Events
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: Grundlegende werkstofftechnische Untersuchungen zu Werkstoffkonzepten für zyklisch-mechanisch beanspruchte Werkzeuge im maschinellen Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 02.12.2024 - 10:30 h at Bochum IC 03/216 On Dezember 02, 2024, Lukas Brackmann from the chair of Materials Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Grundlegende werkstofftechnische Untersuchungen zu Werkstoffkonzepten für zyklisch-mechanisch beanspruchte Werkzeuge im maschinellen Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: Untersuchung der Full-Waveform-Inversion für die seismische Vorauserkundung im maschinellen Tunnelbau
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Christopher Riedel Lecture is held on 28.06.2024 - 14:30 h at Bochum IC 03/610 On June 28, 2024, Christopher Riedel from the institute Mechanics of Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Untersuchung der Full-Waveform-Inversion für die seismische Vorauserkundung im maschinellen Tunnelbau - Betrachtung eines Frequenzbereichsansatzes mittels synthetischer und experimenteller Daten'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: Vortriebsbegleitende Anwendung von Prozesssimulationen im maschinellen Tunnelbau zur Aktualisierung der Leistungsprognose und Optimierung von Logistikprozessen
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M.Sc. Annika Jodehl Lecture is held on 05.04.2024 - 13:00 h at Bochum IC 02/158-88 On April 5, 2024, Annika Jodehl from institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis 'Vortriebsbegleitende Anwendung von Prozesssimulationen im maschinellen Tunnelbau zur Aktualisierung der Leistungsprognose und Optimierung von Logistikprozessen'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Stauchverhalten stark porosierter Betone und dessen Einzelkomponenten
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Lecture is held on 25.03.2024 - 13:00 h at Bochum On March 25, 2024, Sven Plückelmann from the institute for Building Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Stauchverhalten stark porosierter Betone und dessen Einzelkomponenten'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: High-Performance Computing Solution Strategies for the Finite Cell Method
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Lecture is held on 01.03.2024 - 14:00 h at Bochum On March 1, 2024, Seyed Saberi from the working group High Performance Computing, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'High-Performance Computing Solution Strategies for the Finite Cell Method'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL DEFENSE: Hybrid lining segments for mechanized tunneling - Design, fabrication, and large-scale experiments
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Diego Nicolás Petraroia Lecture is held on 19.02.2024 - 13:30 h at Bochum On February 19, 2024, Diego Nicolás Petraroia from the Institute of Concrete Structure, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Hybrid lining segments for mechanized tunneling - Design, fabrication, and large-scale experiments'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
FUSED 'From Underground to Surface: Energy provision and Distribution'
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Lecture is held on 30.11.2023 - 09:00 h at Bochum On Thursday, November 30th, 2023, the first FUSED 'From Underground to Surface: Energy provision and Distribution', organized by the Research Department 'Subsurface Engineering and Modelling', will take place. It is hosted at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and begins at 9 AM at Saal 3 of Veranstaltungszentrum. In the spirit of its predecessor CRUST, we intend to bring together master students, PhD-students, and young post-docs. Going beyond CRUST, we would like to foster trans-institutional interaction and therefore open this event to all young energy-scientists of the Ruhr area: our motto is "connect and interact"! Therefore, please, feel included wherever your specific research topic locates in the triangle "subsurface - energy - distribution". The meeting will take place on registration. Please, register now here RD SME. Attendance is free and does not require co-authorship of an abstract. You can also take part in the event with a poster or talk. The abstract submission is still open. Please, register yourself and send an email to RD SME and provide us with a pdf-document giving title of your talk or poster presentation, author(s), affiliation, body (300 words max). Abstracts will be accepted until October 31st 2023. The program of the convention comprises a keynote, talks, poster session, breaks and post-meeting socializing with ample opportunity for exchange. Have a look at the program schedule. A compilation of the accepted abstracts is now available. Link |
SFB 837 Funding Stay of Two IAESTE Interns
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20.11.2023 Monica Akyeampong from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, and Fernando Fogliatti from the National Technological University - Regional Faculty of Santa Fe, Argentina are currently completing a three-month internship at Ruhr-University Bochum as part of the IAESTE organisation. The host chair is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Thewes' Institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management (http://www.tlb.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/index.html.en). The stay is co-funded by the Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (SFB 837). The "International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience" (https://www.iaeste.de/en/), abbreviated to IAESTE, is an international, non-political and independent organisation which mediates internships in over 85 countries around the world. It was founded in 1948 in London. The Federal Republic of Germany has been a member of the IAESTE programme since 1950 and is represented by the IAESTE's German Committee within the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The SFB 837 has been supporting this and other study exchange programmes since 2011. The SFB 837 is happy to provide financial support for Monica Akyeampong and Fernando Fogliatti's internships, giving them the opportunity to develop personally and academically and gain first-hand practical work experience in Germany.
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Doctoral defense: Computational Approaches to a Robust Segmental Lining Design in Mechanized Tunneling
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Gerrit E. Neu Lecture is held on 11.10.2023 - 14:30 h at Bochum IC 03-604 On October 11, 2023, Gerrit E. Neu from the Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Computational Approaches to a Robust Segmental Lining Design in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. Link see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture: Numerical approaches for the design of fibre reinforced concrete structures
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Prof. Joaquim Barros (University of Minho, Portugal) Lecture is held on 11.10.2023 - 10:30 h at Bochum ID 03/445 On 11th October 2023 Prof. Joaquim Barros (University of Minho, Portugal) will hold a guest lecture with the topic 'Numerical approaches for the design of fibre reinforced concrete structures'. Short abstract: To mobilize the main benefits of fibre reinforcement in the design of fibre reinforced concrete structures, material nonlinear models, capable of simulating the fibre reinforcement mechanisms should be used. Some of these models are presented, and their potentialities and debilities are discussed. The challenges faced to determine reliable values for the main parameters defining the constitutive laws of these models are also treated. Finally, one of these models is used to design representative structures where fibre reinforcement has technical and economic dvantages. This guest lecture will be held as an in person event at Ruhr University Bochum, room ID 03/445 at 10:30am. Guests are welcome! see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Computational Fracture and Fragmentation Modeling using Peridynamics: Application to Mechanized Excavation in Hard Rock
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M.Sc. Sahir Butt Lecture is held on 28.07.2023 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 03/604 On July 08, 2023, Sahir Butt from the Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Computational Fracture and Fragmentation Modeling using Peridynamics: Application to Mechanized Excavation in Hard Rock'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Guest Lecture: Development of the Smart Bit Concept for Automation of Mechanical Rock Excavation Units
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Lecture is held on 27.07.2023 - 13:00 h at Bochum Prof. Jamal Rostami (Colorado school of Mines, USA) will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Development of the Smart Bit Concept for Automation of Mechanical Rock Excavation Units'. This guest lecture will be held as an in person event at Ruhr University Bochum, IC 03/604, 1pm. Further information and an abstract can be found in the linked PDF. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Untersuchung des Eindringverhaltens von Bentonitsuspensionen in kohäsionslose Böden mit elektrischen Widerstandsmessungen
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Lecture is held on 27.04.2023 - 15:00 h at Bochum IC 02/158-88 On April 27, 2023, Sebastian Kube from the Institute for Tunneling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Untersuchung des Eindringverhaltens von Bentonitsuspensionen in kohäsionslose Böden mit elektrischen Widerstandsmessungen'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Neue Methoden zur Untersuchung bindiger und nicht-bindiger Böden beim maschinellen Tunnelvortrieb mit Erddruckstützung
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Marius Schröer Lecture is held on 19.04.2023 - 12:30 h at Bochum IC 02/158-88 On April 19, 2023, Marius Schröer from the Institute for Tunneling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Neue Methoden zur Untersuchung bindiger und nicht-bindiger Böden beim maschinellen Tunnelvortrieb mit Erddruckstützung'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Cross of Honour for Science and Art of the Republic of Austria for Prof. Dr. techn. Günther Meschke
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17.04.2023 at: Bochum On Monday, 17 April 2023, Prof. Dr. techn. Günther Meschke, spokesman of the SFB 837, was awarded the Cross of Honour for Science and Art of the Republic of Austria in Vienna by the Austrian Minister for Education, Science and Research, Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Polaschek. The Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art is the highest award of the Republic of Austria for outstanding achievements in the field of science and art. The candidates are elected by the members of the Curia, the assembly of Austrian holders of this honour. We say congratulations!    |
Doctoral Thesis: Cementitious Composites: Material Modeling across Multiple Scales
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Lecture is held on 20.03.2023 - 15:30 h at Bochum On March 20, 2023, Tagir Iskhakov from the Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Cementitious Composites: Material Modeling across Multiple Scales'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Recent publication on "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling"
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20.03.2023 at: Bochum The book "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" has been published by Springer as open access publication. This book summarizes the research results of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 on "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (funding period: 2010 – 2022). The Collaborative Research Center, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), was the world's largest research institution in the field of tunneling. The aim of the publication is to make our scientific findings accessible to the national and international tunneling and scientific community. The individual chapters deal with all subsystems relevant in mechanized tunneling and their interactions. The latest results of digital planning and real-time support of tunnel construction have been included. The open access book is available at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-24066-9 |
Doctoral Thesis: Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Excavation Processes of Soft Soils in Mechanized Tunneling
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Abdiel Ramon Leon Bal Lecture is held on 03.02.2023 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 02/158-88 On February 3, 2023, Abdiel Ramon Leon Bal from the Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Excavation Processes of Soft Soils in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Efficient Simulation of Crack Propagation at Finite Strains through Brittle and Ductile Microstructures given by Voxel Data
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Dennis Wingender Lecture is held on 23.01.2023 - 14:30 h at Bochum IC 03/610 On January 23, 2023, Dennis Wingender from the Institute for Mechanics - Continuum Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Efficient Simulation of Crack Propagation at Finite Strains through Brittle and Ductile Microstructures given by Voxel Data'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
What is Computational Mechanics? What makes it so interesting? And why do we all encounter it in everyday life?
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21.12.2022 at: Bochum In this video, members of the "German Association for Computational Mechanics" (GACM) show how exciting and diverse the research field of computational mechanics is and how much influence it can have on our lives. Has the video sparked your interest? Would you like to start your studies in this area? Then the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Ruhr-Universität Bochum has exactly the right study program for you: - Computational Engineering - Subsurface Engineering - Master's program in Civil Engineering (Field of Specialization: KIB - Digital Design and Construction) We look forward to welcome you in one of the study programs! Participation in the video: - DYNAmore GmbH, Dr. Thomas Münz - TU Munich, Institute for Computational Mechanics, Prof. Wolfgang A. Wall - RWTH Aachen, Chair for Computational Analysis of Technical Systems, Prof. Marek Behr - TU Dresden, Institute of Structural Analysis, Prof. Michael Kaliske - Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Institute for Structural Mechanics, Prof. Günther Meschke Information about the GACM Association: Link |
WORKSHOP HERAUSFORDERUNG TUNNELBAU 2022
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Lecture is held on 18.11.2022 - 15:00 h at Bochum Die Nutzung des unterirdischen Raums ist ein Schlüsselfaktor für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung sowohl von Industrie-, als auch von Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländern. Unterirdische transalpine Verkehrsverbindungen, die Tendenz zu größeren Durchmessern, schwierige geologische Verhältnisse oder hohe Grundwasserdrücke stellen den Tunnelbau und die Vortriebstechnologien vor große Herausforderungen. Die diesjährige Veranstaltung, die am 18. November 2022 stattfindet, widmet sich wieder zwei spannenden und aktuellen Themen: - Dipl.-Ing. Felix Amberg ist Präsident der weltweit im Tunnelbau tätigen Amberg Gruppe und wird in seinem Vortrag auf den aktuellen Stand bei Planung und Bau der Metro Line 17 in Paris eingehen. - Prof. Dr. Matthias Flora ist stv. Vorsitzender des Vorstands der Herrenknecht AG und Professor für Baumanagement, Baubetrieb und Tunnelbau an der Universität Innsbruck. Er trägt zu Herausforderungen und Entwicklungen im maschinellen Tunnelbau vor. Die Teilnahme am Workshop ist kostenlos. Bitte melden Sie sich bis zum 16.11.2022 hier an: http://sfb837.sd.rub.de/en/registration/Herausforderung_Tunnelbau_2022.html Anreise-Hinweis: An der Ruhr-Universität Bochum finden derzeit größere Bauarbeiten statt, die die Anreise mit dem Auto einschränken. Daher geben Sie als Veranstaltungsadresse bitte nicht das Veranstaltungszentrum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Ihre Navigation ein, sondern die G-Südstraße, 44801 Bochum. Hier stehen ausreichend Parkplätze zur Verfügung. Eine weitere Beschilderung zeigt Ihnen den kurzen Fußweg zum Veranstaltungszentrum an. Bahnfahrer*innen können weiterhin mit der U35 an der Haltestelle „Ruhr-Universität“ aussteigen. Corona-Hinweis: Das Tragen eines Mund-Nasen-Schutz ist empfohlen. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Doctorate Koussay Daadouch is awarded as Best RUB Graduate of the year
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16.11.2022 at: Bochum Koussay Daadouch completed his Computational Engineering Master's degree this year. With his extraordinary academic performance, he was honoured as the best graduate of the RUB in the academic year 2021/22. M.Sc. Daadouch completed his Master’s thesis with the Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling” (SFB 837) under the supervision of Prof. Meschke (Spokesman of the SFB 837). After submitting, he immediately started his PhD in the SFB 837 at the Chair of Prof. Meschke. We from SFB 837 warmly congratulate him for his achievements! |
SFB 837 – Workshop „Aktuelle Entwicklung zum Ringspaltmörtel im maschinellen Tunnelbau“
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Lecture is held on 02.11.2022 - 09:00 h at Bochum Am 2. November findet der SFB 837-Workshop zum Thema „Aktuelle Entwicklung zum Ringspaltmörtel im maschinellen Tunnelbau“ im Veranstaltungszentrum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Saal 1) statt. Beim maschinellen Tunnelvortrieb ist die Ringspaltverpressung von essentieller Bedeutung. In Abhängigkeit der (hydro-)geologischen und projektspezifischen Randbedingungen kommen verschiedene Mörtelsysteme (ein- und zweikomponentig) zum Einsatz. Die Fortschritte beruhen zum einen auf experimentellen Untersuchungen unter realitätsnahen Randbedingungen, zum anderen ermöglichen numerische Analysen entsprechende Prognosen zum Materialverhalten für verschiedene Szenarien. In dem Workshop werden aktuelle Entwicklungen und Erfahrungen aus dem Bereich der Ringspaltverpressung vorgestellt und diskutiert. Die Teilnahme am Workshop ist kostenlos. Image gallery Anreise-Hinweis: An der Ruhr-Universität Bochum finden derzeit größere Bauarbeiten statt, die die Anreise mit dem Auto einschränken. Daher geben Sie als Veranstaltungsadresse bitte nicht das Veranstaltungszentrum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Ihre Navigation ein, sondern die G-Südstraße, 44801 Bochum. Hier stehen ausreichend Parkplätze zur Verfügung. Eine weitere Beschilderung zeigt Ihnen den kurzen Fußweg zum Veranstaltungszentrum an. Bahnfahrer*innen können weiterhin mit der U35 an der Haltestelle „Ruhr-Universität“ aussteigen. Corona-Hinweis: Das Tragen eines Mund-Nasen-Schutz ist empfohlen. see Flyer for further details |
TRANSFERPROJECT T3: SIMULATION-BASED PLANNING AND CONTROL OF MECHANISED TUNNELLING, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ONSITE AND OFFSITE LOGISTICS PROCESSES OVERVIEW
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07.10.2022 at: Bochum With approval by the DFG, the SFB 837 will be supplemented by a second transfer project with the title ‘’ IMULATION-BASED PLANNING AND CONTROL OF MECHANISED TUNNELLING, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ONSITE AND OFFSITE LOGISTICS PROCESSES’’. The funding period is three years, starting with November 2022.The availability of mechanised tunneling systems is strongly dependent on the design and performance of the support and maintenance processes. In transfer project T3, the simulation concepts and analysis methods from sub-project C3 of SFB 837 for the construction analysis and control of tunneling processes are being further developed for application in practice. Thanks to the cooperation with Herrenknecht AG, market leader for tunneling machines, practical data and experience can be used for the further development of sub-project C3. See more information on:http://sfb837.sd.rub.de/en/Projektbereiche/Projektbereich_T/Teilprojekt_T3.html  |
