The International Association of Dredging Companies Honors Young Author

The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) recently awarded the Young Author Award 2025 to Rick van de Wetering, a Research Engineer at Royal IHC and Ph.D. candidate at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The prestigious award is given annually to recognize and promote new ideas and to encourage young professionals in the dredging industry.

Van de Wetering was selected as the winner for his paper titled “A laboratory scale linear rock cutting setup to study cutting forces of blunt chisels,” which focuses on the importance of understanding the cutting process and resulting forces on chisels when dredging hard rock with a cutter head. The study highlights the significance of considering chisel wear and its impact on cutting and normal forces, which can ultimately improve design and efficiency in dredging operations.

The paper introduces a linear rock cutting setup developed by Royal IHC, which allows for the examination of cutting forces with both sharp and worn chisels. Results from repeatability tests with a sharp chisel showed consistent outcomes, with a slight negative normal force pulling the chisel into the rock. Tests with worn chisels demonstrated increased cutting forces, emphasizing the importance of considering chisel wear in rock cutting operations.

Each year, the IADC recognizes outstanding papers written by authors under the age of 35 at selected conferences. Winning authors receive a monetary prize of 1,000 EUR, a trophy of recognition, and the opportunity to have their paper published in the IADC’s quarterly journal, Terra et Aqua. The Young Author Award aims to showcase innovative research and contributions to the dredging industry.

The award was presented at the 24th WODCON Congress, held from June 23-27, 2025 in San Diego, California, where young authors from the conference proceedings were evaluated for their impactful work. Van de Wetering’s dedication to advancing knowledge in dredging technology and his commitment to excellence in research have earned him this prestigious recognition from the IADC.