have already been established
with the others under construction. Any comments on the
website, the News Journal or other means of communication
with members would be appreciated.
The year ahead is also an exciting one as it features the 11th
ISRM Congress in Lisbon, Portugal from 9 to 13 July. The
four years since the last Congress in Johannesburg, South
Africa, have passed quickly and members will be looking
forward to the opportunity to renew acquaintances and
friendships at this showcase ISRM event. I personally look
forward to meeting those of you who are able to attend the
11th Congress in July. More detailed information on all
aspects of the Congress such as the technical programme,
local hotels and social events can be found on the Congress
website (www.isrm2007.org). The most important immediate
deadline is that for discounted registration fees - 15 May
2007.
Editors Remarks
Editors Remarks
Phil Piper
3
The ISRM
Board
2003 - 2007
ISRM President ISRM President
South Africa
President ISRM
Technical Director, Bon-Terra Mining (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg
Tel: (+27) 11 245-6960
E-mail: nielen.vandermerwe@cicenergy.com
President Elect President Elect
Prof. John A Hudson,
United Kingdom
Part-time Prof., Imperial College,
London and Independent Consultant,
Rock Engineering Consultants.
Tel: (+44) 1707 322-819
Fax: (+44) 1707 375-912
E-mail: jah@rockeng.co.uk
V Vice President: ice President: Africa
Dr. Martin J. Pretorius, South Africa
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
PO Box 1
Glen Harmony
9435
Tel: (+27) 57 231-2150
Fax: (+27) 57 217-4254
E-mail: martin.pretorius@harmony.co.za
V Vice President: ice President: Asia
Prof. Jian Zhao, Singapore
Ecole Polytechnique Fderale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Laboratoire de Mcaniqes des Roches (LMR)
EPFL-ENAC-ICARE-LMR
Station 13, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel: (+41) 21 893-2325
Fax: (+41) 21 893-4153
E-mail: jian.zhao@epfl.ch
Website: http://Imr.epfl.ch
V Vice President: ice President: Australasia
Dr John St. George, NZ
Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: (+84) 9 373-2599
Fax: (+84) 9 373-7462
E-mail: j.stgeorge@auckland.ac.nz
V Vice President: ice President: Europe
Dr. Ing. Claus Erichsen, Germany
Beratende Ingenieure fr Grubdbau und Felsbau
GmbH
Henricisstr. 50
Aachan 52072, Germany
Tel: (+49) 241 86-9870
Fax: (+49) 241 869-8933
E-mail: wbi@wbionline.de
V Vice President: ice President: N. America
Dr Franois E. Heuz, USA
Leader, Geotechnical Projects,
Code L-200
Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory
94551 Livermore CA, USA
Tel: (+1) 925 423-0363
Fax: (+1) 925 423-6907
E-mail: heuze@llnl.gov
V Vice President: ice President: South America
Dr Eda Freitas de Quadros, Brazil Snr Res.
Laboratory of Rock Mechanics and Hydraulics
IPT - Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnolgicas do Estado
de S. Paulo
Av. Prof. Almeida Prado, 532 - Cidade Universitria
Butant - CEP 05508-901 - So Paulo - SP, Brazil
Tel: (+55) 11 3767-4647/4000
Fax: (+55) 11 3767-4346
E-mail: equadros@ipt.br
V Vice President at Large ice President at Large
Prof. Qian Qihu, China
President, Chinese Society for
Rock Mechanics and Engineering
PO Box 888
No. 46 Tauping Road
Beijing 100857, China
Tel: (+86) 10 8460-3065
Fax: (+86) 10 8480-3075
E-mail: qhhqqian@public.bta.net.cn
V Vice President at Large ice President at Large
Prof. Luis Ribeiro e Sousa,
Portugal
University of Porto
Faculty of Engineering
Rua Dr. Roberto Frias
4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 225081728
Fax: (+351) 225081835
E-mail: ribeiro.e.sousa@gmail.com
Secretary General Secretary General
Dr Lus Lamas, Portugal
Secretary General, ISRM
LNEC
Av.do Brasil, 101
1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
Tel: (+351) 21 844-3419
Fax: (+351) 21 844-3021
E-mail: llamas@lnec.pt
T
he past year has been one of
significant development of our
society. I believe that in time to
come, we will see 2006 as a watershed
year for the ISRM.
We had encouraging growth in membership
and perhaps even more importantly, we
welcomed back national groups that for one
reason or another had ceased to be members
and there are now groups in areas where we
never had groups before. There is every
reason to believe that in the very near future,
there will be even more.
Perhaps the most important development was the
unanimous approval of FIGS by the Council in Singapore.
This is a structural development, the benefits of which will
grow with every passing year. I have no doubt that FIGS
will prove once more that there is strength in unity.
This is also the year in which, for the first time, the News
Journal serves a different function. This annual version is
now the only hard copy to appear and it is intended to
serve as a permanent record of the ISRM in every specific
year.
The Board had a busy year as well. The work load was of
such a magnitude that we had to squeeze in an additional
Board meeting the first one ever that was not attached
to an International Symposium. Lisbon was the obvious
venue for the meeting. On that occasion, the Portuguese
National Group seized the opportunity to hold an
impromptu conference and also for the first time ever, all
the Board members made technical presentations. I am
still undecided whether to applaud or censure our
Secretary-General, Luis Lamas, for his quick action. There
were approximately 120 delegates at the meeting - which
is not bad, bearing in mind the NG Portugal only has 158
members. Part of the income from the conference went
towards the cost of hosting the Board meeting. In 2006,
your Board literally sang for their supper!
Talking of the Board, this is probably the most diverse
group of individuals that one can imagine in a single
group. Perhaps this is why it is a good Board: creativity
comes from diversity. It just has to be channeled. I will say
more about this next year, when there will be two
messages, one from me and one from the new President,
John Hudson. But for now, back to this past year, 2006.
The next point of visit was Eurock 2006, in
Liege, Belgium, during May. The Belgian
Group, assisted by their French colleagues,
succeeded in presenting a most interesting
and well organised event. Immediately after
that it was off to Amsterdam, to the next
FIGS meeting where we finalised the
Agreement in time for the Council meeting
of the IAEG. This was an important
meeting, as after this, there was to be no
further opportunity to change the terms of
the Agreement because all three Councils
had to vote on the identical document. The
ISRM had the opportunity to incorporate
the outcomes of our own Lisbon Board discussions into the
proposed FIGS terms of agreement for collaboration.
In June, it was back to Lisbon to spend time on
administrative matters with Luis Lamas. During this time
we kept our promise to Council when we undertook a
major review of the ISRM Statutes and By-laws to clear up
the contradictions that crept in with ad hoc changes over
the years. We also discovered a number of outdated clauses
all of these will be put to Council in Lisbon in July 2007.
Making use of the opportunity presented by the meeting of
the ITA Executive Committee, that took place at LNEC
in Lisbon at the time, and of the presence of the ITAs
President, Immediate Past President and Secretary
General, the ISRM represented by our Vice President for
Asia, Jian Zhao, Vice President at Large, Lus Ribeiro e
Sousa, Secretary General, and myself, informally met with
those honourable officers. We reached an agreement for
cooperation and the first tangible result of that is a joint
session at our Congress in Lisbon. In time, there will be
joint technical investigations as well.
After a long absence, I had the opportunity to visit
colleagues in the USA in August. The event was the 25th
International Conference on Ground Control in Mines. It
is held annually in Morgantown, West Virginia, under the
auspices of the West Virginia University. At this
conference, agreement was reached with the organising
committee to approach ARMA to classify future meetings
as Regional ISRM meetings. It could become one of the
meeting events of the Mining Interest Group of the ISRM,
which until now has not been active. I understand that
later, agreement was also reached between ARMA and the
organising committee to go ahead with the idea.
4
Message from the President
Message from the President
5
I attended the IAEG Council Meeting in Nottingham in
September, where they voted in favour of FIGS with an
overwhelming majority. We also made use of the
opportunity to have yet another FIGS meeting, where the
emphasis was on discussing the work of the Joint Technical
Committees. Seven of those are already active, each with
participation of all three Sister Societies.
I had a major disappointment later in September, when I
had to cancel a visit to Colombia at short notice because
of unforeseen problems at work. Eda de Quadros did a
magnificent job standing in for me, so I guess that I was
not as much missed as I missed the opportunity!
The year ended with a busy but very rewarding tour
around Malaysia and Indonesia, just before the
International Symposium in Singapore. In Indonesia, Luis
and myself had the opportunity to address a meeting of
Indonesian rock engineers and the important outcome of
that meeting was a decision by those present to apply to
the ISRM for the creation of a national group. Hopefully,
we will receive the application in time to welcome our new
colleagues in the Lisbon Council.
The meeting in Kuala Lumpur was as interesting, but there
does not, at this stage appear to be sufficient interest in
rock mechanics to warrant the creation of a sustainable
national group. For the time being, the emphasis appears
to be more on soil mechanics issues.
Our Council in Singapore was something to remember.
Firstly, we approved the FIGS Cooperation Agreement
unanimously. This now leaves only the ISSMGE Council
to approve before the Federation of International Geo-
Engineering Societies is a reality. If all goes well, this will
happen in October 2007 in Brisbane.
We also had the very difficult task to choose a recipient of
the Leopold Mller Award, our prime award. There were
no less than five candidates, each of whom merited to win
the prize and had they not all been nominated at the same
time, I have no doubt that each one would have received
the award. But, the reality is that there can only be one
winner, and in the end Professor Ted Brown was
selected. We look forward to the Mller Award lecture
in Lisbon!
There was just a short break in December before the next
round of visits started in January 2007, but more of that
later
The immediate tasks ahead now are for the Commissions
to finalise their work in time for the Lisbon Congress and
also for the National Groups to attend to the election of
the new Board. We also have to consider the statute
revamps in Lisbon, the documentation regarding that will
be mailed in due course.
I have just one final remark and this concerns the way in
which we write and publish in the 21st century. In Lisbon,
the ISRM has a library that contains the proceedings of all
our congresses and international symposia plus several
regional symposia and a large number of books produced
by our members. Looking at the Proceedings of the first
congress (incidentally, you take it off the shelf, you dont
have to shove it into a machine), there is a human touch
that we somehow appear to have lost over time.
The final volume contains individual photographs of all
the delegates (and yes, Ted Brown was there! A little bit
younger than now, but just a little bit). There are
photographs of Manuel Rocha, Leopold Mller, all of
them. There are also some photographs of the social
events there were two dinners, and even a ceremonial
bull fight!
Reading the papers one gets the impression that we have
since developed a cold, staccato style of writing. This is
good for placing emphasis on cold numbers, but somehow
the meaning of those numbers were just clearer with the
old style of more fluent writing. Comparing that to what
we do now, our proceedings record numbers in our papers
but the experience of attending congress is not preserved
and quickly forgotten. Are we really doing better?
Message from the President Message from the President (continued)
The FIGS meeting in Amsterdam. L.t.r. Neil Taylor (Secr. Gen
ISSMGE), Pedro Seco e Pinto (Pres ISSMGE) Michel Deveughele
(Secr Gen IAEG) Niek Rengers (Pres IAEG), Nielen van der Merwe
(Pres ISRM), Lus Lamas (Secr Gen ISRM) and William van Impe
(Imm Past Pres ISSMGE)
After the agreement was reached between the ITA and ISRM: L.t.r:
Maria de Lourdes Eusbio (Exec. Secr. ISRM), Lus Lamas (Secr Gen
ISRM), Nielen van der Merwe (Pres ISRM), Harvey Parker (Pres
ITA), Lus Sousa (ISRM Board member), Jian Zhao (ISRM Board
member), Andr Assis (ITA Board member) Claude Brenguier (ITA
Secr General)
Niek Rengers, President of the IAEG, addressing his Council in
Nottingham on the FIGS issue.
Lus Lamas explaining the ISRM to a group of Indonesian rock engineers
6
The 2006 ISRM
The 2006 ISRM
Y
Y
ear
ear
2006 ISRM SPONSORED EVENTS KEY EVENTS
January ISRM Board meeting in Lisbon ISRM
Suggested Methods and other reports available
from the website as free download to Member.
February
March Website discussion forum called "What's your
problem?" launched.
April
May Eurock 2006, Liege, Belgium. FIGS meeting in Amsterdam, Netherlands
June International Symposium on In-situ
Rock Stress, Trondheim, Norway.
July
August
September FIGS meeting in Nottingham, UK
October 6th South American Congress on Rock Commission micro-sites commence operation.
Mechanics, Cartagena, Colombia.
November 4th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium, ISRM Council meeting in Singapore
Singapore. ISRM Council approves the FIGS
Cooperation Agreement.
Prof Ted Brown selected as recipient of
the 5th Leopold Mller Award.
Dr Daniel Ask presents 2006 Rocha Medal
paper at ARMS-4 Symposium
Dr Hideaki Yasuhara from Japan selected
as recipient of Rocha Medal 2007
December
T
he ISRM Board met at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel
in Singapore, on 2006 November 06. The meeting
took place in conjunction with the ISRM
International Symposium on Rock Mechanics in
Underground Construction (4th Asian Rock Mechanics
Symposium ARMS-4).
The meeting, chaired by the President of the ISRM, Prof.
Nielen van der Merwe, was attended by the President-Elect,
Prof. John Hudson, all the Vice Presidents of the respective
geographical areas, the two Vice Presidents at Large and the
Secretary General.
Besides other matters of interest to the Society, the following
ones were dealt with:
Finances
Budget for 2007
ISRM website
Co-operation with sister societies,
Progress in the organisation of the 11th Congress to be
held in Portugal in 2007
12th International Congress to be held in China in 2011
Activity of ISRM Commissions, Joint Technical
Committees and Interest Groups,
ISRM News Journal
Special attention was given to the co-operation with the Sister
Societies (IAEG and ISSMGE), namely as regards the creation
of the Federation of International Geo-engineering Societies
(FIGS). The President reminded that the Cooperation
Agreement prepared by the Presidents and Secretaries General
of the three Societies to be submitted to the respective
Councils had already been approved by IAEG last September,
and would be presented to the ISRM Council the next day.
7
ISRM Board Meeting Singapore 2006 November 07
News from the Board
News from the Board
The ISRM Board, Singapore, November 2006. Back Row. l.t.r. Dr. John St. George, Prof. Jian Zhao, Dr. Ing. Claus Erichsen, Prof. Luis Ribeiro e
Sousa, Prof. John Hudson, Dr. Francois Heuz. Front Row. l.t.r. Prof. Qian Qihu, Dr. Martin Pretorius, Prof. Nielen van der Merwe, Dr. Lus
Lamas, Maria de Lourdes Eusbio, Dr. Eda Freitas de Quadros.
The International Society for Rock Mechanics held its
Council meeting in Singapore, in conjunction with the 4th
Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium Rock Mechanics in
Underground Construction, organised by the Tunnelling and
Underground Construction Society of Singapore. In the
Council meeting 33 of the 47 National Groups were
represented.
Reports of the Regional Vice-Presidents
Each Vice-President presented a report on the activities
carried out in the respective geographical area. These reports
are presented under the item Vice-Presidents Reports.
Accounts of 2005 and Budget for 2007
The ISRM accounts of 2005 and the budget for 2007 were
approved. The Council approved a revision to By-law No. 10
that fixes the fees to be paid to the ISRM from 2007 in Euros,
while keeping the same value as previously. As a result, the
budget for 2007 was approved in Euros only and from 2007
accounting will also be only in Euros.
Approval of Amendments to By-law No.10 Scale of Fees
As a result of a recommendation from the Council to present
the accounts only in Euro, in order to avoid the dependency
on the variations of the exchange rate between the Euro and
the US Dollar, a new version of By-law No.10 was approved,
respecting the values of the previous By-law, only converting
the US Dollar (USD) into Euro (EUR) at an exchange rate
EUR 1 = USD 1,25 and making minor adjustments.
Membership of the ISRM
The ISRM has now 5200 individual members and 129
corporate members, belonging to 47 National Groups. The
President informed that the Board approved the re-admission
of Ghana, Mexico, Chile and Hungary, and that a new Group
representing Middle East countries (ME Rocks) had been
admitted to the ISRM. He also reported on the very positive
contacts held with Indonesia to create an ISRM National
Group.
Development of the new ISRM Website
The Website has become the main source of information about
the Society and most benefits are offered to the members in a
password protected members area. The website receives over
140, 000 hits and 7, 000 visits from 85 countries each month.
The Secretary General reported on the main developments
since the launch of the ISRM website, in May 2005:
All Commissions and Interest Groups can develop and
run micro-sites inside the ISRM system since early
2006. The Commissions on Case Histories, Geophysics
and Maintenance and Repair established their micro-sites
and links to them exist in the main ISRM website.
The ISRM Suggested Methods and other reports were
made available for free download by ISRM members.
The CVs and nominations of all the Mller Award
recipients, as well as the CVs and the extended abstracts
of the theses of the Rocha Award recipients were digitised
and included in the website for free download.
ISRM Sponsored meetings
Information on the 2006 International Symposium, 4th
ARMS, now starting in Singapore was presented by the
Chairman of the Organising Committee: A detailed report on
the 11th International Congress of the ISRM, to be held in
Lisbon, Portugal in July 2007 was presented by the Congress
8
ISRM Council Meeting, Singapore 2006 November 07
News from the Board
News from the Board
9
chairman. The organisers of the 12th International Congress,
to be held in 2011 in Beijing, presented the developments on
its organisation. No application was yet received for Regional
Symposia in 2008.
The following conferences sponsored by the ISRM were
presented:
2006 November 8-10, Singapore
Rock Mechanics for Underground Construction (4th
ARMS): approved by the Council, as the 2006 ISRM
International Symposium.
2007 July, Lisbon, Portugal
The Second Half Century of Rock Mechanics: the
11th ISRM International Congress.
2011, Beijing, China
Harmonising Rock Engineering and the Environment
Reports were presented by the organisers.
Commissions, Joint Technical Committees, and Interest
Groups
Reports were presented on the activities of the following
Commissions, Joint Technical Committees and Interest
Groups:
Application of Geophysics to Rock Engineering
Case Histories
Education
Maintenance and Repair of Underground Structures in
Rock Masses
Preservation of Natural Stone Monuments
Testing Methods
JTC2, Representation of Geo-Engineering Data in
Electronic Form
JTC3, Education and Training
Interest Group on Underground Waste Disposal
FIGS Co-operation Agreement approved by the ISRM
Council
The President reported on the initiatives that took place
during last year regarding the creation of the Federation of
International Geo-Engineering Societies FIGS. In the first
meeting between the Presidents of the three sister Societies
(IAEG, ISRM and ISSMGE), held in Paris in November 2005,
they appointed a sub-committee to draft a constitution for
FIGS. This document was discussed in detail at a Board
meeting of the ISRM held in Lisbon, in January 2006. During
May 2006, in Amsterdam, the three Presidents agreed on the
final version of the Co-operation Agreement, to be proposed
for approval to the Councils of the three Societies.
The financial impacts of the creation of FIGS on the Societies
were also analysed. Considering the links that FIGS will
establish with the industry, it is expected that FIGS will
become self-financed in the future. The Co-operation
Agreement was distributed to the ISRM National Groups for
consideration and discussion. The result of the voting of the
Council at its meeting in Singapore was the unanimous
approval of the FIGS Co-operation Agreement.
The ISRM is now the second society to have approved the
FIGS Co-operation Agreement, after IAEG did the same at
their Council meeting in September 2006. FIGS will start
operating after approval of the FIGS Cooperation Agreement
by the ISSMGE Council in October 2007.
In the meetings of the three Presidents, in particular in the
meeting held in Nottingham in September 2006, several Joint
Technical Committees JTCs of the three societies were
approved and their Chairpersons and Core Members were
appointed.
Prof. E.T. Brown selected
as the 5th Mller Award
recipient
Five nominations for the 5th
Mller Award were
received: Prof. Edwin. T.
Brown by Australia, Prof.
Richard Goodman by the
USA, Dr Peter K. Kaiser by
Canada, Prof. Shunsuke
Sakurai by Japan and Prof.
Ove Stephansson by Sweden. Selection took place during the
Singapore Council meeting and Prof. E.T. Brown was selected
as the 5th Mller Award winner. He will receive the award and
deliver the Mller lecture at the 11th ISRM Congress in
Lisbon, in July 2007.
Dr. Hideaki Yasuhara selected as 2007 Rocha Medal Award
recipient
The Council was informed of the Board decision to award the
Rocha Medal 2007 to Dr Hideaki Yasuhara, for his
Doctoral thesis entitled Thermo-Hydro-Mechano-Chemical
Couplings that Define the Evolution of Permeability in Rock
Fractures, obtained at Pennsylvania State University, USA.
He will receive the award at the 11th ISRM Congress in
News from the Board
News from the Board
Confirmation of the Venue for the ISRM Annual Meetings
in 2007
July 07 and 08, were confirmed for the ISRM annual
meetings, to be held in conjunction with the 11th
International Congress, which will take place from 09 to 13
July in Lisbon Portugal.
10
The ISRM Council Meeting, Singapore, 2006.
News from the Board
News from the Board
T
his report refers to the period between the
Board and Council meetings held in Brno,
in May 2005, and in Singapore, during
November 2006.
NATIONAL GROUPS AND MEMBERSHIP
The Board approved Chile, Middle East and Hungary
as new National Groups and the re-affiliation of
Ghana and Mexico. The number of National Groups
in November 2006 now stands at 47.