Closing Workshop - 12 years SFB 837
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Lecture is held on 21.06.2022 - 09:30 h at Bochum We are pleased to announce that the registration for the in-person SFB837 Closing Workshop is now possible. After 12 years of research, the SFB 837 will reach the end of its funding through the DFG – German Research Foundation by the end of this year. To mark this occasion, we are organizing this SFB Closing Workshop on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at Ruhr University Bochum together with our long-time partners, colleagues and friends. The date of the SFB Closing Workshop has been chosen so that the event will take place immediately before the EURO:TUN conference. Within the past 12 years, a total of 10 joint workshops have been held at Cambridge, Shanghai, Bochum, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Leoben together with partners from IKC Cambridge (UK), Tongji University (China), ACTUE-Group (Austria), Colorado School of Mines (USA) and University of Cork (Ireland). In addition, a long term collaboration with the University of Molise has been set up as well as winter and summer schools with the partners of the Research Training Group 1462 "Evaluation of coupled numerical partial models in structural engineering", Bauhaus University Weimar, the Doctoral Program "Water Resource Systems" (Vienna University of Technology) and the Research Training Group 2075 "Models for the description of the change of state during aging of building materials and structures" (Braunschweig University of Technology). In the context of these cooperation's, a one-day workshop will take place, which will end with a pleasant get-together in the form of a joint dinner. All Colleagues and guests are highly welcome to join our workshop, the participation is free. Browse our image gallery For travel information please click here see Flyer for further details |
EURO:TUN 2021 goes SFB 837 & EURO:TUN 2022
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Lecture is held on 21.06.2022 - 00:00 h at Bochum Due to the pandemic situation, EURO:TUN will be shifted to 22.-24.6.2022 as an in-person event in Bochum. The EURO:TUN conference will be combined with a workshop on Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling, which will be organized on 21.6.2022. The new conference name is International Conference on Computational Methods and Information Models in Tunneling incorporating Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling - SFB 837 & EURO:TUN. Topics to be addressed are: - integration of computational and information models for tunnel planning and design, - machine-ground and soil-structure interaction, - numerical models and experimental investigations of excavation, ground-tool interaction and face stability, - process and logistics simulation, - data driven modeling, machine learning, data mining, and expert systems in subsurface engineering, - design of lining systems, - multi-phase and multi-scale models for soils and rocks and the temporary and permanent support in tunneling, - procedures for parameter identification, and methods of inverse analysis, - sensitivity analysis, uncertainty modeling and risk analysis, - other related topics. We are pleased to announce that registration for the in-person event "SFB 837 & EuroTun 2022" is now possible. Secure the early bird discount now, which is available until March 29th, 2022. We look forward to welcoming you to Bochum. More information about the conference and registration at http://eurotun2021.rub.de/. see Flyer for further details |
STATUSSEMINAR 2022
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Lecture is held on 10.05.2022 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University, Burg Schnellenberg, Attendorn, Germany Image gallery |
RD SME & SFB 837 hybrid event
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Lecture is held on 04.05.2022 - 15:00 h at HZO 40 On May 04th, 2022 a RD SME & SFB 837 hybrit event will take place. From 3 p.m. you can take part in the lectures either in the HZO 40 of the Ruhr University Bochum or online via Zoom. The seminar consists of a lecture and a keynote: “Sandwich Support Project 1: Heterogeneous Bentonite Hydration in the Context of Sealing Elements in Deep Geological Formations” by Wiebke Baille (RUB), Antonia Nitsch (RUB), Katja Emmerich (KIT) “German nuclear waste management: Geoscientific aspects and related R&D at the German implementer BGE” by Dr. Axel Liebscher, Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE) Link see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Statistische Full Waveform Inversion zur Anwendung im maschinellen Tunnelbau
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Maximilian Trapp Lecture is held on 02.05.2022 - 14:30 h at Bochum IC 03-604 On May 02, 2022, Maximilian Trapp from the research group for Mechanics of Adaptive Systems, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Statistische Full Waveform Inversion zur Anwendung im maschinellen Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
STUVA Newcomer Award 2021: We congratulate M.Sc. Sebastian Kube for the the first prize
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17.03.2022 at: Bochum During the STUVA conference 2021 (24.11.-26.11.2021) Sebastian Kube (Subproject A6 „Local Transient Face Support within Hydro-Shields”, Project Leader Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer) presented first results of his research. At the lecture competition "Junges Forum" he convinced with his contribution "Elektrische Widerstandsmessungen zur Beschreibung der Partikeeinlagerung während der Penetration von Bentonit in kohäsionsloses Lockergestein" and won the first prize: a visit to the major construction site "Scarborough Subway" in Toronto (Canada). We congratulate M.Sc. Sebastian Kube sincerely for winning first place! Link |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Optimal Experimental Design in Geotechnical Engineering
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Raoul Hölter Lecture is held on 15.12.2021 - 14:00 h at Bochum IAN 0/018 On Dezember 15, 2021, Raoul Hölter from the chair of Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering and Environmental Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Optimal Experimental Design in Geotechnical Engineering'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
SFB-Coordinator Prof. Meschke is the new Prorector for Research and Transfer of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum
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28.11.2021 at: Bochum On November 1, 2021, the new RUB rectorate has started its term of office. Prof. Meschke, spokesman of the SFB 837 and head of the Chair of Statics and Dynamics, has been elected prorector by the RUB University Election Assembly for the next six years. As RUB-prorector for Research and Transfer, Prof. Meschke will in particular accompany the RUB on its way to the next round of the Excellence Strategy. The RUB has already sharpened its profile with the Clusters of Excellence, Research Departments and Research Buildings and has also identified further profile areas as potential candidates for a cluster application. Further more, Prof. Meschke would like to advocate for tailored funding programs, which should contribute to a good balance of individual excellence and excellent collaborative research, resulting in new research fields. Especially the fields of sustainability and climate change are potential topics for interdisciplinary research and important contributions of the RUB. Photo: ©RUB, Marquard |
Workshop Herausforderung Tunnelbau 2021
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Lecture is held on 05.11.2021 - 15:00 h at Bochum The use of underground space is a key factor for sustainable development of both industrial as well as emerging and developing countries. Underground transalpine transport links, the tendency for larger diameters, difficult geological conditions or high groundwater pressures pose major challenges for tunneling and drilling technologies. This year's event is under the motto: "Große S- und U-Bahn Projekte in Deutschland" and will once again be dedicated to exciting and up-to-date topics: Neubau U5 Hamburg – aktueller Stand der Planung Stefan Schuster (Leiter Ausführung U5 Ost, Hochbahn AG, Hamburg) Die 2. S-Bahn-Stammstrecke – Tunnelbau im Herzen von München: Tunnelbautechnische Herausforderungen im westlichen Abschnitt von der Donnersberger Brücke bis zum Marienhof Marc Steinfeld (Senior Projektingenieur Tunnel, Großprojekt 2. S-Bahn-Stammstrecke München, DB Netz AG) Please note that this is a "3G event" of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Therefore, please bring the appropriate evidence with you. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB Webinar: Integration of Cad & Computational Analysis – Finite Cells Versus Finite Elements
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Lecture is held on 03.11.2021 - 15:00 h at Zoom On November 3rd, 2021 the SFB 837 webinar on " Integration of Cad & Computational Analysis – Finite Cells Versus Finite Elements" will take place. The webinar consists of 1 keynot and 3 lectures: Integration Of Geometry and Analysis Re-Designed: The Power of Immersed Boundary Methods Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ernst Rank (Computation in Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Germany) Finite Cell Method in Geotechnical Application: Development & Case Studies Ph.D. Hoang-Giang Bui (Structural Mechanics, RUB, Germany) Geometric Multigrid Preconditioners for the Finite Cell Method M. Sc. Poria Saberi (High Performance, Computing in the Engineering Sciences, RUB Germany) Finite-Cell-Method for the Simulation of Ductile Crack Propagation through Metallic Microstructures of Mining Tools M. Sc. Dennis Wingender (Continuum Mechanics, RUB, Germany) see Flyer for further details |
Joint-Summer-School 2021
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Lecture is held on 22.09.2021 - 00:00 h at Bochum Members of the SFB 837 have attended on the second joint SFB837-GRK2075 Summer School at Hochschule Bochum from 20. - 22. September 2021. The Summer school has been organized together with the Research Training Group (GRK 2075) “Modelling the constitutive evolution of building materials and structures with respect to aging” from TU Braunschweig and hosted by the SFB 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" at Ruhr University Bochum. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB Webinar: Applications of Machine Learning Processes in Tunnel Construction
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Lecture is held on 20.07.2021 - 13:00 h at Bochum On July 20th, 2021 the SFB 837 webinar on "Applications of Machine Learning Processes in Tunnel Construction" will take place. The webinar consists of 3 lectures: “Why Reinforcement Learning-Based Process Optimisation should be used in Conventional Tunnelling” by Prof. Thomas Marcher, M.Sc. Georg Erharter (Rock Mechanics & Tunneling, TU Graz, Austria) “Innovative Field Monitoring Tools for Big Data Acquisition and Image-Based Deep Learning in Tunnel Engineering” by Dr. Zili Li (Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, University College Cork, Ireland) “Real-Time Analysis of Soil-Structure Interactions in Mechanized Tunneling using Artificial Neural Networks” by Dr.-Ing. Ba Trung Cao (Structural Mechanics, RUB, Germany) A short summary of the presentations and the zoom link can be found in the flyer. Participation in the webinar is free of charge and possible without registration. We kindly ask you to use your true name and to switch off your microphone during the lecture. Thank you! see Flyer for further details |
Webinar: IFC-Tunnel – Towards the Support of Digital Tunnel Models within the Industry Foundation Classes
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Lecture is held on 29.06.2021 - 16:00 h at Bochum The SFB837 informs about the current status of the buildingSmart International IFC-Tunnel Project. In particular, this webinar will focus on the developments due to the mechanized construction method, which is the key driver for the SFB837. The “Industry Foundation Classes” (IFC) are a neutral and software independent data format for exchanging building information models. Since 2019, they are also in extension development to support digital tunnel models. The SFB837 is co-funding and actively participating with an interdisciplinary team, providing expertise in tunnel engineering, data management, numerical simulations and geostatistics. The contents of the webinar are based on the latest requirements analysis report (RAR), which has been published November 2020. It delivers the results from the first phase of the project and captures the needs and requirements in an international consensus for the definition of a common data model. Link to the RAR: https://www.buildingsmart.org/the-final-draft-of-the-ifc-tunnel-requirements-analysis-report-is-now-available/ see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Modeling of Soil-Tool Abrasive Wear Processes in Mechanized Tunneling
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Golnaz Hoormazdi Lecture is held on 18.06.2021 - 10:00 h at Bochum On June 31, 2021 Golnaz Hoormazdi from the institute for Mechanics of Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis 'Modeling of Soil-Tool Abrasive Wear Processes in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. For participation please register till June 17th at dekanat-bi @ rub.de. see Flyer for further details |
TRANSFERPROJECT T2: SIMULATION-AND-MONITORING-BASED REAL-TIME STEERING IN MECHANIZED TUNNELING
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20.05.2021 at: Bochum With approval by the DFG, the SFB 837 will be supplemented by a new transfer project with the title ‘’ SIMULATION-AND-MONITORING-BASED REAL-TIME STEERING IN MECHANIZED TUNNELING’’. The funding period is four years, starting with June 2021. The transfer project focuses on the prototype testing and further development of subproject C1 of the SFB 837, which has developed simulation models to support the steering process of the Tunnel Boring Machine in mechanized tunneling. The project is aiming at applying and testing the findings of basic research under real practical conditions together with the industry partner Maidl Tunnel Consultant (MTC) by using two tunnel projects as application examples. See more information on: sfb837.sd.rub.de/en/Projektbereiche/Projektbereich_T/Teilprojekt_T2.html  |
The first RD SME webinar will take place on 3 May 2021
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Lecture is held on 03.05.2021 - 13:00 h at Zoom The first webinar of the Research Department "Subsurface Modeling & Engineering" (short RD SME), will take place on May 3, 2021 from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. It consists of 2 keynotes and 2 short presentations. Detailed information on the lectures can be found in the flyer below. Keynotes: Dr. R. Giese: „Das Helmholtz Innovation Lab 3d-Untertage-Seismik“ Prof. J. Renner: „STIMTEC: Doing the same does not guarantee getting the same“ Lectures: I. Onyedika: “Interactions of Natural Fracture Networks in Carbonate Platform at Latemar: Implication for Fluid-Flow” Dr. T. Neuffer: „Charakterisierung von seismischen Signalen induziert durch Windenergieanlagen“ Participation in the Zoom webinar is free of charge and possible without prior registration: Zoom-Link Please switch off your microphone during the lectures. Thank you! More information about the RD SME see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Cut Finite Element Methods for Efficient Computational Simulations in Mechanized Tunneling
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2021 - 14:00 h at Bochum On March 31, 2021 Hoang Giang Bui from the institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Cut Finite Element Methods for Efficient Computational Simulations in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Untersuchung der Verarbeitbarkeit von konditionierten Lockergesteinsböden für den EPB-Schildvortrieb
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Lecture is held on 24.03.2021 - 14:00 h at Bochum On March 24, 2021 Sascha Freimann from the institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Untersuchung der Verarbeitbarkeit von konditionierten Lockergesteinsböden für den EPB-Schildvortrieb'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Building SMART International
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25.01.2021 SFB 837: Industry Foundation Classes – Tunnel The “Industry Foundation Classes” (IFC) are a neutral and software independent data exchange format for building information models, which has been developed by buildingSmart International (bSI) and has been accepted as ISO 16739-1:2018 standard. Based on these, various extensions are in development to cover further domains, such as infrastructures. One of these international extension projects “IFC-Tunnel” has been initiated by bSI to develop the support for digital tunnel models. The SFB837 is co-funding this project as well as is actively participating with an interdisciplinary team, providing expertise in tunnel engineering, data management, numerical simulation and geostatistics. The project has started in June 2019 and comprises of two phases. Phase 1 has been completed in November 2020 and delivers a requirement analysis report [1] capturing the general scope, use cases and descriptions to semantic and geometric requirements of the involved tunnel parts and elements. The specific contribution of the SFB837 involves the classification of tunnel segments in the scope of the mechanized tunneling method (Fig.1) and the definition of use cases and requirements related to specific interactions. In terms of numerical simulation, the need for implicit surface descriptions, such as the use of freeform surfaces, has been suggested to improve the automatic generation of mesh grids. In terms of geostatistics, the support for ground geometries and the use of decomposition models, such as voxel-based geometry, has been proposed to enable the transportation of local properties, i.e., the assignment of uncertainty values when using kriging method. Subsequently, Phase 2 now involves the refinement of the draft taxonomies and the development of detailed classifications of the proposed entities and relations in Unified Modeling Language to provide a conceptual data model for the technical extension and implementation of the IFC-Standard. The actual phase is expected to be completed by end of 2021.  Figure 1: Draft decomposition proposal for mechanized tunnels Reference: [1] Requirement analysis report Link |
Prof. Meschke appointed as Adjunct Professor at Shandong University
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01.01.2021 at: Bochum Prof. Meschke has been appointed as Adjunct Professor at Shandong University, China. Starting at 01.01.2021, this appointment will foster the cooperation between the Institute for Structural Mechanics, the SFB 837 and Shandong University, in regard to research related to subsurface engineering. Link |
Prof. Dr.-Ing Markus König Awarded Konrad Zuse-Medal
