Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides core funding for the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering (COGGE) which was formed in November 2001 as a standing committee under the National Research Council?s Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. The committee?s predecessor was the U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics. COGGE is the focal point within the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources for 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 anthropogenic hazards. The committee organizes and oversees studies: 1) to identify, investigate, and report on questions relating to geological and geotechnical engineering to government, industry, academia, and the public; 2) to provide scientific and technical information to inform public policy on geological and geotechnical engineering issues; 3) to identify new technologies and potential applications; and 4) to promote the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. In addition, the committee provides a forum for discussion among academic and professional groups, government agencies, and private industry to enhance national and international cooperation and exchange of information. 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 impacts of these issues engage the attention of many government agencies, business corporations, and public interest groups and posit the need for the COGGE. COGGE will continue to advance the role that geological and geotechnical engineers and related scientists play in a range of contexts in the U.S. The committee will work to identify and oversee studies such as the recent studies that produced reports such as Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers and Geological and Geotechnical Engineering in the New Millennium.