The numbers of individual (ordinary and
corresponding) and corporate members in November
2006 are:
Individual Corporate
Members Members
Africa 303 4
Asia 1,055 71
Australasia 361 2
Europe 2,814 48
N America 562 3
S America 101 1
TOTAL 5,196 129
When compared with the figures for May 2005, this
corresponds to an increase of 198 individual members
and one National Group and to a decrease of 4
corporate members. The figures below present the
evolution of the number of ISRM members and
National Groups during the last 11 years.
11
Report of the ISRM Secretary - General
Report of the ISRM Secretary - General
May 2005 - November 2006
Individual Members
BOARD MEETING IN LISBON
As approved last May in Brno, and justified by the
long period between the Brno and Singapore meetings
(18 months), an additional Board meeting took place
in Lisbon on January 20.
The Board devoted most of the time to appraise the
progress achieved in the creation of the Federation of
International Geo-engineering Societies (FIGS) and
to comment on all articles and on the Cooperation
Agreement that resulted from the intense
correspondence among the Presidents and Secretaries
General of the IAEG, ISRM and ISSMGE, and from
their meetings.
The Board members also reported on the activities
carried out in the respective geographic regions,
discussed how to improve and optimize the website
(the progress of which having been detailed by the
Secretary General and the Webmaster) and how to
increase membership through advantages to be given
to members, and considered other items of interest to
the Society.
Taking advantage from the presence of the Board in
Lisbon, an International Seminar on Rock Mechanics
was jointly organised by the ISRM, the Portuguese
Geotechnical Society SPG (the ISRM NG Portugal)
and the Portuguese National Laboratory for Civil
Engineering LNEC. The event took place at LNEC
12
Report of the ISRM Secretary - General Report of the ISRM Secretary - General (continued)
Corporate Members
National Groups
on January 19, and the following lectures were
presented by the Board members present:
Rock mass characterisation and modelling
application to Porto Metro underground
structures (V-P at Large, Prof. Lus Ribeiro e
Sousa)
Large-scale site investigation in rock (President
Elect, Prof. John Hudson)
Special hydraulic investigations and 3-D tests for
the So Paulo Metro, now under construction
(V-P South America, Dr Eda de Quadros)
Insights in ground shock in jointed rocks, and the
response of tunnels there-in (V-P North America,
Dr Franois Heuz)
Key issues in numerical modelling in mining
(President, Prof. Nielen van der Merwe)
Managing the risks once the risk profile has been
established (V-P Africa, Dr Martin Pretorius)
Behaviour of large span rock caverns under high
horizontal in situ stress (V-P Asia, Prof. Zhao
Jian)
Drill-and-blast versus TBM-tunnelling (V-P
Europe, Dr Claus Erichsen).
FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL GEO-
ENGINEERING SOCIETIES FIGS
Following the Councils instructions to continue
negotiations with the Sister Societies, with the
objective to establish a Federation of International
Geo-Engineering Societies FIGS, three meetings of
the Presidents and Secretaries-General of the three
Societies were held: in Paris in November 2005, in
Amsterdam in May 2006 and in Nottingham in
September 2006. Considerable progress was reached
in the negotiations.
Besides personal discussions, there were also
considerable correspondence that took place. As a
result, a Cooperation Agreement was finalised to be
presented for approval to the Councils of the three
Societies at the respective annual meetings.
Guidelines for Joint Technical Committees were
approved and, according to their provisions, several
Joint Technical Committees were established.
MEETING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL
TUNNELLING ASSOCIATION ITA
A meeting between ISRM and ITA was organised on
30 June, in Lisbon, in order to study possible forms of
cooperation. From ITA the meeting was attended by
the President, Dr H. Parker, the Immediate Past
President, Prof. A. Assis and the Secretary General,
Dr C. Berenguier. The ISRM President, the V-P for
Asia, the V-P at Large Prof. L.R. Sousa and the
Secretary General represented the ISRM.
Among other cooperation possibilities, the V-P at
Large, also President of the Organising Committee of
the 11th ISRM Congress, invited ITA to join the
ISRM in the organisation of a Specialised Session on
Tunnelling Innovation during the Congress. The
ISRM V-P for Asia, also past member of the ITA
Executive Council, proposed to chair a joint Working
Group on Application of Rock Engineering to TBM.
Both proposals were cordially accepted by ITA, and
the associations agreed to prepare a Memorandum of
Understanding, which will be drafted by the respective
Secretaries General.
ISRM SPONSORED MEETINGS
The Secretariat provided assistance to the Vice
Presidents and National Groups on the formulation of
agreements and on the dissemination of information
regarding the different ISRM Sponsored Meetings.
The Secretariat received one application for a
Regional Symposium.
During the period of this report the following ISRM
Regional Symposia were held:
Multiphysics Coupling and Long Term Behaviour
in Rock Mechanics (EUROCK 2006), May 9-12,
Lige, Belgium.
In-situ Rock Stress, June 19-21, Trondheim,
Norway.
VIth South American Congress on Rock
Mechanics, 2006 October 10-13, Cartagena,
Colombia.
13
ISRM NEWS JOURNAL
Two issues (Vol.9 No.1 and No.2) were published since
May 2005. They are available in the ISRM website.
ISRM WEBSITE
The new website of the ISRM was launched on April
1st, 2005. It is now the main information resource of
the ISRM and the main channel for communication
with the members. The site is being maintained by the
Secretariat, namely by the Secretary General and by
the Webmaster, Mr Ricardo Resende.
STATISTICS
Visits to the site, download of materials and
registration in the members area have been steadily
increasing. Statistics of the usage of the website are
available from www.isrm.net/webstat. The main
parameters to take into account are the number of
visits and the volume of information downloaded.
Daily averages are represented in the graph below. The
download of Suggested Methods and of the ISRM
News Journal makes up the majority of the download
volume from the Website.
14
Main developments after the launch of the Website
Development of the Micro-sites facility was
completed. Micro-sites were created for all the
Commissions and Interest Groups. The concept of the
Micro-sites is that they have the same layout of the
main ISRM website, but can be entirely developed and
managed, at no cost, by the Commissions and Interest
Groups. Three Commissions have already made their
Micro-sites operational. A link to them can be found
in the main ISRM website, and they can be accessed at
the following addresses:
http://www.isrm.net/casehistories
http://www.isrm.net/geophysics
http://www.isrm.net/repair
The Suggested Methods and other ISRM reports were
uploaded to the Website in September 2005. They are
now available for free download by registered ISRM
members.
A web page was developed for each Past President,
with their Curriculum Vitae, photograph and other
relevant information.
Statistics
N
o
.

o
f

V
i
s
i
t
s
M
e
g
a
b
y
t
e
s

D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d
The CVs and the nomination of all the Mller Award
recipients, as well as the CVs and the extended
summaries of the theses of the Rocha medal recipients
were digitised and included in the Website for free
download.
The Conference directory has been continuously
updated with information received at the Secretariat.
At present, over a hundred conferences are listed.
Conference reports have been prepared by ISRM
sponsored conferences organisers and they are
available at the Website.
The rolling News of the Website, on the right hand
side of the screen, have been continuously fed and
they are an important way of communication.
Main positive aspects
Most existing information related to the ISRM is
now available on line.
The site enhances the dissemination of
information and news.
Only a very small number of complaints was
received.
Quick solutions were instituted to solve the
problems reported.
Main negative aspects
The number of ISRM members registered in the
site is still small.
Since several National Groups do not update their
list of members regularly, problems often occur
with the membership confirmation.
Participation of ISRM members in the forums for
discussion has been smaller than expected.
More material for download by ISRM members
should be made available.
Future Developments
Implementation of the virtual library will start during
2007, after some problems with its internal design and
the corresponding programming are finalised. The
slide collection of the ISRM is being reorganised and
its availability for download is being considered.
SUPPORT AFFORDED
As usual, the Secretariat made ample use of a number
of facilities available at the Portuguese National
Laboratory for Civil Engineering LNEC, at no
charge. This support has long been instrumental to the
well-being of the Society and is very much
appreciated. The Secretariat also thanks the
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology,
FCT, for the courtesy in providing a grant to the
Society.
FINAL REMARKS
The history of the Society and the activity of the
Secretariat during the period corresponding to this
report are summarised below;
slight increase, for the third consecutive year, in
the number of individual members, totalling 9%
in 3 years;
increased interest in the Society, shown by the
growing visits to the website;
development of new functionalities of the
website, such as the Micro-sites for the
Commissions and Interest Groups:
continuation of the negotiations with the sister
societies for the formation of FIGS.
Lisbon, November 2006
Lus M. N. Lamas
15
T
he ISRM website is an excellent source of
technical and society information. This is
manifested by over 7 000 visits per month from
85 countries. Here is just some of the information that
awaits you if you visit www.isrm.net :
Suggested methods (free downloads for members)
Virtual library
Sources of educational software
Job opportunities
Discussion forum
Society news
News Journals
Forthcoming conferences.
Commissions and Interest Groups have started running
micro-sites inside the ISRM system. Micro-sites for Case
Histories, Geophysics, and Repair and Maintenance of
Underground Structures have been established. A virtual
library is being set up and will include abstracts and papers
from the ISRM Congresses and other sponsored conferences.
Take full advantage of your ISRM membership to access the
wealth of information available on the new ISRM website.
Registration is easy:
1. Open the website (www.isrm.net).
2. Click on Login.
3. Click on you can register here.
4. Complete the membership information requested and
click on submit.
5. The Secretariat will then verify that you are a member
of the ISRM.
6. You will then receive a confirmation that you can login
using your chosen Username and Password.
The reason for the registration process is that we need to
make sure that only paying members have access to the
Members Area. Remember that the ISRM has very few
"private" (called "corresponding") members. The structure is
such that the National Groups are the members.
We have also had problems with registrations, in cases where
either the National Groups did not supply correct
information to the ISRM or, more often, where members
do not supply their updated contact details to the National
Groups.
The administration can only be done at national level, as it
would be impossible for the ISRM to directly maintain the
records of over 5 000 members all over the world. We have
to rely on the National Groups to supply the correct
information and they in turn can only do it if you supply the
correct information to the national secretariate! (see the
form at the end of this article).
Once you are registered and you have access to the Members
Area you will be able to:
Download publications such as Suggested Methods and
Reports, free of charge.
Participate in discussion forums.
Access the virtual library which includes abstracts and
papers from the ISRM Congresses and other sponsored
conferences (under construction).
Visit the website now. You do not need to register to use
many of the features of the site.
www.isrm.net
16
The ISRM Website:
www
www
.isrm.net
.isrm.net
Free downloads now available
Homepage
SITEMAP
The Society
Introduction to ISRM
National Groups
The ISRM Board
Statutes and By-laws
History
Regions
Conferences
ISRM Sponsored Conferences
Conference Directory
Conference Reports
Register a Conference
Commissions and Interest Groups
Commission on Application of Geophysics to Rock
Engineering
Commission on Case Histories in Rock Engineering
Commission on Education
Commission on Environment
Commission on Maintenance and Repair of
Underground Structures in Rock Masses
Commission on Mine Closure
Commission on Preservation of Natural Stone
Monuments
Commission on Testing Methods
Interest Group on Mining
Interest Group on Underground Waste Disposal
JTC Guidelines
JTC 1 - Joint Technical Committee on Landslides
and Engineered Slopes
JTC 2 - Joint Technical Committee on Repre-
sentation of Geo-engineering Data in
Electronic Form
JTC 3 - Joint Technical Committee on Education
and Training
JTC 4 - Joint Technical Committee on Professional
Practice
JTC 6 - Joint Technical Committee on Ancient
Monuments and Historical Sites
Medals and awards
The Mller Award
The Rocha Medal
ISRM Information
News
Newsletter
News Journal
Products and Publications
Educational Software
Slide Collection
Suggested Methods and Reports
Videos
Links of Interest
IAEG International Association for Engineering
Geology and the Environment
ICOLD International Commission on Large Dams
IGS International Geosynthetics Society
ISSMGE International Society of Soil Mechanics
and Geotechnical Engineering
ITA International Tunnelling Association
IUGS International Union of Geological Sciences
SPE Society of Petroleum Engineers
Discussion Forums
List of Corporate Members
ISRM Virtual Library
17
Change of contact details: Change of contact details: Please send to your National Group, not the ISRM Secretariat
Title:
Name:
Company:
Designation:
Telephone: Fax:
E-mail:
Address:
National Group:
The ISRM Website: www www.isrm.net .isrm.net (continued)
Summary
Prof. Brown is an acknowledged
expert of world standing in the
rock mechanics field, having
spent his professional life
lecturing, mentoring and
practicing in the discipline. His
education achievements include
a Doctor of Philosophy from the
University of Queensland in
1969 and a Doctor of Science
(Engineering) from the
University of London in 1985.
His academic career spanned 36
years from 1965 to 2001. Initially
at James Cook University as a lecturer and Associate Professor, Ted
was Reader and then Professor of Rock Mechanics at Imperial College
of Science and Technology in London from 1975 to 1987, and Dean
of the Royal School of Mines from 1983 to 1986. On returning to
Australia, Ted became Dean of Engineering at the University of
Queensland from 1987 to 1990, and was Deputy Vice Chancellor and
later Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor.
During his academic career he wrote, co-authored or edited many
books on rock mechanics, and published over 120 technical papers on
the subject, as summarised in the attachment. Several of his texts are
regarded as essential references amongst practitioners. In 2004, Ted,
along with co-author Prof B.H.G. Brady, substantially updated the 3rd
Edition of Rock Mechanics for Underground Mining. Currently he
is preparing the 2nd Edition of his book Block Caving
Geomechanics. Ted also contributed greatly to the furthering of
knowledge in both the industry and academic circles by serving on
numerous organising committees and editorial boards for a wide range
of conferences, symposia, and journals.
Over recent years Ted has given keynote addresses at the following
conferences: Water in Mining 2003 (Water for a Sustainable
Minerals Industry a Review); Massmin 2004 (Geomechanics: the
Critical Discipline for Mass Mining); 9th Australian New Zealand
Conference on Geomechanics 2004 (The Mechanics of
Discontinue: Engineering in Discontinuous Rock) and Fifth
International Symposium in Ground Support in Mining and
Underground Construction 2004 (The Dynamic Environment of
Ground Support and Reinforcement).
Since leaving academia in 2001, Ted has continued his contributions
to the industry, working as a retained consultant in the rock
mechanics field along with research through the Sustainable Minerals
Institute and Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre at the
University of Queensland.
An acknowledgement of Professor Browns lifelong contribution to
geotechnical engineering came with his appointment as a
Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC)
in 2001 for service to the engineering profession as a world expert in
the field of rock mechanics. This award is the highest honour that
can be bestowed on an Australian citizen.
Prof Brown is very highly regarded within Australia and
internationally. He has been and continues to be a committed
teacher, author and mentor and his personal intellect, attributes and
drive have contributed substantially to the field of rock mechanics
and the ISRM over an extended period of time, including having
attended all eleven ISRM Congresses and being the President of the
Society from 1983 to 1987.
Career Summary
1960 - 1964: Engineer, Coal Production Branch, State
Electricity Commission of Victoria
1964 - 1975: PhD student (1964-65), Lecturer (1965-68),
Senior Lecturer (1969-72) and Associate
Professor (1973-75), Department of Engineering,
University College of Townsville and, from 1970,
James Cook University of North Queensland
1975 - 1987: Reader (1975-79) and Professor (1979-87) of
Rock Mechanics, Department of Mineral
Resources Engineering, Imperial College of
Science and Technology, University of London
1983 - 1986: Dean, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College
1985 - 1987: Head, Department of Mineral Resources
Engineering, Imperial College
1987 - 1990: Professor and Dean of Engineering, The
University of Queensland
1990 - 2001: Deputy Vice-Chancellor and, from 1996, Senior
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of
Queensland
2001 date: Senior Consultant, Golder Associates Pty Ltd,
Consulting Engineers, Research Consultant,
Sustainable Minerals Institute and Julius
Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre,
University of Queensland, and company director.
Academic and Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), University of Melbourne, 1960
Master of Engineering Science (Hons), University of Melbourne,
1964 Doctor of Philosophy, University of Queensland, 1969 Doctor of
Science (Engineering), University of London, 1985
Honours and Awards
1984 Consolidated Gold Fields plc Gold Medallist, The Institution
of Mining & Metallurgy
1985 Nineteenth Sir Julius Wernher Memorial Lecturer, The
Institution of Mining & Metallurgy
1995 Fellow of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research
18
Ted Brown
Mller
Mller
A
A
ward Recipient 2007
ward Recipient 2007
Emeritus Professor E T Brown AC FR ENG FTSE
1989 Foreign Fellow Royal Academy of Engineering (formerly The
Fellowship of Engineering, UK
1990 Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and
Engineering
2001 Appointed a Companion in the General Division of the
Order of Australia (AC), (the highest level in the national
honours system), for service to the engineering profession as
a world expert in rock mechanics and to scholarship through
promotion of the highest academic and professional
standards
2002 Awarded a Centenary Medal by the Commonwealth of
Australia,for service to Australian society in mining and civil
engineering
2004 John Jaeger Memorial Award, Australian Geomechanics
Society.
19
T
he ISRM Board
decided at its Pau
meeting in September
1989, to institute an award to
honour the memory of Prof.
Leopold Mller, the founder
and first President of the
Society. Prof. Mller, as the
enthusiastic founder of the
Society, took the initiative to
aggregate to the Salzburger
Group scientists from all over
the world interested in the
new-born branch of science, rock mechanics,
with the purpose to bring together and to give
unity not only to the scattered knowledge
obtained by groups working more or less isolated
on problems posed by rock masses, but even to
knowledge contributed by those pursuing other
aims but with interest in the field.
The award is made once every four years in
recognition of distinguished contributions to the
profession of rock mechanics and rock
engineering and consists of a special Mller Lecture
to be delivered at the ISRM International
Congresses, a work of art typical of the culture of the
country hosting the Congress and a silver medallion
with a portrait of Leopold Mller.
Recipients of the Mller Award
1991 E. Hoek Canada
1995 N. Cook USA
1999 H. Einstein USA
2003 C. Fairhurst USA
2007 E.T. Brown Australia
Five nominations for the 5th Mller Award were
received: Prof. Edwin. T. Brown by Australia, Prof.
Richard Goodman by the USA, Dr Peter K. Kaiser
by Canada, Prof. Shunsuke Sakurai by Japan and
Prof. Ove Stephansson by Sweden.
Selection took place during the Singapore
Council meeting on 7 November 2006 and Prof.
E.T. Brown was selected as the 5th Mller Award
winner. He will receive the award and deliver the
Mller lecture at the 11th ISRM Congress in
The Mller
The Mller
A
A
ward
ward
Mller Mller A Award Recipient 2007 ward Recipient 2007 (continued)
20
Rocha Medal Recipient 2007
Rocha Medal Recipient 2007
Dr Hideaki
Dr Hideaki
Y
Y
asuhara
asuhara
Thermo-Hydro-Mechano-Chemical Couplings that
Define the Evolution of Permeability in Rock Fractures
C
oupled thermal-
h y d r a u l i c -
mechani cal -
chemical (THMC)
processes exert
significant influences
on the evolution of
the mechanical and
transport properties
of rocks. The comp-
etition between agents
that reduce porosity
(grain compaction, pressure solution and
precipitation) and those that generate porosity
(dissolution and dilation) controls rates,
magnitudes, and senses of permeability
modification, strength gain, and stiffness change.
In turn, these processes are important in defining
the evolution of porosity and permeability in
subsiding basins, in geothermal and petroleum
reservoirs, around repositories for the
entombment of radioactive wastes, and in
defining rates or strength gain on faults that in
turn impact recurrence times and magnitudes of
earthquakes.
Significantly, coupled THMC processes strongly
control changes in fracture permeability. The sense
of permeability change is controlled by a complex
interaction of the evolution of effective stress and
temperature in the sample, and species
concentrations within the transiting fluid.
Currently, there is no conclusive view of whether
fractures subject to applied stresses and chemical
net dissolution will seal or alternately gape. Also,
recent flow-through experiments examining
permeability evolution in limestone and novaculite
samples show spontaneous switching between
permeability reduction and permeability increase,
without any change in stress or fluid influent
chemistry and only benign changes in
temperature. These observations are attributed to
result from the spontaneous switching between a
regime where contacting asperity dissolution by
pressure solution is dominant, to one where free-
face etching prevails. Correspondingly, anticipated
senses, rates, and magnitudes of evolution in
permeability remain ill-constrained. Furthermore,
the critical conditions of stresses, temperatures, and
chemistry in triggering the spontaneous switching
are poorly defined. Resolving this knowledge-
deficiency is the main focus of the current work.
In this work, quantitative models are developed to
explain significant and anomalous observed changes
in the permeability of fractures circulated by
hydrothermal fluids. A lumped-parameter model is
developed to represent this behaviour. The lumped
parameter model, incorporating the role of pressure
(dis)solution, diffusion, and precipitation, has
replicated the observed monotonic closure of a
natural fracture in novaculite under constant
effective stresses and at moderately elevated
temperatures. The inability of lumped models to
consistently follow the evolution in fracture
permeability where dissolution dominates suggests
the significant control exerted by fracture
topography and void structure. A distributed
parameter model is developed and applied to
represent the evolution in fracture aperture
mediated by the significant processes of pressure
solution and free-face dissolution. The model
employs an initial realisation of fracture topography
to generate a distribution of fracture apertures.
From this the evolving flow field is determined using
a Reynolds equation, and this in turn is used to
calculate the combined influence of chemical
processes of pressure solution and free-face
dissolution/precipitation in sequentially modifying
the initial aperture distribution. Significantly, where
advective flows dominate, as is often the norm, the
transport equation is solved in mixed Lagrangian-
Eulerian form, enabling high Peclet number flows to
be accommodated. The distributed model shows
good agreement in tracking changes in fracture
aperture and solute concentration observed within a
well-constrained flow-through test completed on a
natural fracture in novaculite.