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17.11.2020 Prof. Dr. Markus König is awarded the Konrad Zuse Medal from the Central Association of the German Building Industry (ZDB). It is the most important award in the field of Computing in Engineering. As holder of the Chair of Computing in Engineering in the faculty of Civil- and Environmental Engineering, Prof. Dr.-Ing König is also part of SFB 837 with a central role: He is member of the executive board of SFB 837 and project leader of the sub projects C2, C3 and D1. The association recognizes Prof. König's achievements in the digitalization of construction engineering, and especially the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Germany. The ZDB Konrad Zuse Medal has been awarded alternately since 1981 by the ZDB and the GI to personalities who have made outstanding contributions to computing in engineering or computing in general. The aim of the award is to preserve the merits of computer science pioneer Konrad Zuse, to promote the use of the latest information and communication technologies in construction and, last but not least, to make computer science visible to a wider public. The medal will be awarded on November 17, 2020 at the 13th German Obermeistertag in Berlin. |
SFB 837 Member Sahir Butt Elected as GAMM-Junior
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25.09.2020 On September 25th, 2020, M. Sc. Sahir Butt, research assistant at the Institute of Structural Mechanics and member of the SFB 837 (subproject C4), was elected as GAMM Junior for the years 2021-2023. Each year, the GAMM members select ten new GAMM Juniors, with an excellent master’s thesis or dissertation in applied mathematics or mechanics. These GAMM Juniors form a group of young and dynamic doctoral students and postdocs which will be members of the Gesellschaft für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik e.V. (GAMM) for three years. The group meets annually for several workshops. Each year, the GAMM Juniors organize the ‘Summer School in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics’ (SAMM) and the ‘Young Academics in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics’ (YAMM). GAMM Juniors SFB 837 subproject C4 Institute of Structural Mechanics |
NEW DATE: SFB 837 Joint-Workshop 2020
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Lecture is held on 12.09.2020 - 10:00 h at Impiana Hotel, 13 Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur Since 2011, the SFB 837 has established a continuous collaboration „Recent Advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research“ with various international academic partners. Among other research institutions, this includes the IKC Cambridge, UK; the Tongji University Shanghai,China; the ACTUE-Group, Austria; the Colorado School of Mines, USA; the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy and the University of Cork, Ireland. In 2016, 2018 and 2019, a workshop has been organized by SFB 837 combined with the Technical Committee 204 “Underground Construction in Soft Ground” of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) the weekend before the World Tunneling Congresses in San Francisco (USA), Dubai (UAE) and Naples (ITALY). This workshop is the 4th in that line and will be held at the Impiana Hotel, 13 Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 12th of September, prior to the WTC 2020 venue. The workshop is organized by Prof. Dr. Adam Bezuijen, Ghent University, Belgium/Deltares, the Netherlands, Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer, SFB 837 sub-project manager, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany and Dr. Daniela Garroux G. de Oliveira, Tunnelsoft, Germany. see Flyer for further details |
Via Webex: Joint workshop ‘UCC - UC Berkeley - ACTUE - TONGJI - SFB837’
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Lecture is held on 27.08.2020 - 10:30 h at Bochum On 27 August 2020, a workshop on the topic "Recent Advances in Tunneling Research" is organized by the University College Cork, lreland (UCC) and hosted by Zili Li and Chao Wang (Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, UCC). This joint workshop will be held as webinar via Webex and starts at 11:30 (Germany time zone): Link to the workshop Event password: 3pFh9W24GWR Event number: 137 634 8045 We kindly ask you to use your true name in the online workshop platform and to switch off your microphone during the lecture. Thank you! This workshop is the 10th in the SFB 837 series of joint workshops. Besides, multilateral doctoral workshops took place in Cambridge (2012), Tongji (2012), Bochum (2013), Shanghai (2014 & 2018 at the GeoShanghai International Conference), Salzburg (2015), Innsbruck (2017), Naples (2019), as well as in Leoben in October 2019. You can download the booklet of the workshop here. see Flyer for further details |
DOCTORAL THESIS: Materialkonzepte zur Aktivierung von Ringspaltverfüllmaterialien im maschinellen Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 16.07.2020 - 10:00 h at Bochum On July 16, 2021 Christoph Schulte-Schrepping from the institute Building Material, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Materialkonzepte zur Aktivierung von Ringspaltverfüllmaterialien im maschinellen Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837-Webinar: Unusual Vibration Phenomena in Thin Walled Structures
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Lecture is held on 14.07.2020 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Francesco Pellicano (Intermech-MORE Centre, Dept. of Engineering „Enzo Ferrari“, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy) will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Unusual Vibration Phenomena in Thin Walled Structures'. This guest lecture will be held as SFB 837-Webinar via Zoom: Please use this link or enter the following data in the Zoom software: Meeting-ID: 977 0900 8743 Passwort: 656500 We kindly ask you to switch off your microphone during the lecture. Thank you! Abstract of the lecture: In the recent years the characterization of thin-walled structure dynamics has received great interest from the scientific community due to the complexity of such structures and the wide range of applications in Engineering from macro to nanoscales: aircrafts, missiles, propellant tanks, heat exchangers, micro-electro-mechanical systems, nanotubes, etc. A series of experiments were recently carried out in the Vibration and Powertrain Lab with the goal of investigating the influence of the environment on the dynamics of shells and the onset of novel and unknown kind of behaviors. In particular, the following aspects of the shell dynamics are investigated: thermal conditions, type of forcing, fluid structure interaction. Experiments show the extreme complexity of the dynamic scenario. Transitions from deterministic to chaos and vice-versa are evidenced: when the excitation is harmonic (deterministic) the response can be periodic, quasiperiodic or chaotic; when the excitation is random the synchronization, and extremely uncommon, phenomenon can lead to a periodic response even though a random response is generally expected. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837-Webinar: BIM im Tunnelbau – von der Idee bis zur Ausführung
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Dr.-Ing. Felix Nagel Lecture is held on 16.06.2020 - 16:00 h at via Zoom Dr.-Ing. Felix Nagel (ZPP Ingenieure AG, Berlin, Germany) will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'BIM im Tunnelbau – von der Idee bis zur Ausführung'. This guest lecture will be held as SFB 837-Webinar via Zoom: Please use this link or enter the following data in the Zoom software: Meeting-ID: 977 0900 8743 Passwort: 656500 We kindly ask you to switch off your microphone during the lecture. Thank you! Abstract of the lecture: BIM und Digitalisierung haben spätestens mit Einführung des Stufenplans 2015 durch das BMVI auch den deutschen Ingenieur- und Tunnelbau erreicht. Mit Beginn des Jahres 2020 sind digitale Methoden bei der Planung neuer Projekte aller großen deutschen Infrastrukturbetreiber verpflichten anzuwenden. Aufgrund der langen Projektlaufzeiten existieren aktuelle kaum Projekte, die von den ersten Ideen bis zur baulichen Umsetzung konsequent digital umgesetzt wurden. Im Vortrag werden deshalb anhand ausgewählter Projektbeispiele Anwendungen digitaler Projektumsetzung für Tunnelbauten von den Betrachtung erster Projektideen in Machbarkeitsstudien, den Entwurf von Bauwerken sowie die Unterstützung der baulichen Umsetzung betrachtet. Im Fokus stehen dabei der Mehrwert digitaler Methoden im Projekt und deren Umsetzung in sogenannten Anwendungsfällen. see Flyer for further details |
Best Poster Award
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26.02.2020 at: Bochum The Poster entitled „Dynamic fracture modeling with Peridynamics“, co-authored by Sahir N. Butt (SFB 837 Subproject C4) and Günther Meschke (SFB Coordinator), won the Best Poster Award at the Workshop on Experimental and Computational Fracture Mechanics in Louisiana, USA on February 26-28, 2020.  |
2nd Colloquium for Young Researchers in Underground Science and Technology (CRUST 2)
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Lecture is held on 10.01.2020 - 09:00 h at Bochum The 2nd Colloquium for young Researchers in Underground Science and Technology (CRUST 2) will be held on 10.01.2020 at Ruhr University Bochum (ID 03/653). This colloquium intends to bring together PhD Students and young early stage researchers associated with every member of RDSME. It aims to provide a forum for them to exchange ideas, foster debate, offer networking opportunities, present results and discuss problems and challenges in their research work. We are looking forward to receiving atleast one talk or poster presentation from your group whose topic is within the framework of RDSME. Registration and participation is free. Link see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Seismische Vorauserkundung im Tunnelbau
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Andre Lamert Lecture is held on 19.12.2019 - 16:00 h at Bochum IA 02/473 On December 19, 2019 Andre Lamert from the institute of Geology, Mineralogy and Geophysics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Seismische Vorauserkundung im Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Optimization-based Design of Structural Concrete using Hybrid Reinforcements
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Mario Smarslik Lecture is held on 18.12.2019 - 14:15 h at Bochum IC 02-158/88 On December 18, 2019 Mario Smarslik from the institute for Concrete Structures, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Optimization-based Design of Structural Concrete using Hybrid Reinforcements'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Finite Element Modelling of Interfaces in Geotechnics
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Dr. Benjamin Cerfontaine (University of Dundee, UK) Lecture is held on 26.11.2019 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/606 Dr. Benjamin Cerfontaine from the University of Dundee, UK will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Finite Element Modelling of Interfaces in Geotechnics'. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, interfaces are surfaces separating two phases of matter, that can be solid, liquid or gaseous. They exist in most of the geotechnical problems as they are the boundary between man-made structures (e.g. foundations, tunnel lining or retaining walls) and the environment, or they represent discontinuities within a natural medium (e.g. rock joints). The mechanical contact problem is the most fundamental, as contact properties affect the transfer of normal and shear forces from one medium to the other. However, discontinuities also constitute preferential paths for fluid flows. Interface finite elements have been used in LAGAMINE for more than 30 years in many mechanical and geotechnical studies. They were initially developed to simulate mechanical contact, but were progressively extended to incorporate fluid flows (along the interface and transversally) and hydro-mechanical couplings. The element formulation allows the implicit solution of the problem and the simulation of purely transient geotechnical problems. In this lecture, the mathematical formulation and the practical implementation of the finite element of interface will be presented. The potential of interface elements and the importance of hydro-mechanical couplings will be described through some geotechnical applications. The modelling of a suction caisson in sand and the sealing of technical gaps with swelling bentonite are particularly representative of the need for hydro-mechanically coupled finite elements of interface. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
STUVA Expo and STUVA Conference 2019 on November 26 and 27 at Messe Frankfurt
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26.11.2019 at: Messe Frankfurt STUVA e. V. has been organizing scientific conferences for more than 50 years. STUVA's conferences are held bi-annually and have become a fixed date in the calendar of many national and international tunneling experts. This year, the SFB 837 participated as exhibitor in the STUVA-Expo for the first time. STUVA Expo provides a unique international platform for the scientific exchange of national and international tunneling experts in the field of underground construction. The conference covers recent developments in all fields of underground construction with special focus topics, e.g.: new technologies, design, construction, maintenance, economic issues, safety and risk during construction and operation, contractual issues from tendering to awarding, etc. Image gallery |
STUVA Tagung 2019 – das Junge Forum
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25.11.2019 at: Messe Frankfurt The Youth Forum is a lecture series for young engineers that takes place as part of the STUVA conference. Young engineers from all fields of tunnel construction and tunnel operation up to the age of 35 may apply for a presentation on new developments in their field. Topics from research as well as from practice are welcome. From the applications about 5 lectures for the lecture series "Youth Forum" are selected in a preliminary decision. The winners of the preliminary decision then have the chance to present their topic at the STUVA conference and to win the STUVA Young Talent Award. The winners of the past years won trips to tunnel construction sites in Dubai, China, Toronto and Doha. At this year's STUVA conference, three RUB doctoral students participated in the Young Forum as speakers. Christoph Schulte-Schrepping opened the lecture series with the presentation of an innovative material concept for annular gap grout in mechanised tunnelling (SFB 837, subproject B3). Alena Conrads then presented a new methodology for robust maintenance planning for cutting tools in shield tunnelling (SFB 837, subproject C3). The third in the series, Ivan Popovic, presented a new separation method for used bentonite suspensions, the electrocoagulation. After four interesting lectures, the audience chose the winner of the STUVA Young Talent Award, which was conferred in the evening as part of the festive programme. The STUVA Young Talent Award, which is associated with a trip to the construction site Alto Maipo in Chile, was awarded to Ivan Popovic. Alena Conrads was awarded second place. She also received the "InnoTrans Career Award" from InnoTrans Berlin, which consists of a trip and an invitation to Innotrans 2020 in Berlin. |
Doctoral Thesis: Maintenance of Cutting Tools in Mechanised Tunnelling - Development of a Process Simulation Model for the Scheduling and Evaluation of Maintenance Strategies
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Alena Conrads Lecture is held on 22.11.2019 - 15:00 h at Bochum IC 03/610 On November 22, 2019 Alena Conrads from the institute for Tunneling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis 'Maintenance of Cutting Tools in Mechanised Tunnelling - Development of a Process Simulation Model for the Scheduling and Evaluation of Maintenance Strategies'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Workshop Herausforderung Tunnelbau 2019
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Lecture is held on 08.11.2019 - 15:00 h at Bochum The use of underground space is a key factor for sustainable development of both industrial as well as emerging and developing countries. Underground transalpine transport links, the tendency for larger diameters, difficult geological conditions or high groundwater pressures pose major challenges for tunneling and drilling technologies. This year's event is under the motto: "Tunneling competence in the environment of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum" and will once again be dedicated to exciting and up-to-date topics: Dr.-Ing. Dieter Handke - IMM Maidl & Maidl, Beratende Ingenieure GmbH & Co. KG Quo vadis Tunnelbau? Strategie zur Risikobeherrschung bei Schildvortrieben Dr.-Ing. Ingo Spohr - ZPP Ingenieure AG Fehmarnsundquerung, Variante „Bohrtunnel“ – ein BIM-Pilotprojekt der DB Netz AG Dr.-Ing. Janosch Stascheit - mtc, Maidl Tunnelconsultants GmbH & Co. KG Digitalisierung und Internet of Things im Tunnelbau Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
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Lecture is held on 16.10.2019 - 14:00 h at Bochum Prof. Kok-Kwang Phoon from the National University of Singapore will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'. In an era where data is recognized as the “new oil”, it makes sense for us to lean towards decision making strategies that are more responsive to data, particularly if we have zettabytes coming our way. In fact, we already have a lot of data, but the vast majority is shelved after a project is completed (“dark data”). It does not make sense to reduce one zettabyte to a few bytes describing a single cautious value. It does not make sense to expect big data to be precise and to fit a particular favourite physical model as demanded by the classical deterministic world view (so-called “good” data). This lecture advocates the position that there is value in data of any kind (good or not so good quality, or right or wrong fit to a physical model – we can call this “ugly data”) and the challenge is for the new generation of researchers to uncover this value by hearing what data have to say for themselves, be it using probabilistic, machine learning, or other data-driven methods, and to re-imagine the role of the geotechnical engineer in an immersive environment likely to be imbued by machine intelligence. Perhaps for the first time, geotechnical engineers are getting re-acquainted with data and are beginning to see value beyond its conventional roles as inputs for physical models, measured responses from load tests for design checks, or monitoring information for the observational approach. In the speaker’s opinion, we are at the threshold of an exciting future where digital and physical realities merge. We just need to transform decision making strategies tailored to a past data-poor environment to work with this new data-rich cyber-physical reality. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Joint workshop ‘ACTUE - TONGJI - CORK - SFB837’
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Lecture is held on 08.10.2019 - 00:00 h at Austria On 8th October 2019, the SFB 837 is organizing a workshop on the topic "Recent Advances in Tunneling Research". This joint workshop is the 9th in this series and took place at the University of Leoben, Zentrum am Berg in Austria. The event is hosted by Prof. Galler, Faculty of Subsurface Engineering, Montanuniversität Leoben. Besides, multilateral doctoral workshops took place in Cambridge (2012), Tongji (2012), Bochum (2013), Shanghai (2014 & 2018 at the GeoShanghai International Conference), Salzburg (2015), Innsbruck (2017) as well as in Naples in May 2019. Image gallery Booklet Program see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 invited small researchers into its laboratories on this year's "The Mouse" Open Day 2019
