ALERT Workshop 2023 – Call for abstracts

The ALERT Workshop 2023 (33rd Edition) should be held in Aussois from 25th to 27th September, 2023. Abstracts can now be submitted for the sessions. Please submit your abstracts by email directly to the coordinators using the Workshop abstract form (doc). If you wish to publish your presentation after the Workshop on the ALERT website, do not forget to agree by ticking the corresponding box in the abstract form.

Since time for the presentations is limited, only a part of the submitted abstracts can be chosen for the oral presentations. Therefore, we invite you to submit your abstract as soon as possible. The presentation can also be submitted as a poster. The abstracts of the posters will be published in a separate booklet (ISSN registered).

The deadline for the abstract submission is May 19, 2023. For any communication about your participation to the workshops, please contact the coordinators of the workshop sessions directly.

Here is a reminder of the workshop sessions as well as a short description of each of them. The call for abstract is open for the Session 1 and Session 3 only:

  • Session 1: “Energy geomechanics
    Organizers: Jean-Michel Pereira, Carlos Santamarina and Diego Manzanal.

    The use of the geological subsurface is gaining interest in various energy-related applications, covering energy recovery and storage. In these applications, the physical phenomena at play in the encountered porous materials include -often in a coupled manner- heat and mass transfers, multiphase flow, reactive transport of fluids, mechanics, etc.

  • Session 2: “Extraterrestrial geomechanics
    Organizers: P. Delage and F. Prada

    The InSight mission, which landed on Mars in 2018, is a geophysical mission with a seismometer (SEIS) supplied by France and a penetrometer (HP3) supplied by Germany as its main instruments for measuring the thermal gradient on the surface.
    Thanks to the detection of Martian earthquakes (Marsquakes), the mission was able to improve the determination of the planet’s structure (radius of the core, mantle and crust), as intended. The seismometer also detected large meteorite impacts. The Near Surface Working Group is also interested in the geological and mechanical properties of the surface. They have studied the interaction between a Martian regolith analogue and the seismometer, and estimated in advance the elastic properties, with values close to those measured on site.
    The proposed session would be based on the participation of European scientists involved in the mission.

  • Session 3: “Anisotropy in geomaterials: theory, experiments and modelling”
    Organizers: Eleni Gerolymatou, Cino Viggiani, and Angelo Amorosi.

    Anisotropy, i.e. the variation of any given property of the material with direction, can have a significant effect on the material response to loading. It is present in most types of geomaterials, ranging from granular soils to hard rocks.
    Due to the significant effort required to determine in the laboratory the internal variables of the material and the additional difficulties linked to its constitutive description, it is in most applications ignored as a matter of fact. However, in the last years significant efforts have been made in both directions.
    With the present topic suggestion the organizers would like to invite contributions from researchers working on anisotropy in geomaterials in the fields of constitutive law development, experimental testing and numerical simulation. The aim is to increase awareness of the significance of anisotropy, to stimulate scientific exchange and to provide a first exposure to its intricacies for younger researchers.

ALERT Doctoral School 2023

The ALERT Doctoral School 2023 will take place from the 28th September to 30th September 2023.

The theme is “Machine Learning (ML) in Geomechanics”, and the school is coordinated by Ioannis Stefanou and Félix Darve.

The objective of this doctoral school is to explain what Machine Learning is, what its main methods are and how can it be used for solving real-case problems in geomechanics, in particular, and in solid mechanics, in general. Lectures and hands-on exercises using regression and classification ML methods, supervised and unsupervised ML techniques, Artificial Neural Networks, deep learning and model reduction techniques will be taught.

The students will:

  1. Gain an understanding of what ML is;
  2. Study the most important ML methods for regression, classification and model order reduction;
  3. Follow the basic mathematical and geometric notions behind ML methods;
  4. Use ML in simple examples, get aware of pitfalls and understand the need for physics- & geomechanics-based ML methods.

Requirements for the students:

  1. Python programming language (for those who are unfamiliar with Python we suggest the book “Python Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming” by Eric Matthes, but many excellent tutorials can be found on the internet as well).
  2. Basic concepts in mathematics (algebra, analysis, elements of differential calculus and numerical analysis).
  3. Have some problems in mind in relation with their research and geomechanics that they believe that ML could help.