Dr Hideaki Yasuhara
Name
Hideaki Yasuhara
Born
November 27. 1975 in JAPAN
What made you interested in rock mechanics?
I was a senior undergraduate student when I
encountered Rock Mechanics, attributed to a
meeting with Dr. Toshihisa Adachi and Dr. Kiyoshi
Kishida. They opened a door for me to new world of
Rock MechanicsVery interesting world, isnt it?
What is your specialty in rock mechanics?
Examining the evolution of permeability in
fractured rocks moderated by coupled mechanical
and chemical effects. Specifically, focusing on
chemical dissolution and precipitation exerting
strong influences on modification of topology of
void spaces within fractured rocks, most likely
resulting in changes in hydraulic and mechanical
properties of rocks. Also, developing coupled
THMC numerical models.
What is your favourite topic in rock mechanics?
Topics on which one should account for chemical
effects, such as issues on entombment of radioactive
wastes and CO
2
sequestration
What hobbies do you have?
Playing SHO-GI (Japanese chess), even a part of my
life Also, listening to U.S. pops.
How do you spend your free time?
Of course, playing SHO-GI as a first priority.
Secondly, umreading books.
Do you play sport?
Yes, I play soccer, not so often though. Recently, I
have started to play golf, but it is sort of expensive
sport in Japan. I may be absorbed in it later on.
Do you watch any sport?
Yes, I watch soccer. Ronaldinho in FC Barcelona is
not a humanToo good!
What is your favourite music?
U.S. pops, I do my job in my office with always
listening to a web radio program of U.S. pops.
What is your favourite food?
Not particularly. If I drink beer, any food should be
good enough. Good beer makes any food a feast.
What non-technical books do your read?
Various novels.
Do you have any relatives in rock mechanics?
No
Please add anything interesting about yourself
eg. A defining moment in your life, a particular
incident you remember, etc not confined to
rock mechanics!!
I stayed in U.S. about four and half years to get a
Ph.D. and as a postdoc. My adviser, Dr. Derek
Elsworth in Pennsylvania State University, gave me
warmhearted advice. I could not make it without his
support nothing to say. One day in 2003, he
stopped by my office and said Hide (my nickname).
Do you wanna come to Iceland?, and I replied
Why not?. I went there as a driver for students.
That trip was extremely terrific!!
21
Dr Hideaki
Dr Hideaki
Y
Y
asuhara
asuhara
Biography
22
Rocha Medal
Rocha Medal
A
Bronze Medal and cash prize has been
awarded annually since 1982 by the ISRM
to honour the memory of Past President
Manuel Rocha and to recognise outstanding
young researchers in the field of Rock Mechanics.
The award shall be for an outstanding doctoral thesis
in rock mechanics or rock engineering. The thesis
must have qualified the
candidate for a doctorate
or the equivalent. To be
considered for the award,
a candidate must be
nominated within two
years of the date of the
official doctoral degree
certificate.
The nomination should
be submitted to the
appropriate ISRM
Regional Vice-President
by registered letter, and
may be presented by the
nominee, the nominees
National Group or some
other person or
organisation acquainted with the nominees work.
The nomination should include the following
supporting information:
A one page curriculum vitae (include the name,
nationality, place and date of birth of the
nominee; also position, address, telephone & fax
numbers);
A thesis summary in English, of about 5,000
words, detailed enough to convey the full impact
of the thesis, and accompanied by selected tables
and figures, with headings and captions also in
English; one hard and one digital copy are
required;
One copy of the complete thesis and one copy of
the doctoral degree certificate;
A letter of copyright release, allowing the ISRM
to make copies for review & selection purposes.
Nominations for the 2009 Medal must be received
by 31 December 2007.
Supplementary details of the selection procedure, conferring
of the award, etc., are provided in ISRM By-Law No. 7.
found in the ISRM Website. National Groups and
Corresponding Members will be officially reminded by the
Secretariat as the deadline approaches, but are encouraged to
consider possible nominees and to recommend names to the
appropriate ISRM Regional Vice-President as early as
possible.
Recipients of the Rocha Medal
1982 A.P. Cunha PORTUGAL Mathematical Modelling of Rock
Tunnels
1983 S. Bandis GREECE Experimental Studies of Scale Effects
on Shear Strength and Deformation
of Rock Joints
1984 B. Amadei FRANCE The Influence of Rock Anisotropy
on Measurement of Stresses in Situ
1985 P.M. Dight AUSTRALIA Improvements to the Stability of
Rock Walls in Open Pit Mines
1986 W. Purrer AUSTRIA Calculation Model for the Behaviour
of a Deep-Lying Seam Roadway in a
Solid (but cut by Bedding Planes)
Surrounding Rock Mass, taking into
Consideration the Failure
Mechanisms of the Soft Layer
Determined In-Situ on Models
1987 D. Elsworth UK Laminar and Turbulent Flow in Rock
Fissures and Fissure Networks
1988 S. Gentier FRANCE Morphology and Hydromechanical
Behaviour of a Natural Fracture in a
Granite, under Normal Stress
Experimental and Theoretical Study
1989 B. Frhlich GERMANY Anisotropic Swelling Behaviour of
Diagenetically Consolidated Claystones
1990 R.K. Brummer S. AFRICA Fracturing and Deformation at the Edges
of Tabular Gold Mining Excavations an
the Development of a Numerical Model
describing such Phenomena
The memorial to Manuel Rocha at LNEC in Lisbon
1991 T.H. Kleine AUSTRALIA A Mathematical Model of the Rock
Breakage by Blasting
1992 A. Ghosh INDIA Fractal and Numerical Models of
Explosive Rock Fragmentation
1993 O. Reyes W. PHILIPPINES Experimental Study and Analytical
Modelling of Compressive Fracture in
Brittle Materials
1994 S. Akutagawa JAPAN A Back Analysis Program System for
Geomechanics Application
1995 C. Derek Martin CANADA The Strength of Massive Lac du
Bonnet Granite around Underground
Openings
1996 M. P. Board USA Numerical Examination of Mining-
Induced Seismicity
1997 M. Brudy GERMANY Determination of In-Situ Stress
Magnitude and Orientation of 9 km
Depth at the KTB Site
1998 F. MacGregor AUSTRALIA The Rippability of Rock
1999 A. Daehnke S. AFRICA Stress Wave and Fracture Propagation
in Rock
2000 P. Cosenza FRANCE Coupled Effects between Mechanical
Behaviour and Mass Transfer
Phenomena in Rock Salt
2001 D. F. Malan S. AFRICA An Investigation into the
Identification and Modelling of Time-
Dependent Behaviour of Deep Level
Excavations in Hard Rock
2002 M.S. Diederichs CANADA Instability of Hard Rockmasses: the
Role of Tensile Damage and
Relaxation
2003 L. M. Andersen S. AFRICA A Relative Moment Tensor Inversion
Technique applied to Seismicity
Induced by Mining
2004 G. Grasselli ITALY Shear Strength of Rock Joints based
on the Quantified Surface
Description
2005 M. Hildyard S. AFRICA Wave Interaction with Underground
Openings in Fractured Rock
2006 D. Ask SWEDEN New Developments of the Integrated
Stress Determination Method and
Application to the SP Hard Rock
Laboratory, Sweden
2007 H. Yasuhara JAPAN Thermo-Hydro-Mechano-Chemical
Coupling that Define the Evolution of
Permeability in Rock Fractures
23
Rocha Medal Rocha Medal (continued)
24
Rocha Medal Paper 2006 -
Dr Daniel
Dr Daniel
Ask
Ask
T
he Integrated Stress
D e t e r mi n a t i o n
Method and
Suggested Measurement
Strategy. D. Ask. Vattenfall
Power Consultant AB, Lule,
Sweden
(daniel.ask@vattenfall.com)
In this paper, a strategy for
evaluating the complete
stress field and its variation
with depth using the
Integrated Stress Deter-
mination Method (ISDM; e.g. Cornet, 1993b) is presented. The
ISDM technique involves a number of steps that need to be
considered for reliable stress estimation, which are highlighted.
The method has been applied to various types of stress data,
although this paper focuses on hydraulic methods and overcoring.
As the name indicates, however, the ISDM was developed as a
means to integrate different types of stress data, and it has
successfully been extended over the years to include most
common in-situ stress measurement methods and stress
indicators. The proposed strategy is based on the directions of the
ISRM suggested methods for rock stress estimation.
1. Introduction
Knowledge of the prevailing stress field is important for rock
mechanical studies, because it provides means to analyse the
mechanical behaviour of rock and serves as boundary conditions in
rock engineering problems. In-situ stress measuring methods provide
point-wise estimates of local stress tensors of a considerably smaller
rock volume than that of the rock mechanical problem in question.
However, the regional stress tensor can be determined from a
number of rock stress estimates of local stress tensors. Because the
local stress tensors often are influenced by discontinuities within the
rock volume, the regional stress tensor can generally not be obtained
simply by averaging the local stress tensors (Amadei & Stephansson,
1997). Rather, the extrapolating exercise from local tensors to the
regional stress tensor requires great care.
Cornet (1993a) obtains the regional stress tensor for large rock
volumes taking stress variations into account. He defines the
regional stress tensor with six functions of spatial coordinates from a
number of local stress tensors for small rock volumes that each has
six independent components.
The primary objective of this paper is to present a strategy for
integrated stress determination for evaluating the complete stress
field and its variation with depth using a specific data collection
strategy denominated the cluster approach (Ask and Cornet, 2006).
The ISDM method may involve data from single measurement
methods, but it can also be generalised to various stress measurement
techniques as well as for integrated studies. The potential benefits of
data integration are discussed, as well as the validation of final
results.
2. Strategy for data collection
2.1. The continuity hypothesis
The concept of stress is a concept of continuum mechanics. It applies
only to bodies that are regular enough to be approximated by a
continuum. Because the stress at a point involves six components,
the determination of the regional stress field includes determination
of six functions for the domain under consideration. This requires
integrating measurements conducted at points that sample properly
the continuum volume of interest.
Thus, prior to discussing how to ascertain the validity of a specific
stress measurement at a certain point, it is necessary to identify
volumes where the continuity hypothesis is verified. It is completely
pointless to compare a measurement at a given depth with that at
another depth if the two points of measurements do not belong to
the same continuum. This is one of the major difficulties in
evaluating stress measurements, and only preliminary geological and
geophysical reconnaissance can help answer this question.
Therefore, a crucial point for a successful choice of test locations is a
proper evaluation of the continuity hypothesis. It is strongly
recommended that careful analysis of cores and geophysical logs be
conducted before selecting points of measurements and before
selecting the set of data that will be used for the regional stress
evaluation. Because decoupling zones may exist, identifying these
and determining their effect on the stress field is an important
objective (e.g. Ask et al., 2006).
2.2. The cluster approach
The most common approach for stress field interpretation in
boreholes is profiling, i.e. data are collected along a section of or the
entire borehole. The results are then used to determine the stress
field and its variation, either as a function of depth or along the
borehole direction. However, in the case of non-linearity, the linear
interpolation method may not provide satisfactory results. In such
cases, an alternative sampling method is the cluster approach. The
methodology involves three steps (Ask et al., 2006; Ask and Cornet,
2006):
(i) Identification of domains where the continuity hypothesis is
validated;
(ii) Combination of measurements in a clustered procedure so
that each cluster corresponds to a small enough volume to
permit complete stress determination without considering
stress gradients; and
(iii) Integration of results from all clusters so as to establish the
validity of the continuity hypothesis and to determine the
complete stress field within the domain of interest with
proper attention to decoupling zones.
For longer boreholes (e.g. 500-1000 m), it is recommended to choose
at least three, and possibly four, depth intervals per borehole for
clustered measurements so that at least three, and possibly four,
complete stress determinations are conducted without any
hypothesis on stress gradients and on stress field continuity.
Optimally, they should not be extended over a depth range larger
than 50 m, so as to limit the number of model parameters for each
individual cluster. If multiple stress measuring techniques are
Dr Daniel Ask
employed for each cluster, data from independent methods should
preferably be independently analysed initially to allow comparisons.
Finally, all data will be integrated progressively in larger volumes so
as to provide the required complete stress field determination over
the desired domain.
2.3. Importance of integrated stress studies
The primary objective of the stress measuring campaign is to provide
a determination of the complete stress field in domains of interest,
with identification of decoupling zones in the corresponding
domains. Because many data may already be available at a site, a
secondary objective is to take advantage as much as possible of
existing results. In this respect, the ISDM technique has proven to be
a powerful tool.
The ISDM has since its development been applied to a wide range of
stress measurements data. In Ask (2004; 2006), data from two of the
most commonly applied methods, hydraulic methods and ovecoring,
were integrated. A somewhat similar integration technique has been
fruitful at other sites, e.g. Wileveau et al. (2005). I emphasise here
that the basic idea of data integration is to take advantage of
complementary data that provide individually the best constraint on
only some of the different model parameters. The objective is to
combine them all in order to obtain a complete characterisation of
the mechanical model. Therefore, it is not to identify a solution that
fits only loosely the maximum amount of data.
Another strong benefit of an integrated approach is that data from
different sources may be compared. Only through complementary
techniques will it be possible to ascertain the domain of confidence
of the results. Indeed, whilst inverse problem theory provides means
to take into account objective uncertainties on the various
measurements, it does not evaluate the influence of simplifying
hypotheses inherent to the stress measuring method under
consideration; hence, the necessity to reach the results through
different independent means.
3. The ISDM technique
3.1. Approach
Once the stress data have been collected, analysed, and quality
assured, the stress determination is undertaken using the ISDM
technique. In the ISDM there are several steps that must be
considered for each case study (Fig. 1; Ask, 2004; 2006):
(i) The number and type of available data defines the
parameterization of the stress field within the rock
volume of interest. An increasing number of data can
solve an increasing number of unknown model
parameters, provided that the stress data sample contains
more than one stress vector. The data are preferably
to be analysed using the methods suggested by ISRM;
(ii) The rock volume, which is defined by the distribution of the
available stress data, should be considered with respect to
the continuity hypothesis;
(iii) Selection of a proper mathematical algorithm;
(iv) A priori values for the Gradient method are determined
from available stress data, or from a global Monte Carlo
search for model parameters and finally
(v) Verification of the solution.
When different types of stress measurements are integrated, care
must be taken regarding the number of each data set, the nature of
the different data sets and volume involved during measurement.
These differences can be overcome by definition and inclusion of
misfit functions. This is further discussed in e.g. Ask (2004; 2006).
3.2. Parameterization
In the ISDM, the measured rock volume is discretized into sub-
volumes in which the stress field is approximated by its first order
linear expansion (Cornet, 1993b). The stress at a point X
m
of the m
th
measurement is given by:
(1)
where (X
m
) and (X) are the stress tensor in points X
m
and X,
respectively, whereas
(x)
,
(y)
, and
(z)
are second-order symmetrical
tensors characterising the stress gradient in the x-, y- and z-
directions. Equation 1 satisfies the following equilibrium constraints
(Cornet, 1993b).
Figure 1 depicts the approach for stress determination using the
ISDM based on the Gradient method. The rock stress data and the
geological information control the parameterization of the stress field
in the rock mass. A priori values for the Gradient method are derived
from available stress data or from Monte Carlo simulations (in this
study). When a solution has been found, it is verified using four
methods (After Ask (2006)).
(2)
where (X) is the density of the rock mass in the point X, and b is
the gravitational acceleration (bi = gi3; i3 = 0 for i 3; i3 = 1 for
i = 3). The first order approximation of the stress field requires
determination of 22 parameters. If the data set is too small to
determine all 22 parameters, the number of unknowns can be
reduced using the following assumptions: (1) the lateral stress
variations are neglected (which is exactly valid if only data along one
single rectilinear borehole direction are available); (2) one principal
stress is vertical throughout the volume; (3) if 2 applies, the rock
mass density is obtained from direct measurements on cores
(neglecting effect of fractures on density); (4) there is no rotation of
principal stresses (in small rock volumes); (5) the stress field is
continuous up to ground surface.
In regions with negligible topographical effects and a homogeneous
rock mass, implying that lateral stress gradients can be neglected, Eq.
1 is reduced to:
(3)
25
Dr Daniel
Dr Daniel
Ask
Ask
In the chosen parameterization, (X) and
(z)
are expressed with
three Euler angles and three principal values. For (X), the
eigenvalues are S1 to S3 and the three Euler angles are E1 to E3, which
are expressed in the geographical frame of reference. Corresponding
eigenvalues for
(z)
are 1 to 3 and the three Euler angles E4 to E6,
which are expressed in the (X) frame of reference. Thus, the
gradients 1-3 correspond to the vertical gradient of S1-S3 only if E1-
E3 are equal to E4-E6 (Ask, 2004; 2006).
3.3. The inverse problem and its solution
The inversion is performed using a method developed by Cornet and
Valette (1984), based on the least squares criterion (Tarantola &
Valette, 1982). In this method, a priori knowledge of the unknown
model parameters is assumed to exist, which can be formulated in
terms of expected value, variance and covariances. In practice, large
error bars are placed on assumed central values for the unknown
parameters. The hydraulic fracturing and HTPF data involve 4
components, and the general expression for the fracture normal
stress, n, from hydraulic fracturing and hydraulic tests on pre-
existing fractures is:
(4)
where n
m
is the normal of the m
th
fracture plane and includes the dip
direction,
m
, and the dip,
m
, of the normal to the m
th
fracture plane
with respect to the vertical direction. Equations 3 and 4 can be used
to define a vector function f() for which the m
th
component is given
by:
(5)
where matrices S and A represent the stress and gradient tensors,
AB includes Euler angles E4 to E6, which describe A in the S frame
of reference, SB includes the Euler angles E1 to E3, which describe S
and A in the geographical frame of reference, z
m
is the depth of the
m
th
fracture, and z is the chosen calculation depth (normally the
average depth of the data set). Note that for overcoring, there are
four different expressions for f
m
(); for axial, tangential and 45- and
135-inclined gauges. Continuing with the hydraulic fracturing data
case, the solution of the inverse problem is defined by the minimum
of:
(6)
26
Dr Daniel
Dr Daniel
Ask
Ask
Figure 1. A schematic representation of the ISRM method.
The problem is a conditional least square, i.e. the minimum of the
least squares criterion (Eq. 6) is sought that satisfies the condition
f()=0. Tarantola and Valette (1982) showed that this could be
solved using the iterative algorithm based on the fixed-point method:
(7)
where F is a matrix of partial derivatives of f() valued at point .
4. Validation of results
When a final solution has been derived, it requires a validation. For
stress determinations, two efficient ways are usually considered for
validating the results (Ask et al., 2006; Ask and Cornet, 2006):
(i) Consistency of the results for large data sets, and
(ii) Similarity in the results obtained from different techniques.
At most sites, regional principal stress directions can be produced
fairly reliably through e.g. hydraulically induced fracture orientations
and borehole breakout orientations, if they are observed. The real
question usually concerns the possible role of large fracture zones as
source of decoupling so that rocks on both sides of the fracture zone,
away from the zone, may not support the same stress field. Let us
note that because equilibrium conditions are satisfied, the normal
stress component is always continuous.
It is essential to obtain a sufficient number of data within the domain
of interest in order to confine uncertainties to reasonable limits.
Normally, directions are produced with uncertainties smaller than
15, and can be further reduced to 10, if rock heterogeneity remains
minimal (Ask et al., 2006).
For thrust regimes, the most important question concerns the
magnitude of both the horizontal principal stresses. Hydraulic
methods are self-consistent for determining the complete stress field
and the solution for principal stress directions can be compared with
those obtained by other means. The same can be said for stress
magnitudes. At a later stage, if additional data are available at the
site in question, integrated inversions may outline those data that are
not consistent with the solution. In this manner it is possible to
detect whether only specific tests cause problems, or whether many
results obtained with a given technique constitute the source of
difficulty. A careful statistical analysis of the results provides an
efficient evaluation of the validity of the final solution; hence, the
necessity to produce a large volume of reliable data.
The next question is whether the proposed methodology will
produce enough data for the statistical analysis to be reliable. For e.g.
HTPF tests, the diversity of orientations of open or partially open
pre-existing fractures, within restricted depth intervals, may be
limited. However, it was shown by Ask and Cornet (2006) that
horizontal stresses may be solved even for the ultimate case in which
only one single direction is observed within a given restricted depth
range (Ask et al., 2006).
5. Conclusions
A strategy for determining the stress field and its variation with
depth using the ISDM technique is presented. With proper attention
to the continuity hypothesis, the strategy will be applicable even in
case of non-linearity. The benefits of integrated studies entail that
limitations in the classical evaluation of individual stress measuring
techniques may be avoided.
Acknowledgments
The ideas presented in this paper have been developed in close co-
operation with Prof. Francois Cornet (Ask and Cornet, 2006; Ask et
al., 2006), which is hereby acknowledged. Review comments from
Mr. Lennart Ekman helped me focus the manuscript.
References
Amadei, B. and Stephansson, O. (1997). Rock Stress and Its
Measurements, Chapman and Hall Publ., London.
Ask, D. (2004). New developments of the Integrated Stress
Determination Method and application to rock stress data at the
sp Hard Rock Laboratory, Doctoral Thesis, Royal Institute of
Technology, Stockholm.
Ask, D. (2006). New developments of the Integrated Stress
Determination Method and application to rock stress data at the
sp HRL. Int. J. Rock Mech Min. Sci., 43: 107-126.
Ask, D., Cornet, F.H., (2006). Strategy for in-situ rock stress
measurements. Internal Report, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste
Management Company (SKB).