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03.10.2019 at: Bochum Children's wondering eyes, busy little hands, here and there an unbelieving "wow": Science can be so exciting. For the first time, the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in particular the SFB 837, opened its laboratory and workshop doors to young researchers - with overwhelming response. Several workshops invited young fans of the TV programme "The Mouse" to participate, try out and investigate. Under the direction of Christoph Schulte-Schrepping, doctoral student at the Chair of Building Materials of Prof. Breitenbücher, (SFB 837 - TP B3), the children could immortalize their favourite heroes in concrete and learn more about concrete as a building material. Jörg Sahlmen, CEO of the SFB 837, opened the doors to the wind tunnel, where the young visitors had the opportunity to place Playmobil men in a city in the tunnel. Behind which building is the Playmobil man best protected from the storm and stays standing the longest? The program of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering was completed by a workshop in the hydrology laboratory, where the interactive sandbox could be tested and boats could be built for a boat regatta in the tipping trough. "The Mouse" Open Day takes place every year throughout Germany on 3 October. Curious young and old "The Mouse" fans will then have the chance to look behind the doors of e.g. SFB 837 laboratories that are otherwise closed. More information: http://www.fbi.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/aktuelles/2019/akt00514.html.de Image gallery |
SFB 837 – Advisory Board Member Dr.-Ing. Roland Leucker awarded the title of an Honorary Professor
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05.09.2019 For his achievements in teaching as well as his professional and scientific performances, the Ruhr-University Bochum has awarded Dr.-Ing. Roland Leucker the title of honorary professor today. For many years, Professor Leucker has taught the course "Facility Management of Underground Transportation Systems", which teaches students about the equipment, operation and maintenance of tunnel structures. However, Prof. Leucker is not only linked to teaching and research at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum through his lectureship but also as a member of the advisory board of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Models for Mechanical Tunneling" since its beginning in 2010. In addition, the STUVA and the Vice-Speaker of the SFB 837, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Thewes (Chair of Tunneling, Line Construction and Construction of the Ruhr-University) are joint partners in several current research consortia. As Managing Director of the Study Association for Tunnels and Traffic Systems e.V., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Leucker is an internationally renowned specialist in the construction, operation and safety of tunnel structures. Under his leadership, the STUVA runs a variety of research and consulting projects in the field of tunneling, ranging from constructive issues of tunnel construction to issues of economy and safety. In addition, he is a sought-after consultant with regard to operational and safety aspects of traffic tunnels and can look back on an extensive list of publications.  From left to right: Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Thewes (Vice SFB Coordinator), Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Leucker (Honrarprofessor), Dipl.-Ing. J. Sahlmen (SFB CEO), Prof. Dr.-Ing. P. Mark (Vice Dean of the Faculty Civil and Environmental Eng.) |
New SFB 837-Subproject C7: Vibration-based Monitoring of Interactions at Cutting Wheel – Detecting Wear, Jun-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Inka Mueller
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01.08.2019 Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Inka Mueller joined the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and took on her position as Juniorprofessor for Structural Health Monitoring in early 2018. Since June 2019 she is member of the SFB 837 and project leader of the recently installed subproject C7. Structural Health Monitoring in general is concerned with the continuous monitoring of the condition of structures e.g. bridges, buildings, tunnels, but also pipelines, wind turbines or aircrafts. Jointly with her team, she is aiming to develop a monitoring system using vibration-induced features during the cutting process to detect and identify wear and damage of cutting discs during operation. Numerical models characterized by different levels of detail as well as experimental investigations are employed to identify the various causes for the observed vibrations of the cutting disc. This research will enable to optimize the operation of tunnel boring machines by reducing unforeseen stoppages due to disc wear. The team of the SFB 837 is delighted to welcome Jun.-Prof. Müller as a new member and new sub-project leader and wishes her all the best for the start of her project! |
SFB 837 Brochure 2019
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31.07.2019 at: Bochum The newest SFB 837 Brochure 2019 can be downloaded now. The brochure is meant to provide a short overview of the current and future research activities of the SFB 837. It includes a list of the 16 subprojects of the SFB 837 as well as a list of per-reviewed journal and book publications. English brochure 2019 |
Dr.-Ing. Jithender J. Timothy joined Global Young Faculty IV
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23.07.2019 at: Bochum Along with 43 other researchers and representatives of local economic enterprises, Dr.-Ing. Jithender J. Timothy joined the sixth generation of the Global Young Faculty on July 23, 2019. The Global Young Faculty unites outstanding young researchers from the metropolis Ruhr and gives them the chance to work on topics of joint interest in work groups. The network is an initiative of the Mercator Foundation in cooperation with the University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr (UA Ruhr). It is coordinated by the Mercator Research Center Ruhr (MERCUR) in Essen and funded by the Mercator Foundation with € 650.000 per year. Link |
Towards a Comprehensive Perspective to Minimize the Challenges and Risks of Tunneling Projects
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Prof. Dr. Mostafa Zaki Abd Elrehim Lecture is held on 17.07.2019 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03 / 610 Prof. Dr. Mostafa Zaki Abd Elrehim from the Minia University, Egypt, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Towards a Comprehensive Perspective to Minimize the Challenges and Risks of Tunneling Projects'. The utilisation of the underground space is now recognised as an effective solution for various purposes like transportation networks, traffic congestions at crossings, underground parking, hydropower projects, different utility networks, storage purposes, etc. These projects are usually characterised by high risk, complexities, uncertainties, repetitive construction tasks, and relatively large budgets and long durations. In the 21st century, the demand for such projects is increasing dramatically, especially at large cities and urban areas resulting in new and many complex intersection problems, which increases the risk more and more. It is now the common target of tunnelling communities all over the world to eliminate or reduce the risk encountered for these projects employing all the available means. In this presentation, the challenges and risks during and after tunnelling are briefly outlined. The role of different technical studies to evaluate and overcome the possible risks is introduced. These technical studies include three main categories to cover the different phases of the typical project, namely, planning, design and construction. The roles of the three main techniques of dilapidation survey, modelling, and monitoring (before during and after construction) are highlighted. The ways of how to improve the reliability of modelling results incorporating all the available field data and identifying the optimal modelling level and effort are introduced. Finally, the application of these techniques on some real case studies in Europe and the Middle East and the lessons learnt are summarised. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Computational Analysis of Segmental Linings in Mechanized Tunneling
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Ahmed Marwan Lecture is held on 15.07.2019 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 03-606 On July 15, 2019 Ahmed Marwan from the institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Computational Analysis of Segmental Linings in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
RD SME + SFB 837 Workshop: Neue Techniken und Modellierungsmethoden der Herstellung von Bohrungen, Schächten und Tunneln
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Lecture is held on 10.07.2019 - 09:00 h at Bochum Der “RUB Underground Space Day” wird im Rahmen des Research Departments „Subsurface Modeling and Engineering“ der Ruhr-Universität Bochum und des Sonderforschungsbereichs SFB 837 „Interaktionsmodelle für den maschinellen Tunnelbau“ alljährlich veranstaltet. Ziel dieser Veranstaltung ist es, ein Forum für den Austausch von Ideen bereitzustellen, Debatte zu fördern und die Zusammenarbeit innerhalb des RDs sowie mit externen Forschungseinrichtungen und Unternehmen zu stärken. Dieses Jahr findet der Workshop am 10.07.2019 an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Seminarraum ID 03/653) statt. Das Thema des diesjährigen Workshops lautet „Neue Techniken und Modellierungsmethoden der Herstellung von Bohrungen, Schächten und Tunneln“. Der Fokus dieser Veranstaltung liegt dabei auf den Herausforderungen für Vortriebs- und Abbaumethoden, Materialien und numerischen Simulationsmethoden. Im Anschluss an die Veranstaltung findet die Mitgliederversammlung des RDs SME statt. Die Teilnahme am Workshop ist kostenlos. Bitte registrieren Sie sich online bis zum 30.06.2019. Registrierungslink see Flyer for further details |
Role of the damaged zone on the convergence of storage galleries, numerical modeling of experiments in the underground laboratory of Bure
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Lecture is held on 05.07.2019 - 14:45 h at Bochum On July 5th 2019 2:45 p.m. Prof. Frédéric Collin from the University of Liège, Belgique will hold a guest lecture "Role of the damaged zone on the convergence of storage galleries, numerical modeling of experiments in the underground laboratory of Bure" Guests are welcome. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Hydro-mechanical behaviour of a pellets based bentonite seal: Numerical modelling of lab scale experiments
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Prof. Robert Charlier Lecture is held on 05.07.2019 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 03/606 On July 5th 2019 2:00 p.m. Prof. Robert Charlier from the University of Liège, Belgique will hold a guest lecture "Hydro-mechanical behaviour of a pellets based bentonite seal: Numerical modelling of lab scale experiments". Guests are welcome. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Statusseminar 2019
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18.06.2019 at: Burg Schnellenberg, Attendorn, Germany Image gallery |
Mechanized Tunneling in Soft Ground – Special Discussion Meeting – WTC 2019
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Lecture is held on 04.05.2019 - 10:00 h at Mostra d’Oltrema, Naples Since 2011, the SFB 837 has established a continuous collaboration "Recent Advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research" with various international academic partners. Among other research institutions, this includes the IKC Cambridge, UK; the Tongji University Shanghai, China; the ACTUE-Group, Austria; the Colorado School of Mines, USA; the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy and the University of Cork, Ireland. This year, the joint workshop is combined with the Technical Committee 204 “Underground Construction in Soft Ground” of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and will be integrated into the World Tunneling Congress (WTC 2019) in Naples, Italy. Currently, the workshop is organized by Prof. Dr. ir. Adam Bezuijen, Ghent University, Belgium, and Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer, SFB 837 sub-project manager, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Besides, multilateral doctoral workshops took place in Cambridge (2012), Tongji (2012), Bochum (2013), Shanghai (2014 & 2018 at the GeoShanghai International Conference), Salzburg (2015) as well as in Innsbruck (2017). Link see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Ein konsekutives probabilistisches Risikobewertungskonzept setzungsinduzierter Tragwerksschädigungen
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Lecture is held on 18.04.2019 - 11:00 h at Bochum On April 18, 2019 Markus Obel from the institute Concrete Structures, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Ein konsekutives probabilistisches Risikobewertungskonzept setzungsinduzierter Tragwerksschädigungen'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Competition "Built on IT" 2019: SFB 837 doctoral student Markus Scheffer honored with special Startup Award
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31.03.2019 at: Bochum In the context of the competition "Built on IT – professions in the construction industry with a future", young professionals were honored for their outstanding and practice-oriented IT solutions - including the special Startup Award for a spin-off of the SFB 837. MinDirig Dr. Gäckle, Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, presented a total of twelve prizes and, for the first time, a special Startup Award as part of the nationwide competition on January 15, 2019. The special prize Startup went to Markus Scheffer (Bild1: fourth on the left), doctoral student at the SFB 837, for his work "Process simulation as part of digital project management in civil engineering". On the basis of findings from the SFB, he founded the company SD Ingenieure GmbH. Thus, the SFB celebrates its first spin-off, which has already achieved its first successes. In addition, another prize was awarded in connection with the SFB 837. The third price in the field of civil engineering achieved Tabea Engelmann (Bild1: first on the left) with her bachelor thesis "Development of a concept for the consideration of blurriness in soil models", which she realized within the framework of the SFB 837. Further information about the competition: www.aufitgebaut.de (in German).  Photo credits: RKW e.V./BILDKRAFTWERK/ Hans-Rudolf Schulz |
SFB 837 Short Course 2019 – 27. -28. March 2019, Filderportal Stuttgart
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27.03.2019 at: Filderportal, Stuttgart Mechanized tunneling is a highly automated construction process that has proven itself to be particularly suitable for use in difficult geological and hydrological conditions. However, problems inherent in the mechanized tunneling process, such as, uncertainties in a priori soil information and the complexity of machine-soil interactions present significant challenges in both the planning and construction of tunnels. The main focus of the SFB 837 is research and development of computer-oriented models and simulation methods as well as of design concepts that take into account the diverse complex interactions of the components and processes involved in mechanized tunnelling. The SFB Short Course serves to provide all scientists involved in the SFB with the necessary basic knowledge on mechanical shield tunnelling in relation to the subsoil, machine types, propulsion and expansion. The SFB Short Course takes place this year on the construction side at Filderportal Stuttgart. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Annual “Deutscher Bautechnik-Tag” Fair with SFB 837
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10.03.2019 at: Bochum On the 7th and 8th of March, the SFB 837 will be represented at the “Deutscher Bautechnik-Tag” fair in Stuttgart. This year’s fair takes place under the motto “change needs visions and men of action”. The German Concrete and Construction Engineering Association (DBV - Deutscher Beton- und Bautechnik-Verein e.V.) expects more than 1.500 participants including representatives of the construction industry, politics, science and research. The fair wants to set the right impulses along with the participants for future innovations. The well-tried combination of congress, exhibition and personal exchange as well as the established location of Stuttgart will provide the suitable framework for this purpose. The exhibition sold out quickly and the congress program does hold a broad spectrum of topics, relevant for everyone involved in construction, as usual: Change through digitalization, industrial construction, commercial construction, resource efficiency and bridge construction are some of the topics, to name but a few. SFB 837 is looking forward to the fair and hope to meet you there.  Image gallery Link see Flyer for further details |
50th anniversary of university service of Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. mult. Bernhard Maidl
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14.02.2019 On Thursday, 14 February, the President of Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr. Axel Schölmerich, together with SFB 837 Vice-Coordinator Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Thewes honoured Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. mult. Bernhard Maidl for his 50th anniversary of service. Worldwide, Prof. Bernhard Maidl is one of the leading experts in tunnel construction. Prof. Bernhard Maidl first studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden and then received his degree from the Technical University of Munich. After his doctorate and habilitation at TU Munich, he first worked as a project manager and finally as deputy branch manager at Hochtief AG. From 1974 to 2004, he was full professor at the Chair for Construction Technology, Tunnelling and Construction Management at Ruhr University Bochum. In 2005, Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Thewes became his successor as the new holder at the Chair for Tunneling and Construction Management. Through numerous guest professorships at the University of California, Berkley, the University of New South Wales, Australia and the Tongji University, Shanghai, Prof. Bernhard Maidl became known far beyond the borders of Germany. He rejected calls to the TU Munich, ETH Zurich, Australia and Dresden after German reunification. The University of Petrosani, Romania and the State Technical University of Kharkov, Ukraine awarded Prof. Maidl honorary doctorates. For many years, he was co-editor of the German journal "Bauingenieur" (Civil Engineer) and wrote numerous reference books and standard works on tunnel construction. Since 1986, he has been a member of the "List of Arbitrators of European International Contractors". Between 1979 and 2006, as Managing Director of the engineering firm Maidl + Maidl (IMM), he was part of well over 100 national and international tunnel projects. Since the last ten years, he still is active as limited partner and scientific advisor of Maidl Tunnelconsultants (mtc) with offices in Munich and Duisburg. The SFB 837 congratulates this pioneer of the tunneling community on his anniversary and looks forward to future cooperation.    |
Doctoral Thesis: Stability of a Slurry Supported Tunnel Face Considering the Transient Support Mechanism During Excavation in Non-Cohesive Soil
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Lecture is held on 13.02.2019 - 13:00 h at Bochum On February 13, 2019 Zdenek Zizka from the institute Tunneling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Stability of a Slurry Supported Tunnel Face Considering the Transient Support Mechanism During Excavation in Non-Cohesive Soil'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture PROBABILITY SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS APPLYING LINE SAMPLING
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Lecture is held on 12.02.2019 - 14:00 h at Bochum On February 12th 2019 2 p.m. Prof. Dr. Marcos Valdebenito From Santa Maria University, Chile will hold a guest lecture "Probability sensivity analysis applying line sampling" Guests are welcome Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Joint-Winter-School 2019
