Support for US Delegation to Annual Meetings of the International Society for Rock Mechanics; Beijing, China 2011; Stockholm, Sweden 2012

American Rock Mechanics Association Foundation, Alexandria VA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is an international travel grant to the American Rock Mechanics Association Foundation (ARMA/F) to support the U.S. delegate to the 2011 and 2012 International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) Council meetings and symposia. For 2011 and 2012, the U.S. delegate is Peter Smeallie, the executive director of ARMA and the ARMA/F. In 2012, the delegation will be expanded to include the ISRM Vice President for North America who at that time will be a delegate from the United States. Mr. Smeallie serves on the ISRM Council and represents the interests of the U.S. rock mechanics community. The U.S. delegate will attend the ISRM Council and Commission meetings, as appropriate, in Beijing in 2011 and in Stockholm in 2012. The presence of the US delegation will enhance US geo-engineering and rock mechanics by providing an international perspective on important issues currently being addressed by ISRM, such as international underground research laboratories, radioactive waste disposal, rock testing methods, application of geophysics in rock mechanics, and post-mining rock mechanics. The ISRM meetings, at which up to 46 nations participate, will also allow the opportunity to generate international interest in U.S. rock mechanics research and education. US participation in the activities of ISRM has a direct impact on issues of national importance through collaborative alliances fostered by the international society. These areas include resource exploration and production, national security issues, environmental considerations, and civil infrastructure systems through advances in tunneling and excavation technologies.