Ask, D., Cornet, F.H., and Lindfors, U. (2006). Feasibility study on
high-capacity equipment for hydraulic fracturing in high-stress
environments. Proc. 4th Asian Rock Mech. Symp. (Eds. Leung CF,
Zhou YX), Singapore. B & JO Enterprice, p. 99-107.
Cornet, F.H. (1993a). Stresses in rock and rock masses,
Comprehensive Rock Engineering, 3, (J. Hudson, Ed.). Pergamon
Press, Oxford: 297-327.
Cornet, F.H. (1993b). The HTPF and the integrated stress
determination methods, Comprehensive Rock Engineering, 3, (J.
Hudson, Ed.). Pergamon Press, Oxford: 413-432.
Cornet, F.H. and Valette, B. (1984). In situ stress determination
from hydraulic injection testing test data. J. Geophys. Res., 89:
11527-37.
Cornet, F.H., Wileveau, Y., Bert, B., and Darcy, J. (1997). Complete
stress determination with the HTPF tool in a mountainous region.
Int. J. Rock Mech. & Min. Sci., 34: 497.
Haimson, B.C. and Cornet, F.H. (2003). ISRM Suggested Methods
for rock stress estimation Part 3: hydraulic fracturing (HF) and/or
hydraulic testing of pre-existing fractures (HTPF). Int. J. Rock
Mech. Min. Sci., 40: 1011-1020.
Tarantola, A. and Valette, B. (1982). generalised non-linear inverse
problem solved using the least square criterion. Rev. Geophys.
Space. Phys., 20: 219-232.
Wileveau, Y., Cornet, F.H., Desroches, J., and Blumling P. (2006).
Complete in situ stress determination in an argillite sedimentary
formation, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth (In press).
27
Dr Daniel
Dr Daniel
Ask
Ask
Daniel Francois Malan obtained his B.Ing (Electrical) (Cum
Laude) and M. Ing (Electrical) (Cum Laude) degrees at the
Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg, South Africa.
After gaining several years of experience in rock engineering,
he also obtained his Ph.D (Mining Engineering) at the
University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (for which
he was awarded the Rocha medal in 2001). He is currently
Operations Director of Groundwork Consulting (Pty) Ltd in
Johannesburg.
During the past 14 years, he has been involved in the field of
rock engineering and strata control, specialising in the fields of
numerical modelling and the physics of rock behaviour. His
work initially focused on the research of micro-mechanical
rock behaviour, boundary elements and laboratory models. He
also gained significant experience in the time-dependent
behaviour of hard rock. In recent years he gained further
experience in stope support design, quality assurance
programmes for mine support, large instrumentation
programmes and the numerical modelling of shallow tabular
excavations. His great passion in rock engineering is the use of
continuous closure measurements as a diagnostic measure of
rock behaviour.
Dr Malan is a member of the ISRM, through the South
African National Institute of Rock Engineering (SANIRE)
(the ISRM NG South Africa) and served as President of
SANIRE from 2003 to 2005. He is also a member of the South
African Institute of Mining and Metallargy and is a Registered
Professional Engineer in South Africa.
Dr Malan is the author of 12 publications in refereed journals
and 15 publications in conference proceedings. He was the
recipient of the Salamon prize for the best paper in Rock
Mechanics (1997), joint recipient of the South African
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy silver medal (1998),
received the CSIR Outstanding Achiever Award (1998 and
2001) and was awarded the ISRM Rocha medal (2001). His
professional qualifications include the Chamber of Mines Rock
Mechanics Certificate.
Dr Francois Malan has been nominated by the ISRM NG
South Africa
28
Daniel Franois Malan
NG: South Africa
Africa Region
Nominations for Regional
Nominations for Regional
V
V
ice-Presidents 2007-201
ice-Presidents 2007-201
1
1
Abdolhadi Ghazvinian is Iranian, and obtained his Ph.D.
(Rock Mechanics Geotechnical Engineering), at the Indian
Inst. of Technology, in New Delhi, India. Currently, he is the
Head of the Rock Mechanics Division, of the Department of
Mining Engineering, at the Tarbiat Modares Univ. (TMU), in
Tehran, Iran, where he teaches courses on Advanced Rock
Mechanics, Analysis and Design of Underground Excavations,
Tunnel Engineering, Analysis and Design of Surface
Excavations, Advanced Methods of Site Investigations, etc.,
working also as a researcher, in the Rock Mechanics
Laboratory of the Department of Mining Engineering and the
Department of Geology. From time to time, he also works as
Senior Consultant for various rock engineering projects, of the
Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Mines and Metals, the
Ministry of Higher Education, and the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Planning.
Dr Ghazvinian is a member of the ISRM, through the Iranian
Society for Rock Mechanics (the ISRM NG Iran), having been
its Secretary-General (for the term of office 1999-2002) and
the Secretary-General for the 1st Iranian Rock Mechanics
Conference (in 2002), and Chairman (since 2006).
He was also the Chairman of the Iran Mining Engineering
Conference 2005, and is a member of the Iranian Society for
Civil Engineering, the International Society of Soil Mechanics
and Geotechnical Engineering, and the Indian Geotechnical
Society.
Dr Ghazvinian has published more than 50 academic papers,
in national and international journals, and presented papers at
international conferences and seminars.
Dr Ghazvinian has been nominated by the ISRM NG Iran
29
Abdolhadi Ghazvinian
NG: Iran
Asia Region
Krishan Gopal Sharma is Indian, and obtained his B.E. (Civil)
and his M.E. (Civil), at the Birla Institute of Technology and
Science (BITS), in Pilani, India, and his Ph.D., at the
University of Wales, in Swansea, UK. Having already taught
since 1974, in 1980, he joined the Department of Civil
Engineering, of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, in
New Delhi, India, and, from 1988 to 1989, he was a Visiting
Lecturer at the University of Arizona, in Tucson AZ, USA. At
the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, since 1990, he is
Professor of Civil Engineering, and, from 2003 to 2006, he was
Head of the Department of Civil Engineering.
Prof. Sharma is a member of the ISRM, through the
Committee of the International Society for Rock Mechanics
(India) (the ISRM NG India), being currently its President. In
2002, he has been involved in the organisation of the ISRM
Regional Symposium on Advancing Rock Mechanics
Frontiers, held in New Delhi.
He is also a member of the ISSMGE, the International
Association for Computer Methods and Advances in
Geomechanics, the Indian Society of Earthquake Technology,
the Indian Society for Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling
Technology, and the Indian Society for Technical Education, as
well as a Fellow of the Indian Geotechnical Society.
Furthermore, he has been nominated as member of the
Governing Council for the Central Soil and Materials
Research Station (CSMRS), in New Delhi, of the Standing
Technical Advisory Committee of the CSMRS, of the Sectorial
Committee of the National Board of Accreditation (All India
Council for Technical Education), and of the Indian National
Committee on Geotechnical Engineering. He has been
involved in the organisation of many national and
international conferences and workshops, like the Indian
Geotechnical Conferences (1986, 1998, and 2003), the
International Conference on Engineering Software (1989), the
International Conference on Numerical Methods in
Geomechanics (1991), the International Conference on Soil
Krishan Gopal Sharma
NG: India
Nominations for Regional V Nominations for Regional Vice-Presidents 2007-201 ice-Presidents 2007-2011 1 (continued)
30
Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (1994), the 2nd
International Workshop on Geotextiles (1994).
Prof. Sharma has published 43 research papers, in national and
international journals, and 103 research papers, in national
and international conferences, and has guided 19 Ph.D. theses
and 70 M.Tech. theses. He has received 7 national and
international awards (from the Indian Geotechnical Society,
the Central Board of Irrigation and Power, the Indian Society
for Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling Technology, and the
International Association for Computer Methods and
Advances in Geomechanics), and has been a member of the
Editorial Board of the journals Computers and Geotechnics
and Journal of Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling Technology.
His main teaching and research interests are the constitutive
modelling of soils (Yamuna sand, Delhi silt, reinforced soils,
rockfill materials) and rocks (intact rocks, jointed rock
masses), including the post-peak behaviour, and the use of the
FEM for the linear, nonlinear, and elasto-plastic analysis of
geotechnical engineering problems. He has successfully
completed 5 research projects funded by the Government of
India, in the areas of stresses and deformations around
underground structures, computer aided design of
underground structures, material modelling and computer
methods related to river valley projects, software for finite
element analysis of underground structures, using an
equivalent material model, and testing and modelling of
rockfill materials, and, currently, works on 3 more projects,
one of them funded by National Science Foundation (USA).
He has also been involved in numerous consultancy projects
on the analysis and design of dams, tunnels, underground
powerhouses, slopes, and foundations, and has been a member
of Expert Committees appointed by the Bombay High Court,
and the Supreme Court of India.
Prof. Sharma has been nominated by the ISRM NG India.
So-Keul Chung, born in Ulsan Republic of Korea, in 1952, is
married and has a daughter. He obtained his B.Sc. (Mining
Engineering), in 1975, at the Seoul National Univ., in Seoul
Republic of Korea. In 1978, he joined the Korea Inst. of
Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), in Daejeon
Republic of Korea as Researcher. In 1982, he obtained his
DEA (Engineering Geology), at the cole des Mines de Nancy,
in Nancy France, and, in 1984, his Dr-Ing. (Rock Mechanics),
at the Universit dOrlans, in Orleans, France. Still at the
KIGAM, in 1985, he became Senior Researcher, and, in 1990,
Principal Researcher. From 1999 to 2002, he was Director of
the Geophysical Exploration and Mining Engineering
Division, and, currently, works in the Geomechanics and
Underground Structures Group, of the Geotechnical
Engineering Division. Furthermore, he was Adjunct Professor,
at the Chungnam National University, in Daejeon, in 2002,
and at the Chunnam National University, in Gwangju, Korea,
in 2003.
Dr Chung is a member of the ISRM, through the Korean
Society for Rock Mechanics (KSRM) (the ISRM NG Republic
of Korea), having been the Secretary-General of the 1st Asian
Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS) (in 1997), and the
Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Geosystem Engineering and
the Tunnels and Underground Space (for the term of office
2001-2005), and being now the President of the KSRM (since
2005), as well as a member of the ARMS Award Committee,
and of the 4th ARMS organising Committee.
He is also the Chairman of the Working Committee 2
(Underground Storage) for the Korean Gas Union (since
2004).
Dr Chung has published more than 200 research papers and
technical reports, and edited more than 12 books and
proceedings.
His research areas include monitoring and analysis of the
mechanical behaviour of rock structures, such as rock slopes,
large underground openings, mine openings, and tunnels, and
a gamut of rock mechanical studies for underground LNG
storage caverns and waste repositories, pertaining to those he
has participated in several scientific and industrial research
projects.
Dr So-Keul Chung has been nominated by the ISRM NG
Republic of Korea.
So-Keul Chung
NG: Republic of Korea
Anthony Meyers is Australian, and started work in 1980, at
the North Mine of the North Broken Hill Pty Ltd, in Broken
Hill NSW, Australia, as Graduate Mining Engineer. In 1981,
he moved to the Kalgoorlie Lake View Mine of the Western
Mining Corporation, still as Graduate Mining Engineer, and, in
1983, he changed to the Tecalemit A/Asia Pty Ltd, as Process
Engineer in Research and Development. From 1984 until
1986, he worked for Flopetrol Schlumberger, as Field Service
Engineer. Having obtained his B.Eng. (Mining Engineering), in
1988, at the South Australian Institute of Technology, in
Adelaide, Australia with the thesis Triaxial Stress Field
Measurement, Using a Single Borehole, he joined the
Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Adelaide,
in Adelaide, as Senior Research Officer in Rock Mechanics
and PhD candidate. In 1992, he changed to the Department
of Mining Engineering of the University of Adelaide, as
Director of the Mining Engineering Research Group, and
Senior Lecturer in Rock Mechanics, and, in 1993, he obtained
his Ph.D. (Rock Mechanics), at that University, with the thesis
The Determination of the Rock Mass Strength, for
Engineering Design. Since 1997, he also works for Rocktest
Consulting, as Director and Senior Geotechnical Engineer in
Rock Mechanics, and, in 1999, he obtained a Diploma in
Financial Markets, from the Securities Institute Education. In
2003, he left the University of Adelaide.
Dr Meyers is a member of the ISRM, through the Australian
Geomechanics Society (the ISRM NG Australia), currently
being a member of its National Committee.
He is also a member of the Australian Inst. of Mining and
Metallurgy, and of the Institution of Engineers Australia, as
well as a Chartered Professional Engineer (NPER).
Dr Meyers is the author of 22 publications, and has supervised
25 research projects. He has been awarded the JB Were and
Son, and the First National Bank of Chicago state prizes.
His expertise includes the use of probabilistic based, analytical
and numerical methods for determining the stability of surface
and underground excavations in rock; the statistical
assessment of the spatial characteristics of discontinuities
within rocks; the design of rock slope remediation systems, and
the supervision of site works; laboratory testing of rocks; and
the installation and monitoring of field instrumentation.
Dr Meyers has been nominated by the ISRM NG Australia.
31
Anthony Meyers
NG: Australia
Australasia Region
Nuno Feodor Grossmann, born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1941, is
married and father of 4 children. He obtained his Dipl.-Ing.
(Mining Engineering), in 1964, at the Instituto Superior
Tcnico (IST) of the Universidade Tcnica de Lisboa, in
Lisbon, and started to work both at the Laboratrio Nacional
de Engenharia Civil (LNEC), in Lisbon, as Trainee Research
Officer, and at the IST, as 2nd Assistant. Between 1967 and
1972, he fulfilled his compulsory military service in the
Portuguese Engineers Corps, first in mainland Portugal, and
then in Portuguese Timor. Back in Lisbon, he resumed his prior
positions at the LNEC and IST. At the LNEC, in 1977, he
obtained the degree of Specialist in Rock Mechanics, with the
thesis Contribution to the Study of the Jointing of the Rock
Masses, in 1987, was approved as Principal Research Officer,
with the research programme The Discontinuities in the
Rock Masses Geometrical Characteristics and Influence on
the Deformability of the Rock Masses, in 1991, became Head
of the Road Geotechnique Division of the Transportation
Networks Department, and, in 1996, Head of the
Underground Works Divisuon of the Dams Department. Since
2003, he works in the Foundations and Underground Works
Division of the Concrete Dams Department. At the IST, he
lectured until 1979, having taught mainly classes in Applied
Geology, Geology, Mineralogy, and Petrology. Between 2000
and 2003, he was Invited Full Professor at the University of
vora, Evora Portugal, where he taught on the subject of Rock
Mechanics.
Dr Grossmann is a member of the ISRM, through the
Sociedade Portuguesa de Geotecnia (the ISRM NG Portugal),
being, since 2004, a member of the Editorial Board of its
journal Geotecnia. He has been Secretary-General of the
ISRM (1983-1987), Editor-in-Chief of the ISRM News (1989-
1996), member of the ISRM Commission on Communications
(1988-1991), and responsible for the E.U.-financed EUROCK
Euroconferences Projects (1993-1996), and still is member of
the EUROCK Steering Committee (since 1990), Contributing
Editor of the ISRM News Journal (since 1996), and member of
the ISRM Commission on Education (since 1997). He has
taken part in the ISRM Lecture Tour 2006, in China, in 8
ISRM International Congresses on Rock Mechanics, and,
since 1982, in nearly all ISRM International Symposia, and is,
currently, Vice-President of the organising Committee of the
11th International Congress on Rock Mechanics.
He is also a member of the IAEG, the ISSMGE, the ITA, the
Portuguese Association of Explosives Studies and Engineering
(AP3E), and the Portuguese Engineers Order (OE), and, since
2002, a member of the Explosives Commission of the Ministry
for Internal Affairs.
Dr Grossmann is the author or co-author of nearly 200
documents.
His main research topic is the study of the rock mass jointing.
He also has extensive experience in the performance of in-situ
rock mechanics tests, having conducted tests in Portugal and
abroad (Angola, Austria, China (Taiwan), Germany, Iran,
Nepal, and Spain), for bridge foundations, dams, quarries, road
and railway tunnels, and underground powerhouses. During
the last years, he further developed a significant activity as
auditor of the quality control of works.
Dr Grossmann has been nominated by the ISRM NG UK, his
nomination being supported also by the ISRM NGs Finland
and Portugal.
32
Nuno Feodor Grossmann
NG: Portugal
Europe Region
C. Derek Martin is Canadian, and obtained his B.Sc.
(Geology), in 1972, at the Memorial University, in St. John's
NF Canada. From 1972 until 2000, he held various industrial
positions in engineering (among which the one of Associate
Director of the Geomechanics Research Centre of the
Laurentian University), having obtained his M.Eng.
(Civil/Geotechnical Engineering), in 1983, at the Uniersity. of
Alberta, in Edmonton AB Canada, and his Ph.D. (Civil and
Geological Engineering), in 1993, at the University of
Manitoba, in Winnipeg MN Canada. In 2000, he joined the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, of the
University of Alberta, in Edmonton, as Professor.
Prof. Martin is a member of the ISRM, through the Canadian
Rock Mechanics Association (CARMA) (the ISRM NG
Canada), having been Chairman of its Rock Mechanics
Division (for the term of office 1990-1993), and Chairman of
the CARMA (for the term of office 1995-1997).
He is also a member of the Association of Professional
Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta, of the
Canadian Geotechnical Society (having been member of its
Research Board (1993-2003), Associate Editor of the
Canadian Geotechnical Journal (1996-2002), and CGS
Vice-President Technical (2005-2006), and being, currently,
the Chairman of the organising Committee of the Canadian
Geotechnical Conference, to be held in Edmonton), and of the
Canadian Tunnelling Association (having been the Technical
Chairman of the 18th Tunnelling Association of Canada
National Conference (2004-2005)). He further has been a
member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada Grant Selection Committee for Civil
Engineering (for the term of office 1994-1997).
Prof. Martin is the author of over 140 publications on rock
mechanics. He has received the Canadian Geotechnical
Society's Colloquium Award (in 1993), the ISRM Rocha
Medal (in 1995), and the Canadian Geotechnical Society's
John Franklin Award (for contributions to the Canadian rock
mechanics) (in 1996), and, in 2006, was elected Fellow of the
Engineering Institute of Canada. Since 2004, he is a member
of the Editorial Advisory Boards of the journals International
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and
Felsbau.
His Ph.D. thesis has the title Strength of Massive Lac du
Bonnet Granite, around Underground Openings.
Prof. Martin has been nominated by the ISRM NG Canada.
33
C. Derek Martin
NG: Canada
North America Region
lvaro J. Gonzalez Garcia, born in Bogot, Colombia, in 1942,
obtained his degree as Civil Engineer (Honors), in 1965, at the
Colombia National University, in Bogot, and, from 1966 to
1967, took part in M.Sc. courses, at the Iowa State University,
in Ames IA, USA. From 1969 to 1993, he has taught,
intermittently, in several Colombian universities, as External
Professor, and, in 1970, he started to work as Consultant in
Geotechnical Engineering. In 1974, he obtained his DIC (Soil
Mechanics) and his M.Sc. (Soil Mechanics) (Distinction),
both at the Univ. of London, in London, UK. Since 1975, he
is Associate Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, at the
Colombia National University, in Bogot, where he has also
been, from 1975 to 1976, the Chief of the Geotechnical
Section, of the Department of Civil Engineering, and, from
1976 to 1978, the Head of the Department of Civil
Engineering. In 1978, he joined Ingeniera e Hidrosistemas Ltd
- Consulting Engineers, in Bogot, as Partner, and in 1985, he
took part in a Foundations Training Course, at the Tokyo
International Center (JICA), in Tokyo Japan. In 1986, he left
Ingeniera e Hidrosistemas, and, until 1989, worked as
Director of the National Highway Landslide Research Study,
of the Colombia National University, for the Ministry of Public
Works, in Bogot. Since 1990, he is Partner and Manager of
Anlisis Geotcnicos Colombianos Ltd - Consulting
Engineers, in Bogot.
Prof. Gonzalez is a member of the ISRM, through the
Colombian Geotechnical Society (SCG) (the ISRM NG
Colombia), having been its President (for the terms of office
1992-1994, and 1994-1996). He has also been Colombias
Official Delegate at all South American Rock Mechanics
Conferences, except the 5th SARocks.
He is also a member of the IAEG and of the ISSMGE (and,
since 2002, member of the ISSMGE Committee TC23), as well
as of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the
Civil Engineers Association of the Colombia National
University (AICUN), and the Colombian Engineers Society
(SCI) (having been the President of its Geotechnical
Committee, for two terms of office). Furthermore, he is the
Coordinator of the Committee on Geotechnical Normalisation
(since 2002).
Prof. Gonzalez is the author of more than 90 papers, in
national and international conferences and meetings, mainly,
on slope stability, rock mechanics, material behaviour,
foundation engineering, and hazard evaluation, and has guided
more than 30 postgraduate theses. He is also the author of
Development and Social Insertion of Civil Engineering in
Colombia, a work for which he was awarded the Research
Distinction Award of the Civil Engineers Association of the
Colombia National Univ. (1990), and co-author of the Title H
(Geotechnical Studies) of the Colombian Earthquake
Resistant Code - 1998 (NSR98). In 1992, he delivered the 4th
National Geotechnical Lecture - Risk Evaluation in
Geotechnics for the Colombian Engineers Society.
He has taught courses in soil mechanics, rock mechanics,
foundations, earth retaining structures, and flow in porous
media, and provided consultancy in geotechnical aspects of
transportation, hydroelectric, environmental, irrigation,
mining, and urban projects, and in hazard and risk evaluation,
for the Colombian Geological Service (INGEOMINAS), the
United Nations (UNDRO-Colombia), the World Bank,
British Petroleum (Colombia), Intercor (Exxon-Colombia),
Proactiva (Spain-Colombia), and many other state and private
entities.