For those interested in participating in the doctoral school, a short poll is available in order to get some information about your expectations from this school and ML: see the poll here.

The online registration for the ALERT School will open in July and will be announced on the website.

Mini-Symposia at DEM9 – Erlangen (Germany), September 17-21, 2023

DEM9 can accommodate up to 6 mini-symposia. If you wish to organize a mini-symposium (5 presentations of 30 minutes), please propose:
– a title of the mini-symposium and
– a short description, including scope and objectives
– by April 30, 2023. 

The decision will be made by May 15.

Thorsten Poeschel 
on behalf of the DEM9 Organizing Committee 
https://www.dem9.fau.de

SimTech 2023 Registration Open

Registration is now open for SimTech 2023 (https://www.simtech2023.uni-stuttgart.de/) from October 4 to 6 at the University of Stuttgart.

Early Bird Fee (until 15 May): 250 EUR
Late Registration (from 16 May): 350 EUR

Poster abstract submission closes April 7, 2023. Please submit your abstract as a single pdf file to conference_ps@simtech.uni-stuttgart.de using the latex template provided at https://www.simtech2023.uni-stuttgart.de/program/poster-session/.

Notification of acceptance: April 30, Early Registration Deadline May 15.

Feel free to forward this call to interested colleagues! We are looking forward to welcoming you in Stuttgart.

Conference announcement: DEM9

DEM9: 9th International Conference on Discrete Elements Methods

September 17-21, 2023 in Erlangen, Germany

Registration and abstract submission are now open: https://dem9.fau.de

DEM is the leading series of conferences in the field of Discrete Elements Simulations. DEM9 will address the latest advancements in the simulation of particulate systems using discrete element methods, including coupled simulations, particle fragmentation, non-spherical particles, multiscale and multiphase systems.

We look forward to seeing you at DEM9 in Erlangen.

Kind regards,

Thorsten Poeschel
on behalf of the Organizing and Scientific Committees of DEM9
https://www.dem9.fau.de/committees/

Call for Sessions and Abstracts for the 14th Congress of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment at Chengdu, China from September 21 to 27, 2023

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to inform you of the 14th Congress of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment to be held in Chengdu, China from September 21 to 27, 2023.  The congress aims to enhance the multi-disciplinary and research development of international engineering geology and the environment, and contribute to the advancement of major projects, ecological progress, and a habitable earth. Topics for research and discussion will include global climate change mitigation and adaptation, geological hazard assessment and prevention, geotechnical properties of rock and soil mass, engineering geology applied to traffic, energy, urban and marine, ecological environment protection in major projects, new theories and technologies in engineering geology, etc. We warmly welcome the worldwide engineering geological community to come to Chengdu to participate in this academic event.

Themes of the congress include but not limited to :
Theme 01: Engineering Geomechanics of Rock and Soil Masses
Theme 02: Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Theme 03: Megacity Engineering Geology
Theme 04: Environmental Engineering and Ecological Solutions
Theme 05: Active Tectonics, Geomorphology and Geological Hazards
Theme 06: Marine Engineering Geology, Marine Geo-environment and Disasters
Theme 07: Deep Earth Resource and Energy Exploitation
Theme 08: Geohazard Mechanisms, Risk Assessment and Control, Monitoring and Early Warning
Theme 09: New Technology in Engineering Geology      
Theme 10: Applied Geology for Major Engineering Projects
Theme 11: Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Engineering Geology
Theme 12: Young Engineering Geologist Afternoon “Machine learning in geomechanics”

Call for Sessions

The organizing committee would like to invite session proposals on the above-mentioned themes. The proposed sessions will serve as guidelines for paper and abstract submissions. Session conveners will be responsible for accepting or declining papers or abstracts for their sessions.

All session proposals must include the convener names, institutional affiliations, an email address of the session convener, a title, a brief abstract that describes the session and specifically how the session ideally fits into the congress theme. Also, please indicate the Theme number your proposal aligns with.

If you are interested, please click on the link below to submit the application before March 30, 2023. For further information, please feel free to contact us.

Submit your application via: https://iconf.young.ac.cn/eBuMK

For the abstract submission

The abstract submission system for oral presentations and posters is open! If you would rather prepare an abstract for an oral or poster presentation, rather than submit a full paper, please submit your abstract or poster for consideration by May 31, 2023.