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05.02.2019 Members of the SFB 837 have attended on the first joint SFB-GRK Winter School at Kloster Druebeck from 05. - 07. February 2019. The winter school has been hosted by the Training Group (GRK 2075 - Technische Universität Braunschweig) "Modelling the constitutive evolution of building materials and structures with respect to aging". Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
DFG Funding Atlas 2018: RUB’s civil engineers take 1st place with SFB 837 once again
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31.12.2018 at: Bochum On 5th July 2018, the eighth edition of the German Research Foundation’s Funding Atlas was published. It lists the figures for publicly funded research in Germany for the year 2018. As in the 2015 edition, Ruhr-University Bochum holds the top position in the field of civil engineering/architecture. It thus occupies a leading position, ahead of other universities involved in the excellence initiative, such as RWTH Aachen. The Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 has made a significant contribution to the excellent result: the funding volume that Bochum researchers raised between 2014 and 2016 amounted to 10 million euros in this area. Compared to the 2015 edition, this reflects an increase of around one million euros. With a total funding of 14.3 million euros, the Ruhr-University Bochum was still in sixth place in 2015. In the current edition, it is now in second place with a funding volume of 20.5 million euros. The complete document is available on the DFG website see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Simulation and Monitoring Assisted Real-time Steering with Uncertainty in Mechanized Tunneling
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Lecture is held on 17.12.2018 - 13:00 h at Bochum On December 17, 2018 Ba Trung Cao from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Simulation and Monitoring Assisted Real-time Steering with Uncertainty in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
CRUST: 1st Colloquium for Young Researchers in Underground Science and Technology
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Lecture is held on 14.12.2018 - 09:30 h at Bochum IC 03/610 The 1st Colloquium for young Researchers in Underground Science and Technology (CRUST 1) will be held in Bochum This colloquium intends to bring together PhD Students and young early stage researchers associated with every member of RDSME. It aims to provide a forum for them to exchange ideas, foster debate, offer networking opportunities, present results and discuss problems and challenges in their research work. We are looking forward to receiving atleast one talk or poster presentation from your group whose topic is within the framework of RDSME. Registration and participation is free. Link see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Numerical Investigation of Hybrid Segmental Lining Response to Mechanized Tunneling Induced Loadings
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Lecture is held on 12.12.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum On December 12, 2018 Vojtech Ernst Gall from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Numerical Investigation of Hybrid Segmental Lining Response to Mechanized Tunneling Induced Loadings'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Joint success: SFB 837 enters its third final phase!
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01.11.2018 at: Bochum It was the news of the day: Yesterday, the Joint Research Center – Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling (SFB 837) was extended for four further years! A joint success which was achieved in cooperation of all SFB members. The decision of the extension was made at yesterday’s senate meeting of the German Research Foundation, during which more than 40 German research centers and transregios were evaluated. The long-awaited message about the continuation of the research funding reached Prof. Dr. techn. Günther Meschke, SFB Coordinator, by e-mail at 4:40 p.m. With 15 sub projects, 35 PhD researchers and one integrated graduate school, it is one of the best-funded research centers at the RUB.  |
Workshop Herausforderung Tunnelbau 2018: Lectures by Prof. Konrad Bergmeister and Dipl.-Ing. Felix Ambergs
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Lecture is held on 26.10.2018 - 15:00 h at Bochum The use of underground space is a key factor for sustainable development of both industrial as well as emerging and developing countries. Underground transalpine transport links, the tendency for larger diameters, difficult geological conditions or high groundwater pressures pose major challenges for tunneling and drilling technologies. The workshop series ,Herausforderung Tunnelbau 2018' will once again be dedicated to an exciting and up-to-date topic this year. Prof. Konrad Bergmeister will talk about the Brenner Base Tunnel and its geotechnical and tunnel engineering challenges in the construction of an emergency stop in Innsbruck. The lecture by Dipl.-Ing. Felix Amberg focuses on a 100 km long tunnel between Helsinki and Tallin, whose structural and economic aspects represent the next generation of long tunnels. Image gallery - Part 1 advisory board Image gallery - Part 2 guest lectures see Flyer for further details |
Long-term Tunnel Behaviour and Ground Movements after Tunnelling in Clayey Soils
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Lecture is held on 28.09.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum Dr. Zili Li form the University College Cork, Republic of Ireland, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Long-term Tunnel Behaviour and Ground Movements after Tunnelling in Clayey Soils'. Long term ground movements above a tunnel may continue to increase with time after tunnelling in clayey soils as the tunnelling-induced excess pore water pressures dissipate, whilst the changing earth pressure acting on the tunnel leads to further tunnel deformation during consolidation. Furthermore the tunnel itself introduces new drainage conditions; that is, depending on the drainage condition of the tunnel lining, the effective stresses around the tunnel change with time, inducing further soil consolidation. A seepage rate from low permeability clayey soil is often very small and the groundwater seeping into the tunnel can evaporate quickly. Although a tunnel may look impermeable because the surface looks dry, it is possible that the tunnel drainage conditions are actually permeable. This lecture will summarise the investigation of soil-tunnel consolidation interaction, particularly focusing on ground surface movements and tunnel lining deformation in the interest of engineering concerns. Analysis results show that tunnel lining permittivity relative to the permeability of the surrounding ground plays an important role on both long-term ground movements as well as tunnel lining behaviour. The findings published in literature are reviewed step by step starting from a single tunnel, twin tunnels to complex cross passage structures. The mechanisms of tunnelling-induced soil consolidation for these structures are identified and, where applicable, possible engineering methodologies to assess the magnitude of long-term ground surface settlements and tunnel lining loads are proposed. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Workshopreihe: Karriereentwicklung und Chancengleichheit "Führungsaufgaben in der Wissenschaft – Welche Rolle spielen Status, Macht und Sprache"
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24.09.2018 - 10:00 at: Bochum In diesem Workshop werden Vorurteile, Verhalten und Unterschiede in Bezug auf Geschlechterrollen in der Wissenschaft betrachtet. Existiert dieses Thema in der Wissenschaft und wie zeigt es sich? Was können die Beteiligten tun, um damit umzugehen und die Unterschiede auf Augenhöhe anzuerkennen? Welche Rolle spielen Status, Macht und Sprache in diesem Kontext? Diese Themenfelder werden betrachtet und bearbeitet mit dem Ziel, Bewusstheit und Handlungsspielraum zu erlangen. Ausgehend von der Definition von Vorurteilen dem anderen Geschlecht gegenüber werden Fallbeispiele von Frauen in der Wissenschaft analysiert, um die Bedeutung zu verstehen und Handlungsmöglichkeiten sowohl präventiv als auch situativ zu erarbeiten. Das individuelle Potenzial der Teilnehmenden wird geschult und erweitert. Urteil, Entscheidungsfähigkeit und Status werden reflektiert und im Zusammenhang erprobt. Das Ziel ist, den Teilnehmenden individuelle Lösungen und einen reflektierten Umgang mit dem Thema zu ermöglichen. Anmeldungen bis zum 24.08.18 über das Anmeldeformular Zielgruppe: Doktorand*innen/Postdoktorand*innen Kontakt: Helga Rudack Dezernat für Organisations- und Personalentwicklung Telefon: 0234 32-23726 see Flyer for further details |
Hybrid lining segments for modern tunnel constructions - Intelligent use of steel fiber reinforcement
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Lecture is held on 18.09.2018 - 09:00 h at Saal 1, Veranstaltungszentrum Ruhr-Universität Bochum The application of steel fiber reinforced concrete for precast tunnel lining segments is increasingly gaining importance for several years. The workshop "Hybrid lining segments for modern tunnel constructions - Intelligent use of steel fiber reinforcement" mainly aims to present and discuss recent advances and developments both within and outside the SFB 837. Furthermore, its objective is to give an overview on practical experiences regarding the use of steel fiber reinforced concrete for segmental linings. In particular aspects of material, production, robustness, durability and sustainability are in the focus of the workshop. Lecturer:
see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Computational methods and numerical analyses of material transport in EPB shield machines
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Lecture is held on 10.09.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum On September 10st, 2018 Thai Son Dang from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis 'Computational methods and numerical analyses of material transport in EPB shield machines'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
From Past Design to Future Decision - SFB 837 at the Bauhaus-University Weimar
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27.08.2018 In reliable tradition, the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Bauhaus-University Weimar arranged - a two weeks course in the context of the Bauhaus Summer School. Under the heading, "From Past Design to Future Decision" students had the chance to meet national and international scientists and work with them side by side on different engineering projects. Besides the project-specific work, an excursion to the Spitzenberg Tunnel, and various other leisure time activities that helped to foster intercultural exchange, this year’s summer school was completed with different presentations by engineers and scientists from all over the world. Dr. Steffen Freitag, M.Sc. Abdiel Leon Bal, and Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Sahlmen travelled to Weimar to represent the SFB 837 with a presentation on “Forecasting of Uncertain Settlements in Mechanized Tunneling”. Both lecturer and students enjoyed the inspiring atmosphere and the SFB 837 is thankful to have been part of this special event. Image gallery |
Data-driven Design of New Materials and Structures
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Prof. Miguel A. Bessa (TU Delft, The Netherlands) Lecture is held on 16.08.2018 - 15:00 h at Bochum IC 6/156 Prof. Miguel A. Bessa form the TU Delft, The Netherlands, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Data-driven Design of New Materials and Structures'. A data-driven computational framework combining Bayesian machine learning for imperfection sensitive quantities of interest, uncertainty quantification and multi-objective optimization is developed to analyze and design new materials and structures. This talk intends to demonstrate the generality of the proposed framework, highlighting key challenges and possible solutions illustrated by three different design problems: toughening composite materials by tuning the plastic behavior of the constituents, improving collapse behavior of ultra-thin satellite structures with uncertain ultimate buckling strength, and finding unprecedented properties by exploring a new material concept. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
China – Europe Conference on Geotechnical Engineering 2018
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13.08.2018 at: Vienna, Austria The utilization and exploration of underground space is an essential method for the above-ground development which opens up new perspectives and opportunities. Consequently, one is being faced with new challenges of urban modernization, efficient urban and transnational mobility and the development of clean energy resources. As a result of this, special attention is drawn to the comprehensive utilization of urban underground space, the construction of high-speed transportation systems, and the use of underground space for environmentally friendly exploitation and temporary storage of energy. Over the past few decades, the need for underground infrastructure, such as urban underground complexes, tunnels, deep underground water reservoir and sewage systems, underground logistics and underground energy storage systems, has been rapidly emerging. Along with Tongji University, the SFB 837 is organizing a forum for researchers, dedicated to the exchange of the latest research developments in the area of underground construction in soft soil or rock mass. This forum welcomes contributions related to the following topics:
Further information (e.g. on the submission deadline) can be found on the conference website: China‐Europe Conference on Geotechnical Engineering, August 13‐16, 2018, Vienna, Austria see Flyer for further details |
Special Issue on Computing with Polymorphic Uncertain Data
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31.07.2018 A Special Issue on Computing with Polymorphic Uncertain Data has been published in the International Journal of Reliability and Safety. The Special Issue has been edited by Steffen Freitag (Ruhr University Bochum), Rafi L. Muhanna (Georgia Institute of Technology) and Robert L. Mullen (University of South Carolina) and is based on the 7th International Workshop on Reliable Engineering Computing (REC 2016) held at Ruhr University Bochum in June 2016. The 11 papers of this special issue present new developments for the consideration of stochastic and non-stochastic uncertainties in various engineering and associated disciplines. Link |
Special Issue on Computational Methods in Mechanized Tunneling
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13.07.2018 A Special Issue on Computational Methods in Mechanized Tunneling has been published in the international journal Underground Space. The Special Issue has been edited by Günther Meschke (Ruhr University Bochum, SFB-Spokesman), Günter Hofstetter (University of Innsbruck) and Kok-Kwang Phoon (National University of Singapore). All papers of the Special Issue are available Open Access and can be downloaded here. |
SFB-SHORT-TERM SCHOLARSHIPS AT RUHR-UNIVERSITY BOCHUM - Third Call
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04.07.2018 The Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 invites applications for
see Flyer for further details |
Prof. Günther Meschke invited to give 13th Sun Jun Lecture at GeoShanghai 2018 Conference
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30.06.2018 On May 28th 2018 Prof. Günther Meschke (Spokesman of the SFB 837) held the Sun Jun distinguished lecture at this year’s GeoShanghai Conference in Shanghai, China. The title of his presentation was "Computational Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling: from Robust Design to Real-Time Steering“. The Sun Jun lecture is a specific, highly prestigious format of Keynote lectures. In the past, leading scientists such as P. Cundall, H. Einstein, C. Fairhurst, M. Bolton or K. Soga were invited as holders of the lecture. Image gallery |
Splines for Discrete Crack Propagation in a Fluid-Saturated Porous Medium
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Lecture is held on 29.06.2018 - 11:00 h at Bochum Prof. Dr.ir.Dr.h.c. René de Borst form the University of Sheffield, UK, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Splines for Discrete Crack Propagation in a Fluid-Saturated Porous Medium'. Recently, isogeometric analysis has also been used for the analysis of crack propagation, also for discrete approaches. An elegant approach is to exploit the flexibility of NURBS (and T-splines) in increasing or lowering the order of continuity, which can be carried out in the parameter domain. While this facilitates the introduction of discontinuities, it puts some restrictions on the direction of crack propagation. Apart from isogeometric interface elements, Powell–Sabin B-splines have been investigated to model discrete crack propagation. Different from NURBS and T-splines, this spline technology is based on triangles. Another difference is that the crack is now directly introduced in the physical domain. Since triangles and Bézier extraction are used, re-meshing is straightforward, and standard algorithms can be used for this purpose. Different from smeared approaches, discrete crack modelling allows for the straightforward description of mass transport in cracks, as for instance occurs in a fluid-saturated porous medium. A multiscale model is derived. The resulting two-scale model imposes some requirements on the interpolation of the displacement and the pressure fields, which can be satisfied elegantly using spline basis functions. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Statusseminar 2018
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02.06.2018 at: Burg Schnellenberg, Attendorn, Germany Image gallery |
Joint Workshop "Recent advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research"
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first Lecture is held on 28.05.2018 - 00:00 h at Shanghai, China second Lecture is held on 30.05.2018 - 00:00 h at The SFB 837 has established a continuous collaboration "Recent advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research" with the IKC Cambridge, UK and Tongji Univerity Shanghai, China since 2011. Bi- and trilateral PhD. workshops were organized in Cambridge (2012), Tongji (2012), Bochum (2013), Shanghai (2014 at the conference Geoshanghai), Salzburg (2015) and Innsbruck (2017). In 2018, the joint workshop will be integrated within GeoShanghai 2018 Conference on a special session. Image gallery Program see Flyer for further details |
FYEP-Workshop "Digitalisierung im Tunnelbau"
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13.04.2018 at: Bochum Last December, with the aim of creating a platform for and by young tunneling professionals in Germany, the STUVA Forum for Young Engineering Professionals was officially founded by a group of PhD students all working within the framework of SFB 837. The group held its kick-off meeting at the 2017 STUVA Conference which, with over 100 young engineers in attendance, was a resounding success. In an effort to maintain this momentum, the STUVA YEP and the SFB 837 will host a seminar on April 13th, 2018, at the Ruhr University in Bochum focusing on “Building information Modeling in Tunneling” in order to openly discuss and understand the use and regulation of evolving data management concepts in tunneling. To find more information about the following workshop (April 13th 2018) please visit: https://eveeno.com/FYEP-Workshop-Digitalisierung-Tunnelbau (German) And for more information about the group go to: http://www.tunnelsonline.info/news/german-young-professionals-group-launched-160118-6028359 (English) http://news.rub.de/vermischtes/2017-12-21-ingenieurwesen-junge-tunnelbauexperten-vernetzen-sich (German) |
