Charles Fairhurst

Associate

Dr. Fairhurst obtained his Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from the University of Sheffield, UK in 1955. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty, School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1956, serving as Head for several years until 1970, when the Mining program was joined with Civil Engineering to form the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering. He was Head of the joint Department from 1973-87, and retired in 1997. He supervised 25 Ph.D. students on a variety of topics in basic and applied rock mechanics.

As a private consultant (and Senior Consultant with Itasca since 1981), Dr. Fairhurst has more than 70 years of experience in min­ing rock me­chanics and has con­sulted on rock stability problems for tunnels, dams, mines, and exca­vations through­out the world. He has also been actively engaged for almost 50 years in the problems of geological isolation of high and intermediate-level nuclear waste in the U.S. and internationally. His current emphasis is on the mechanics of fracture propagation in naturally fractured rock under explosive loading and the effective stimulation of geothermal reservoirs.

He served as Presi­dent of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) from 1991-1995 and has been elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1979) and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (1991). He is a Fellow of the ISRM and Fellow of the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA).

Dr. Fairhurst holds honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Nancy, France; St. Petersburg Mining Academy, Russia; University of Sheffield, England; and University of Minnesota, USA; and is Advisory Professor to Tongji University, Shanghai,China.

In December, 2013, he was inducted as Officier, Légion d’Honneur, France.

Education

Ph.D. (Mining Engineering), 1955
Sheffield University, Western Bank, Sheffield, England

B.Eng.(Mining Engineering, with First-Class Honors), 1952
Sheffield University, Western Bank, Sheffield, England

Professional Memberships

Fellow: American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA)

American Underground Construction Association

International Society of Rock Mechanics (ISRM)

Sigma XI

U.S. National Committee on Rock Mechanics

U.S. Society of Mining Engineers (SME)

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Professional & Community Involvement

Board of Governors, Goe-Insitute of the ASCE (1998–2001)

Science and Technology Review Panel, U.S. Department of Energy (1998–2001)

U.S. National Academy of Engineering (1991)

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1979)

“Salzburg Circle,” predecessor to ISRM (1962–1966)

International Büro of Rock Mechanics, Berlin, Germany 1963–1970)

Chair: U.S. National Committee on Rock Mechanics (1972–1974)

President: ARMA (1995–1997)

President: ISRM (1991–1995)

President: American Underground Space Association (1976–1977)

Professor Emeritus: University of Minnesota, United States (1997)

Advisory Professor: Tongji University, Shanghai, China (1995)

Awards & Recognition

Officier, Légion d’Honneur, France (2013)

Honorary Doctorate: University of Minnesota, United States (2000)

Honorary Doctorate: University of Sheffield, England (1997)

Honorary Doctorate: National Institute of Lorraine, France (1996)

Honorary Doctorate: St. Petersburg Mining Academy & Technical University, Russia (1996)

Distinguished Professor of Mining Engineering & Rock Mechanics: University of Minnesota, United States (1982)

Leopold Muller Award, ISRM (2003)

U.S. National Committee on Rock Mechanics, Special Award: 25 Years of Distinguished Achievements (1983)

American Underground Space Association, Pergamon Medal (1981)

AIME Outstanding Achievement Award, Rock Mechanics (1972)

Inter-Society Committee on Rock Mechanics Medal: Best Rock Mechanics Research Paper, with B. Haimson (1970)

Publications

Fairhurst, C. “Earth Resources Engineering,” Hydraulic Fracturing J., 4(1), 9-16 (January 2017).

Fairhurst, C. “Grand Challenges in Earth Resources Engineering,” Hydraulic Fracturing J., 4(1), 32-35 (January 2017).

Fairhurst, C. “Newton in the Underworld,” Hydraulic Fracturing J., 4(1), 101-102 (January 2017).

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