|
The aim of the International Society is the promotion of international co-operation amongst engineers and scientists for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of geotechnics, and its engineering and environmental applications. Benefits of membership include:
• possibility to submit papers to many conferences and symposia
• lower conference registration fees
possibility of membership of one of 30 technical committees working on specific topics
• access to work of ISSMGE in various fields of activity, including Education, Communications, Technology Transfer
opportunities to demonstrate leadership in Technical Committee, conference and other activities
• opportunities to build lasting world-wide relationships
a clear demonstration of interest and professionalism in the field of Geotechnics
Membership
ISSMGE has 71 Member Societies worldwide representing 16500 individual members. These include practising engineers, teachers, researchers, and equipment designers and manufacturers. The Society also has 23 corporate sponsors from industry.
Administration
The ISSMGE policy making body is the Council, consisting of two delegates (one voting) from each Member Society, which meets every two years. The President is elected for four years and is assisted by the BOARD which consists of the six Regional Vice-Presidents, the Past President, three appointed members, and the Secretary General who is responsible for the day-to-day conduct of the affairs of the Society.
International Affiliations
ISSMGE is an affiliated member of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) which is itself a member of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU).
Close relationships are maintained with ISSMGE sister societies, the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG).
ISSMGE is jointly responsible with the International Geotextiles Society and Netlon Limited for organising the biennial MERCER LECTURE.
Conferences
Quadriennial International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE)
Quadriennial International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (ICEG)
Five quadriennial Regional Conferences
Specialist International Conferences, Symposia and Workshops
Regional Young Geotechnical Engineers Conferences (YGEC)
GeoEng 2000: Joint International Conference with ISRM and IAEG
Technical Committees
Some 500 individual members are directly involved in ISSMGE activities through membership of one of the 30 full International Technical Committees or 10 Regional Technical Committees. Each Technical Committee is concerned with a specialist area of geotechnics, and its work may lead to:
• a specialist conference, symposium or workshop
• a review report for discussion at a session of an International or Regional Conference
• a report or paper for inclusion in the Proceedings of an International or Regional Conference
• a separately published volume of papers, or a state-of-the-art or review report
Education
Under the MODEL LIBRARY schemes sets of textbooks have been sent free to 50 recipients in developing countries. Also, Spain has sent Spanish language sets to Member Societies in South America, and French language sets have been sent to Francophone countries.
Sets of slides compiled by Technical Committees can be bought by members.
The Society is identifying several Heritage Museums where individual and technological achievements in Geotechnical Engineering can be studied.
Communications
A new web-site (http://www.issmge.org) has been established. This will provide a central source of information including the ISSMGE News, articles on recent activities, information and contact details for all Member Societies, Technical Committees and ISSMGE sponsored Conferences.
The ISSMGE has signed an agreement with SGI-Line to allow subsidised access to this major Geotechnical Engineering Reference and Information retrieval system.
An ISSMGE List of Members is produced every four years and made available to Member Societies.
Awards and Honours
The TERZAGHI ORATION is given by an outstanding Geotechnical Engineer at each ICSMGE.
The KEVIN NASH GOLD MEDAL is awarded at each ICSMGE to a Geotechnical Engineer who has made a major contribution to fostering the ideas and goals of ISSMGE.
Three ISSMGE YOUNG MEMBER AWARDS will be made at the Quadriennial International Conference. The awards recognise outstanding contributions to Geotechnical Engineering through scientific and technological work.
Membership Enquiries
Anyone wishing to become a member of ISSMGE should contact their local Member Society. In case of difficulty contact the ISSMGE Secretariat. Organisations interested in Corporate Membership should contact the ISSMGE Secretariat.
Secretariat
Professor R N Taylor
Secretary General
City University
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7040 8154
Fax: +44 20 7040 8832
E-mail: secretariat@issmge.org
URL: www.issmge.org
History
|
 |
The International Society had its origins in the First International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering held in Harvard in 1936. A total of 206 delegates attended from 20 countries. In order to ensure continuation of this very successful initiative, an Executive Committee was set up with Karl Terzaghi as President and Arthur Casagrande as Secretary; but war intervened and the Second ICSMFE was not held until 1948 in Rotterdam. Again this proved to be a great success, with 596 delegates. By the time of the Third ICSMFE in Zurich in 1953, the International Society had become firmly established, with Terzaghi as President and Donald Taylor as Secretary. In 1957 A W Skempton became President, and the Secretariat moved to the UK. Since 1965, the Secretaries General have been J.K.T.L. Nash (1965-1981), J.B. Burland (1981) and R.H.G. Parry (1981-1999). The quadriennial ICSMFE became an established pattern from 1953 and the Jubilee Conference was held in San Francisco in 1985, attracting 2000 delegates and guests. The first Regional Conference was the Australasian Conference held in Australia in 1952, and quadriennial Regional Conferences have also become an established pattern. In 1981 the Steering Committee was set up to give a better focus to the rapidly expanding Society. It became the Board in 1985, which meets every year, while the Council meets every two years. In 1997, Council approved a change in name to the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering to reflect more accurately the activities of the Society.
ISSMGE has experienced a rapid growth in membership, the 32 Member Societies and 2500 individual members in 1957 increasing to 50/11500 in 1977 and 71/16500 in 1998. The growth in membership has been matched by increasing activities, largely through the establishment of many active Technical Committees and Task Forces.
Presidents of ISSMGE
1936–1957 K. Terzaghi (USA)
1957–1961 A. W. Skempton (UK)
1961–1965 A. Casagrande (USA)
1965–1969 L. Bjerrum (Norway)
1969–1973 R. B. Peck (USA)
1973–1977 J. Kerisel (France)
1977–1981 M. Fukuoka (Japan)
1981–1985 V. F. B. de Mello (Brazil)
1985–1989 B. B. Broms (Singapore)
1989–1994 N. R. Morgenstern (Canada)
1994–1997 M. Jamiolkowski (Italy)
1997–2001 K. Ishihara (Japan)
2001-2005 W. Van Impe (Belgium)
2005-2009 P.S. Sêco e Pinto (Portugal)
| | 