Assessing ground interaction effects and potential damage to existing tunnels before and after excavation works
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Prof. David Potts (Imperial College London, UK) Lecture is held on 16.03.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 03-604 Prof. David Potts form the Imperial College London, UK, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Assessing ground interaction effects and potential damage to existing tunnels before and after excavation works'. A major research project investigating the effect of tunnelling on existing tunnels has been completed at Imperial College London. This subject is always of great concern during the planning and execution of underground tunnelling works in the urban environment. The new Crossrail transport line under construction in London passes beneath numerous tunnels, including a number of those forming part of the London Underground network. The opportunity was taken to observe the response of the Central Line tunnels during the construction of the new Crossrail tunnels in central London. Extensive instrumentation was installed within one of the tunnels and in the ground around it. In order to assess the influence of the existing tunnels on ground movements field monitoring was undertaken in Hyde Park to establish the greenfield conditions. The monitoring adopted comprised a combination of conventional techniques, such as precise levelling and taping, and state-of-the-art instrumentation such as optical fibre and MEMs technology. In addition to the field work, advanced numerical analyses were performed to model the complex ground-structure interaction at Hyde Park using sophisticated constitutive models. Excellent agreement was achieved with the field data. Another component of the research project was to examine how the stresses develop within a cast iron segmental lining as it deforms. A half-scale cast iron model was tested in the laboratory, varying factors such as bolt force and the radial load applied to the extrados. A further theme of the research was to carry out a series of advanced soil tests on high quality samples taken during installation of the field instruments. Parameters obtained from these tests allow the input data for the numerical analyses to be refined. This presentation summarises some of the main aspects of the research project and some of the primary findings. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Numerical modeling of mechanized tunnel excavation: effects of sub-systems and advanced process simulation
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Lecture is held on 15.03.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum On March 15th, 2018 Chenyang Zhao from the institute Foundation Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Numerical modeling of mechanized tunnel excavation: effects of sub-systems and advanced process simulation'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Rock mechanical investigations of Opalinus Clay shale in the new TBM-excavated Belchen highway tunnel (Switzerland)
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Lecture is held on 16.02.2018 - 14:00 h at Bochum Dr. Martin Ziegler form the ETH Zurich, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Rock mechanical investigations of Opalinus Clay shale in the new TBM-excavated Belchen highway tunnel (Switzerland)'. The Swiss high-level nuclear waste repository concept requires access and ventilation tunnels or shafts, repository drifts, and underground laboratory space. The great length of repository drifts and tunnels at repository depth on the order of 24 km, together with the constraint to limit the damage of the geological barrier, among other factors, may suggest the use of tunnel-boring machines (TBMs). The new 3.2 km long Belchen N2 highway tunnel tube (Sanierungstunnel Belchen, STB) between Basel and Egerkingen, Switzerland, crosses the folded Jura mountains including about 570 m of Opalinus Clay shale (OPA), i.e., the designated target rock formation for the future deep nuclear waste repository. The new Belchen tunnel is being constructed with enormous technical effort, because the old tunnel tubes have been damaged by swelling processes in long sections with Gipskeuper and OPA. The new tunnel offers the great opportunity to study fundamental and practical aspects of TBM excavation in OPA. Our project′s focus is on the rock mass behaviour of OPA during TBM tunnelling (short-term) and after tunnel completion (long-term). Investigations include structural geology, rock mechanical and mineralogical properties of the OPA in the Belchen area, fault hydrogeology, rock mass deformations, in-situ and laboratory OPA swelling behaviour, and short- and long-term changes and interactions (e.g., radial pressure changes) of the rock mass with the tunnel support, i.e., precast, outer steel-reinforced concrete tubbing rings and inner, cast-in-place concrete lining. In-situ monitoring systems were installed in a section where the tunnel has its maximum overburden of about 325 m, close to a cross-passage. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Skalenübergreifende materialkundliche Betrachtung des Abbauwerkzeugverschleißes für den maschinellen Tunnelvortrieb in nicht-bindigen Böden
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Lecture is held on 26.01.2018 - 10:00 h at Bochum On January 26th, 2018 Jakob Küpferle from the institute Materials Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Skalenübergreifende materialkundliche Betrachtung des Abbauwerkzeugverschleißes für den maschinellen Tunnelvortrieb in nicht-bindigen Böden'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Teilprojektleitertreffen 2018
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25.01.2018 Image gallery |
Forum For Young Engineering Professionals
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22.12.2017 In late 2017, seven PhD students of the SFB 837 have founded a German-wide forum for junior scientists in tunneling, namely the „Forum For Young Engineering Professionals“. The forum supports young engineers in taking the step from studies to their further career and establishes contacts within the tunneling community. The Kick-off Meeting, which was attended by nearly 100 engineers from industry and research, took place on 6th December 2017 at STUVA, an international conference for tunnels and infrastructure. The next meeting in spring 2018 will be hosted by the SFB 837. |
Doctoral Thesis: Adaptive computational modeling of tunnel boring machine advance
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Lecture is held on 20.12.2017 - 14:00 h at Bochum On December 20th, 2017 Abdullah Alsahly from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Adaptive computational modeling of tunnel boring machine advance'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Deterministic and Simulation Bades Planning Approaches for Advance and Logistic Processes in Mechanized Tunneling
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Lecture is held on 08.12.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum On December 8th, 2018 Ruben Duhme from Herrenknecht AG will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Deterministic and Simulation Bades Planning Approaches for Advance and Logistic Processes in Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Image-based numerical prediction for effective thermal conductivity of heterogeneous materials: A quadtree based scaled boundary finite element method
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Dr. Yiqian He (Dalian University of Technology, China) Lecture is held on 07.12.2017 - 16:30 h at Bochum ID 04 / 471 Dr. Yiqian He form the Dalian University of Technology, China, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Image-based numerical prediction for effective thermal conductivity of heterogeneous materials: A quadtree based scaled boundary finite element method'. The evaluation of Effective Thermal Conductivity (ETC) for heterogeneous materials is of interest in many heat transfer applications. For example, the ETC is proved to be one of the most important parameters in packed beds, metal foams and sponges, functionally graded materials, granular materials and fibrous porous materials, etc. In this talk, a new framework that centres about a quadtree based scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is developed for the heat transfer analysis and the estimation of ETC. Two significant advantages of the proposed methods includes:
see Flyer for further details |
Modelling the Third Kind Boundary Condition in Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method Based Numerical Analysis
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Prof. Haitian Yang (Dalian University of Technology, China) Lecture is held on 07.12.2017 - 15:30 h at Bochum ID 04 / 471 Prof. Haitian Yang form the Dalian University of Technology, China, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Modelling the Third Kind Boundary Condition in Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method Based Numerical Analysis'. The third kind boundary condition usually gives relationships between functions and their derivatives along the boundary, and often appears in modelling interactions between two structures, for instance, the interaction between surrounding rock and tunnel, the interaction between buildings and foundation, and the interaction between tunnel segments and so on. In the modelling process, the impact of one structure on another is described by the third kind boundary condition. Numerical algorithms to deal with the third kind boundary condition (TKBC) are presented under the framework of Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) By smoothing the bilinear TKBC, a differentiable relationship is derived, and a gradient based numerical algorithm is proposed in the solution process. For viscoelastic TKBC, a recursive constitutive equation is derived, and a temporally-piecewised algorithm is developed. In addition, a proof that the appended stiffness matrix is block-circulant is presented when the TKBC are cyclic symmetric, resulting in a reduction of computational expense of SBFEM based numerical analysis. Numerical examples are given to verify proposed approaches, and satisfactory results are obtained. see Flyer for further details |
Guest Lecture Prof. M. ORTIZ (California Institute of Technology, USA): Multiscale Modeling And Simulation Of Fracture And Fragmentation – Application To Fused Silica Glass
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Lecture is held on 29.11.2017 - 00:00 h at Bochum Prof. Michael Ortiz form the California Institute of Technology, USA and Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, Germany will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Multiscale Modeling And Simulation Of Fracture And Fragmentation – Application To Fused Silica Glass'. The anomalous shear modulus behavior of fused silica glass has been a long-standing topic of investigation. Likewise, the anomalous pressure dependence of the strength of amorphous silica has also received considerable attention. In order to formulate a model of material behavior, we perform molecular dynamics (MD) calculations designed to data-mine information regarding the permanent deformation, both volumetric and in shear, of amorphous silica. Based on these observations, we formulate a critical-state constitutive model for fused silica and fit material parameters to the MD data. Remarkably, the MD data reveals that the limit yield surface is non-convex. The treatment of this non-convexity necessitates a fundamental extension of classical plasticity. We consider the implications of this extension and utilize tools from the Direct Methods in the Calculus of Variation to characterize explicitly the effective behavior at the macro-scale. The resulting effective model of plasticity, together with consideration of brittle fracture of fragmentation, provide the basis for the simulation of failure waves in glass rods impacting a rigid target. The calculations are carried out using the Optimal-Transportation Meshfree (OTM) method combined with the eigenerosion approach to fracture. This computational approach proves effective at predicting the experimentally observed failure wave speeds and complex fracture and fragmentation patterns, while simultaneously allowing for complex material behavior. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Workshop Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Fracture
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29.11.2017 at: Bochum In the run-up to the Workshop "Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Fracture" Prof. Michael Ortiz will give a guest lecture on "Multiscale Modeling And Simulation Of Fracture And Fragmentation – Application To Fused Silica Glass". The Guest Lecture by Prof. Ortiz is followed by four presentations by Ph.D. and PostDoc researchers:
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Herausforderung Tunnelbau 2017
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Lecture is held on 10.11.2017 - 15:00 h at Bochum Die Nutzung des unterirdischen Raums ist ein Schlüsselfaktor für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung sowohl von Industrie-, als auch von Schwellenund Entwicklungsländern. Unterirdische transalpine Verkehrsverbindungen, die Tendenz zu größeren Durchmessern, schwierige geologische Verhältnisse oder hohe Grundwasserdrücke stellen den Tunnelbau und die Vortriebstechnologien vor große Herausforderungen. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Fritz Grübl wird in seinem Vortrag auf die Herausforderungen bei der Planung und Herstellung von Tübbingringen für schwierige Bedingungen eingehen. Der Vortrag von Dr.-Ing. Martin Wittke thematisiert moderne Tunnelstatik zur Bemessung der Auskleidung von Tunneln im quellfähigen Gebirge. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Probabilistic analysis of a rock salt cavern with application to energy storage systems
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Lecture is held on 08.11.2017 - 10:00 h at Bochum On November 8th, 2017 Elham Mahmoudi from the institute Foundation Engineering, Soil & Rock Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Probabilistic analysis of a rock salt cavern with application to energy storage systems'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
INVERSE ANALYSES AND QUASI-NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF BOTH MATERIAL PARAMETERS AND RESIDUAL STRESSES
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Dr. Aram Cornaggia (Politecnico di Milano, Italy) Lecture is held on 07.11.2017 - 15:00 h at Bochum ID 04 / 471+459 Dr. Aram Cornaggia form the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Inverse Analyses and Quasi-Non-Destructive Tests for Identification of both Material Parameters and Residual Stresses'. Mechanical characterization of materials and assessment of residual stresses are, at present, subjects of growing interest in engineering for the diagnosis of structural components and structures. In this talk, some research results will be presented about diagnostic analyses, on the basis of experimental data collected from quasi-non-destructive tests, providing practical advantages, with respect to the present practice, such as reduced damages, times and costs and, possibly, execution in situ. The methodologies presented herein for identifications of parameters are centred, from computational point of view, on inverse analyses based on mechanical and mathematical procedures apt to provide more accurate and reliable parameter estimates. Moreover, stochastic inverse analysis procedures are proposed, based on Kalman filters, for quantification of estimates uncertainty. The presented practical applications concern metallic structural components and the following combined experiments: Small Punch tests (SP) and specimen extraction (preSP); Hole Drilling (HD) and instrumented Indentation tests (IND). In both cases, an innovative procedure is developed; novelties consist of combined identifications of both material parameters (elastic-plastic, with possible extensions to creep and anisotropic behaviours) and residual stresses, possibly in situ. Consequent reductions of computing times, costs and damages may provide remarkable advantages with respect to the present standardized practices and are evidenced by numerical examples. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Bochum Undergound Space Day 2017 – Subsurface & Energy
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Lecture is held on 25.10.2017 - 10:00 h at Bochum IC 03 / 604 The “Bochum Underground Space Day” is organized by the Research Department Subsurface Modeling and Engineering (RD SME) at Ruhr University Bochum as an annual workshop to exchange results of pertinent research and to foster cooperation within the RD as well as with external research institutions and companies. This year the workshop will be devoted to the general topic “Subsurface and Energy”. It starts with a invited keynote lecture by Prof. Lyesse Laloui, EPFL Lausanne followed by presentations from members of the RD and external institutions. During lunch break there will be a poster session open for all members of the RD to share their recent research. After the workshop, a General Assembly of the RD SME will be held. see Flyer for further details |
TUNNELING IN SOFT SOILS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT - IMPACT OF TUNNELING PROCESS ON OVERLYING BUILDINGS
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Lecture is held on 24.10.2017 - 15:00 h at Bochum Dr. Wout Broere form the TU Delft, The Netherlands, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Tunneling In Soft Soils In Urban Environment – Impact Of Tunneling Process On Overlying Buildings'. One possible way to reduce the impact on buildings is to locate the tunnels below the street pattern as much as possible, such that the main settlements occur well away from the buildings and their foundations. In the case of the North-South Line in Amsterdam, with sensitive buildings founded on piles, this resulted in relatively deep tunnels, however. Therefore, the station boxes were deep and expensive, and risky. The alternative would be to tunnel above the pile tip level in soft holocene soils as a consequence. A theoretical study has been undertaken to investigate to what extent this is feasible and what the resulting impact on nearby buildings would be. A second project looks into the interaction between the TBM shield and the surrounding soil. Most projects attempt to derive the impact of tunneling on the surrounding soil from measurements either at surface or below surface, but distanced somewhat from the actual TBM.Here the behavior of the TBM and the directly surrounding soil is obtained by data mining the process data collected during a TBM project in The Hague, the Netherlands. Based on these models, the interaction between the TBM driving process and the soil is derived, as a step towards minimizing the stress change due to tunneling on the soil and the resulting settlements. see Flyer for further details |
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tom Schanz unexpectedly deceased
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14.10.2017 To our shock and dismay, we recently received news of the sudden death of one of our beloved colleagues and research partners, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tom Schanz (Chair of Foundation Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics – sub projects A5, A6 and C2). Tom Schanz passed away on Thursday, the 12th October 2017, at the age of 55 years. Tom Schanz, like no other, has shaped the SFB 837 with his strong commitment, expertise and his unique personality. He will be deeply missed for his creative scientific mind, his admirable curiosity and, not least, because of his critical, but always benevolent and helpful, questions and comments voiced during our research discussions. The team of the SFB 837 would like to express their heartfelt and sincere condolences to the family and relatives of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tom Schanz, as well as to the employees of his institute. We wish them all the strength needed to deal with this unexpected loss. |
