Following last year’s successful networking night, we hope that our SRMEG members will once again come together to mingle with one another as well as with invited guests from related fields, and share our common interests. The evening will kick off with an evening lecture on “Combining Underground Quarrying with Space Creation: Examples from the USA” by Prof Raymond L. Sterling, Louisiana Tech University.

Date: Thursday, 24 January 2019

Venue: NTU Alumni Club @ Marina Square

Registration: Free for Members

About the Speaker

Professor Raymond L. STERLING is currently Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, USA. Professor Sterling is an international figure in the development and management of underground spaces. For over ten years, he was the Contractors' Educational Trust Fund Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University. Importantly, he was the founding director of the Underground Space Center at the University of Minnesota and President of the Associated research Centers for Urban Underground Space and the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Underground Space of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association. He is the author of over 200 books, technical papers and reports on a wide range of topics related to underground space use, underground construction, geo-mechanics and trenchless technology.

Lecture Synopsis

Construction of rock caverns purpose-built to house specific functions is often approached reluctantly because of the high cost involved and the inherent uncertainties of underground projects. However, when there are opportunities to combine a revenue-producing mining operation with a later re-use of the space for commercial/industrial purposes, many synergies can be achieved. This presentation will show several examples of mined-space reuse from the USA that have been in operation for more than 50 years and involve a variety of end uses. Topics addressed will include rock engineering issues, operational advantages and constraints and worker acceptance.

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