Workshops

Workshops

Saturday, June 20, 2026

The combined effects of confining pressure, temperature, and mineralogical composition on the dynamic elastic constants of rock (Half Day)

Instructor: Hem Bahadur Motra

Description: The topic “The combined effects of confining pressure, temperature, and mineralogical composition on the dynamic elastic constants of rock” focuses on understanding how fundamental geological and physical factors influence the mechanical behavior of rocks. Dynamic elastic constants—such as Young’s modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson’s ratio—are essential parameters in geomechanics, geotechnical engineering, and subsurface energy technologies.
Confining pressure significantly affects rock stiffness and strength by closing microcracks and pores, leading to an increase in elastic wave velocities. As pressure rises, rocks generally behave more elastically, with reduced anisotropy. Temperature, on the other hand, can alter rock elasticity in two ways: thermal expansion weakens rock bonds and reduces stiffness, while in some cases, moderate heating may enhance ductility. At higher temperatures, thermal cracking may dominate, reducing elastic moduli. Mineralogical composition plays a critical role, as quartz-rich rocks tend to be stiffer with higher elastic wave velocities, while clay- and carbonate-rich rocks display greater variability due to their weaker bonds and higher sensitivity to temperature and fluids.
By analyzing the interplay of these three factors, students gain insight into subsurface processes relevant to seismic interpretation, reservoir characterization, geothermal energy, CO₂ storage, and tunneling, where accurate prediction of rock behavior under in situ conditions is crucial.

Instructors: Bo Hyun Kim, & Giovanni Grasselli

Description: Numerical modeling has become a central tool for evaluating rock mass behavior in mining, tunneling, and energy applications. However, one persistent challenge remains the translation of laboratory and field measurements into meaningful input parameters for advanced numerical models. Many engineers rely on published ranges, empirical correlations, or trial-and-error calibration rather than a systematic interpretation of experimental data. As a result, numerical models often produce results that are difficult to validate or reproduce.
This workshop addresses the practical pathway from experimental rock mechanics to numerical model implementation. The focus will be on how laboratory observations can be interpreted and translated into parameters used in continuum, discrete, and hybrid numerical methods. Particular attention will be given to common laboratory tests such as uniaxial compression, triaxial compression, Brazilian tensile strength tests, and fracture characterization, and how the results from these experiments relate to model parameters such as strength envelopes, stiffness, fracture properties, and constitutive model inputs.
The workshop will discuss how different numerical approaches require different interpretations of laboratory data. For example, continuum models typically rely on constitutive relationships such as Mohr-Coulomb, Hoek-Brown, or strain-softening formulations. Discrete and hybrid methods such as FDEM require additional information related to fracture initiation, cohesion weakening, frictional behavior, and energy dissipation along discontinuities. Understanding how laboratory observations reflect the underlying failure mechanisms is therefore essential for selecting appropriate model parameters.
The session will also address scale effects and the limitations of laboratory measurements when applied to rock mass scale simulations. Participants will learn how to interpret laboratory results in the context of stress path, confinement conditions, and
excavation-induced stress changes. Practical examples will be presented to demonstrate how laboratory data can be used to construct parameter sets for numerical models used in mining and underground construction.
The goal of the workshop is not simply to review laboratory testing methods or numerical modeling techniques independently, but to focus on the interface between the two. By emphasizing the physical interpretation of experimental results and their relationship to model behavior, the workshop aims to improve the reliability and transparency of numerical simulations used in rock engineering practice.