Real-Time Settlement Prediction
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02.10.2017 Researchers from SFB 837 have developed a solution to predict advancement-based settlements in real time while the tunnel construction is in progress. The decisive factor was to simplify the complex finite element simulation models by implementing fast surrogate models. They did it by combining two model reduction approaches based on Artificial Neural Networks and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition. The uncertain geological parameters that had to be factored in constituted a major challenge. This is because reliable predictions are possible only if the inaccuracies of those parameters are considered. The SFB researchers have already developed high-dimensional real-time prediction approaches for intervals. In the next step, they intend to extend these methods for other uncertainty models, such as fuzzy and stochastic models. Thanks to the real-time capability of the simulation model, an app is currently being designed that can be used by tunnel construction engineers on location. Link |
Doctoral Thesis: Rheological characterization of particle-foam-mixtures
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Lecture is held on 29.09.2017 - 14:00 h at Bochum On September 29th, 2017 Aycan Özarmut from the institute Continuum Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Rheological characterization of particle-foam-mixtures'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Jakob Küpferle received MGK Certificate
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29.09.2017 Jakob Küpferle successfully completed the qualification program of the Integrated Graduate School (MGK) of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 837. He is the first doctoral candidate of the SFB 837, who finished all courses in Method-Oriented Competency, Tunneling-Specific Qualifications and Soft Skills. Jakob Küpferle is working in Subproject C5 of the SFB 837 on the Wear Behavior of TBM-Tools in Soft Ground Tunneling Operations. The MGK qualification program of the SFB 837 started in 2015 and provides the possibility to doctoral candidates to achieve extra skills beyond the topic of the individual research project. |
Doctoral Thesis: On the consolidation behaviour of fine-grained soils under cyclic loading
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Lecture is held on 25.09.2017 - 17:00 h at Bochum On September 25th, 2017 Nina Silvia Müthing from the institute Foundation Engineering, Soil & Rock Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'On the consolidation behaviour of fine-grained soils under cyclic loading'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Summer: School Experiment and Simulation (18.09. - 20.09.2017)
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first Lecture is held on 18.09.2017 - 10:15 h at Bochum second Lecture is held on 20.09.2017 - 00:00 h at Im Verbundforschungsvorhaben SFB 837 finden sowohl experimentell als auch numerisch orientierte Vorgehensweisen zur Erforschung der vielfältigen Wechselwirkungen im maschinellen Tunnelbau Anwendung. Labor- und in-situ Experimente liefern Erkenntnisse zur Beschreibung physikalischer Phänomene und werden zur Validierung numerischer Modelle und zur Identifikation der entsprechenden Modellparameter benötigt. Die SFB 837 Summer School „Experiment and Simulation“ fokussiert auf die gezielte Kombination experimenteller und numerischer Untersuchungen zur Erforschung des Material-, Struktur- und Systemverhaltens. Der dritte Tag der SFB 837 Summer School beinhaltet einen Workshop zum Thema "Academic Writing & Presentation", bei dem die Soft Skills trainiert werden. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Perceiving Damages of Buildings
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17.07.2017 Together with psychologists from the Ruhr-University Bochum, engineers from the collaborative research center 837 did research on how far non-professionals perceive damages of buildings in contrast to experts. Opposing to experts, non-professionals assess damages of historical buildings far less severe than those of modern buildings. Business psychologist Katharina Friedrich reports that an old church tower with a clearly visible tilt was classified as an insignificant damage or was seen as there was no damage at all. Overall, residential buildings were evaluated more accurate than old towers, churches or castles. Massive or very simple damages were assessed on the same level by non-professionals and experts. Whereas moderate damages were largely underestimated by non-professional people. The aim of the project of the collaborative research center 837 alongside with psychologists is to compare engineering critical values with the subjective perception of humans. If there are grave deviations, one has to possibly take action and inform the general public in the future. More information can be found in the German article here: http://news.rub.de/presseinformationen/wissenschaft/2017-06-22-psychologie-wie-menschen-schaeden-gebaeuden-wahrnehmen |
Modelling tunnelling-induced deformation on surface structures
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Lecture is held on 11.07.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Dr. Daniela Boldini form the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Modelling tunnelling-induced deformation on surface structures'. The construction of tunnels in urban areas inevitably entails the interaction with existing structures. Current design approaches for the evaluation of tunnelling induced damage on buildings are based on semi-empirical evaluations of the deflection ratios and horizontal tensile strains at foundation level, assuming that the structure will conform to the greenfield displacements. If the stiffness of the structure is deemed significant, coupled numerical analyses should be performed including a model of the building. The latter can be simulated using either an equivalent solid, for which appropriate equivalence criteria have to be defined, or using a detailed structural model. This presentation focuses on the soil-structure interaction due to mechanised tunnel excavation, considering two examples from real case-histories of recent projects in Italy, i.e. the Felice aqueduct of Rome undercrossed by two tunnels of the new C metro line and a multi-storey reinforced concrete building in Milan underpassed by the recently completed metro line 5. One novel element of the proposed approach is the detail adopted in schematising all the structural elements, including the foundations, in a unique numerical model including the soil and the tunnel. The satisfactory comparison between the numerical results and settlement measurements, including those along the structures, proves the reliability of the proposed finite-element models to capture the essential mechanisms governing the problem in the two analysed situations. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Reinforcement optimization on FRC structures
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Lecture is held on 11.07.2017 - 15:00 h at Bochum Prof. Giovanni Plizzari form the Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Reinforcement optimization on FRC structures'. Structural optimization requires to meet structural performance requirements by using the minimum amount of structural materials. A more comprehensive and new design perspective for structural elements could be tailored by properly combining fibers and rebar (Hybrid Reinforced Concrete, HRC). In fact, both localized stresses that can be resisted by localized rebar, and distributed stresses that are properly resisted by distributed fiber-reinforcement, are generally present in structures. Another approach to reinforcement optimization could be based on a distinction between principal stresses, assigned to rebar, and secondary stresses (due to secondary moments or to shrinkage and thermal stresses) assigned to fiber reinforcement. Even though HRC is often conceived for Ultimate Limit State (ULS), it generally enhances structural behavior also at Serviceability Limit States (SLS). In fact, fibers could be just added to conventional reinforcement (as an extra reinforcement) providing a significant growth of residual tensile strength at crack, which determines in turn a substantial increment in the cracked structural stiffness and, consequently, a reduced deformation. In addition, the crack pattern is generally characterized by narrower and more closely spaced cracks that enhance structural durability. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Short Workshop: Stability Analysis in Geotechnical Problems
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Lecture is held on 10.07.2017 - 15:00 h at Bochum Organized by the collaborative research center SFB 837 "Interaction modeling in mechanized tunneling", the short workshop on "Stability Analysis in Geotechnical Problems" will be held at the Ruhr-University Bochum on July 10th, 2017. This workshop mainly aims to give an overview on the recent advances and new developments in stability analysis for geotechnical applications. The mostly referred solutions for determination of failure load such as limit equilibrium, limit load theorem of classical plasticity and upper and lower bound analyses based on finite element method will be discussed. The use of the classical as well as modern techniques to perform stability analysis for bench mark geotechnical applications including footing bearing capacity, slope and tunnel face stability analyses are in the main focus of this workshop. Participation is free of charge. Guests are welcome! Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Statusseminar 2017
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27.06.2017 at: Burg Schnellenberg, Attendorn, Germany Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Rock specific energy as a measure of performance in mechanical excavation and tunneling under mixed ground conditions
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Dr. Rennie Kaunda (Mining Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, USA) Lecture is held on 21.06.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/610 Dr. Rennie Kaunda form the Mining Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, USA, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Rock specific energy as a measure of performance in mechanical excavation and tunneling under mixed ground conditions'. Tunneling projects can easily cost millions or billions of dollars. These costs can become prohibitive, especially near cities where cost overruns are likely to be borne by taxpayers due to hard rock or mixed ground conditions. The objective of this presentation is to give an overview of our recent research work at the Colorado School of Mines where we have utilized rock specific energy derived from large scale laboratory linear cutting tests, mechanical tests, and artificial neural network modeling to understand rock behavior. The presentation is given in the context of present and previous research which has been conducted at our Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) in the department of mining engineering at Colorado School of Mines for more than 40 years. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Geotechnics and Energy
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Lecture is held on 20.06.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Richard Jardine from Imperial College London, United Kingdom, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Geotechnics and Energy'. In March 2016 Prof. Richard Jardine delivered the 56th Rankine Lecture, which considers the pressing problem of geotechnical engineering as one of the society’s grand challenges. This announced lecture focuses on the main three main sections of the Rankine lecture: reporting recent geotechnical research considers the pressing problem of ensuring vital energy supplies while also recognising, mitigating and dealing with the climate consequences of fossil fuel consumption. The Lecture’s three main sections report recent geotechnical research relating to these wide ranging topics, illustrating some aspects of each with specific examples from the Speaker’s portfolio. The first focuses on research to support offshore hydrocarbon production, considering platform foundations on the continental shelf and large landslide geohazards in deeper water. The second considers research into climate change impacts in warming permafrost regions and engineering to raise flood defences founded on difficult organic soils. The final section reports on current research that is having a major impact on offshore wind turbine foundations and hence renewable energy economics. The Lecture emphasises that integrating geology and rigorous analysis with advanced laboratory and field experiments is the key to resolving the complex geotechnical problems raised; careful full-scale field monitoring is also essential to checking reliability in practice. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Determination of in-situ horizontal stress in sand via CPT
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Lecture is held on 09.06.2017 - 09:00 h at Bochum Prof. Mohammad M. Ahmadi (Geotechnical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran) will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Determination of in-situ horizontal stress in sand via CPT'. Cone Penetration Test (CPT) is widely used as a common in-situ test for site characterization. The measurements of cone tip resistance, sleeve friction, and pore water pressure during penetration are used to obtain soil stratigraphy and parameters needed for geotechnical engineering design. However, research in this practical field of geotechnical engineering has repeatedly shown that, in sandy soils, CPT measurements depend on both sand relative density and in-situ horizontal stress. Therefore, empirical relationships developed to correlate CPT measurements with soil parameters have the shortcoming of not being able to distinguish the separate effects of these two important factors on cone tip resistance. In this presentation, after a brief introduction on CPT test, the results of a numerical procedure to model CPT penetration are discussed. The predictions of cone tip resistance obtained in this numerical approach are then verified with reliable CPT measurements performed in calibration chambers having controlled sand relative density and stress state. The numerical modeling approach also provides other very important additional information (such as soil particle velocity around the cone during penetration, radius of plastic zone) which cannot be easily measured during normal penetration tests. These additional information obtained in the numerical procedure are then used to tackle an analytical solution on CPT penetration providing two relationships for cone tip resistance and friction sleeve from which sand relative density and in-situ horizontal stress can be evaluated independently. Based on these relationships, practical engineering charts are presented through which geotechnical engineers can evaluate sand relative density and in-situ horizontal stress from CPT measurements. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Karl Arnold Prize 2017 for Dr.-Ing. Steffen Freitag
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21.05.2017 Dr.-Ing. Steffen Freitag ( Institute for Structural Mechanics) is this year's award winner of the Karl Arnold Prize which is highly remunerated with 10.000 Euros by the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. The award ceremony took place on the 10th of May 2017 within the annual celebration of the academy in Düsseldorf. The prize was awarded to Dr.-Ing. Freitag for his highly innovative and transdisciplinary research efforts in the area of Constructional Engineering, Applied Computer Science, and especially in the field of Computational Engineering and Computational Intelligence. For more information, please visit the following links: You will find an introduction video of the award winner here: https://youtu.be/rf-ulmCooFg. Further information can be found here: http://www.sd.rub.de/de/Archiv.html#241 and http://news.rub.de/leute/2017-05-12-wissenschaftspreis-ausgezeichnete-forschungsleistungen-im-konstruktiven-ingenieurbau. Please note that all links are in German. We congratulate Dr.-Ing. Steffen Freitag and wish him all the best. |
Doctoral Thesis: Inference of ground condition in mechanized tunneling via inverse analysis using sequential Bayesian filtering
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Lecture is held on 18.05.2017 - 13:00 h at Bochum On May 18th, 2017 Thanh Luan Nguyen from the institute Mechanics of Adaptive Systems, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Inference of ground condition in mechanized tunneling via inverse analysis using sequential Bayesian filtering'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
"Problem child Gipskeuper" - Processes and controls in swelling clay-sulfate rocks
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Lecture is held on 09.05.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum On May, 9 2017 Dr. Christoph Butscher will hold a guest lecture on "Problem child Gipskeuper" - Processes and controls in swelling clay-sulfate rocks. The swelling of clay-sulfate rocks can lead to ground heaves and severe damages to infrastructure. Swelling problems are known from tunneling, construction of roads and bridges and recently from geothermal drillings, and are mainly encountered in the Gipskeuper formation in Germany and Switzerland, but also elsewhere in Europe and worldwide. Prediction of the swelling behavior of clay-sulfate rocks is very challenging because the underlying processes are manifold, complex and interactive. By presenting swelling processes and controls – as well as their coupling - from different geoscientific fields, the presentation summarizes the state of knowledge and highlights remaining open research questions related to the swelling of clay-sulfate rocks. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Structural diagnosis and material model calibration through inverse analysis: some innovative procedures and applications
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Lecture is held on 27.04.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Vladimir Buljak from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Structural diagnosis and material model calibration through inverse analysis: some innovative procedures and applications'. The purpose of this lecture is to show some recent research contributions, achieved by our team, to the methodology of inverse analysis apt for diagnosis of possibly damaged structures and for mechanical characterization of materials in diverse industrial environments. Research results are presented with reference to the real life engineering problems. First group of results considers diagnostic analysis of structures, with following industrial applications briefly presented: (a) diagnosis of pipelines and platforms by instrumented indentation test and fast simulations; (b) assessment of inelastic properties of large shafts through inverse analysis and experimental data collected from small punch test; (c) in-depth diagnostic analysis of aged concrete dams affected by diffusive mechanical deterioration by alkali-silicon reaction through flat-jack tests and inverse analysis. Second group of results concerns calibration of complex constitutive models, described by large number of parameters, with reference to the following problems: (a) assessment of parameters entering into constitutive models employed for simulation of mechanical compaction of ceramic powders; (b) modeling damage in fiber reinforced concrete. Presented examples demonstrate practical advantages in terms of time and resource savings that may be achieved by the employment of inverse analysis methodology. Heterogeneity in engineering application evidences the flexibility of methodology, suggesting that the applications in some other engineering fields can be easily accomplished by marginal modifications of presented techniques. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Workshop Cambridge-Tongji-ACTUE-SFB837
