Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

CMS-0224700 PI:Keri Moore Institution:National Academy of Sciences Title:"Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering" On November 6, 2001, the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics was reconstituted as the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering (COGGE) through discussions with sponsors (particularly based on input from the National Science Foundation), members of industry, and the national and international research communities. This transition is intended to improve the committee's responsiveness and to expand the scope and breadth of its activities. The newly formed COGGE operates as a standing committee under the auspices of the National Research Council's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources and addresses scientific, technical, and public-policy issues pertaining to the engineering applications of Earth sciences. The committee's scope encompasses Earth processes and materials, including the mechanics of rock and soil, and focuses on safe and responsible human development, risk assessment, and mitigation of natural and anthropogenic hazards. The Committee's objectives are as follows: 1. To identify, investigate, and report on questions relating to geological and geotechnical engineering to government, industry, academia, and the public; 2. To promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge; 3. To identify new technologies and potential applications; 4. To improve public policy on geological and geotechnical engineering issues; 5. To provide a forum for discussion among academic and professional groups, government agencies, and private industry; and 6. To enhance national and international cooperation and exchange of information by acting as the U.S. representative for the International Society of Rock Mechanics and related organizations. Research and engineering developments in geological and geotechnical engineering are driven by concerns for the natural and built environment (including radioactive and hazardous waste isolation, remediation, and mitigation), mitigation of natural hazards such as earthquakes and landslides, environmentally sound recovery of natural resources, and interest in defense structures in rock. The technological, economic, social, and political impact of these issues engage the attention of many government agencies, business corporations, and public interest groups and posits the need for the COGGE. The expertise, judgment, and strategic perspective of the COGGE serves to define and help initiate sponsored studies and other activities with respect to major areas of national interest or concern in which rock mechanics problems represent critical or limiting factors. In this regard, the committee offers a forum for meetings with federal agency liaison representative and other interested organizations to exchange ideas and information on important topics that may merit inquiry through the National Research Council.