Instructors: Jim Hazzard & David Potyondy

Description: Numerical modeling of very large strain problems such as slope runout or tunnel collapse can be challenging with traditional modeling methods. This workshop presents methodology for simulation of these types of problems using commercially available software. The workshop will walk through a spectrum of possible problems from moderate to extreme deformations. Examples will be shown invoking large-strain analysis, remeshing techniques, the material point method, and fully discontinuous systems. This will be a hands-on course, so users should bring a laptop and expect to build, run, and interpret models during the class.
Temporary licenses will be provided for FLAC2D, FLAC3D, MPoint, and PFC3D.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Three-Dimensional Rock Mass Strength Criteria: Advances, Implications, and Engineering Applications (Half Day)

Instructors: Lianyang Zhang, Hehua Zhu, & Bo Hyun Kim

Description: This half‑day workshop offers a critical and comprehensive exploration of three-dimensional (3D) rock mass strength criteria, with particular emphasis on the Generalized Zhang‑Zhu (GZZ) criterion. As rock engineering projects continue to increase in complexity, traditional two-dimensional (2D) strength assumptions may lead to oversimplified assessments of stability and performance. This workshop equips participants with the knowledge needed to understand, evaluate, and apply 3D strength frameworks to improve the accuracy and reliability of engineering analyses.
The session begins by reviewing the theoretical foundations of 3D rock mass strength characterization and highlighting recent advances in the field. Participants will gain an understanding of how the evolution from 2D to 3D approaches enhances the
representation of failure mechanisms and stress states in rock masses.
Practical implications for engineering analysis and design will be discussed in detail, including when 3D strength considerations are essential and how overlooking them can influence safety factors, excavation performance, and structural reliability. The
facilitators will guide participants through decision‑making frameworks that help identify situations where 3D criteria provide significant advantages.
Real‑world engineering applications form a core component of the workshop. Case studies will illustrate the use of the GZZ criterion and other 3D strength approaches in tunneling analysis and design, foundation bearing capacity evaluation, and slope stability assessment. Attendees will see how incorporating 3D strength considerations can enhance prediction accuracy, optimize engineering solutions, and improve project outcomes.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with both conceptual understanding and practical tools to effectively apply 3D rock mass strength criteria in their work. The interactive structure and case‑based learning approach also provide
opportunities to engage directly with leading researchers and practitioners in rock mechanics.

Instructor: Erik Westman

Description: Seismic tomography is an underutilized tool that can provide valuable information to the rock mechanics community, frequently using data sets that are already available. This half-day course will cover the history, background, and theory of seismic tomography as well as multiple case studies. The course will include data requirements, data cleaning/processing, tomography calculations, and visualization and interpretation of results. Similarities with numerical modeling will be covered, as well as how the results can complement other tools available to the rock mechanics community. There will be time during the course for discussion, and the course does not require any specific background, just an interest in rock mechanics!
The planned topics include:
1. Overview
2. Quick win example
3. History, theory (voxels, raytracing, voxel sizes, initial velocity, event location uncertainty
4. Visualizing volumetric data
5. Time dependency / stress change
6. Uncertainty quantification
7. Case study – longwall coal mine
8. Case study – narrow vein mine
9. Case study – stoping mine
10. Case study – block cave mine

Instructors:  Guizhong (Gary) Chen, Chuck Wright, Hamed Soroush &
Saeed Salehi

Description: The goal is to share, educate, practicalize, and promote geothermal applications from nearly a century of oil and gas technology and asset development. It’s not so much a class but will be a more interactive session with ‘instructors’ presenting their experience and expertise in certain related area.

Here are the sub-topics that I can think of. They should include, but not limited to:

  • Candidate selection, well integrity assessment, well completion/recompletion/workover
  • Direct use / district heating and cooling
  • EGS developed from existing wells
  • Deep closed-loop coaxial/U-tube development/AGS
  • Thermal energy storage (TES): deep ATES/BTES/RTES/STES/UTES/LDES
  • Low-temperature power generation
  • Heat in place and heat reserve estimation/determination
  • AI and machine learning
  • Techno-economical assessment
  • Environmental, social, and governance (ESG)

Instructors: Herbert Wang, Joseph Labuz, Roman Makhnenko &
Kiseok Kim

Description: This workshop will present a foundational overview of poromechanics for practical applications. It will consist of a basic introduction to the linear poroelastic constitutive equations as a starting point for characterization of the subsurface response. The coupling between changes in fluid pressure and stress are the basis for understanding hydraulic fracturing, induced seismicity, and reservoir compaction. Conversely, changes in stress from sedimentation or tectonic loading can induce pore pressure changes during compaction and overpressures from undrained compression.

