As the new year begins — and this one is Itasca's 30th in operation — we reflect that the momentum generated from the past year's growth, change, and hard work continues. We have much to announce: about our new office and new personnel, recent work, software releases, a major upcoming software conference, and more. With all this activity before us, we look forward to these endeavors and to another year of opportunities and challenges to share with you and your company.

– Loren Lorig, Chief Executive Officer

Consulting

Software

FLAC3D 4.0 was released at the start of December. If you have not already taken the chance to find out about this upgrade, a 25 minute program walkthrough is available for download. Hosted by David Russell, senior software engineer of Itasca International Inc., the video is a guided tour of the new features in the program.

Update Alert: Current Versions updated since August 15, 2009:

Itasca has confirmed plans to develop an Enhanced Visualization (EV) upgrade to PFC3D 4.0 that will provide the program with accelerated 3D graphics and other user-interface enhancements similar to those found in FLAC3D 4.0. As this initiative is only emerging from initial development planning, we cannot provide information on the time of availability or the pricing on this upgrade. These details and more will be offered in this newsletter and on our website as they become available.

International

Congratulations
Congratulations go to Paul Young, of ASC, who has been awarded the top medal/award from the Royal Society of Canada for outstanding achievement in any field of Earth Science. See the University of Toronto newsletter or visit the RSC for more information about the award.

Welcome
Itasca is pleased to announce the formation of an Itasca office in India. The office will be led by Jay Aglawe, a civil engineer whose partnership with Itasca extends over six years. The legal necessities attending the formation of the office (including its official name) will be completed in the coming weeks. This information will be announced in the next edition of this newsletter.

And Welcome
We'd like to take a moment to note the numerous staff additions in recent months: Mr. Jiayao Wu (Itasca Consulting China, Ltd.), Dr. Neal Nagel (Itasca Houston, Inc.); Ms. Anneta Sampson-Forsythe (Itasca Consulting Canada, Inc.), Ms. Amanda Strouth (Chile). Xavier Garcia and Tatyana Katsaga will join Itasca Consulting Group, Inc. (Minneapolis) in the next four weeks. Lacking sufficient space to describe so large an influx here, you are invited to find out more about these excellent engineers by visiting the staff page of our web site. And lastly, we note here that Dr. Hao Li, who has provided six excellent years of work to Itasca Canada Consulting Inc., has moved into a position with Itasca Consulting China, Ltd.

New Location
Itasca Africa Pty Ltd. has moved. Please note the new contact information.

Physical
13 Latona Street
Kensington 2094
South Africa
  
  
  
   Mailing
PO Box 2813775
Melville 2109
South Africa

Training

Currently, there is space available in each of the training courses offered this spring, but the classes are filling up. Space in each session is limited to 15 students. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are considering joining us for code training this spring, send in your registration now. The schedule of classes is:    FLAC Apr 12-14, 2010    FLAC3D Apr 19-21, 2010    KUBRIX Apr 22-23, 2010    UDEC Apr 26-28, 2010    3DEC May 3-5, 2010    KUBRIX May 6-7, 2010    PFC May 10-13, 2010 Full course descriptions, registration, and price information are available online. Also, there are two upcoming training opportunities offered by Itasca Consultants s.a.s. in Ecully, France: an introductory course in the use of KUBRIX for generation of compex 3D models on February 9-11, and an introductory 3-day course on FLAC, March 23-25. The KUBRIX and FLAC course outlines and registration form are available online.

Conferences

Publications

Board, M., and M. E. Pierce. (2009) "A Review of Recent Experience in Modeling of Caving," presented at the International Workshop on Numerical Modeling for Underground Mine Excavation Design, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, 43rd U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, Asheville, North Carolina, June 2009.

Cundall, P. A., and B. Damjanac. (2009) "A Comprehensive 3D Model for Rock Slopes Based on Micromechanics," in Slope Stability 2009 (Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile, November 2009).

Furtney, J. K., P. A. Cundall and G. P. Chitombo. (2009) "Developments in Numerical Modeling of Blast Induced Rock Fragmentation: Updates from the HSBM Project," in Rock Fragmentation by Blasting (FRAGBLAST 9, Granada, Spain, September 2009), pp. 335-342, J. A. Sanchidrián, Ed. London: CRC Press / Taylor & Francis Group.