Prof. Gonzalez has been nominated by the ISRM NG
Colombia.
34
lvaro J. Gonzalez Garcia
NG: Colombia
South America Region
T
he Portuguese Geotechnical Society (the
Portuguese National Group of the ISRM)
is proud to host the 11th ISRM Congress,
in Lisbon. We cordially invite you to attend the
Congress, which we hope will be a memorable event
from the technical point of view and also an
opportunity for all participants to meet their
counterparts from all over the world.
The Congress format comprises parallel sessions on
the Congress themes, with keynote lectures, general
reports and presentation of selected papers, as well as
Specialised sessions on specific topics, promoted by
the ISRM Commissions, Interest Groups or National
Groups. A number of associated events will also take
place, such as a technical exhibition, short courses and
technical visits. Before and after the Congress, three
international workshops will be organised in Madrid
and in Ponta Delgada, Azores. Attractive social events
for delegates and accompanying person will also be
available.
We look forward to welcoming you in Lisbon.
Lus Ribeiro e Sousa
Chairman of the Organising Committee
Congress Themes
T1 Rock Engineering and Environmental Issues
T2 The Path from characterisation to Modelling
T3 Slopes, Foundations and Open Pit Mining
T4 Tunnel, Caverns and Underground Mining
T5 Earthquake Engineering and Rock Dynamics
T6 Petroleum Engineering and Hydrocarbon
Storage
T7 Safety Evaluation and Risk Management
Specialised Sessions
S01 Rockfall Mechanism and Hazard Assessment
S02 Rock Mech. Data: Representation and
Standardisation
S03 Innovations in Underground Construction
(ITA/ISRM)
S04 Application of Geophysics to Rock
Engineering
S05 Maintenance and Repair of Underground
Structures
S06 Mine Closure
S07 Mining
S08 Rock Blasting Induced Vibrations
S09 3D Laser Scanning Applied to Geotechnical
Problems
S010 Underground Waste Disposal: Progress and
Challenges
Short Courses
A Numerical Simulation of Underground
Construction. New Trends and Developments
B Geomechanical Parameter Evaluation in Rock
Engineering Practice
C Block Theory and its Applications for Surface
and Underground Rock Excavations
International Workshops
W1 Underground Works under Special Conditions,
CEDEX, Madrid (www.isrm2007w1.tilesa.es)
W1 Volcanic Rocks, LREC, Ponta Delgada, Azores
(www.azores.gov.pt/Portal/pt/entidades/srhe
lrec/textoImagem/LREC-W2.htm)
W3 Preservation of Natural Stone and Rock
Weathering, CEDEX, Mrida-Madrid
(www.isrm2007w3.tilesa.es)
35
1
1
1th ISRM Congress - Lisbon, Portugal
1th ISRM Congress - Lisbon, Portugal
Invitation to Lisbon 9-13 July 2007
Key Dates
January 15: Authors submit papers to the NGs
March 15: NGs submit papers to the Congress
Secretariat
May 15: Deadline for early bird registration fees
for participants and exhibitors
Congress Schedule
July 6 Workshop W1, Madrid
July 7 ISRM Board meeting
Course C
July 8 ISRM Commission meetings (morning)
ISRM Council meeting (afternoon)
7th Workshop on Application of
Geophysics
Courses A, B and C
July 9-11 Congress (plenary and parallel sessions)
July 12 Congress (Specialised sessions)
July 13 Technical visits
July 13-15 Workshop W2, Azores
Workshop W3, Mrida-Madrid
Registration Fees
(in Euros) Before After
May 15 May 15
ISRM ISRM Member 550 650
Congress Non Member 600 700
Student 250 300
Courses* A or B 200 200
C 400 400
Intern. Workshops* W1, W2 or W3 250 300
Technical Visits TV1 10 10
TV2 to TV5 20 20
Congress Banquet 50 50
* The registration fee for Courses A, B and C and
for International Workshops W1, W2 and W3
with the Congress has a discount of 30%.
Contacts
ISRM Congress Secretariat, Email: isrm2007@lnec.pt
Tel: (+351) 218443419, Fax: (+351) 218443021
For more information and for registration, visit the
Congress Website at: www.isrm2007.org
36
1 11th ISRM Congress - Lisbon, Portugal 1th ISRM Congress - Lisbon, Portugal (continued)
Singapore, November 2006
T
he 4th Asian Rock Engineering Symposium (ARMS)
was held from 8 to 10 November 2006 in Singapore.
The symposium was organised by the Singapore
National Group of the ISRM. The venue was the Meritus
Hotel in picturesque Orchid Street. ARMS is held
biennially. There were 409 attendees representing 37
countries. More than two-thirds of attendees were from
China, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
The theme of the symposium was Rock Mechanics in
Underground Construction and 18 sub-themes were covered
during the presentations. There were 8 keynote presentations
and 28 session presentation (in four parallel sessions) during
the three days. Three poster presentation sessions were on
display.
Keynote presentations on the opening day included Forensic
engineering for underground construction by ET Brown and
the Rocha Medal presentation Strategy for in-situ rock stress
measurements by D Ask.
Two short courses were presented, namely:
Borehole stability, earth stresses and drilling, and
Rock failure process analysis
In addition, two supplementary workshops were presented,
namely:
Rock dynamics, and
Underground storage facilities
More details concerning the technical programme are
provided on the website www.arms2006.org. Proceedings for
the symposium is available from www.worldscibooks.com .
The editors are CF Leung and YX Zhou.
37
Symposia News
Symposia News
4th Asian Rock Engineering Symposium (ARMS)
VIth South American Congress on Rock Engineering
Nielen van der Merwe and Luis Lamas with a group of Indonesian
rock engineers, just after the decision to create a national group was
reached.
Some Board members at one of the relaxed dinners, this one in
Singapore.
Cartagena, Colombia, October 2006
T
he VIth South American Congress on Rock
Engineering was held from 8 to 13 October 2006 in
Cartagena, Colombia and was held in conjunction
with the XI Colombian Geotechnical Congress. The
congress was organised by the Colombian National Group
of the ISRM and was held at the Hotel Las Americas.
The congress was opened by Dr Eda de Quadros, Vice
President of the ISRM for South America.
The congress was attended by 160 participants, mostly from
Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Spain, USA, Italy, Peru and
Venezuela. Guest speakers at the congress included professors
Carlos Carranza-Torres, Nick Barton, Tarcisio Celestino,
Gianfranco Perri, Gabriel Fernndez-Delgado, Eduardo Alonso
Prez de greda, and Laureano Hoyos, along with industry
representatives Luis Fernando Contreras and Sandra Linero.
The Vice President of the ISRM for South America presented
a lecture entitled: Special hydraulic investigations and 3D tests
for the So Paulo Metro, now under construction. The
technical programme comprised 57 short presentations and 14
main presentations.
More details concerning the technical programme are
provided on the website www.scg1.org.co. Proceedings of the
Lige, Belgium, May 2006
M
ultiphysics coupling and long term behaviour in
rock mechanics
The national ISRM group of Belgium hosted the European
Regional EUROCK06 conference at Lige University, Sart
Tilman campus, Belgium from 9th to 12th May 2006. It was
jointly organised by the Belgian committee of engineering
geology, Liege university and the French national ISRM group.
Parallel sessions were organised on the following topics:
Multiphysics coupling
Long term behaviour
Related topics
Laboratory experiment
Theoretical concepts
Numerical simulations
In the session a total of 93 presentations were given. Most
presentation (pdf files) are available on the conference web
site http://www.eurock06.org. The proceedings (103 papers)
were published by Taylor & Francis, editors A. Van Cotthem,
R. Charlier, J-F. Thimus & J-P. Tshibangu, ISBN 0-415-41001-
0 (book + CD-ROM), 708 pages.
A number of 146 participants from 27 countries were
welcomed at the Conference. A technical exhibition with 3
exhibitors also accompanied the Conference.
Two technical tours to the underground research laboratory of
Euridice in Mol (a facility for studying nuclear wastes repository)
and to the Grouft highway tunnel in Luxembourg were held.
The social program contained a banquet at Chateau de
Colonster and a reception at the Palais des Princes-
Evques.
38
congress have been compiled into two volumes totalling 900
pages and is available on CD. These are available from the
Colombian Geotechnical Society (SCG) at a cost of US$30.
Interested parties can contact the SCG at
www.scg1@colomsat.net.co.
A meeting of the South American ISRM representatives was
held on Sunday October 8th. This meeting was presided by Dr.
Eda Freitas de Quadros Vice-president for South America.
The candidate for the next term of the regional ISRM Vice-
presidency is lvaro Gonzlez Garca
Panel during one of the discussion sessions. At the far right Eng.
Alvaro Gonzalez
Attendees at one of the social events during the events
Chteau de Colonster Amphithtres de lEurope
ISRM Regional Symposium EUROCK 2006
Grouft tunnel
Symposia News Symposia News (continued)
39
Trondheim, Norway, June 2006
Starting from June 18th to June 24th SINTEF together with
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU),
hosted an ISRM sponsored international symposium on in-situ
rock stress. The symposium venue was the university campus.
A symposium on this specific topic has now been arranged for
the fourth time; Stockholm (1986), Kumamoto (1997),
Kumamoto (2003) and now in Trondheim (2006).
The conference
participants enjoyed a
get-together in the
Archbishops Palace on
Sunday night,
sponsored by the
T r o n d h e i m
Community, and
hosted by the Mayor
Ms. Rita Otervik
who welcomed the
participants to
Trondheim and the
conference. During the
three following days the symposium addressed topics of special
interest for professionals who are active in science and
engineering concerning rock mechanics in such areas as: pre-
investigations, stress measurements, numerical analysis, tunnel
and cavern design, mining, oil and gas exploitation and
relevant geological processes. 120 participants were registered
for the symposium, which was very much in line with the
expectations of the organisers.
Approximately 70 scientific presentations were given during
the three days following the opening speeches and invited key-
note lectures. The presentations were organised into five
different categories: - Stress measurement by hydraulic
fracturing and overcoring - Stress estimates by other means -
Engineering applications of in-situ stress - Interpretations of
in-situ rock stress - Database, world stress map and
miscellaneous.
The proceedings that include full text of all articles presented
in the symposium contain 500 pages and can be ordered by
entering the symposium web site www.rockstress.com (ISBN
0415401631).
The symposium banquet was given at Ringve Museum. Ringve
houses Norway's National museum of music and musical
instruments with collections from the entire world. During the
dinner a fiddler entertained the participants with some
traditional Norwegian folk music.
A one day post-symposium course on RFPA was arranged.
RFPA is a numerical testing tool for Realistic Failure Process
Analysis of rock, concrete, composites and engineering
structures. The course had 15 participants. A three day post
symposium tour was offered to the participants. The tour went
through some of the most spectacular regions of Norway,
including high mountains and fjords, some major tourist
attractions and a number of rock engineering sites including
the world largest underground rock cavern for public use,
Gjvik Olympic Mountain Hall. 30 participants joined the
post conference tour.
Participants on the post
symposium tour
University Campus
A fiddler entertaining during symposium banquet.
Some of the participants during the dinner.
Gjvik Olympic
Mountain Hall with a
span of 62m
International Symposium In-situ Rock Stress
Symposia News Symposia News (continued)
ISRM Activity Report for
AFRICA September 2006
1. Communication in Africa
Very little progress has been made in this regard due to
the low number of practising engineers, poor
communication, infrastructure and travelling
distances between the different countries.
2. SANIRE
The South African National Institute for Rock
Engineering SANIRE is active with regional
branches bringing the Institute for Rock Engineering
and its activities to the doorstep of its members. These
branches arrange quarterly meetings with the focus on
technical discussions, sharing of best industry
practices, presentations and technical visits to areas of
interest. The Branch Chairperson represents that
region on the SANIRE Council. The following
regional branches are represented on Council:
Gauteng Branch - representing most of the
Gauteng Province and includes Johannesburg and
Pretoria. Also included are members of staff from
the Universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand as
well as the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR). There are quite a number of
suppliers and manufacturers of mining and mining
related products situated in this region.
Free State Branch representing SANIRE
members from the Free State Province. Most of
the activities in this region are related to gold-
and diamond mining operations.
North-West Region Branch representing
members and their activities in the North West
Province. Activities in this region are mostly
associated with gold mining.
Coalfields Branch representing members from
the Mpumalanga Province. Activities here are
mostly related to coal mining operations.
Bushveld Branch activities here are mostly
related to platinum mining.
The different portfolios that are currently active on
the SANIRE Council are the following:
Communication and Marketing: Members
administering this portfolio are also responsible
for the SANIRE website.
Company Affiliates: This portfolio was
introduced to represent the interests of companies
associated with activities of rock engineering and
seismology. The companies are mostly suppliers
and manufacturers of mining and mining related
products and equipment.
The Membership and Discipline portfolio is
responsible for membership and grading of
membership for submission to the SANIRE
Council for approval. They are also responsible
for the Constitution of SANIRE and the
disciplinary code for members not practicing in
accordance with the Code of Conduct for
SANIRE members.
Technical Program and Awards: This portfolio is
traditionally being administered by the Vice
President of SANIRE who is responsible for all
awards, nominations for awards and technical
programs.
Education: Members responsible for this portfolio
oversee the content and quality of technical
training of rock engineers in the Southern African
mining industry. They direct the Chamber of
Mines of South Africa Certificates of
Competency for both the Strata Control and
Rock Engineering certificates, and appoint
40
Regional Reports
Regional Reports
Dr. Martin Pretorius
ISRM Vice President
for Africa
Examiners and Moderators for these examinations.
Administration and Finance are responsible for
the administration and finances of SANIRE. The
main functions are to manage the finance of the
Institute, collect membership fees, pay SANIRE
membership contribution fees to the ISRM,
ensuring proper administration and governance of
the Institute.
Civil and Geotechnical Engineering: Represents
the interests of the civil- and geotechnical
engineers. The overwhelming majority of
SANIRE members are associated with the mining
industry.
Seismology: Represents the interests of
seismologists.
ISRM Liaison: This portfolio is traditionally
being administered by the Immediate Past
President of SANIRE and deals with all ISRM
related issues.
Branch Co-ordination: The function of the
portfolio is to co-ordinate activities and
communication between the different SANIRE
Branches as listed above.
3. General
Members of SANIRE contributed to the following:
An industry report was released on: The risks to
miners, mines and the public associated with large
seismic events in gold mining districts. The work
was conducted with input from SANIRE members
and prepared by Dr. Ray Durrheim of the CSIR
and a team of industry experts. The report
followed a request by Ms. Hermanus, Chief
Inspector of Mines of the Department of Minerals
and Energy of South Africa, after a seismic event
with local magnitude 5.3 in the Klerksdorp
district that caused damage to buildings and minor
injuries to 58 people in the nearby town of
Stilfontein.
Members of the SANIRE are still actively
involved in the Mines Qualification Authority
MQA where so-called Unit Standards related to
rock engineering qualifications are developed by
this group.
Professional registration for Rock Engineers with
ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) is
still in progress under the guidance of Professor
Matthew Handley, President of SANIRE.
The Bushveld Branch of SANIRE will be hosting
SANIRE 2006, a one-day symposium with the
topic: Facing the challenges on the 20th
October 2006 in Rustenburg, North-west
Province.
The SANIRE Council convened over the
weekend 25-27 August 2006 where the following
strategic issues were discussed and debated:
SANIRE as a Voluntary Mine Professional
Association that will be overseeing CPD
(Continuous Professional Development) on
behalf of ECSA (Engineering Council of
South Africa).
Professional registration of SANIRE members.
Implementation of new rock engineering
qualification syllabus.
Progress report on MQA matters.
Planning of SARES 2007.
Finances of SANIRE.
41
Regional Reports Regional Reports (continued)
42
ASIA April 2005 - August 2006
At present, the Asian region has 9 national groups
(China, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Singapore,
and SE Asia). ISRM membership in the region is
increasing in the last a few years. As in 2006, Asia has
more than 1000 individual and 60 corporate members.
China and Japan have individual membership close to
400 and Japan has also a large corporate membership
of 44 which accounts for about half of the total ISRM
corporate members. Asian National Groups also host
4 Commissions, 2 by Japan and 2 by China, and 1
Interest Group by China.
Beijing has been selected to be the venue of ISRM
2011 Congress and National Groups of China and
Singapore have started preparing the Congress. The
organisation will be joined by China and Singapore
NGs, with participation of Korea and other Asian
NGs.
Singapore is organising the 4th Asian Rock Mechanics
Symposium. It is also an ISRM international
symposium where ISRM Council, Board and
Commission will meet in 2006. The ARMS has
received 300 full length papers from about 30
countries, and is expecting 400 participants. In 2008,
Iran will host the 5th ARMA in Tehran. India has
expressed interest in hosting future ARMS. ARMS is
an established bi-annual event and attracts good
participation.
India and Japan have elected new boards and
presidents in 2005. Singapore has established a new
society, Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering
Geology (Singapore) to be ISRM NG Singapore. Israel
and Nepal NGs and Southeast Asia Regional Group
maintain their national activities and membership.
National rock mechanics conferences have been
organised in many countries in Asia.
Vietnam membership was terminated at the ISRM
Council Meeting in Brno in 2005. The Vietnam NG
has been contacted to re-establish the affiliation.
Possibility of establishing ISRM NGs in other part of
Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri
Lanka, west and middle Asia have also been explored.
The participation of ARMS will include several Asian
countries who are not ISRM member yet, and there
are plans for meetings and discussion on approach
those countries.
Since October 2005, VP Asia, Jian Zhao of Singapore
NG, took up an appointment as a full professor of rock
mechanics and tunnelling at the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) of
Switzerland. Prof Zhao remains as VP Asia to the end
of the term in 2007. Between October 2005 and
August 2006, VP Asia visited and/or met NGs of
China (January, May and June 2006), Korea (April
2006), Singapore, Thailand and Japan (July 2006).
Prof. Jian Zhao
ISRM Vice President
for Asia
43
AUSTRALASIA 2006
This report covers the activities related to rock
mechanics in the Australasian region consisting of
Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, the ISRM is
affiliated with the Australian Geomechanics Society
(AGS). The AGS produces Australian Geomechanics
the newsletter and journal of the Society and hosts
specialty conferences, symposia, seminars and
workshops, including the four yearly ANZ
Geomechanics conference. The AGS is jointly
sponsored by the Engineers Australia and the
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. In
New Zealand the ISRM is affiliated to the New
Zealand Geotechnical Society Inc (NZGS) and
publishes NZ Geomechanics News. The NZGS is
managed under the Institute of Professional Engineers,
New Zealand.
ISRM membership has increased slightly with current
membership for the AGS at 290 and 85 for the NZGS.
Both national groups have been active in promoting
conferences, workshops and courses related to rock
mechanics in their areas. A list of these is appended
to the report.
The AGS is organising the 10th ANZ Conference on
Geomechanics Common Ground, to be hosted in
Brisbane in October 2007. This is a joint event
between the New Zealand and Australian societies.
The NZGS are making a strong proposal to host the
11th IAEG Congress in 2010 in Auckland under the
title Geologically Active.
One of the main issues facing both the AGS and
NZGS is the shortage of trained professionals in the
industry and the low number of recruits entering a
career in rock mechanics. This is a challenge facing
not just the rock mechanics sector but across the
entire spectrum of geomechanics in the region. It is
with regret that there were no nominations from this
region for the 2007 Rocha Medal.
Activities Related to Rock Mechanics in the
Australasian Region
Practical Rock Engineering with Q, Griffith
University, January.
Deep Excavation and Soft Ground Tunnelling,
Griffith University, January.
Geomechanics Regulations, Risks and Liabilities,
Perth WA, May.
Conference on Earthquakes and Urban
Development, Nelson, NZ, February.
Geotechnical Engineering in Open Pit Mines,
Perth, WA, May.
Practical Rock Mechanics in Mining, Brisbane,
QLD, June
International Seminar on Mine Closure, Perth,
WA, September.
Dr. John St George
ISRM Vice President
for Australasia
European NG
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Rep.
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
members
2004/2005
202/240
48/48
2*/2*
56/56
23/23
3/3
67/64
173/173
337/329
99/99
**
7/7
3*/3*
223/207
European NG
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UK
Total: 24
members
2004/2005
26/26
230/230
42/56
158/158
35/35
20/20
26/26
145/145
130/130
167/167
70/75
315/331
Total: 2648 + 5*
44
EUROPE 2006
Claus Erichsen
1. ISRM-European Members
Hungary recently joined the ISRM. In August 2006 the
European region had 24 National Groups (NG) and
approximately 2650 members, which amounts to 52 and 54 %
of ISRM National Groups and ISRM members respectively.
EUROPE therefore represents the largest group within the
ISRM.
Information about the secretariats, presidents and secretaries
is available on www.isrm.net.
Discussions were held to create additional National Groups
and to increase the number of members.
Dr. Ing Claus Erichsen
ISRM Vice President for
Europe
National Groups 24 of 46 = 52 %
Ordinary Members 2648 of 4928 = 54 %
* Corresponding Members
** to be announced by the ISRM-secretariat
2. ISRM-Symposia
The EUROCK 2004-Symposium was carried out in Salzburg,
Austria in October 2004. 152 Papers are published in the
proceedings, available at VGE Verlag Glckauf GmbH, Essen,
www.vge.de.
An ISRM-Regional Symposium Underground Space and
Rock Mechanics took place in Moscow, Russia in January
2005. More than 50 papers are published in the proceedings.
The ISRM-NG of Czech Republic / BRNO organised the
EUROCK 2005 Symposium "Impact on the human activity on
the geological environment". Approximately 100 papers are
published in the proceedings, available at Balkema Verlag
www.ba1kema.nl.
