WELCOME

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Executive Committee of ICF12, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Ottawa for the 12th International Conference on Fracture. This premier international meeting was last held in Canada just over thirty years ago, and it is an honour to once again host the leading international researchers in fracture, fatigue and strength of solids.

ICF12, will take place from July 12-17, 2009 at The Westin Ottawa and the Canadian Government Conference Centre. The technical program will include two Honour Lectures, twelve Plenary Lectures and specialist sessions covering forty-eight scientific topic areas.

Canada is a vast country, blessed with scenic wonders and plentiful natural resources. However, this bounty is accompanied by numerous engineering challenges to solve the problems posed by large distances and resource extraction in a cold environment. These challenges have called forth imaginative engineering solutions, from the transcontinental railway of the 19th century to innovative jet planes of the 21st, including the CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear reactor and the Canadarm of the International Space Station. These have all relied on effective use of materials. Canada has built a modern economy dependent on advances in high technology and manufacturing, nourished by conferences such as ICF12.

You will find Ottawa to be a colourful, clean, bilingual, and welcoming city, located at the confluence of three great rivers. As Canada's capital, Ottawa boasts numerous outstanding public institutions such as the Canadian Museum of Science & Technology, National Aviation Museum, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Parliament Buildings, National Art Gallery, Museum of Civilization, National Ski Museum, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, etc., most of which are within easy walking distance of the conference venue. The ByWard Market provides continual opportunities for diversions and shopping experiences. Unique attractions such as the Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill, boat tours on the, Rideau Canal (a newly-named UNESCO World Heritage site) and Ottawa River, and sound-and-light spectacle on the Houses of Parliament provide ample opportunities for entertainment and relaxation. There are three Universities in the region - Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, and the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

But the primary purpose of this conference is to meet colleagues to exchange technical information and discuss recent developments in the field. We are delighted with the honour and plenary lecturers who have agreed to present the state of the art in the broad range of topics covered by the conference, with the keynote lecturers who will be presenting more specialized discussions in individual topics, and with the high calibre of the papers that have been submitted. We are committed to organizing a social program that every delegate and guest will enjoy. We are confident that you will find this meeting to be a memorable and significant one, and we extend to you a most sincere welcome to Canada and its capital city.

With very best wishes,
 
Mimoun Elboujdaini
Executive Chair

Organized by

Organized by Natural Resources Canada - CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory (NRCan-CANMET) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) under the auspices of the International Conference on Fracture (ICF).