Submit your abstract via: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=iaeg2022a

More information on the congress can be found in the attached PDF file.

ALERT Workshop & School 2023

Dear ALERT members,
Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce to you the themes and dates of the ALERT Workshop and School 2023.

ALERT WORKSHOP 2023
Dates of the ALERT Workshop 2023: 25th September to 27th September 2023

  • Session 1: “Energy geomechanics
    Organizers: Jean-Michel Pereira, Carlos Santamarina and Diego Manzanal.
  • Session 2 (half-day): “Extraterrestrial geomechanics
    Organizers: Pierre Delage and Felipe Prada.
  • Session 3: “Anisotropy in geomaterials: theory, experiments and modelling”
    Organizers: Eleni Gerolymatou, Cino Viggiani, and Angelo Amorosi.

ALERT SCHOOL 2023
Dates of the ALERT School 2023: 28th September to 30th September 2023

  • Machine learning in geomechanics
    Organizers: Ioannis Stefanou and Félix Darve.

Hoping to see you in Aussois !

1st Int. Workshop RootS23 – “SOIL-PLANT-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTION: MECHANISMS, PROCESSES AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING IMPLICATIONS” – University of Perugia, Perugia (Italy) – 20th-21st April 2023

Dear Colleagues, 

we are delighted to inform you about the 1st International Workshop RootS23 – “SOIL-PLANT-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTION: MECHANISMS, PROCESSES AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING IMPLICATIONS”, which will be held on April 20th and 21st in Perugia, Italy

The 1st Int. Workshop RootS23 will focus on the current state of knowledge and research concerning the topic of soil-vegetation-atmosphere interaction. This is a very broad and multidisciplinary research theme, spanning several scientific fields, each contributing to the investigation and modeling of specific aspects of the soil and plant behavior, upon variable climatic conditions. The Workshop is mainly addressed to researchers in geotechnical engineering, but the participation of researchers working in other fields (e.g., foresters, agronomists, soil physicians, ecologists, ….) is very welcome and considered fruitful for a constructive contamination of knowledge. 

Twenty invited Speakers will present their research on two main aspects: 

– the mechanisms through which vegetation favours ground mechanical reinforcement;  

– the phenomena and processes underlying soil-plant-atmosphere interaction, which typically require thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled analyses

and in more detail on: plant’s physical and hydrological properties; root architecture and properties; experimental evidence of the effects of vegetation evolution on soil hydrological and mechanical conditions; THM numerical analysis of the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interaction; ground bio-engineering techniques for shallow slope stability.  

Two ‘open discussions’ will be specifically dedicated to researchers who shall contribute from the floor with very short presentations (3-4 minutes) dealing with in-progress research, aiming at a fruitful and inspiring cross-contamination. 

You may find attached the programme and the flyer of the workshop. 

We hope that the workshop will represent an opportunity to share ideas and encourage new research collaborations, thus improving the strength of the academic network. 

If any of you may find this workshop interesting, we will be happy to give further information about the location and the venue. 

In this case, please contact Manuela Cecconi (manuela.cecconi@unipg.it) and Vito Tagarelli (vito.tagarelli@poliba.it). 

We sincerely look forward to seeing you in Perugia next April. 

On the behalf of the organizing committee  (Manuela Cecconi, Federica Cotecchia, Vincenzo Pane, Vito Tagarelli)

International conference dedicated to the memory of Prof. Pierre Bérest

An international conference on “Underground Storage and Geoenergies” will be held in Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau close to Paris) on 14-15 June 2023. This conference is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Pierre Bérest and will follow a summer school on the same topic on 12-13 June. 

The scope covers salt cavern storage, C02 sequestration, nuclear waste disposal and geothermal energy.

There is no registration fees (but registration is mandatory). The organization covers lunches and coffee breaks. 

More information and registration on this pdf file

Contacts:
Alexandre Dimanov <alexandre.dimanov@polytechnique.edu>;
Laura Blanco-Martin  <laura.blanco_martin@minesparis.psl.eu>; 
Philippe Cosenza  <philippe.cosenza@univ-poitiers.fr>; 
Jean Sulem <jean.sulem@enpc.fr>.