WALTER WITTKE PRICE 2025
The Walter Wittke foundation promotes science and research in the field of rock mechanics. A special focus is placed on capturing the rock mechanical behavior of jointed rock in the sense of the AJRM (Anisotropic Jointed Rock Model).
With this aim, the Walter Wittke Prize is awarded on a yearly basis for outstanding publications or projects from construction or mining industries, which do represent a progress in capturing the rock mechanical behavior of jointed rock in the sense of the AJRM (Anisotropic Jointed Rock Model). Furthermore, it is possible to promote research projects in these fields.
DONATOR
Walter Wittke Foundation, Weinheim, Germany.
PRIZE AND AWARD
The prize is awarded on a yearly basis. It comprises a certificate, a sculpture, a book and a sum of 5.000,00 €.
The prize will be awarded in the context of the rock mechanics and tunneling symposium in front of a forum of experts (www.felsmechanik.eu).
CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION
Authorized for participation are outstanding publications, projects or research projects in the fields of engineering or mining, which represent a progress in capturing the rock mechanical behavior of jointed rock in the sense of the AJRM (Anisotropic Jointed Rock Model).
DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED
Application form, completely filled in
and depending on the case in question
the publication or
an explanatory report on the project or research project, supplemented by adequate and legible illustrations.
The documents must clearly show the contents and progress in the sector of rock mechanics in the above mentioned sense.
All documents must be of sufficient quality regarding their contents as well as their form in order to allow for an evaluation.
Applications can be delivered in German, English and Spanish. No other languages are permitted.
COST
There is no participation fee.
DECLARATION OF CONSENT
When applying for participation in the evaluation procedure, all participants declare their consent with the contents and regulations of the conditions for participation the data protection regulations.
SUBMISSION
The documents for participation must be submitted before 01.03.2022. Either via upload to the internet or via surface mail to WBI GmbH, Im Technologiepark 3, 69469 Weinheim. All documents submitted later than that date will be excluded from the competition.
SELECTION
COMMITTEE
The election committee consists of representatives of the different fields of civil engineering and of the shareholders of WBI GmbH. This committee will decide on the prizes and projects to be financed.
CRITERIA
The submitted documents must facilitate the evaluation of the progress, which was achieved in capturing the rock mechanical behavior of fractured rock in the sense of the AJRM (Anisotropic Jointed Rock Model).
The committee will not deliver a justification for their election of the awardee. It is not possible to file a protest against the selection by the committee.
PUBLICATION
The elected works or projects will be published in the proceedings of the rock mechanics and tunneling conference (WBI-Print). These publications will be distributed to the participants of the conference and later on they will be available for download on the web page of WBI GmbH. Furthermore, the awardees and their works will be announced on this web page and on www.wbionline.de . The photographs of the award ceremony will also be published on www.felsmechanik.eu.
When applying for participation in the election procedure, the participants give their explicit consent for the presentation and publication of their work, if awarded. The awardees will be mentioned with their full names.
AWARDEES
2017
The Walter Wittke prize 2017 was awarded to the DB Projekt Stuttgart – Ulm GmbH in recognition of the considerable progress achieved in capturing the rock mechanical behavior of the members and units of the Keuper and the Jura formation, in the context of the railway project Stuttgart – Ulm.
As a representative of all who are participating in this project, the prize was handed over to Mr. Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Manfred Leger.
2018
The Walter Wittke Prize 2018 was awarded to Qatar Rail – for „living an attitude of technical comprehension, openness to technical progress and courage – and for supporting the implementation of the AJRM method where applicable and adequate“.
On behalf of the organisation, the prize was handed over to the project director of the Green Line Eng. Jassim Al Ansari and the Director Civil Works Eng. Marin Griguta.
2019
The Walter Wittke Prize 2019 was awarded to Dr. Anna Ramon Tarragona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), for her dissertation “Expansion Mechanisms in Sulphated Rocks and Soils”.
Dr. Ramon Tarragona has intensely studied the phenomenon of swelling and its effects on infrastructure projects. She has compiled and evaluated extensive data and measurement results on projects carried out in Spain. She investigated the swelling processes from a chemical-thermodynamical and hydromechanical point of view, developed a model, derived corresponding equations and implemented them in a numerical model. She then successfully used the model to backanalyse these projects. In her considerations she took into account the characteristics of a jointed rock mass.