The Belgian Group hosted the EUROCK 2006 Conference
"Multiphysics Coupling and Long Term Behaviour" in Liege in
May 2006. More than 100 papers are published in the
proceedings, available at Taylor & Francis / Balkema Verlag,
www.taylorandfrancis.co.uk/engineering or www.crcpress.com.
In Situ Rock Stresses was the topic of another ISRM-
sponsored Regional Symposium which was held in Trondheim,
Norway in June 2006. Information is available from:
www.ROCKSTRESS.ORG.
3. ISRM-News Journal
On behalf of the ISRM-President and of the ISRM-Board the
issue 1/2006 is illustrated by European ISRM NG's. Seven
papers have been prepared (see enclosure 1) and passed to the
ISRM-President and to his publishing-team on March 15,
2006.
4. European Council Meeting (Em)
Dr. Erichsen has instituted, that the European National
Groups meet once a year. The meetings are called European
Council Meetings (ECM). We have had three meetings to
date, one in 2004 in Kyoto, Japan, one in BRNO, Czech
Republic in 2005 and one in Liege in May 2006. ECMs will
take place at every International ISRM-Symposium and
Congress. It is the aim to promote the exchange of information
on rock mechanics and rock engineering within the European
Countries and the ISRM. The next ECM is foreseen to take
place in November 2006 in Singapore during the ARMS 2006-
Conference.
5. EUROCK Symposia and Conferences
The following EUROCK-Symposia were held since 1992.
1992 UK, Chester
1993 Portugal, Lisbon
1994 Netherlands, Delft
1996 Italy, Turin
1997 Austria, Vienna
1998 Norway, Trondheim
2000 Germany, Aachen
2001 Finland, Espoo
2002 Portugal, Madeira
2004 Austria, Salzburg
2005 Czech Republic, Brno
2006 Belgium, Liege
Applications are welcome for 2008
A part of the registration fees of the European conferences has
been transferred to the ISRM. In 2004 and 2005 the ISRM
received the following amounts:
EUROCK 2004 : ca. 5.200,00
EUROCK 2005 : ca. 2.750,00
ACUUS 2005 : ca. 570,00
ca. 8.500,00
The VP would like to stress the importance of the above
contributions for the financial balance of our Society and
would like to thank the respective National Groups.
6. FIGS - Federation of International Geoengineering
Societies
It is the aim of the three societies IAEG, ISRM and ISSMGE
to develop a forum or federation. The Presidents of the 3 sister
societies formulated a proposal and will make it available to
the ISRM-Council in Singapore, November 2006. Final
decisions will only be taken in agreement with ISRM-Council.
A list of suggested new Joint Technical Committees with
appointed or proposed core members was approved by the
presidents of the Sister Societies in Paris in November 2005.
This list has been distributed to the European ISRM-NG's
during the ECM 2006 in Liege and is enclosed in the minutes
of ECM 2006.
Aachen, August 31, 2006
Dr.-Ing. C. Erichsen
ISRM-VP-EUROPE 2003 - 2007
45
46
NORTH AMERICA
Mxico
The new national group, formed in 2005, has 13
members. The majority is from the mining industry.
No other information is available at this time.
United States
As of August 2006, the American Rock Mechanics
Association (ARMA) has 505 members, 407 of whom
are ISRM members from the U.S. This is because non-
US ARMA members are ISRM members through
their own national groups.
ARMA has elected a new Board in 2006. The new
ARMA President is Dr. John Tinucci.
Symposia and Conferences
The 41st U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium was
held June 17-21, 2006 in Golden, Colorado. It
was a success with 182 papers, 7 keynote lectures,
5 short courses, 18 exhibitors, and 340 delegates
from 15 different countries. Awarded 7 awards
including the ARMA Outstanding Contributions
in Rock Mechanics Award to Dr. Herbert
Einstein.
ARMA held a Drilling Technology Forum, in
Houston, Texas, in August 2006, that was funded
by the U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal
program.
ARMA is working with CARMA to organise the
1st Canada-U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium
May 27-31, 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
ARMA will hold a specialty conference on Multi
Disciplinary Drilling Technologies in August
2007 in Chicago.
The 42nd U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium will
be held in San Francisco in 2008.
Following the groundwork done by the ISRM
President, ARMA is working with Dr. Syd Peng
and the organisers of the Ground Control
Conference to make it a U.S. ISRM regional
meeting.
Projects
ARMAs digital library will be combined with the
Society of Petroleum Engineers OnePetro library.
The papers of all rock mechanics symposia will be
available electronically at reduced rates to
ARMA members.
ARMA is staying closely involved in the Deep
Underground Science and Engineering
Laboratory (DUSEL) initiative of the National
Science Foundation as reviewers and working
group co-chairs.
Dr. Franois Heuz
ISRM Vice President
for North America
47
SOUTH AMERICA
Rock mechanics development in the continent was
previously mainly associated with mining and dam
engineering. However, due to the significant reserves
of gas and oil existing in some of the countries in the
region, rock mechanics activities linked to petroleum
engineering have increased in recent years, following
the governmental strategic plans and investments.
At present the South American Region has 6 National
Groups (Argentine, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay,
Venezuela) and 5 corresponding members it is worth
noting that Chile returned to the Society in January of
2006, following a proposal made by Dr. Antonio
Karzulovic approved by the Board in Lisbon, January
this year. The number of associates corresponds to a
small percent of the ISRM, but there exists a potential
for future affiation of countries like Costa Rica, Peru
and Panam. Contacts have been made with
colleagues of geotechnical societies with the objective
to bring new memberships and to organise new
National Groups. Peru has been contacted to re-
establish the ISRM affiliation.
The Brazilian-NG organised the IV Brazilian Rock
Mechanics Symposium as referred in our last Report
associated to the XIII Brazilian Soil Mechanics &
Geotechnical Engineering Conference XIII
COBRAMSEG, in August 2006, in the pleasant city of
Curitiba. A successful event. The Vice-President
thanks Prof. A. Sayo the President of ABMS
(Brazilian Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical
Engineering Society) and the Chairman of the
organising Commission, Prof. Alessander Kormann for
the invitation to participate in the event.
The ISRM Regional Symposium - the VI South
American Congress has been successfully organised by
the Colombian Geotechnical Society. The
VICSAMR-XICCG is a joint event to the XI
National Geotechnical Congress of Colombia and is
the main event in the continent in this year. The
Congress will start on 8th October extending to 13th
October. The event will be held in the beautiful city of
Cartagena. The President of ISRM, Prof. Nielen van
der Merwe was invited to this Congress, together with
other prominent professionals in the field of rock
mechanics.
A Meeting with delegates from ISRM National
Groups will be held during the VI SOUTH
AMERICA CONGRESS OF ROCK MECHANICS
in Cartagena. This Meeting has been organised by the
organising Commission of the Congress in
collaboration with the Vice-President who thanks the
Chairman Dr. Juan M. Olarte, the President of the
Colombian Geotechnical Society, Dr. Jorge A. R.
Ordoez as well as the former President Dr. A.
Alarcon Guzman, for their encouragement to organise
the Congress and the Meeting with ISRM NGs. The
main subjects to be discussed in this Meeting will be
the candidature for the next ISRM South American
Vice-President as well as the place and date for the
next VII South American Rock Mechanics Congress.
Dr. Eda F. de Quadros
ISRM Vice President
for South America
Application of
Geophysics to Rock
Engineering
(1) The final draft of the "Suggested Methods for Borehole
Geophysics in Rock Engineering" had been approved by
a majority of the commission members and also the ISRM
Vice-President for Asia. Then, this final draft became one
of the ISRM Suggested Methods in accordance with the
ISRM By-law Number 3, clause 9. The ISRM Suggested
Methods for Borehole Geophysics in Rock Engineering
was published in the International Journal of Rock
Mechanics and Mining Sciences Volume 43 Number
3 pp. 337-368 April 2006.
(2) The 7th International Workshop on the Application of
Geophysics to Rock Engineering that is organised by the
ISRM Commission on Application of Geophysics to
Rock Engineering is to be held on 8th July 2007 as a pre
congress workshop of the 11th Congress of ISRM in
Lisbon Portugal.
In this workshop, about twelve excellent papers will be
presented and followed by discussions. The contents, venue
and some other information of the workshop will be shown in
the web page by the end of November 2006. The URL address
of the web page is as follows:
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/sassa/7thws.htm
The link between this web page and the micro-site of the
commission in the ISRM web site has been set already.
The registration fee of this workshop is EUR 50 including
proceedings (hardcopy and CD-R). The registration fee will be
collected on the day in front of the meeting room and the
proceedings can be collected.
(3) The Specialised Session on the Application of
Geophysics in Rock Engineering is organised by the
ISRM Commission on the Application of Geophysics to
Rock Engineering as one of the Specialised sessions in the
11th Congress of ISRM. In this Specialised session,
progress report of the commission, four excellent papers
and the ISRM Suggested Methods for land and borehole
geophysics in rock engineering with some examples of
field applications will be presented, followed by
discussions. The tentative contents of the Specialised
session are shown below.
Tentative contents of the Specialised session in the 11th
Congress
1) "Progress report of the Commission on the Application of
Geophysics to Rock Engineering" by Koichi Sassa
(Geosystem Research Institute, Japan)
2) "Fractures as Time-Dependent Structures: characterising
Alterations & Changing Length Scales" by Laura J.
Pyrak-Nolte (Purdue University, USA)
3) "Imaging Dynamic Rock Fracture" by R. Paul Young
(University of Toronto, Canada)
4) "Observation of fracture processes in creeping rock masses
by seismic monitoring" by Ewald P. Brueckl (Vienna
University of Technology, Austria)
5) "Geophysical monitoring for CO
2
sequestration" by
Toshifumi Matsuoka (Kyoto University, Japan)
6) "Suggested methods for land and borehole geophysics in
rock engineering" by Toru Takahashi*, Toshiaki
Takeuchi* and Koichi Sassa** (*Fukada Geological
Institute, Japan.** Geosystem Research Institute, Japan)
(4) All information regarding to the activities of the
commission are shown in the micro-site of the
commission that is linked to the web page of the ISRM.
Case Histories in Rock
Engineering
Presented by: Prof. Zuyu Chen, Secretary General, CCHRE
Background
In September 2003, during the 9th ISRM International
Congress, the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and
Engineering (CSRME) submitted a preliminary proposal of
establishing the Commission on Case Histories in Rock
Engineering (CCHRE) under ISRM. The preliminary proposal
was discussed in the Board Meeting of the newly elected ISRM
leadership and approved.
Subsequently, during the ISRM-sponsored International
Symposium on Rock Mechanics (SinoRock 2004, May 18-21,
2004 Yichang China), the first nominal commission meeting
was held at the Three-Gorge Dam site. At this meeting, Prof.
48
Commission Reports
Commission Reports
Qihu Qian, the President of CSRME, briefed the progress and
future work of CCHRE. A total of 16 persons participated in
this meeting. During this meeting, Prof. van der Merwe,
President, ISRM had officially nominated Prof. Fengsheng
Shen the President of CCHRE.
The first meeting of the ISRM Commission on Case Histories
in Rock Engineering (CCHRE) was held on November 29,
2004 at the International Conference Center, Kyoto.
Participants include Prof. van der Merwe, Vice Presidents of
ISRM, members of CCHRE and delegates from various
countries of the world (see the attached list of participants).
Prof. Fengsheng Shen, President of CCHRE presented a Work
Report. Prof. Zuyu Chen, secretary general of CCHRE,
presented a keynote lecture entitled The landslide and
engineered slope inventory for Chinas water resources and
hydropower development. The participants discussed various
issues on the establishment and activities of CCHRE. The
meeting was successfully concluded at 11:00am.
Progress after the Kyoto Meeting
1. Completing the commission membership
To have proper representation in CCHRE, we have added the
following members in the Commission.
(i) Prof. Shamsher Prakash, Professor Emeritus of Civil
Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, USA
(ii) Dr. Rajnish Kumar Goel, Scientist F (Deputy Director),
Central Mining Research Institute, India
(iii) Prof. Yueping Yin, Director of Department of
Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, China
Geological Survey under the Ministry of Land Resources.
With the inclusion of above three new members, the total
strength of CCHRE members is 18 (Appendix B)
2. Establishing a website on ISRM homepage
Understanding that most of the commission work will be
carried our through Internet, it is planned to establish a
CCHRE website. We hope that the ISRM homepage will allow
a link that provides direct access to our website Action of
ISRM requested.
3. Collaboration with the organising Committee of the 6th
International Conference On Case Histories in
Geotechnical Engineering
The University of Missouri-Rolla, USA has successfully
organised a series of International Conference on Case
Histories in Geotechnical Engineering (CCHGE) during the
past 20 years and the Sixth Conference in this series will be
held in Washington, DC in August 4-9, 2008. Prof. Shamsher
Prakash, Chairman of the Steering Committee has kept
communication with Dr. Zuyu Chen, secretary general of
CCHRE on various mutual supporting matters. As a result the
following decisions have been taken:
Prof. Shamsher Prakash has been made a member of
CCHRE;
Prof. Zuyu Chen was involved in the Steering Committee
of the 6th CCHGE; and
With the agreement of Prof. N. van der Merwe, ISRM,
CSRME has been the official co-sponsor of the 6th
CCHGE.
4. Organising the CCHRE Workshop on Real-time
Monitoring of Landslides
In communicating with the 10th International Symposium on
Landslides and Engineered Slopes (ISLES), sponsored by JTC1
of ISSMGE, ISRM and IAEG, CCHRE has decided to hold a
one-day Workshop on Real-time Monitoring on Landslides on
June 29, 2008, as a satellite activity of the 10th ISLES. We
have obtained official support from China Geology Survey,
U.S. Geology Survey and Canadian Geology Survey. Prof.
Yueping Yin is the chairman of the organising Committee of
this workshop. A website has been established, which is
http://www.isrm.net/casehistories.
5. Establishing the CSRME Commission on Case Histories
in Rock Engineering
The Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering
(CSRME) has established a national Commission on Case
Histories in Rock Engineering. Mr. Zhang Bingxu, who is a
member of CCHRE, has been appointed Chairman of this
Commission. The inauguratal meeting has been successfully
held in September this year, in conjunction with the 6th
CSRME National Congress. The establishment of the Chinese
National Commission will give strong support to CCHRE.
49
Commission Reports Commission Reports (continued)
6. Preparing the CCHRE working group on database
Documenting the performance of rock masses and structures,
both successful and unsuccessful ones, is by far the most
important work CCHRE should undertake. CCHRE has
focused their main efforts on the establishment of CCHRE
Working Group on Database of Geohazards and Rock
Engineering.
In the First Commission Meeting held on November 29, 2004
in Kyoto, Prof. Zuyu Chen delivered a keynote lecture entitled
The landslide and engineered slope inventory for Chinas
water resources and hydropower development. He described a
joint effort of the Chinese water resources community had
undertaken, which resulted in a 3-volume inventory with 117
slope cases, totalling 1591 pages.
As a matter of fact, appreciable effort has been made by the
Chinese Government for mitigating geological hazards both
due to natural and human causes. Large amounts of money
have been spent in hazard mapping, risk management and
database establishment. We have invited Professor Yueping
Yin, who is an expert from China Geology Survey responsible
for this work, to be Chairman of CCHRE Working Group on
Database of Geohazards and Rock Engineering.
It is therefore believed that establishing CCHRE Working
Group on Database is not only theoretically useful but also
practically possible. A Proposal is attached (Appendix C) for
the establishment of the Working Group on Database for
Geohazards and Rock Engineering (DGRE), which explains
the details of the plan.
7. Arrangement for future work
In the coming two years, CCHRE will mainly focus its effort on
the following two activities:
(1) Starting various tasks of CCHRE Working Group on
Database on Geohazards and Rock Engineering. As stated
in the attached proposal, we will start the work with
establishing a series of suggested methods for
documenting cases histories in digital form.
The CCHRE Commission Meeting entitled Working Group
on Database on Geohazards and Rock Engineering will be
organised on November 7, 2006 in Singapore, as a satellite
activity of the 4th ARMS. Several keynote lectures are being
prepared.
We are planning to organise a CCHRE Workshop on July 8,
2007, one day before the 11th Congress of the International
Society for Rock Mechanics. In this Workshop, the Working
Group on Database on Geohazards and Rock Engineering will
be officially founded.
(2) Preparation of the CCHRE Workshop on Real-time
Monitoring of Landslides to be continuing in conjunction
with the work of 10th ISLES.
8. An appeal for reorganising the CCHRE Board
Prof. Fengsheng Shen, President of CCHRE has recently
changed his job and asked CSRME to seek a new person to
replace his presidency. CSRME recommends Prof. Zuyu Chen,
currently secretary general of CCHRE, to be the new president
of CCHRE. It is also recommended that Prof. Yueping Yin to
be the secretary general of CCHRE. Prof. Yin is also
recommended to be president of Working Group on CCHRE
Database for Geohazards and Rock Engineering (DGRE). We
deeply apologise for the inconvenience brought to the ISRM
leadership and hope this matter will be discussed at the ISRM
Board Meeting in Singapore in November, 2006.
Commission on
Education
Since the last Commission meeting held in Brno during 2005
ISRM Annual Conference, the ISRM Commission on
Education has carried out activities as follows:
(1) organisation of the 2nd ISRM Lecture Tour which was held
in China.
From October 20 to November 5, 2006, the ISRM
Commission on Education organised the 2nd ISRM Lecture
Tour which was held in China. The Lecture Tour was
sponsored by the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and
Engineering and the University of Science and Technology
Beijing. Six professors accepted the invitation to join the
Lecture Tour. They are, respectively,
50
Prof. Nuno F. Grossmann (from Portugal),
Prof. John A Hudson (from UK),
Prof. Marek Kwasniewski (from Poland),
Prof. Ugur Ozbay (from USA),
Prof. Frederic Pellet (from France),
Prof. Robert Zimmerman (from Sweden).
Altogether 48 lectures have been given in 11 universities and
2 research institutes located in 7 cities. They are listed as
follows:
The University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing
The China University on Mining and Technology, Beijing
Tsinghua University, Beijing
Shandong University, Jinan City, Shandong Province
Xian University of Science and Technology, Xian City, Shanxi
Province
Xian Polytechnic University, Xian City, Shanxi Province
Changan University of Road Science and Technology, Xian
City, Shanxi Province
Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province
North China University of Water Conservancy and
hydroelectric Technology, Zhengzhou
City, Henan Province
Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Chengdu Polytechnic University, Chengdu City, Sichuan
Province
Institute for Hydropower Investigation, Design and Research,
Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Wuhan Research Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics,
Wuhan City, Hubei Province.
About 2500 persons attended and represented mostly
postgraduate students, doctoral candidates and young teachers
who majored in the subjects of rock mechanics, civil, mining,
hydropower and geological engineering.
The Lecture Tour has been received very high appreciation.
(2) Collection of the abstract of Ph.D Theses globally
Collection of the abstracts of Ph.D theses has been carried out
during the last three years. We have asked each member of the
Commission to make a search in their country and send back
the collected abstracts of Ph. D Theses to the Commission.
The Commission on Education will put them on the ISRM
web site. This work has been accepted and completed by most
of the members in the Commission. The collection has
completed in China, USA and France, in which we have
collected 95 abstracts from China, 16 abstracts from USA and
6 abstracts from France. The Commission on Education will
submit them to the ISRM web site when the collections have
been completed.
(3) Organisation of an international symposium for young
scholars
Initially, the ISRM Commission on Education decided to hold
International Symposium on Rock Mechanics for Young
Scholars in May 2007 in Beijing, China. Since the ISRM
Congress will be held in the same year in Lisbon, Portugal, the
Symposium has been changed to May 2008. The
announcement of the Symposium will be issued in the ISRM
web site. We need a promise to set the symposium name to
ISRM Symposium for Young Scholars 2008. The symposium
aims to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences and to
share recent advances in rock engineering among young
scholars in the world. The participants are not limited to
young people. All professors, scholars, engineers who are
concerned with education of rock mechanics or training of
young rock mechanics scholars are welcome at the
Symposium.
The following topics are suggested for the symposium:
Developing Field Projects in Mining & Civil Engineering
Engineering Properties of Rock Materials
New Technology in Rock Engineering
Field and Analytical Study in Rock Engineering
Education for Rock Mechanics
The purpose is to encourage young scholars to challenge and
present their new ideas, new approaches and new
achievements in their studies and research works. In order to
ensure a successful Symposium, we have encouraged our
members to support promote candidates to submit papers and
attend the symposium.
(4) Commission meeting in Singapore, 2006
Since early 2006, The Commission on Education has informed
all the members to attend the Commission meeting during the
51
4th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium to be held in
Singapore. The main topic of the meeting is to discuss the
plans and activities to be implemented in the near future.
During the Lecture Tour in China , 7 members have already
made some discussions about some relevant topics. Ten people
attended the Commission meeting held on 7th November
morning in Singapore. The main topics were: the possibility of
the next ISRM Lecture Tour to be held in other countries,
such as in South America, East-South Asia, India, etc.; the
proper way internationally to share the materials of the ISRM
Lecture Tour; effective organisation of the international
symposium on rock mechanics for young scholars in 2008, a
possible way for exchange of students, continuing collecting of
Ph.D, theses abstracts and other interested issues.
(5) The further work of establishment of the Commission
membership
The membership of ISRM Commission on Education was
primary established before the Commission meeting in BRNO,
2005. But we still lack representatives from Africa, India and
Australia, etc. Although we have sent invitations or enquires
to relevant persons or organisations of the above countries, we
have not had any replies. Therefore, we need guidance and
coordination of the ISRM official and help of the related
national groups of the ISRM.