The linear poroelastic constants will be presented in terms of their measurement in the laboratory, including details that can make them difficult to acquire. Different frameworks for incorporating the fluid flow and mechanical response will be discussed. Important energy-technology applications such as carbon and hydrogen storage require that the systems be understood and modeled in terms of poromechanical coupling that lead to extensions for incorporating temperature and chemical effects. In addition, the emerging and innovative approaches for characterizing coupled poromechanical behavior, including chemically reactive systems and distributed fiber-optic sensing methods will be introduced.

Instructor: Dr. Mark Cottrell

Description: Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) modelling has become a core tool for representing fractured rock masses in mining, civil, and energy applications. However, DFN models are often treated as abstract geometric constructs rather than mechanics‑informed representations of fractured rock systems. This workshop focuses on how FracMan‑based DFN models can be developed, interrogated, and applied to support rock mechanics, geomechanical, and hydro‑mechanical decision‑making.The workshop emphasizes the translation of geological and structural data into defensible DFN models, the role of fracture statistics and uncertainty, and how DFNs interact with stress, deformation, and fluid flow. Participants will explore how DFNs are used to inform stability assessments, permeability evolution, excavation response, and coupled flow‑geomechanical analyses—while also addressing common pitfalls and sources of over‑confidence. Using real‑world data, examples and interactive discussion, the workshop will demonstrate how DFN modelling in FracMan can be integrated with rock mechanics workflows, numerical models, and field observations. The goal is to help participants move beyond “DFN as geometry” toward DFN as an engineering decision
tool.

Key Topics:

  • Fracture data sources and conditioning for DFN generation
  • Statistical characterization of fracture networks and scale effects
  • Building DFNs in FracMan: assumptions, simplifications, and consequences
  • Linking DFNs to rock mass mechanical behaviour
  • DFNs and stress: fracture reactivation, slip tendency, and damage zones
  • DFN‑based permeability and flow modelling
  • Coupling DFNs with other tools and models
  • Calibration, validation, and uncertainty management in DFN studies

Instructors: Emmanouil Parastatidis, & William Curry

Description: Induced seismicity associated with subsurface fluid injection has become an important challenge for energy production, geothermal systems, and carbon storage operations. Effective risk management requires rapid screening tools that combine geomechanical theory, operational data, and statistical analysis to evaluate the likelihood of injection-induced fault reactivation and seismic activity.

This workshop introduces the TexNet Geomechanical Webtools, a suite of freely accessible, web-based tools developed to help researchers, regulators, and industry practitioners evaluate induced seismicity risk. The tools are available online to use and are designed to provide transparent and practical workflows for geomechanical screening and analysis. The workshop combines background theory with hands-on demonstrations of three complementary tools:
1. Fault Slip Potential (FSP)
Fault Slip Potential is a screening tool for evaluating the probability of fault reactivation due to injection-induced pore pressure increases. The method combines Mohr–Coulomb failure analysis with pore-pressure diffusion modeling and Monte Carlo
parameter sampling to quantify the likelihood of slip. The tool can operate using either imported pressure models or semi-analytic pressure solutions for a confined aquifer and supports scenarios with multiple injection wells.
2. Geomechanical Injection Scenario Toolkit (GIST)
The Geomechanical Injection Scenario Toolkit (GIST) uses simplified pore pressure models to provide a first-order understanding of subsurface pressure evolution associated with injection operations. GIST enables users to estimate pressure changes at locations of interest, including existing or hypothetical seismic event locations, and evaluate the relative contribution of multiple saltwater disposal wells to pressure increases. While individual model realizations are not intended to produce definitive
predictions, the ensemble of simulations provides probabilistic insight that can support operational decision making and guide further data collection.
3. Probabilistic Association of Regional Seismicity (PARS)
PARS evaluates the statistical likelihood that observed seismicity is associated with oil and gas operations. The tool applies probabilistic methods to quantify the confidence of causal relationships between seismic events and nearby injection activity.

Instructor: Dana Jurick

Description: A practical overview of what can be measured with distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) in subsurface applications. Less on theory, more on real world examples, sensitivity, accuracy, constraints and the value of such data.

