Updated brief introduction for 2024

Commission C17

The Commission was established in Vancouver on September 20, 1998. This organization encompasses members in over 21 countries. All members are encouraged to share their knowledge and contribute to the aggregate industry. Commission on Aggregates (C17) and Environmental Aspects of Construction Materials (C27) were merged in September 2015.

The Commission’s primary objective is to facilitate communication between engineers and academicians, theoreticians, and experimentalists. In addition, the Commission promotes a wider use of geologists and engineering geologists in the construction industry.

Objectives of the Commission are:

  1. To increase cooperation with other scientific fields and their role within the

Association.

  1. To enhance the role of Engineering Geology and its applications within the aggregate

and construction industries.

  1. To provide a source of continuous and uniform information on aggregates and

environmental issues.

  1. To foster the sharing of knowledge on research results and methodologies.
  2. To facilitate cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary networks among researchers and

practitioners worldwide.

  1. To increase opportunities for collaborative research

To fulfill these objectives, we plan to undertake the following activities:

  1. The commission’s website will be updated to increase the use of the commission’s homepage.
  2. We will establish an “Aggregate Commission” group on LinkedIn.
  3. To provide information on aggregates in the IAEG Bulletin.
  4. To collect, correlate, and publish data on the performance of various rocks concerning their properties and end-use applications.
  5. To produce harmonized international guidelines for the investigation of potential deposits.
  6. To assist the European standardization body (CEN) with supporting activities and

information for further development and improvement of standards.

  1. To create international cooperation and new international projects.
  2. To enhance the role of engineering geological studies during reporting aggregates
  3. To increase the usability of aggregate and dimension stone quarry wastes
  4. Contributing to digital transformation in aggregate mining
  5. Greening the world aggregate industry, such as a sustainable future, tackling

biodiversity, air and water pollution, and climate change.

  1. Emphasizing the importance of engineering geology research and promoting the use of these studies ensures responsible sourcing and mining in the aggregate sector.
  2. Increasing the role of Engineering Geology for Integrated Risk Management in

Aggregate Mining

C21

Permafrost is a hot topic in the news media and moreso now that the Arctic is warming at a rate of four times as fast as more temperate zones on the planet. Not only is infrastructure failing due to permafrost thaw, ancient carbon is being released and that will only exasperate climate warming. C21 has the following goals:

  • Review and collect examples of risk assessment and geohazard evaluation in permafrost regions.
  • Develop new methodologies for risk assessment and geohazard evaluation in relation with permafrost change.
  • Document new methodologies and guidelines for permafrost mapping related to engineering geology goals.
  • Network with practitioners and academics with an interest in permafrost problems world-wide.

Commission C25

Following the publication of the C25 Guidelines in 2022 the emphasis of C25 will change to translation and dissemination of the Guidelines amongst the IAEG community

Commission C28

This commission is tasked with addressing the uncertainties and variability that impact
the Engineering Geological Model (EGM), encompassing both its conceptual and
numerical aspects. The EGM serves as the subsoil model utilized in the design and
construction of engineering structures. Ensuring the reliability of the EGM is imperative
in mitigating risks associated with structural failures or natural hazards that pose
threats to engineering projects. Commission 28 endeavors to investigate and advocate
for the adoption of qualitative and quantitative methodologies for evaluating the
reliability (or uncertainty) of the EGM. This includes comprehensive examination of
both the geological conceptual model and the geotechnical numerical calculations

Commission C29

The goals of the Commission is as follows: 

Establishing the professional activity plans, providing scientific and technological development proposals on the structure and behavior of soil and rock mass, and recommending excellent geologists in the relative research areas to IAEG. 

Advancing and developing the scientific theories and methods on the structure and behavior of soil and rock mass, fostering and extending the application of advanced technology to engineering practice.

Commission C34

Commission 34: Marine engineering geology, chaired by prof. Jia Yonggang of Ocean University of China in Qingdao. This commission focused on the key issues related to further development, discipline and training in the field of marine engineering geology, and aims to enhance the multi-disciplinary and research development of international marine engineering geology science, and contribute to the advancement of major projects, ecological progress, and a habitable earth.

Commission C35

The Commission 35 aims at analyzing the main aspects of monitoring methods and
approaches used in Engineering Geology applications. The main goals are:
– To evaluate new monitoring instruments, techniques, and procedures;
– To identify standards and best practices criteria based on relevant experiences and
bibliographic information;
– To evaluate the efficient integration of monitoring approaches based on the analysis of
specific contexts;
– To promote guidelines and standards for a correct and efficient divulgation of the
monitoring data and results;
– To share expertise, monitoring methodologies, and eventually monitoring instruments, to
jointly analyze scientifically relevant case studies, which can be used as a reference

Commission C36

Problems related to nuclear waste disposal and CO2 geosequestration storage are crucial interdisciplinary issues and therefore have attracted particular attentions of many countries, including lots of deeply involved engineering geological challenges. In order to ensure the safety of such a disposal system for a very long time, it is necessary to find appropriate and rational prospects and/or engineering solutions, including the site (host geological formation) assessment and selection, buffer/backfill materials (bentonite) selection and evaluation, etc. Furthermore, the host rocks or bentonite used in engineered barriers can be unsaturated in various stages because of the different thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena involving heat/water/gas/nuclide transfers in engineered/geological barriers in unsaturated state during both construction and operation stages. 

The Commission 36 is to hold the engineering geologists, soil and rock mechanics experts together, to encourage their intercourse on the basic research on geological engineering for waste disposal, as well as relative research areas, to foster its development and research level advance. Its main terms of reference include: 

 (1) Establishing the professional activity plans, providing scientific and technological development proposals on the geological engineering for waste disposal. 

 (2) Advancing and developing the scientific theories and methods on the geological engineering for waste disposal, fostering and extending the application of advanced technology to engineering practice.

 (3) Organizing scientific activity and experience intercourse on the geological engineering for waste disposal.

 (4) Fostering and organizing conferences, symposia and workshops, including the international symposia on geological engineering for waste disposal which are held at four year intervals, and special workshop during other international congress. 

 (5) Providing platform for composing a set of technical guides for practice in this field, fostering various international criteria for the community of engineering geology.

 (6) Promoting the collaboration with other associated commissions.

Commission  C38

The Commission focuses on improving international communication and exchanging ideas and information amongst engineering geologists in the field of rock mass characterization and rock slope hazards. The Commission activities include the following:
• Preparation of State-of-the-art papers on the Commission’s topics to be published in the
Bulletin of IAEG
• Organisation of Workshops in IAEG Conferences
• Dissemination of knowledge through collaboration of C38 members and younger colleagues.
Main Commission topics:
• Rock Slope hazards
• Rock mass classification for rock slope stability applications
• Rock slope stability