The activities as mentioned above will certainly show the
importance and involvement of the ISRM Commission on
Education. The operation of the Commission depends on
contributions from all the members in the commission. On
behalf of ISRM Commission on Education, I want to express
thanks for the support and supervision from ISRM leadership
and all the national groups.
Prof. Cai Meifeng
President of the Commission
Prof. Wang Jin-an
Secretary of the Commission
E
(NO REPORT SUBMITTED)
Maintenance and Repair
of Underground
Structures in Rock
Masses
Report of the 2006 Meeting, Singapore, November 7
0. Introduction
The approved Agenda of the Meeting was:
Welcome
Presentation of case histories
Planning the activities for the final report
Internet Mini-Page
Specialised Session at the 11th ISRM Congress
Other business
Thanks and Closure
The following members were present: Prof. He Manchao,
China; Prof. L. Ribeiro e Sousa; Prof. Manuel Romana, Spain;
and Prof. Toshihiro Asakura, Japan. Prof. Sergio Fontoura,
Brazil, was also present.
1. Presentation of case histories
The following case histories were presented:
Prof. He Manchao
Three applications were illustrated: the deepest coal mines in
Tertiary (Linhai coal mine at Shanding province), Mezozoic
(Xingan coal mine at Heilongjiang province) and Paleozoic
(Xuzhou coal mine at Jiangsu province). Failure phenomena of
main roadways were presented.
Prof. Toshihiro Asakura
The state of the art of tunnel maintenance in Japan was
presented, with special reference to the Fukuoka tunnel
52
belonging to the high speed railway lines and to the tunnel
from Hokkaido Island. The damage in the Japanese tunnels
caused by the occurrence of some earthquakes, was also
discussed.
Prof. L. Ribeiro e Sousa
The presentation included the following tunnels: i) Sao Bento
tunnel, an old railway tunnel in the city Porto with the
application of AI software system; ii) Rossio tunnel, an old
railway tunnel located in Lisbon now under rehabilitation; and
iii) Lapa tunnel in the city of Porto incorporated in the Porto
network system.
2. Internet Mini-Page
The members of the Commission were informed about the
existence of the Working Internet Mini-page
www.isrm.net/repair.
Several presentations are included in this page, namely by Prof.
Toshihiro Asakura and about the underground part of Lisbon
Aqueduct from 18th Century.
3. Planning the activities for the final report
A final report will be prepared by the Commission in order to
be included in a CD-ROM containing all the reports prepared
by the different ISRM Commissions. The deadline for the
conclusion of the report will be the end of April, 2007.
The suggested contents for the report are:
1. Introduction
2. Collection of Case Histories
3. Deterioration of Rock Masses and Linings
4. Guidelines for Inspection and Safety control of
Underground Structures
5. Guidelines for Repair of Underground Structures in Rock
Masses
6. Conclusions
For section 2, a questionnaire will be prepared by myself and
sent to all the Members for comments by the beginning of
January in order to collect Case Histories regarding railway,
road, hydraulic and main mining tunnels. The collected cases
should be sent by the end of February to ISRM Congress
Secretariat or to the Working Internet Mini-page
www.isrm.net/repair.
Sections 3, 4 and 5 will be prepared by myself and send to all
the Members for comments.
The final report should be concluded with the inclusion of the
several cases histories reported and finalised by the end of
April, 2007.
4. Specialised Session at the 11th ISRM Congress
The organisation of the Specialised Session S05
Maintenance and Repair of Underground Structures, under
the organisation of this ISRM Commission is planned for July
12, from 9.00-12.30h. The following activities were agreed to:
9:00 to 9:15 - Presentation of the report of the Commission on
Maintenance and Repair of Underground Structures in Rock
Masses, by L. Ribeiro e Sousa (University of Porto, Portugal).
9:15 to 9:30 - Presentation of Henry Russel (Parsons
Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc., USA), Coordinator of
the ITA Working Group 6 on Maintenance and Repair.
9:30 to 9:45 - Japanese Experience of Mountain Tunnels
Damage due to Earthquake, by T. Asakura (University of
Kyoto, Japan).
9:45 to 10:00 - Japanese State-of-Art on Tunnel Maintenance,
by T. Asakura (University of Kyoto, Japan) & RTRI (Railway
Technical Research Institute, Japan).
10:00 to 10:15 - Old Railway Tunnels Incorporate at Bilbao
Metro, by Manuel Romana (University of Valencia, Spain).
10:15 to 10:30 - Deepest Coal Mines in China, by He
Manchao (Mining University of China).
10:30 to 10:45 - Coffee Break
53
10:45 to 11:00 - Juncal tunnel. Rehabilitation project, by M.
Hohermuth (Amberg, Switzerland) & V. Freitas (REFER,
Portugal).
11:00 to 11:15 - Rehabilitation of Medical Center Subway
Subway Crossover Cavern in Washington, DC, USA, by Fulvio
Tonon (University of Texas, USA).
11:15 to 11:30 - Techniques and Cases Histories for the
Enlargement of Highway Tunnels without Stopping Traffic, by
Fulvio Tonon (University of Texas, USA).
11:30 to 11:45 - Data Collection about Swiss Road Tunnels
Conditions, by Federica Sandrone, Vincent Labiouse & J.-F.
Mathier (EPFL, Switzerland).
11:45 to 12:00 - Maintenance of Tunnels and the Use of AI
Techniques. L. Ribeiro e Sousa (University of Porto, Portugal),
Cristina Silva (Polytechnical School of Porto, Portugal) & R.
Leal e Sousa (MIT, USA).
12:00 to 12:30 - Debate (if necessary it can be extended until
13.00)
A CD-ROM containing all the contributions for the 10
Specialised Sessions will be compiled and distributed to all the
participants. It is recommended that all the contributors of the
Specialised Session S05 send their papers to the ISRM
Congress Secretariat until the end of May 15, 2007. The
guidelines for the papers should be the same of the Congress
proceedings.
5. Other business and Closure
No other business was discussed.
Before the Specialised Session a meeting of the Commission
was appointed to Lisbon, July 8, 9:30 to 11:30, at LNEC
Congress Center, during the 11th ISRM Congress, in order to
prepare the Session S05.
L. Ribeiro e Sousa
Commission Coordinator
Preservation of Natural
Stone Monuments
The objective of the commision should be action orientated. It
means that the sites which need to be urgently and
internationally supported require minimum research but
practical solutions and guidelines with financial aid.
Precise and detailed site investigation is essential for
submitting a conservation strategy and action-oriented plan
for an individual site. As a conservation strategy for a stone
monument needs to be backed with the knowledge and
experience through not only rock mechanics but also cultural
significance and integration between natural and social
sciences is required.
We succeeded in establishing co-operation between China and
Japan, in particular, in the conservation works at Mogao Caves
in Dunhuang and Longyou caves in Zhejiang Province in
China. The efforts made by the Chinese Society for Rock
Mechanics & Engineering and Dunhuang Academy are highly
appreciated. We participated in the International Symposium
on Yungang Studies, which was held in Shanxi, July 2005, and
contributed towards scientific and meaningful conservation
works through key-note presentations and discussion. Site
investigations were carried out twice at Longyou Caves in
2004-2005. The proceedings of the Interntional Symposium
on the Conservation of Longyou Grottoes in 2006, as the co-
chairs, were finalised.
The engineering focal points in those projects are
recrystallisation of salts and weathering process of rock
formations. Physical and chemical determination of
deterioration magnitude of rocks has highlighted concerns, but
we need to clarify it more quantitatively.
54
The problems of the Commission are funding, time and firm
committment to individual sites. Standardised practices do not
exist. Unless we can confirm extent of damage and
environments through details of respective projects, it is
difficult for us to conclude generic understanding and site
specific problems from a rock mechanics point of view.
The Commission needs to reconsider its strategy and re-
organisation in ISRM. The present chair of the Commission
has personally decided to resign his post in 2007.
Chikaosa Tanimoto, Osaka University, Japan
President, Commission on the Preservation of Natural Stone
Monuments
Testing Methods
The first meeting of the Commission on Testing Methods was
held on 7 November 2006 in Singapore before the ARMS4
Symposium. Prof. Dr.Yuzo Obara, Prof.Dr.Xia-Ting Feng, Dr.
Eda F. De Quadros, Dr. Claus Erichsen and Prof.Dr. Ove
Stephansson, and the former President of the Commission
Prof.Dr. John A. Hudson participated in the meeting.
Although other members of the Commission couldnt
participate, some of them informed the President of the
Commission on their recommendations to be discussed during
the meeting. The issues discussed and decisions taken, and
some recommendations on future works by the Commission
are as follows.
1. The procedure to be followed by the Commission for the
evaluation of new SMs and modification of any current
SM was accepted (a. Appointment of a reviewing group
consisting of 2 or 3 experts to assess a new SM or to
update a current SM, b. Circulation of the document,
reviewed by the expert group and revised by its author(s),
to the Commission members for their final comments, c.
Acceptance of SM document and sending it to the
ISRM Board for information, and d. Publication of the
method as a new SM or a modified SM in the IJRMMS).
2. Based on the progress report written by Dr. Daan Liu on
behalf of the working group for the Mode I Rock Fracture
Toughness Testing, the performance and interest of this
group and a number of difficulties, particularly funding
problems they reported, the Commission decided that it
seems considerably difficult to expect progress in
this work, and therefore, there is no reason to encourage
this group.
3. Based on the information by Prof.Dr. Ove Stephansson,
who is the member of the Commission and also the leader
of the working group established for Mode II Rock
Fracture Toughness Testing, the work for this SM is
going very well. A paper on the first part of the work has
already been published. This group expects to complete
the work in 2007 and plan to publish a technical note on
the second half of the study in a journal. Then,
depending on the response of the rock mechanics
community on these publications, these papers will be
combined as a SM for Mode II.
4. The new SM ISRM Suggested Method for Determining
the Shore Hardness Value for Rock, which was co-
ordinated and written by R. Altindag and A. Gney of
the Department of Mining Engineering, Sleyman
Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey, and published in
IJRMMS (2006, 43, 19-22), was also discussed. It updates
and replaces the hardness section of the 1978 Suggested
Methods for Determining Hardness and Abrasiveness of
Rocks document produced by the ISRM (IJRMMSGA
1978, 15, 89-97). The status of this document was
conditionally accepted SM. During the meeting the
Commission accepted this method as a Suggested
Method and the term conditionally is omitted. The
ISRM Board was informed on this decision of the
Commission and it will appear as a SM in the web site of
the ISRM. In addition, on behalf of the Commission, the
President of the Commission sent an official letter to
R.Altindag and A.Gney to inform them about this issue.
5. The Schmidt Hammer SM needs upgrading. The current
SM doesnt even explain how to convert the rebound
number into uniaxial compressive strength and Youngs
modulus. By considering this and the recent work on this
test by A. Aydin and A. Basu of University of Hong
Kong, the Commission requested them to prepare a
document on upgrading the Schmidt Hammer Test. This
work is still in progress. The outline of the document was
sent to the President of the Commission by A. Aydin a
week before the meeting, was also discussed. Based on a
few minor changes recommended by the members, the
final outline of this upgrading SM will be as follows:
55
1. Introduction
2. Scope
3. Apparatus
Operational principles
Hammer types
Calibration
4. Procedure
Specimen requirements
Test requirements
Normalisation of rebound values
Data gathering and reduction methods
5. Influencing factors
Indentation types
Influence of grain size, matrix and texture
Weathering and moisture content
Field determination of SH rebound hardness
Surface roughness and micro-sheeting
Anisotropic (and thinly laminated) rocks
Discontinuity surfaces
6. Suggested modifications
Acknowledgments
References
Appendix (Correlations: (a) SH rebound hardness as indicator
of drillability, (b) predictions of UCS, E and weathering grade)
The working group hopes to deliver a first draft of this
document in February 2007. Then it will be sent to 2 or 3
experts for reviewing. The members participated in the
meeting recommended three names as possible reviewers for
the document. These are Prof. Dr. Mete Gktan (Osmangazi
Univ., Dept of Mining Eng., Eskisehir, Turkey), Dr. Robert Fell
(Univ. of Leeds, UK) and Dr. Nick Barton (Norway).
The authors of this document were informed on the
recommendations of the Commission.
6. Content of the microsite of the Commission was also
discussed by the members. Finally, it was decided that:
a. List of Commission members (with correspondence and
e-mail addresses)
b. Annual and meeting reports of the Commission
c. Revised SMs
d. New progress should be included in this site. In
addition, it was also decided that Terms of Reference,
which will also appear on the microsite, should include
the following:
Terms of Reference
The primary objectives of this Commission are:
to generate and publish Suggested Methods for testing or
measuring properties of rocks and rock masses, as well as
for monitoring performance of rock engineering
structures;
to revise or update the existing Suggested Methods based
on recent developments and publish them in journal
paper and book form;
to solicit and invite researchers to develop new methods,
procedures or equipment for tests, measurements and
monitoring required for rock mechanics laboratory or
field studies, and
to encourage collaboration of those who practice in rock
mechanics testing.
The President of the Commission also participated in another
meeting in Singapore organised by the President and Secretary
General of the ISRM to inform the presidents of the ISRM
Commissions, and Interest Groups and JTCs on microsites. In
this meeting, the webmaster of the ISRM informed the
participants how the website and microsites of the ISRM could
be used. Necessary information about the Commission will
appear on its microsite very soon.
7. Re-publication of all the SMs in a book was also
considered during the meeting. Earlier, the book (yellow
book), Characterisation, Testing and Monitoring: ISRM
56
Suggested Methods edited by E.T. Brown, was published.
It contains all the SMs up to the 1981 date of publication of
the book. John A. Hudson is currently in discussion with
Elsevier on this, and its re-publication seems to be possible by
Elsevier (Elsevier Geo-engineering Book Series). In 2007,
John A. Hudson and the President of The Commission will try
for re-publication of this valuable book which will include all
the SMs (those accepted before and after 1981).
8. The Commission also discussed future works, particularly
on possible new SMs and establishment of working groups for
them. In addition to some names for working groups
recommended by the members during the Commission
meeting, the President of the Commission also personally
contacted some experts, who participated in the ARMS4
Symposium, to establish new working groups. Information on
these are briefly given below.
a. Although Dr. Jesse Yow, who is one of the members of the
Commission, could not attend the meeting, he recommended
that GPS systems are finding more and more use, so
development of a SM for Monitoring Rock Movements Using
GPS System may be useful. This recommendation was
considered as a good idea by the Commission. During the
ARMS4 Symposium the President of the Commission
discussed this issue with Prof.Dr. Norikazu Shimizu
(Yamaguchi University, Japan) who has 10-15 years of
experience on GPS applications on rock structures and some
documents which can be transformed into a SM. He
principally accepted to establish a working group on this new
SM and is waiting for an official invitation from the
Commission to start the work. After the final comments of the
Commission members, Prof. Shimizu will be invited by the
President of the Commission to establish a new working group
and to start the work as soon as possible.
b. Dr. Robert J. Fowel, member of the Commission,
recommends a new SM on abrasivity testing. He considers that
over the years a number of test methods have been proposed
and it is time that simple and easily conducted tests are given
the status of an ISRM Suggested Method. The obvious test in
this regard is the French Cerchar Abrasivity Test. Other tests
are the French LCPC tests. This should be a straightforward
task as French standards exist for each test, though in his
opinion require to be more detailed to avoid inconsistencies
between different tests. Dr.R.J. Fowel is preparing a paper on
this issue for the Lisbon Congress in 2007. The Commission
hopes this paper will show the way forward.
c. The recommendations by Prof.Dr. Hasan Gerek, the
member of the Commission, on some discrepancies between
some of the SMs of ISRM and the standard test methods of the
ASTM on the length-to-diameter ratio and minimum
diameter, were also discussed. The Commission considered
that larger diameters are better. The ISRM has its own
methods, and therefore, any change related to L/D ratio seems
not to be necessary. In addition, Dr. Gerek also recommended
that a section involving the terminology relevant to testing
may be included into the publication planned for the
collection of SMs. This was evaluated as a good and useful
idea. However, it was considered that because this book should
be re-published as soon as possible, in practice, there is a
limited time to add such a terminology section.
d. One of the main subjects that need updating is
discontinuities since this hasnt been updated since the Nick
Barton edition of 1979. At that time, it was all done in one
main SM. Given the importance of the subject and the many
developments since 1979, it now needs updating. The
Commission pays prime attention to this issue and considers
establishment of working groups for different aspects of the
discontinuity features is one of the important responsibilities of
this Commission. Some experts were recommended by the
Commission members as possible contributors for this purpose.
Fracture frequency and spacing: S.D.Priest (Australia),
A.Dershowitz (USA)
Discontinuity trace length (persistency): S.D. Priest
(Australia)
RQD and roughness: J.P. Harrison, Nick Barton, Eda F. de
Quadros
Scan-line surveys: Pinnaduwa Kulatilake (USA)
Discontinuity aperture: Nick Barton, Eda F.de Quadros,
Eva Hackami (ITASCA)
Weathering: Adnan Aydin (Hong Kong), Abdoul
Shakoor (USA)
Fracture stiffness (normal and shear): R. Blumel (Graz,
Austria)
57
In addition to these, modification of some other testing
methods given below was also considered during the meeting:
Dynamic strength and modulus: Difficult to perform and
to understand (The commission considers that
Dr. Yingsin Zhou from Singapore may establish a working
group for this method).
The sonic velocity test should be upgraded.
Portable shear box test should be upgraded.
Needle penetration test: This test was originally developed
in Japan and there are very limited data on this test. More
recently, a study on this test (conversion of the needle
penetration resistance to UCS) is under progress. It is a very
cheap and easy test and can be used as an alternative index
test. Due to these reasons, the Commission also considers that
new work on this test can be useful to develop a new SM. For
this purpose, Yuzo Obara, member of the Commission, and the
President of the Commission will follow the recent work on
this test in Japan and Turkey, respectively, for a possible future
SM.
Based on the above information, future comments of the
Commission members were kindly requested by January 2007.
(i) Names of suitable persons who can contribute to the
above issues (if possible, with their correspondence and
e-mail addresses).
(ii) Which criteria should be followed for the establishment
of these new working groups? (Appointment of the group
leader, invitation of the group members etc.)
(iii) Additional comments on each new SM mentioned
above.
(iv) Ideas on new SMs and/or SMs need to be upgraded.
9. The Commission members were informed on the
following issues: (a) The next meeting of the Commission
will be held in Lisbon (Portugal) during the 11th ISRM
Congress in July 2007, (b) the report of the Commission
covering its four-year activities (the period between 2003
and 2007 April) will also be presented during this
congress and the reports of the commissions will be
submitted to the ISRM Board until April 2007.
Resat Ulusay
President of the Commission
58
59
News from National Groups
News from National Groups
Annual Report 2006
The Austrian Society of Geomechanics held its traditional
Geomechanics Colloquy in Salzburg on October 12 and 13,
2006. The conference was dedicated to the memory of the late
Professor of Geology at TU Graz Gunter Riedmller. The event
was attended by 945 delegates from more than 20 countries.
The session topics included:
Investigation and characterisation of Fault Zones, Dealing
with Fault Zones during Construction, Costs of
Transportation and Infrastructure Projects and Maintenance
and Repair of Embankments. The technical exhibition was
attended by more than 50 international companies involved in
all aspects of tunnelling. The subsequent technical excursion
to the Vomp Tunnel at the Lower Inn Valley section of the
Munich Veronarailroad was attended by 28 delegates. As
usual, the conference was held in conjunction with the
biannual Austrian Tunnel Day on October 11, which is
organised by the ITA Austria.
Other important events associated with the society were the
Christian Veder Colloquy in Graz April 20 and 21 in Graz and
the Rock Mechanics Day of the Institute of Geology at TU
Wien March 02 and 03.
The Society has financed the translation of several Austrian
ground engineering standards into English and has supported
research activities at Austrian universities and companies with
grants totalling about Euro 70 000 in 2006.
In 2007, the Geomechanics Colloguy will be held on October
11 and 12, 2007 and will be preceded by special seminars on
Traffic tunnels in their interdisciplinary environment and
Computer oriented methods in Geotechnics on October 10.
The topics of the Colloguy will be Hydropower and
Geomechanics, Documentation, evaluation and
interpretation in the field of Geotechnics, Special cross
sections in underground works, Distribution of responsibility
and risk in shield tunnelling.
The Austrian Society of Geomechanics currently has 331
individual and 39 corporate members.
The ISRM is represented in Australia and New Zealand by Dr
John St George, Australasian VP, who is based at the
University of Auckland in New Zealand. He is assisted in
Australia by Dr. Anthony (Tony) Meyers who works with
Rocktest Consulting.
In Australia and New Zealand, the ISRM is affiliated with the
Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and the New
Zealand Geomechanics Society (NZGS) respectively. The
societies produce Australian Geomechanics and
Geomechanics News, the journal and magazine of the
respective societies. Both societies host specialty conferences,
symposia, seminars and workshops, including the four yearly
ANZ Geomechanics conference. ISRM membership has
increased slightly with current membership through the AGS
of 290 and 85 through the NZGS.
The most significant occurrence to affect the Rock Mechanics
community in Australasia in 2006 has resulted from the surge
in international demand, and hence prices, for minerals and
their products. The increased activity has led to a booming
minerals and energy sector which, in Australia, produced over
a $10 billion in export earnings.
The increase in activity was responsible for a 4% increase in
personnel employed in the minerals industry; over 75,000
being directly employed by mining companies and 20,000
employed by contract companies. Australias industry will need
to find an additional 70,000 workers over the next decade to
meet the demand for labour.
