CIM

CIM Rock Mechanics Award

Join

CIM Rock Mechanics Award

For significant and lasting contributions to research or applications in rock mechanics for the benefit of the Canadian mining industry

IMPORTANT CHANGES
Please note that this award will not be presented on stage at the CIM Gala; however, the award winner will be recognized on screen.

Award criteria

X

The Rock Mechanics Award is given to deserving candidates, members of CIM, who have made significant and lasting contributions to research or applications in rock mechanics for the benefit of the Canadian mining industry. The award recipient is selected by the CIM Rock Engineering Society.

CIM Rock Mechanics Award criteria and other information:

  1. The award shall be made from time to time as circumstances warrant in recognition of significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of rock mechanics in Canada.
  2. The award shall consist of an appropriate plaque and other testimonial as determined by the Board of Directors of the Rock Engineering Society.
  3. No more than one award may be given for any one calendar year.
  4. The recipient shall be an active CIM National member, and have also been a CIM National member for a minimum of two previous years.
  5.  The recipient shall be a Canadian citizen.
  6.  Current members of the Rock Engineering Society’s Special Committee for the Rock Mechanics Award are not eligible for the award.
  7.   Past recipients are not eligible for the award.

Nominations

  1. Members of the Rock Engineering Society (i.e. CIM members who have identified the Rock Engineering Society as a technical interest group on their membership application form) shall nominate candidates for the award.
  2. A nomination shall be accompanied by:
    i. A letter providing a description of the nominee’s specific contributions to rock mechanics in the Canadian mining industry, and other unique qualifications for the award.
    ii. Other relevant information (e.g. letters of support, curriculum vitae of nominee).
  3. Completed nominations shall be forwarded to the Chair of the Society for Rock Engineering no later than October 1 of each year.
  4. A nomination stands for three (3) years.

Recipients

There is only one recipient of this award every year. This award is solely for individual nominations (no teams).

Winners

2026

Douglas Milne

Douglas (Doug) Milne is a geological engineer with an MSc and PhD in mining based rock mechanics from Imperial College and the University of British Columbia. His 15 or so years of industry experience includes BC Hydro, Noranda Mines and Piteau & Associates. He is professor emeritus from the University of Saskatchewan where he taught rock mechanics for over 25 years. He has also conducted numerous short courses in rock classification and empirical mine design at mine sites and conferences. His areas of interest include empirical mine design, as well as rock mass classification and field instrumentation.

Distinguished Lecturer 2024-25

Lecture Abstract

X

Approaches for Interpreting Instrumentation and Mapping Data for Rock Mechanics Design

Stable underground mine design relies on data and judgement to estimate rock mass properties, stress conditions and opening geometry behaviour. The data can be obtained through detailed data collection and local instrumentation programs coupled with numerical modelling. This approach can be expensive and provides detailed data on very localized conditions of an often highly variable rock mass and stress regime.

This presentation highlights the value of ongoing simple instrumentation and mapping techniques. Basic rock mechanics theory is coupled with simple interpretations to estimate material properties and stress conditions. When the collection, interpretation and application of the data is conducted on site, valuable information is obtained on the variable reaction of the rock mass and stress regime to continued mining. The data and methodology in this presentation are based on over 20 years of graduate student projects at the University of Saskatchewan. The approach presented follows work done by Dr. Rimas Pakalnis, University of British Columbia, and many others from UBC and the Noranda Technology Centre.

2025

Ming Cai

Ming Cai, a leading expert in rock mechanics, is a full professor at Laurentian University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. With over 30 years of experience spanning academia, research, and industry, he has significantly advanced the understanding of brittle rock failure, rock support design in burst-prone ground, and rock stability in deep mining. He holds degrees from Tsinghua University and a PhD from the University of Tokyo. His work has influenced mining and geotechnical engineering worldwide, with over 260 publications shaping industry best practices. Prior to academia, he held key roles at MIRARCO, Mansour Group Inc., Tokyo Electric Power Services Ltd., and Tsinghua University. Recognized for his ground-breaking contributions, he received the Canadian Geotechnical Society’s John A. Franklin Award in 2017. His research continues to drive innovation in rock engineering and deep mining.