July 2026 Issue: ARMA 2026 Highlights, New Slope Stability Webinar, and 20% Off ITASCA Software

June wasn’t just another busy month—it marked a shift in how we deliver expertise, how we connect with the industry, and how you can apply modeling insights in your own work. From launching a new ITASCA North America structure to contributing across ARMA 2026, and sharing real-world workflows through webinars and tools, one theme stands out:

🤝 Better connections lead to better decisions.

In this issue, we’re bringing those connections together, so you can learn faster, model smarter, and reduce risk on complex projects.

This Issue At a Glance

• 🤝ITASCA North America Launches — A new unified structure delivering faster access to expertise, stronger collaboration, and integrated solutions.
• 💡Upcoming Webinar: Advanced Open-Pit Slope Stability — Learn how to combine monitoring data, groundwater conditions, and FLAC3D modeling to improve decision-making.
• 🏆 ARMA 2026 Highlights — Student competition winners, a Best Paper Award, and the latest advances in geomechanical modeling.
• ⚡ Limited-Time Offer — Save 20% on licenses, upgrades, and additional seats to boost productivity before the autumn rush.
• 🎥 On-Demand Webinar Replays — Catch up on Ask ITASCA, consulting workflows, geothermal modeling, and KATS optimization.
• 🎓 Teaching Numerical Modeling — Explore curriculum resources for integrating FLAC2D and IMAT into rock mechanics courses.
• 🌍 Where We’ve Been — Highlights from URTeC 2026 and GeoDays 2026.
• 📅 Upcoming Events — Meet the ITASCA team at Caving 2026 in Mongolia and AFTES 2026 in France.
• 💻 Join the Beta Program — Get early access to MPoint2D, MPoint3D, and other next-generation ITASCA Software innovations.
• 💬 Join the ITASCA Software Forum — Connect with users, share knowledge, and discuss modeling challenges and solutions.

A New Step Forward: ITASCA North America

What if accessing the right expertise didn’t slow your project down?

That’s exactly what we’re solving with the launch of ITASCA North America, bringing together our Minneapolis, Canada, and Denver teams into a more unified structure.

This change is simple in concept, but powerful in impact:

• Faster access to the right experts
• More integrated geomechanics and hydrogeology workflows
• Stronger alignment between consulting insight and software innovation

What does that mean for you? Stronger designs, faster decisions, and reduced uncertainty, without losing the trusted relationships you rely on.

👉 Learn what this means for your next project: Read the full announcement

ITASCA Software Webinars

Upcoming Webinar: Master Advanced Open-Pit Slope Stability Workflows

How confident are you in the data driving your slope stability decisions?

As mines collect increasing volumes of geotechnical and hydrogeological information, the challenge isn’t gathering data, it’s turning that data into reliable predictions and actionable insights.

Join Dr. Navid Bahrani, Senior Geomechanics Engineer at ITASCA North America, on July 15 from 10:00–11:00 AM for a practical webinar demonstrating how monitoring data, groundwater conditions, and 3D numerical modeling can be combined into a unified workflow for more reliable open-pit slope assessments.

You’ll see how engineers can:

• Integrate prism, radar, and groundwater monitoring data within a single 3D environment
• Calibrate models using real-world observations to improve confidence in predictions
• Evaluate the impact of groundwater conditions on slope performance
• Reduce uncertainty and improve the quality of engineering recommendations
• Streamline data management and project setup for large-scale analyses

The session will include live demonstrations using FLAC3D and IMAT, showcasing practical workflows for model calibration, validation, and decision support.

👉 Register today for the webinar Master Advanced Open-Pit Slope Stability Workflows. Learn how integrated data and calibrated numerical models can help improve prediction accuracy, reduce uncertainty, and support safer open-pit operations.

ARMA 2026: Advancing the Next Generation of Modeling

At the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) 2026 Symposium, the focus wasn’t just on presenting research, it was about pushing the field forward together. ITASCA was proud to support and participate through technical sessions, workshops, and student engagement.

