CIM

CIM Rock Mechanics Award

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CIM Rock Mechanics Award

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

Award criteria

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The CIM Rock Mechanics Award is presented to a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) who has made significant contributions to the field of rock mechanics through design and development, research, and technological advancements in this area. Nomination forms will be assessed based on a combination of the following six criteria:

  1. Leadership and management
  2. Mentorship of early-career engineers
  3. Contribution to the development of knowledge and best practices in the field
  4. Innovative contributions to the field
  5. Supporting the CIM community
  6. Research contributions

The following outlines the award criteria, eligibility requirements, and other relevant information:

  1. The award shall be made annually, in recognition of significant and lasting contributions to the advancement of rock mechanics in Canada. In any given year, if the selection criteria are not met, no award shall be conferred.
  2. The award shall consist of an appropriate plaque and/or other testimonial as determined by the Board of Directors of the Rock Engineering Society.
  3. No more than one award may be given in any calendar year.
  4. The recipient shall be an active CIM National member.
  5. The recipient must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a resident of Canada, and must have demonstrated significant contributions to rock mechanics within the Canadian mining industry, academia, or related sectors.
  6. Eligible candidates may include professionals from industry, academia, or consulting, provided their work has had a measurable impact on Canadian rock mechanics practice or knowledge.
  7. Current members of the Rock Engineering Society’s Special Committee for the Rock Mechanics Award are not eligible.
  8. Past recipients are not eligible.

Nominations

The nomination procedure and submission requirements are outlined below:

  1. Nominations are announced annually, and any individual may nominate themselves or another candidate.
  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 Rock Engineering Society no later than January 31 of each year.
  4. A nomination stands for three (3) years.
  5. Time of award would also be during CIM CONNECT.

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

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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.