The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is the principal
association for geotechnical engineers in the United Kingdom.

ISSMGE News & Information Circular July 2019

ISSMGE News & Information Circular July 2019
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ISSMGE News & Information Circular

July 2019

Please visit the ISSMGE website – http://www.issmge.org/ for full details of all ISSMGE activities. This circular is also available from the web https://www.issmge.org/news/issmge-news-information-circular-july-2019

Please distribute this Circular widely.


1. Professor Roger Frank is awarded the Sir Alcon Copisarow Medal

It is a great pleasure to announce that Professor Roger Frank, Immediate Past President of the ISSMGE was awarded the Sir Alcon Copisarow Medal on I July 2019 at the Centenary Anniversary Gala Dinner of the British Section of the Société des Ingénieurs et Scientifiques de France (IESF).on 1 July 2019 (here).

2. New TCs

These new TCs are actively seeking nominations for members from the Member Societies. Please make sure that your Member Society representative is aware of your interest in joining either of these Committees.

System Performance of Geotechnical Structures (TC219 – System Performance)

The System Performance of the geotechnical structures calls for the geotechnical system to have enough robustness and redundancy to prevent from collapses or failures induced by the localized damage or weakness. The TC aims to disseminate and develop knowledge and practice on system performance design methodologies and theories in geotechnical engineering (https://www.issmge.org/committees/technical-committees/applications/system-performance)

Field Monitoring in Geotechnics (TC220 – Field Monitoring)

Field Monitoring in Geomechanics (https://www.issmge.org/committees/technical-committees/applications/field-monitoring) deals with assessing the performance of engineering structures using instrumentation and other related information. The applications include dams and embankments, structures and foundations, transport infrastructure including tunnels and other underground openings, open cut and underground mines, natural slopes, land reclamation, repositories for industrial or nuclear waste and offshore structures.


3. Are We Overdesigning? – A Survey of International Practice

A joint initiative by the CAPG, the YMPG, TC205 - Safety and Serviceability, and TC304 - Risk. This survey is intended to assess the consistency of calculation models and design methods for a variety of geotechnical structures and, where possible, to compare the results with full-scale tests and reliability analyses. To participate in the survey please click here. Closing date: Friday 2nd August 2019.


4. What are gaps between theory and practice? - A Survey of Machine Learning and Big Data in Geotechnics

A joint initiative by TC309 – Machine Learning, the CAPG, the YMPG, TC304 - Risk, and TC210 – Embankment Dams. The aim of this survey is to learn from different stakeholders within our discipline (academics, industry professionals, public agencies) on your experiences and attitudes towards ML/AI, how you handle the challenges that you and your institution face in regard to ML/AI, and its potential impact on your daily work. To participate in the survey please click here. The survey contains 10 questions/comments and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. The survey will close on Friday 12th July 2019.

5. ISSMGE Webinars and Virtual University

The ISSMGE is pleased to announce the delivery of the first course on Unsaturated Soils as part of the virtual university programme. This course, to be delivered by Prof Delwyn Fredlund on 15 May 2019 at 12:00 am (GMT), is composed of six lectures of total duration 260 minutes:

Chapter 1. Introduction to Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

Chapter 2. State Variables and their Measurement

Chapter 3. The Soil-Water Characteristic Curve, SWCC

Chapter 4. Seepage through Unsaturated Soils

Chapter 5. Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soils

Chapter 6. Volume Change & Deformation of Unsaturated Soils

An introduction to each lecture is available from https://www.issmge.org/education/virtual-universit...

Click herefor a full list of previously recorded ISSMGE webinars. Past webinars with a common theme have been grouped together to create courses within the ISSMGE Virtual University and information about these can be found here.

Please note that a couple of webinars in French have been added to the list on the website.


6. Bulletin

The latest edition of the ISSMGE Bulletin (Volume 13, Issue 3, June 2019) is available from the website from: https://www.issmge.org/publications/issmge-bulleti...


7. ISSMGE Foundation

The next deadline for receipt of applications for awards from the ISSMGE Foundation is the 1st August 2019. Click here for further information on the ISSMGE Foundation.


8. Conferences

For a listing of all ISSMGE and ISSMGE supported conferences, and full information on all events, including deadlines, please go to the Events page at: https://www.issmge.org/events. Click here and follow the links to your favourite events.

The following are events that have been added since the previous Circular:

ISSMGE Events

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANDSLIDES AND SLOPE STABILITY, 25-09-2019 - 27-09-2019

Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, Bali - Indonesia, Language: English; Organizer: Universitas Katolik Parahyangan and Universiti Teknologi Petronas; Contact person: Aflizal; Address: Jl. Ciumbuleuit No. 94 Bandung; Phone: +62 899 7050 250; Email: secretariat@slope2019.com; Website: http://www.slope2019.com


Non-ISSMGE Events

BUCHANAN LECTURE - 18-10-2019 - 19-10-2019

Brazos Amphitheater, College Station Hilton, United States; Organizer: Blake Thurman; Contact person: Jean-Louis Briaud, Address: 3136 TAMU, Phone: 979-845-3795, Email: briaud@tamu.edu; Website: https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/briaud/buchanan.html

GEOAMERICA 2020 - 26-04-2020 - 29-04-2020

Windsor Convention Expo Centre, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro; Organiser: International Geosynthetics Society; Contact person: André Estêvão Silva; Email: geoamericas2020@geoamericas2020.com; Website: http://www.geoamericas2020.com

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