🎓 Recognizing Future Leaders in Rock Mechanics

One of the most exciting moments? The ARMA Student Design Competition. These teams aren’t just learning, they’re already solving complex, real-world problems:

• 🥇 ARMAdillo (Seoul National University) — Integrated predictive modeling with machine learning
• 🥈 Team Treefrac (Stanford University) — Mechanics-driven frameworks for geothermal design
• 🥉 Mines Frac Squad (Colorado School of Mines) — Fracture behavior mapping and classification

👏 Congratulations to all teams, and thanks to the ARMA Student Council for making this possible.

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ARMA 2026: From Research to Real-World Impact

ITASCA North America was also recognized with a Best Paper Award, placing among the top 1.5% of submissions.

The winning paper, “𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲: 𝗔 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗘𝗠-𝗙𝗩𝗠 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗰-𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴,” by Wei Fu, Branko Damjanac, Chris Thielsen, Ehsan Ghazvinian, and Miguel Fuenzalida, showcases our ongoing work to advance numerical modeling for complex rock mechanics and hard-rock mining.

Also at ARMA we conducted sessions and workshops that explored:

• Coupled fracture modeling in geothermal systems
• Extreme deformation strategies using FDM, DEM, and MPM
• New approaches to hydraulic fracturing and reservoir behavior

This year’s takeaway: Advanced modeling isn’t just theoretical, it’s now more practical, integrated, and deployable than ever before.

We can’t wait for the 61st US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium, June 26 – 30, 2027 in Austin, Texas!

LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Clear Your Backlog. Accelerate Your Projects.

This time of year is the perfect opportunity to complete overdue analyses, run additional design iterations, and finalize engineering reports before project activity ramps up again.

Don’t let outdated software, limited licenses, or workflow bottlenecks slow your team down. Now is the perfect time to upgrade to the latest, fastest ITASCA code and equip your entire team with the software access they need to work more efficiently. Whether you’re adding seats, upgrading perpetual licenses, or expanding capabilities with new software tools, increased productivity today can help you stay ahead of the autumn project rush.

Save 20% on all ITASCA Software products, including new subscriptions, perpetual licenses, upgrades, and additional seats.

• Use code: DIGDEEP20
• ⏰ Offer ends August 31, 2026
• Shop now!

What could your team accomplish with faster software and broader access to the modeling tools they use every day?

Webinar Replays: Missed it Live? Watch it On Demand.

Some of the most valuable insights this month came directly from your peers—through questions, discussions, and real-world examples.

🔹 Ask ITASCA Software Webinar (June 11)

Real user questions. Real solutions. See how engineers are troubleshooting and optimizing workflows across ITASCA tools.

👉 Watch the replay and compare it to your own workflows.

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🔹 ITASCA Consulting Webinar (June 10)

How do consultants actually approach complex modeling decisions?

This session hosted by Augusto Lucarelli walks through real scenarios, from setup to interpretation, bridging theory and practice.

👉 Watch the replay: How does your modeling approach differ?

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🔹 Geothermal Modeling with ITASCA & Baker Hughes

This collaboration shows how modeling connects directly to energy development decisions—not just technical outputs.

👉 Watch the replay: What’s your biggest challenge when modeling geothermal or energy-transition projects?

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🔹 From Setup to Optimization: KATS in Action

If your work touches slope design, this is worth your time. KATS (Kinematic Analysis Tools for Slopes), from ITASCA Software, is designed to move you from quick evaluation to advanced optimization, without unnecessary complexity.

👉 Start Here: Quick Start Guide & Setup

👉 Go Deeper: Advanced tool for bench-berm system design and optimization (Spanish language)

The KATS opportunity: Move beyond “does it work?” to “what’s the best design?” Where does optimization slow you down today—setup, calibration, or interpretation?

Academic Program

Bringing Numerical Modeling into the Classroom

Looking for a practical way to introduce numerical modeling without requiring extensive theoretical background?