Konietzky, H., A. Heftenberger and M. Feige. (2009) "Life-Time Prediction for Rocks Under Static Compressive and Tensile Loads: A New Simulation Approach," Acta Geotechnica, 4, 73-78.

Lorig, L. J. (2009) "Challenges in Current Slope Stability Analysis Methods," in Slope Stability 2009 (Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile, November 2009).

Lorig, L., P. Stacey and J. Read. (2009) "Chapter 10: Slope Design Methods," in Guidelines for Open Pit Slope Design, pp. 237-264, J. Read and P. Stacey, Eds. Collingwood, Vic. Australia: CSIRO Publishing.

McLennan, J., Zhao, N., Thakur, S., Deo, M., Gil, I. and B. Damjanac. (2010) "Modeling Fluid Invasion and Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in a Naturally Fractured Rock, a Three Dimensional Approach," SPE Paper No. 127888, presented at the 2010 SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, February 2010.

Nasseri, M. H. B., Young, R. P., Rezanezhad, F. and S. H. Cho. (2009) "Application of 3D x-Ray CT Scanning Techniques to Evaluate Fracture Damage Zone in Anisotropic Granitic Rock," in ROCKENG09 (Proceedings, 3rd CANUS Rock Mechanics Symposium, Toronto, May 2009). Paper No. 4050, M. Diederichs and G. Grasselli, Eds.

Onederra, I., Chitombo, G. P., Cundall, P. A. and J. K. Furtney. (2009) "Towards a Complete Validation of the Lattice Scheme in the Hybrid Stress Blasting Model (HSBM)," in Rock Fragmentation by Blasting (FRAGBLAST 9, Granada, Spain, September 2009), pp. 343-351, J. A. Sanchidrián, Ed. London: CRC Press / Taylor & Francis Group.

Pettitt, W. S., J. M. Reyes-Montes, B. Hemmings, E. M. Hughes and R. P. Young. "Using Continuous Microseismic Records for Hydrofracture Diagnostics and Mechanics", Proceedings, Society of Exploration Geophysicists Annual Meeting Houston, 2009.

Pierce, M., M. Gaida and D. DeGagne. (2009) "Estimation of Rock Block Strength," in RockEng 09 --- Rock Engineering in Difficult Conditions (3rd CANUS Rock Mechanics Symposium / 20th Canadian Rock Mechanics Symposium, Toronto, May 2009, M. Diederichs and G. Grasselli, Eds. Paper No. 4360.

Reyes-Montes, J.M., W.S. Pettitt, J.R. Haycox, B. Hemmings, and R.P. Young, "Microseismic analysis for the quantification of crack interaction during hydraulic stimulation", Proceedings, Society of Exploration Geophysicists Annual Meeting Houston, 2009.

Reyes-Montes, J. M., W. S. Pettitt, J. R. Haycox, B. Hemmings, J. R. Andrews and R. P. Young, "Application of Relative Location Techniques to Induced Microseismicity from Hydraulic Fracturing," in Proceedings, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition New Orleans, 2009.

Turichshev, A., Andrieux, P., Brummer, R. K., Mercier, P. and R. Harrisson. (2009) "Ground Support Audit at Brunswick Mine --- Data Collection and Results Management," in RockEng 09 --- Rock Engineering in Difficult Conditions (3rd CANUS Rock Mechanics Symposium / 20th Canadian Rock Mechanics Symposium, Toronto, May 2009, M. Diederichs and G. Grasselli, Eds. Paper No. 3991.

Turichshev, A., Andrieux, P., Mercier, P. and R. Harrisson. (2009) "Instrumentation of a Graphite Zone in the #3 Shaft at Brunswick Mine," in RockEng 09 --- Rock Engineering in Difficult Conditions (3rd CANUS Rock Mechanics Symposium / 20th Canadian Rock Mechanics Symposium, Toronto, May 2009, M. Diederichs and G. Grasselli, Eds. Paper No. 3989.

Wang, Z. L., and Konietzky. (2009) "Modelling of Blast-Induced Fractures in Jointed Rock Masses," Engr. Frac. Mech., 76, 1945-1955.

Wang, Z. L., H. Konietzky and R. F. Shen. (2009) "Coupled Finite Element and Discrete Element Method for Underground Blast in Faulted Rock Masses," Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng., 29, 939-945.

Zhu, H., and Z. Zhou. (2009) "Displacement Analysis of the Left Abutment Slope of the Jinping I Dam," in Slope Stability 2009 (Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile, November 2009).