From Rock Mass to Rock Model

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A pre-symposium workshop on rock mass modelling for geotechnical design

Monday 15 September 2008, Sheraton Perth Hotel, Western Australia
Workshop Coordinator: Johan Wesseloo, The Australian Centre for Geomechanics

The ACG will present a pre-symposium workshop that will provide a forum for discussing the issue of the modelling of rock mass behaviour for the purpose of design. With this workshop, the ACG aims to provide a platform to critically examine the current state of practice and highlight shortcomings in the state of the art. The workshop will take the form of introductory presentations and open floor discussions during the following sessions:

• Case studies.
• Deriving model parameters from field and laboratory data.
• Mechanics of rock mechanics.
• Philosophy for modelling of rock mass behaviour.
• Model and method dependence of parameters.

Speakers include:

Peter Cundall Itasca Consulting Group, Inc., USA

David Beck Beck Arndt Engineering, Australia

Garry Mostyn Pells Sullivan Meynink, Australia

Philip Pells Pells Sullivan Meynink and the University of New South Wales, Australia

Steve Spottiswoode CSIR, South Africa

Doug Stead Simon Fraser University, Canada

Peter Cundall

Dr Cundall performed his doctoral work at Imperial College, London, where he originated the Distinct Element Method for modeling jointed rock and granular material. In addition to being an independent consultant for several years, he worked for Dames and Moore for five years, was a faculty member at the University of Minnesota for seven years, and is now Principal at Itasca Consulting Group in Minneapolis and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota. Dr Cundall is the original author of many computer codes, including TRUBAL, FLAC, UDEC, 3DEC and PFC, which all enjoy widespread use. His main interest is in applied computer modeling, particularly in the areas of micromechanics, dynamics, plasticity, fracture damage, localization and coupled problems. He has written many papers including the most-cited paper for the journal Géotechnique (published in 1979, with co-author Strack). Dr Cundall has received several awards for his work in rock mechanics, and is Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Philip Pells is principal of Pells Sullivan Meynink Pty Ltd.

Dr Philip Pells is a Principal of Pells Sullivan Meynink Pty Ltd and Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of NSW. He commenced his career in rock mechanics working in Dick Bieniawski’s team at the CSIR in South Africa and in 1975 moved to Sydney University as Senior Lecturer in Rock Mechanics. He left the University in 1980 to join the consultancy industry, having devoted much of his research work at the University to structural foundations on rock.

Doug Stead is Professor and Chair in Geotechnics at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. His areas of specialization include the application of the principles of rock engineering in the safe and economic extraction of mineral resources. Dr. Stead has worked in industry and academia in a wide variety of surface mining environments including surface coal mines, quarries and large open pits. He also has extensive experience in underground mining environments in Canada and internationally. (Coal, metal mining and potash) Prior to joining Simon Fraser University he was Chair and Professor in Mining Geomechanics at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter in the UK and Professor in Geological Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. Canada. Dr Stead is currently involved in research projects involving the characterization of surface mine rock masses using remote imaging techniques at mines in Canada, the US and internationally.. His research group is actively applying state-of-the-art numerical modeling techniques toward characterization of underground block caving, underground-surface mining interaction and high mountain slopes.