Instructors: Omid Mahabad, Andrea Lisjak Johnson Ha, & Bryan Tatone

Description: This one-day workshop introduces the Finite Element Method (FEM) and Finite-Discrete Element Method (FDEM) for numerical modeling in rock mechanics. It covers the fundamental principles of FEM/FDEM and its applications in geoengineering problems such as underground excavations, tunneling, slope stability, and reservoir geomechanics. Participants will gain theoretical knowledge on numerical modeling methods, followed by a hands-on session using Geomechanica’s Irazu software—a powerful, GPU-accelerated tool designed to simulate rock deformation, fracturing, and large displacements in both 2D and 3D.
The workshop will start with a general overview of different numerical methods used in rock mechanics, followed by an introduction to the FEM/FDEM modelling philosophy and its application to engineering geology, rock mechanics, and geophysics
problems. After a quick review of the basic algorithms, such as finite element constitutive models, contact detection, and contact interaction, the cohesive fracture model will be discussed in depth. More advanced topics, including in-situ stress initialization, rock excavation, and Discrete Fracture Networks (DFNs), thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling, and rock support will also be introduced. In the second part of the workshop, participants will gain valuable hands-on experience through a series of practical modelling exercises.
The workshop includes guided practical exercises, allowing participants to apply FEM/FDEM principles to real-world rock mechanics challenges. Attendees will receive electronic copies of the workshop slides, software manuals, and tutorials, as well as
access to a free version of Irazu.
This workshop is ideal for those looking to incorporate FEM and FDEM modelling into their work. By attending, participants will gain valuable modeling experience and a deeper understanding of how to apply advanced numerical techniques to complex rock
engineering problems.

Instructors: Philip Tracadas, Bernd Ruehlicke & Mayank Malik

Description: Survey course to list borehole tool measurements available to estimate hard numbers for a geomechanical model.

Introduction and incentive

  • Inputs needed for Geomechanical model building
  • What can be measured from the borehole? Methods and tools.
  • What are the borehole conditions that are different from core or surface studies?

Borehole Acoustics

  • Brief Physics of Monopole, Dipole, Quadrupole and Stoneley Wave Propagation
  • Rock mechanical properties (moduli, dynamic vs. static)
  • Pore pressure models
  • Porosity estimation
  • Acoustics for lithology and gas ID
  • Impact of VTI anisotropy
  • Stress induced HTI anisotropy (Stress direction and stress magnitudes)
  • Wellbore deviation effects
  • Microseismic fracture mapping
  • Micro-deformation downhole
  • Fiber optic measurements

Borehole imaging

  • Breakout and Drilling induced fractures, identification and measurement
  • Whole core images
  • Borehole shape analysis
  • Wellbore deviation effects

Formation testing

  • Treating pressure analysis (ISIP, shut in pressure decline using sqrt time and g-function plots)
  • DFIT vs Micro / Mini Frac
  • Before and after logging with Acoustics and Borehole Imagers
  • Interpretation of min and max stress
  • Production flow, pressure communication, depletion

Instructors: Roberto Suarez-Rivera, Thomas Finkbeiner, Brice Lecampion, Hiroki Sone, Aly Abdelaziz, Mehrdad Imani & Zhi Ye

Description: The Fundamentals of Experimental Rock Mechanics (FERM) workshop provides a setting to share knowledge and experience on the principles of experimental design and monitoring . Through this workshop, we aim to accelerate experimental rock mechanics research by enhancing the technical literacy of the ARMA community in experimental work. In 2026, we co-organize the workshop with the Hydraulic Fracturing Technical Committee (HFTC) to feature laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments. The first half of the workshop (the morning session) provides a structured tutorial for new experimentalists in the academia and industry to learn the fundamental technical basis of rock mechanics apparatuses. The second half is dedicated to interactive discussions on recent technical developments in laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments.

Workshop Pricing

ARMA workshops focusing on construction skills, offering full-day and half-day sessions for members, non-members, and students to enhance practical knowledge in building and engineering.

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