The ITASCA Academic Program offers a modular curriculum with ready-to-use lectures, labs, assignments, and projects that help students develop applied modeling skills using FLAC2D and IMAT. Designed for easy integration into undergraduate and graduate rock mechanics and mining geomechanics courses, the materials emphasize hands-on learning and real-world engineering applications.

👉 Learn more

Conferences & Events

Where We Connected and Where to Find Us Next

URTeC 2026 – June 22-24, Houston, Texas

At Booth #332, the focus was clear: How XSite helps engineers model what drives energy forward. From hydraulic fracturing to reservoir geomechanics, teams explored real subsurface challenges with our experts Branko Damjanac and David DeGagne.

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GeoDays 2026 – June 16-17, Palais Beaumont, Pau – France

At GEODAYS, the conversation shifted toward energy transition and subsurface innovation.

• Industry leaders, researchers, and operators came together
• Sessions highlighted how modeling + AI can reduce environmental impact
• Caroline Darcel’s session explored how digital tools are reshaping decision-making

Big theme: The future of subsurface engineering is integrated, data-driven, and collaborative.

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🔹August: Caving 2026

ITASCA is pleased to be participating in Caving 2026, the premier international conference focused on block and sublevel caving mining methods, taking place August 11–13, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

As a Main Sponsor, ITASCA is proud to support this leading industry event, which brings together mining professionals, researchers, consultants, and technology providers to discuss the latest advances in cave mining, geomechanics, geotechnical monitoring, mine seismicity, risk management, and rock mass characterization.

👉Attending Caving 2026? Connect with the ITASCA team in Ulaanbaatar.

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🔹 October: AFTES 2026

ITASCA Software will be attending AFTES 2026, the 18th International Congress of the French Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, taking place October 12–14, 2026, at Lille Grand Palais in Lille, France. The event brings together tunneling, underground construction, and geomechanics professionals from around the world to discuss the latest challenges, technologies, and engineering solutions.

At this year’s congress, we’ll be highlighting MPoint2D and MPoint3D, innovative tools that help engineers efficiently model, visualize, and analyze complex geotechnical and underground infrastructure projects.

Whether you’re focused on tunnel design, ground behavior, excavation performance, or numerical modeling workflows, we look forward to connecting and sharing ideas. If you’re attending AFTES 2026, what tunneling or geomechanics challenges would you like to discuss with our team?

👉 Learn more

ITASCA Software Beta Program

Explore the Future of Geomechanical Modeling

Want early access to the latest innovations from ITASCA Software? Through the ITASCA Software Beta Program, users can evaluate new capabilities across FLAC2D, FLAC3D, 3DEC, PFC2D, PFC3D, XSite, and our newest Material Point Method solutions, MPoint2D and MPoint3D.

Beta participants gain hands-on access to emerging features, provide direct feedback to our development team, and help shape the future of numerical modeling for geotechnical, mining, tunneling, and energy applications. It’s also an opportunity to explore how MPoint2D and MPoint3D can address large-deformation problems and complex ground behavior using next-generation modeling workflows.

Program benefits include:

• Early access to new software capabilities
• Direct engagement with ITASCA developers
• Opportunities to influence product development
• Priority support and participant recognition
• First look at innovations including MPoint2D and MPoint3D

👉 Request to Join the Beta Program and help shape the next generation of ITASCA Software.

Join the ITASCA Software Forum

Looking for answers, best practices, or a place to connect with fellow ITASCA users?

The ITASCA Software Forum provides a community space for users of FLAC2D, FLAC3D, 3DEC, PFC, XSite, KATS, MassFlow, UDEC, and other ITASCA solutions to ask questions, share knowledge, and discuss modeling workflows.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a project, exploring new features, or learning from other users’ experiences, the forum is a valuable resource for the ITASCA community.

👉 Visit the Forum and join the conversation. What modeling challenge could benefit from insights from the broader ITASCA user community?