This increase in activity has created a significant shortage of
Rock Mechanics professionals across the industry which has
caused a shortage in other industries, most notably Civil
Engineering. The shortage extends from experienced personnel
to recent university graduates; the number graduating from
those universities still teaching the geosciences is way short of
the demand for the graduates by industry.
Various proposals, such as targeted migration, have been
touted for increasing the number of Rock Mechanics
professionals. However, as many countries are experiencing
similar shortages of professionals, the pool of persons available
in other countries is not expanding sufficiently to satisfy even
the current demand; therefore future demand should continue
to increase while the industry continues to grow.
As a partial response to the shortage, two new degrees in
Mining Engineering will be offered in 2007; one from The
University of Adelaide in South Australia and the other from
the University of Tasmania in Hobart. It is expected that both
courses will attract, not only high school graduates but also,
professionals from other engineering disciplines (e.g. Civil
Engineering) who wish to move into the minerals area, there is
an increasing trend for these cross discipline moves.
The demand for rock mechanics related conferences, short
courses and seminars has been strong in 2006. Some of those
presented were as follows.
Austria
Australia and New Zealand
Practical Rock Engineering with Q in tunnel design and
execution by Dr. N. Barton at Griffith University Qld,
Jan.
Deep Excavation and Soft ground tunnelling at Griffith
University Qld, Jan.
Conference on Earthquake and Urban Development,
Nelson NZ, Feb.
Geomechanics Regulations, Risks and Liabilities,
Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth WA, Mch.
Management of Kidstons Waste Rock Piles by
Dr D. Williams, AGS seminar Qld Chapter, May.
Foundation Investigation: Design and Approval
for the Cathedral Rocks Windfarm in SA by
T. Bowling, AGS seminar Tas. Chapter, May.
Engineering Rock Mechanics, Dr. J. Harrison at Western
Australian School of Mines, Kalgoorlie WA, June.
Site Investigation Problems by Dr. F. Baynes,
AGS seminar WA. Chapter, June.
First International Seminar on Mine Closure at
Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth WA, Sept.
Blasting for Stable Slopes at Australian Centre
for Geomechanics, Perth WA, Oct.
Ground Support in Open Pit and Underground Mines at
Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth WA, Oct.
Water in Mining Conference, Brisbane Qld, Nov.
The Colombian Geotechnical Society has elected a new Board
in office from April 2006 until April 2008, and is composed of
the following members: Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, President;
Julio Esteban Colmenares, Vice-President; Ramiro
Castellanos, Secretary; Guillermo Pabn, Treasurer; Luis
Fernando Orozco, Juan Pablo Sanabria, and Julio Fierro
Morales, Members.
The General Body of the Committee of ISRM was convened
on 23rd June 2005 at New Delhi in the absence of Dr A.
Vardarajan, President of the Committee and upon request of
participants, Dr T. Ramamurthy, Former Professor IIT Delhi
Chaired the meeting. During the meeting the activities of the
Committee were reviewed and members appreciated the
efforts of the committee under the aegis of the Central board
of Irrigation and Power in promoting rock mechanics activities
in the country.
The Chairman informed the present status of
individual/institutional/individual life members of the
Committee. While reviewing the membership status the
General Body discussed and decided that the individual life
membership should be established for a period of 10 years to 20
years.
It was suggested that members of the Committee may be
requested to give technical articles/notes or news relating to
rock mechanics for inclusion in the Committee News Letter
printed in January and July every year.
The General Body discussed and constituted the Governing
Council for 2005-2007. Dr K. G. Sharma, Prof. Head, Civil
Engineering, IIT Delhi was unanimously elected as the
President of the Committee.
For organising the workshop/courses during 2005-2006, the
following topics have been suggested:
1. Finite Element Method for the Analysis and
Design of Dam and Underground Structures of
Water Resources Projects at New Delhi
2. Workshop on Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling
Technique.
Publications issued during the period January-December
2005
1. The Committee of the ISRM (India), Newsletter, Vol. 9
No. 1, January 2005
2. The Committee of the ISRM (India), Newsletter, Vol. 9
No. 2, July 2005
3. Proceedings of conference on Development of Hydro
Power Projects A Prospective Challenge, 20-22 April
2005, Shimla
Article published in Committee Newsletters during
calendar year 2005
1. State of Stress in the Himalayas and its Impact
on the Design of Hydroelectric Projects
2. Technical Note: Rock Mass Classification System to
Rock Excavation/cutting/boring applications.
The 6th Board of the Iranian Society for Rock Mechanics was
elected on 4th March 2006, and is composed of the following
members: Dr Abdolhadi Ghazvinian, Chairman; Dr Abbas
Majdi, Secretary General; Mr Gholamreza Gholami, Treasurer;
Dr Kourosh Shahriar and Dr Vamegh Rasouli, Members.
The 2nd National Conference on Rock Mechanics, organised
under auspices of the Polish Society for Rock Mechanics, was
held.
60
News from the National Groups News from the National Groups (continued)
Colombia
India
Iran
The 2nd National Conference on Rock Mechanics, organised
under the auspices of the Polish Society for Rock Mechanics,
was held at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice on
November 29th, 2006. The Conference was devoted to the
problems of triaxial testing in rock mechanics.
More than 30 experts representing the AGH University of
Science and Technology in Cracow, the University of Warsaw,
the Central Mining Institute in Katowice, the Research
Institute of Strata Mechanics of the Polish Academy of
Sciences in Cracow, the Copper Research and Design Center
CUPRUM Ltd., the University of Silesia in Sosnowiec and the
Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice took part in the
Conference. The invited guest speaker was Dr Manabu
Takahashi from the Research Center for Deep Geological
Environments, AIST, Tsukuba, Japan.
The following papers were presented at the Conference:
J. Pininska - The need for high-pressure testing of rocks for
deep geological exploration.
D. Krzyszton - Frictional resistance in the post-failure phase of
deformation of rock samples under triaxial compression
conditions.
J. Nurkowski - Non-core inductive sensor for measurement of
deformation of rock samples in a pressure chamber;
Advantages and disadvantages relative to electric resistance
strain gages.
M. Bukowska, U. Sanetra and M. Wadas - Testing of rocks
under conventional triaxial compression conditions in the
aspect of determination of post-failure properties and
formation of deformational structures.
D. Flisiak - Deformational properties of rock salt under triaxial
compression conditions.
J. Lis and P. Kijewski - Strength and deformational properties of
rocks from the Legnica-Glogw Copper Region under triaxial
state of stress.
M. Takahashi - Permeability and deformation characteristics of
Shirahama sandstone under general stress state.
P. Lukaszewski - Process of deformation of flysch sandstones
under conventional triaxial compression conditions.
J. Cieslik - Triaxial testing of samples of a dolomite and
sandstone from the Legnica-Glogw Copper Region in the
context of selection of an elastic-plastic constitutive model.
A. Jaworski and L. Mendrek - Triaxial tests conducted by
students of mining geomechanics.
M. Kwasniewski and M. Takahashi - Technique, methodology
and results of the latest studies of the behaviour of rocks under
asymmetric triaxial state of compressive stresses.
All papers presented during the Conference will be published
in English in the Archives of Mining Sciences Quarterly in
June 2007.
61
President Roger Olsonn Norwegian Geotechnical
Institute
Secretary Guro Grneng Norwegian University of
Science and Technology
Board member Elin Hermanstad The Norwegian Roads
Havik Public Administration
Board member Therese Scheldt Hydro
Deputy board member Thomas Mathiesen Norconsult
Deputy board member Oddbjrn Aasen Multiconsult
Name of the national group
Norsk Bergmekanikkgruppe - NBG
(Norwegian Group for Rock Mechanics)
Current office holders
Contact address
Norsk Bergmekanikkgruppe, Siri Engen, PB 2312 Solli, 0201
Oslo.
E-mail: nbg@tekna.no
Membership information
228 members
Activities during 2006
The Board includes 6 people, and 7 meetings have been held
in order to plan activities in 2006. In addition, the members of
the Board have had the pleasure to go on an educational trip
to Switzerland in order to study urban tunnels under
construction. The Board has executed following activities in
2006:
Organiser of the Nordic seminar Rock Grouting, on
May 4.-5., held in the vicinity of Oslo.
Co-organiser of the International symposium In-Situ
Rock Stress, on June 19.-21., held in Trondheim.
Co-organiser of the yearly National Conference
on Rock Blasting (including sessions on rock
and soil mechanics) on November 23.-24., held in Oslo.
Organiser of 2 meetings, held in Oslo and Trondheim,
respectively. The meetings are open to members and
others, and the topics have been Grouting Technology
and Urban Tunnel Construction (including excursion to
an underground tunnel under construction in
Trondheim).
The group has collaborated with several related Norwegian
interest groups such as The Norwegian Tunnelling Society,
Norwegian Geotechnical Society and Geological Society of
Norway.
Norway Poland

The main events organised by the ISRM Portuguese National
Group (SPG) in 2006 were the following:
International Seminar on Rock Mechanics, held at LNEC,
Lisboa, on 19 January
SPG 2nd Annual Meeting, held at LNEC, Lisboa, on 27
March, including:
A lecture on the Alqueva Hydro Electrical Scheme,
delivered by Drs J. Oliveira Pedro, Jos Muralha and
Antnio Tavares de Castro
Conferment of the SPG Awards (Master theses) related
to the biennium 2003-2004
Launch of the CD-ROM Safety in the Work in Tunnels
10th National Geotechnical Congress, held at the
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, from 22 to 25 May
International Seminar on Tunnels and Underground Works,
held at LNEC, Lisboa, on the 29 and 30 June
III Luso-Brazilian Geotechnical Congress, held in Curitiba,
Brazil, on 28 August
Workshop on Experimental Sites of Deep Foundations, held in
Curitiba, Brazil, on 31 August
XXIII Manuel Rocha Lecture Advances and Remaining
Challenges for Geosynthics in Geoenvironmental Engineering
Applications, delivered by Prof. Kerry Rowe from the Queens
University, Canada, on 16 October.
The membership of SPG is composed of 934 Individual
Members and 55 Collective Members from which 170 are
Ordinary Members and 8 are Collective Members of the
ISRM.
Main activities from the Spanish Group in 2006:
There were elections for the Council in January.
The new elected president was Professor
Claudio Olalla, and the elected vice-president
was Professor Luis Gonzalez de Vallejo.
The new Secretary is Dr. urea Perucho and
the new treasurer is Dr. Jos Estaire.
The web page of the Spanish Group (SEMR)
was created, and it has been ready from April, in
the address: www.semr.es
A Technical Journal was organised on 16th of March,
about tunnelling machines in rock, with conferences of
Professors R. Bieniawski, Benjamn Celada, Felipe
Mendaa, and Nicola della Valle. It was organised with
the collaboration of CEDEX (Spanish Official Research
Civil Institution).
The Spanish National Group organises every
year, since 2002, a Technical Journal in April,
in collaboration with CEDEX. In 2006 the annual
Technical Journal was organised on the 26th of April,
about Tunnels in soft rocks, with contributions from
Professors Paul Marinos, Manuel Melis, and Fernando
Dez.
The Spanish National Group has also been working hard
this year, preparing for two International Workshops that
will be held in July of 2007, in the frame of the 11th
Congress of ISRM. These Workshops are Underground
Works under Special Conditions (Madrid, 6th of July,
2007) and Preservation of Natural Stone and Rock
Weathering (Mrida-Madrid, 12th-15th July, 2007).
The Spanish National Group is also organising the next
annual Technical Journal, about Rock foundations of
dams, to be held in Madrid, in the 18th of April, with
contribution by Professors R. Goodman, A. Soriano, M.
Romana, L. Prieto and J. Garcs.
The Sociedad Espaola de Mecnica de Rocas has elected, for
the term of office 2006-2010, Mr Claudio Olalla as President,
Prof. Luis Gonzlez de Vallejo as Vice President, Mrs Aurea
Perucho as Secretary, and Mr Jos Estaire as Treasurer.
62
Portugal Spain
ISRM Corporate Members
ISRM Corporate Members
All Corporate Members of the ISRM are listed in every
issue of the News Journal, under headings that describe
their main activities.
If you wish to be listed under another category (or
categories) please contact the ISRM Secretariat.
63
ISRM Corporate Members ISRM Corporate Members (continued)
A SUPPLIERS OF ROCK MECHANICS EQUIPMENT
AND MATERIALS
Boart Longyear Interfels; Bad Bentheim, Germany
Duraset, a Business Unit of Grinaker-LTA Ltd,
Germiston , South Africa
Fatzer Ag Geobrugg; Romanshorn, Switzerland
GCTS Testing Systems; Tempe AZ, USA
Geotechnical Systems Australia Pty Ltd.; Bayswater,
Australia
Gltzl; Rheinstetten, Germany
Laboratrio Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC);
Lisbon, Portugal
Mesy Geo-mess Systeme Gmbh; Bochum, Germany
MTS Systems Corporation; Eden Prairie, USA
Oyo Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Solexperts Ag; Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
B SUPPLIERS OF ROCK MECHANICS SERVICES
Agapito Associates, Inc.; Grand Junction, USA
Bergab Ab; Gteborg, Sweden
Boart Longyear Interfels; Bad Bentheim, Germany
Coyne et Bellier; Paris, France
Environmental System & Services; Richmond, Australia
Fatzer Ag Geobrugg; Romanshorn, Switzerland
Geoframes Gmbh; Potsdam, Germany
Geoscience Ltd.; Falmouth, UK
GeosolveSolues de Engenharia Geotecnia e
Topografia, Lda; Lisboa, Portugal
Ingenieursoziett Prof. Dr. Katzenbach; Frankfurt am
Main, Germany
Istituto Mecanica dei Materiali SA, Grancia, Switzerland
Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausses; Paris, France
Lisbon, Portugal
Lehrstuhl fr Ingenieurgeologie und Hydrogeologie;
Aachen, Germany
Mesy Geo-mess Systeme GMBH; Bochum, Germany
Norwest Holst Soil Engineering Division, Leeds, UK
Oyo Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Solexperts Ag Schwerzenbach; Switzerland
C CONSULTANTS
Arcadis Esg; Sevres, FRANCE
Amberg Ingenieurbro; Regensdorfwatt, Switzerland
Chuo Kaihatsu Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Civil Engineering Research & Environmental Studies,
Tokyo, Japan
Coyne et Bellier; Paris, France
CRC Solutions Corp.; Tokyo, Japan
Dia Consultants Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Docon Co.,Ltd.; Hokkaido Japan
Electricidade de Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal
Geodata Srl; Torino, Italy
Geoframes GMBH; Potsdam, Germany
Geotechnical Engineering Office; Kowloon, Hong Kong
Gridpoint Finland Oy; Espoo, Finland
Hanshin Consultants Co. Ltd.; Osaka, Japan
Hokkaido Engineering Consultant Co. Ltd.; Hokkaido,
Japan
Idowr Engineering Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Ingenieursoziett Prof. Dr. Katzenbach; Frankfurt Am
Main, Germany
Itasca Consulting Group Inc.; Minneapolis, USA
Kawasaki Geological Engineering; Tokyo, Japan
Kiso-jiban Consultants Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Lahmeyer International GMBH; Frankfurt am Main,
Germany
Lehrstuhl fr Ingenieurgeologie und Hydrogeologie;
Aachen, Germany
Mesy Geo-Mess Systeme GMBH; Bochum, Germany
Multiconsult As; Oslo, Norway
Newjec, Inc.; Osaka, Japan
Nitro Consult Ab; Stockholm, Sweden
Norwest Holst, Soil Engineering Division, Leeds, UK
Podzemgazprom, Ltd.; Moscow, Russia
Prof. Dipl. Ing. H. Quick; Darmstadt, Germany
SEA Consulting s.r.l.; Torino, Italy
Sp Swedish National Testing and Research Institute;
Boras, Sweden
SRK Consulting, Johannesburg, South Africa
Stable Strata Consulting (Pty)Ltd; Mondeor, South Africa
Sumiko Consultants Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Suncoh Consultants Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Tractebel Engineering Development S.A., Brussels,
Belgium
Tyrns; Sundbyberg, Sweden
West Japan Engineering Consultants Inc.; Fukuoka, Japan
Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
D CONTRACTORS
Besab Betongsprutnings Ab; Gteborg, Sweden
Cetu Cse Co.; Bron, France
Eiffage Construction G.D.; Velizyvillacoublay, France
Fujita Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Hazama-Corporation Ibaraki, Japan
Indubel-Industrias de Beta S.A.; Lisbon, Portugal
Japan Underground Oils; Tokyo, Japan
Kajima Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
KDC Engineering Co., Ltd; Tokyo, Japan
Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Nishimatsu Construction Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Obayashi Corp.; Tokyo, Japan
Sato Kogyo Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Shimizu Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Skanska Ab; Danderyd, Sweden
Taisei Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Tekken Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
The Zenitaka Corporation; Osaka, Japan
Tobishima Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Toda Construction Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Tractebel Engineering Development S.A; Brussels,
Belgium
64
ISRM Corporate Members ISRM Corporate Members (continued)
E ELECTRICITY SUPPLY COMPANIES
Chugoku Electric Power Co. Inc.; Hiroshima, Japan
Electricidade de Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal
Electric Power Development Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. Inc.; Toyama, Japan
Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc.; Fukuoka, Japan
Power Reactor & Nucl. Fuel Dev. Co.; Tokyo, Japan
Shikoku Electric Power Co. Inc.; Kagawa, Japan
The Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.; Nagoya, Japan
The Hokkaido Electric Power Co. Inc.; Sapporo, Japan
The Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc.; Osaka, Japan
The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.; State-Uttar
Pradesh, India
Tohoku Electric Power Co. Inc.; Sendai, Japan
Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc.; Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Electric Power Services Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
F MINING COMPANIES
CSIR Mining Technology; Auckland Park, South Africa
LKAB; Lule, Sweden
Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. Ltd; Tokyo, Japan
Nittetsu Mining Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Somincor; Castro Verde, Portugal
G RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
BRGM; Orleans, France
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry;
Chiba, Japan
China Coal Research Institute; China
Guiyang Hydroelectric Investigation Design & Research
Institute of State Power Corporation of China; China
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute; Ibaraki,
Japan
Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausses; Paris, France
Laboratrio de Engenharia de Macau; Macau, China
Lisbon, Portugal
Lemo; Oeiras, Portugal
Norwegian Public Roads Administration; Oslo, Norway
Petrobras Petroleo Brasileiro S.a.; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
SKB; Stockholm, Sweden
SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute;
Boras, Sweden
Sumimoto Mitsui Const. Co. Ltd.; Chiba, Japan
Swedish Rock Engineering Research SVEBEFO;
Stockholm, Sweden
Yangtze River Science Research Institute; China
H GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
Geotechnical Engineering Office; Hong Kong, China
Institut National de LEnvironnement Industriel et des
Risques (INERIS); Verneuil En Halatte, France
Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, The Chinese
Academy of Science; Wuhan, China
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute; Ibaraky,
Japan
Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology
Agency, Kanagawa Japan
Laboratrio de Engenharia de Macau; Macau CHINA
Laboratrio de Ensaio de Materiais; Pao de Arcos,
Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal
Lulea Tekniska Universitet; Lulea, Sweden
Luoyang Hydraulic Engineering Technology Institute;
China
Ordem dos Engenheiros de Angola; Luanda, Angola
PAT, Laboratorio Geotecnico Servizio Geologico; Trento,
Italy
Royal Institute of Technology - KTH; Stockholm,
Sweden
Skanska Ab; Danderyd, Sweden
Swedish Nuclear Fuel & Waste Management Co-SKB;
Stockholm, Sweden
Universidade de Aveiro Servios de Documentao;
Aveiro, Portugal
I OTHER CORPORATE MEMBERS
Basissoft Inc.; Seoul, Korea
China Three Gorges Project Corp.; China
CSIRO Petroleum; Syndal, Australia
Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd.; Seoul, Korea
Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.; Seoul,
Korea
Doosan Industrial Development Co.; Seoul, Korea
Dredging International N.v.; Zwijndrecht, Belgium
Geomax Co., Ltd.; Kyeonggi-do, Korea
Geosigma Ab Uppsala, Sweden
Guangdong Hongda Blasting Engineering Co. Ltd.; China
Han-gu Engineering Co., Ltd.; Seoul, Korea
Hee Song Geotek Co., Ltd.; Daejeon-si, Korea
Hyundai Development Co.; Seoul, Korea
Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.; Seoul,
Korea
Immeuble Eurostade SNCF; La Plaine St. Denis, France
ISSEP; Lige, Belgium
JDC Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Kokusai Kogyo Co.; Tokyo, Japan
Kolon Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd.; Kyeonggi
do, Korea
Korea Highway Corporation; Yeonggi-do, Korea
Koryo Nobel Explosives Co., Ltd.; Busan, Korea
Kumagai Gumi Co. Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
LG Engineering and Construction Corp.; Seoul, Korea
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.; State-Uttar
Pradesh, India
NMC Resources Eng. Co., Tokyo, Japan
Okumura Corporation. Osaka, Japan
Sambo Engineering Co.; Ltd. Seoul, Korea
Samsung Corporation; Yeonggi-do, Korea
Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.; Seoul, Korea
Sanha Engineering and Construction Co.; Seoul, Korea
SK Engineering and Construction Co.; Ltd.; Seoul, Korea
Taisei Corporation; Tokyo, Japan
Toa Grout Kogyo Ltd.; Tokyo, Japan
Yooshin Engineering Corporation; Seoul, Korea
WSP; Stockholm, Sweden

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Volume 9 Number 3 December 2006

ANNUAL REVIEW 2006

3454 ISRM Journal repaged.qxd 31/5/07 12:44 Page 61

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