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20.04.2017 On 20th April 2017, the SFB837 organized a workshop on the topic "Recent Advances in Tunneling Research". This joint workshop was the 6th in this series and took place at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. The event was hosted by Prof. Hofstetter, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Innsbruck. It was loosely attached to the Euro-Tun 2017 conference. With 11 presentations from 4 SFB cooperation partners and 33 participants it was a true success – a fact that was also emphasized in the feedback of the participants. Image gallery Booklet Workshop poster Workshop programme |
Steffen Freitag becomes spokesman of the Junges Kolleg
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31.03.2017 Dr. Steffen Freitag has been elected as spokesman of the Junges Kolleg of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts. The junior researcher from the Institute for Structural Mechanics and PI of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 837 has been appointed in 2015 to be a member of the Junges Kolleg. He already was a deputy spokesman in the last two years. The Junges Kolleg of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts consist of 30 young researchers of all scientific disciplines. They are working together for a duration of four years in several interdisciplinary groups. The Junges Kolleg has been established in 2006 with financial support from the Mercator foundation to promote young researchers in North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 2014, the Science Ministry of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia took over the financial support. The young researchers get professional, financial, and ideational support. They are awarded with a scholarship of 10.000 EUR per year during their four year membership. In addition to a PhD, the members must have achieved outstanding scientific performance at a university or research institution in North Rhine-Westphalia. New members can be 36 years maximum and must not have a permanent professorship. The members of the Junges Kolleg get the possibility to discuss their research projects in interdisciplinary working groups within the Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts and to get in contact with established elite researchers. Also they can showcased their results at workshops and at the Science Day of the Academy. Further information about the Junges Kolleg |
Applicability of Shielded TBMs in Tunneling Through Squeezing Ground
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Lecture is held on 28.03.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum Dr. Rohola Hasanpour from Hochschule Darmstadt – University of Applied Sciences, Germany will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Applicability of Shielded TBMs in Tunneling Through Squeezing Ground'. The shielded TBMs are amongst the most technically sophisticated excavation machines in use by tunneling industry. Despite successful use of this type of TBMs in many projects, presence of shield makes the machine susceptible to be entrapped in deep tunnels under high stresses experiencing high convergence. Therefore, TBM may get stuck in the complicated geological structures commonly referred to as squeezing ground leading to slow down or stoppage of TBM operation, requiring manual excavation to release the machine, and sometimes even call into question the feasibility of using shielded machines in such ground conditions. To realistic evaluation of the possibility of machine entrapment and applicability of shielded TBMs in squeezing condition, the interactions between ground and machine components should be recognized thoroughly. These complex interactions can be investigated in detail by using 3D numerical modeling that takes all of the ground, machine and tunnel factors into accounts. To achieve this purpose, this lecture presents employing finite difference method for 3D simulation of mechanized tunneling mined by the shielded TBMs. The results from numerical analysis make it possible to evaluate the effective design parameters and the operational measures. It also allows evaluating applicability of shielded TBMs at design stage of a tunneling project. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
International Workshop Monitoring and Sensoring in Underground Engineering
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24.03.2017 at: Bochum Organized by the collaborative research center SFB 837 "Interaction modeling in mechanized tunneling", the international workshop on "Monitoring and Sensoring in Underground Engineering" was held at the Ruhr-University Bochum on February 24th, 2017. International experts introduced state of the art methods on monitoring, sensoring and data processing in underground engineering with a special focus on tunneling. Combining theoretical aspects and practical applications on the basis of numerous reference projects, the workshop was addressed to both researchers and persons from industry, who were equally represented within the auditorium and among the group of speakers:
Many thanks to the organization committee of the SFB 837 for the realization of this successful workshop, to the institute of concrete structures as well as to all participants and speakers for their sophisticated contributions. Image gallery |
Teilprojektleitertreffen 2017
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01.03.2017 Image gallery |
Monitoring and Sensoring in Underground Engineering
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Lecture is held on 24.02.2017 - 10:00 h at Bochum Current researches as well as engineering practice heavily rely on theoretical assumptions regarding the analyses conducted in the field of tunneling. Numerical models are more sophisticated than ever and enable engineers to simulate complicated interactions between the tunnel boring machine (TBM), soil, grouting materials and the lining. Although in good agreement with theoretical assumptions and results reported in literature a verification and consequently a critical view of such is difficult due to a lack of real life data. Although the extent of available data is increasing, it is mostly related to the TBM and therefore not sufficient for a holistic assessment of theoretical models. To facilitate a more general view on interaction mechanisms, comprehensive data regarding the tunnel lining, grouting materials, soil and the effect of tunneling on its environment are of importance. The workshops main goal is to introduce new monitoring and sensoring techniques to generate the required data, up to date methods of pre and post processing and to present current tunneling projects with exemplary application of such. see Flyer for further details |
Material characterization and structural diagnosis using combined experimental and numerical tools
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Prof. Gabriella Bolzon (Politecnico di Milano, Italy) Lecture is held on 23.02.2017 - 14:30 h at Bochum IC 6/156 Prof. Gabriella Bolzon from the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Material characterization and structural diagnosis using combined experimental and numerical tools'. The combination of non-standard mechanical testing procedures, full-field monitoring systems and simulation models of the performed experiments is getting increasing popularity. In fact, this blended approach allows to exploit the experimental output effectively, to increase substantially the reliability of the measurements and to improve the accuracy of the model predictions. Specific reduction techniques also permit to decrease the computational burden drastically and to obtain results in almost real time, as required for routine use in industrial environment. The illustration of some relevant examples provides an overview of the research activities carried in this context at the Politecnico di Milano. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Steel fiber reinforced concrete under concentrated load
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Lecture is held on 08.02.2017 - 14:30 h at Bochum On February 8th, 2017 Fanbing Song from the institute Building Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Steel fiber reinforced concrete under concentrated load'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
RESEARCH ON NON-EQUIDISTANT THRUST SYSTEM OF SHIELD MACHINES UNDER COMPOSITE GROUND
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Lecture is held on 31.01.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum Dr. Kongshu Deng from the Hunan University of Science and Technology, China/Ruhr-University Bochum, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Research on Non-Equidistant Thrust System of Shield Machines under Composite Ground'. Among the three principal subsystems in shield machine — cutting system, thrust system, and lining system — the thrust system plays the most important role in the shield machine. In the anisotropy of excavation interface rocks, however, the inconsistencies of resistance surrounding the machine and its own weight create a complicated working situation where the offset load on segments would be easily generated. Many tunneling projects constructed by mixed shield machine in China have shown that over load on segments has cause the cracked segments accounting for 90% of all cracked segments, especially in Guangzhou City. What on earth caused it? It is exactly that there are more load, while there are less jacks for bearing that. For the development of new system with adaptability to inhomogeneous ground, the non-equidistant thrust system has been proposed. Firstly, the force transmission characteristics have been studied on ground of mechanical model. Then, the spatial force ellipse has been discovered eccentricities for these ellipses can be used to measure the uniform degree of forces applied on lining segments. Several ways to evaluate force transmission performance have come forward. The results may provide a theoretical foundation and support for the design of an anti-unbalance load driving system. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE ELECTRO-HYDROMECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF CLAYS
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Prof. Rafaela Cardoso (Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal) Lecture is held on 24.01.2017 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/606 Prof. Rafaela Cardoso from the Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal, will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Experimental Study on the Electro-Hydro-Mechanical Behaviour of Clays'. The application of electrical energy during Electrokinetic Treatment (EKT) on soils has been well experimented in order to either consolidate (by dewatering) or decontaminate them. Several practical cases in the literature validate the use of this technique to improve the mechanical properties of soft clays in foundations, excavations and other geotechnical works. A deeper knowledge on the electro-hydro-mechanical behaviour of clays is useful for optimizing in-situ application of EKT in terms of its duration and consequences. The prediction of settlements during EKT requires solving an electro-hydro-mechanical coupled problem. Basically, volume changes are caused by water expulsion from the pores of the saturated soil after the increment of stresses, however the total flow of fluid extracted is due to the superimposition of hydraulic and electrical gradients, assuming that Darcy's and Ohm’s law are valid. While there are several solutions for this coupled problem, the literature lacks on data on how electrical current affects secondary consolidation under different stresses. For this reason, the effect of electrical potential on creep deformations was investigated and the first results are presented. The comparison of secondary consolidation coefficients measured in oedometer tests with and without electrical potential applied only during secondary consolidation was performed for kaolin and bentonite slurry samples. The values increase with EKT. Additional tests were performed to study the effect of different clay particle orientations and a final large scale test was performed in the laboratory, where a kaolin layer was laid over a bentonite layer. The experimental results are interpreted considering the mobilization of ions and water adsorbed in the surface of the electrically charged clay minerals. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Simulation-based Quantification of Disturbances of Production and Logistic Processes in Mechanized Tunneling Operations
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Lecture is held on 20.01.2017 - 12:30 h at Bochum On January 20th, 2017 Tobias Rahm from the institute Computing in Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Simulation-based Quantification of Disturbances of Production and Logistic Processes in Mechanized Tunneling Operations'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Young University - SFB 837 meets Bo.Ing
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19.01.2017 In the middle of January, a group of upper-level students from Bochum and the surrounding area visited the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Collaborative Research Centre 837 (SFB837). The event, which was titled BO.Ing, was an annual forum organized by the Bochum zdi-network (www.zdi-portal.de). The young adults were curious and full of questions. What does a regular student routine look like? And what kind of talents should I bring for an engineering degree? How does an academic career look like? Study advisor Dipl.-Ing. Nina Nytus gave information and advice about the RUB and the different programmes the faculty offers. Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Sahlmen, who represented the SFB837 on this event, presented not only information around the Master's programme Computational Engineering but also gave insights into current research projects with a special focus on tunnelling. In order to give them some practical impressions of the daily work of an engineer at RUB the students were shown around at the faculty’s Virtual-Reality-Laboratory. M.Sc. Andre Vonthron (Chair of Computing in Engineering) deeply impressed the students with his introduction to the VR-Lab technology. A special simulation that showed a tunnel boring going through soil was most exciting to them. Image gallery |
Young University - SFB 837 meets Christy-Brown-School
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18.01.2017 at: Christy-Brown-School, Herten, Germany What is an engineer and what does he or she do all day? These and many other questions were answered when members of the Collaborative Research Centre 837 (SFB837) visited the Christy-Brown-School, Herten, on 18th January 2017. Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer (Institute for Tunnelling and Construction Management / sub-project leader within the SFB 837) explained the different engineering fields, the materials engineers use and explained how engineering shapes our everyday life. The girls and boys of 6th grade where eager to turn the acquired knowledge into practice when they were given the chance to build a bridge model from uncooked pasta, marshmallows and a lot of glue. Built on the basis of examples from Dr. Schöß's presentation or simply on the kid's own imagination, all bridges finally underwent a loading test. But no matter what the result was, all students received an official certificate by SFB 837 handed over by Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Sahlmen, certifying their engineering knowledge. The event was conducted in cooperation with the RUB Young University (RUB Junge Uni). see Flyer for further details |
Zwischenstatusseminar 2017
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10.01.2017 Image gallery |
Extracting trustful structural information from high-resolution CT data via Pattern Recognition
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Dr. Stanislav Harizanov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) Lecture is held on 13.12.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/606 Dr. Stanislav Harizanov from Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Extracting trustful structural information from high-resolution CT data via Pattern Recognition'. Image processing is a modern and extremely active scientific field that combines research techniques from mathematics and informatics. Technological progress and the everlasting striving for improving the image quality are the driving forces for the vast and permanent development of this field. The practical value of a given digital image is directly related to its resolution. Increasing the resolution of modern equipment leads to the generation of large-scale images, the processing of which requires serious computer resources with respect to both time and memory. Algorithms that were considered efficient until yesterday, are unable to cope with these new challenges today. Therefore one should constantly look for alternatives. In Computed Tomography (CT), due to the specifics of data acquisition, the generated 2D radiographic images are quite noisy and Poisson noise is dominant. If not removed independently for each of them, this Poisson noise accumulates in the final 3D volume reconstruction, loses its structure, and cannot be properly treated. As a result, vital structural information about the scanned object is lost in its digital 3D reconstruction. In this talk, innovative techniques for feature extraction from 2D and 3D CT data will be discussed. They are related to both supervised and unsupervised learning, as for the 3D setting labeled "training" data are used, while in the 2D setting such data are not a priori available. The proposed mathematical models are based on constrained Total Variation (TV) minimization, while the investigated numerical algorithms are within the class of the Primal-Dual splitting algorithms and allow for efficient parallel implementation. Numerical results on real industrial input data as well as on synthetic data structures are presented and analyzed. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Computational modelling, optimization and design of polymeric nano composites
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Lecture is held on 08.11.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Xiaoying Zhuang from Leibniz Universität Hannover will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Computational Modelling, Optimization and Design of Polymeric Nano Composites'. The development of novel man-made materials is among the main reasons that made transistors and computers much faster, many electronic devices smaller and cheaper or medical implants more compatible. The key criteria for the choice of a material w.r.t a specific application are the macroscopic properties. However, the macroscopic properties are governed by the features and interactions at a much finer length scale. For the design of a new material, it is therefore of utmost importance to understand and quantify the effects taking place at the finer scale and how they are linked to the coarser scales. As (experimental) manufacturing and testing is time-consuming, expensive and sometimes unfeasible, computational methods were developed to support the design of new materials and structures. In this talk, Dr. Zhuang will present her recent work in multiscale and multiphysics modelling for the characterization, optimization and design of nanocomposites. Some novel computational methods including peridynamcis and phase field method will be presented for characterizing the fracture properties. She will also show some interesting applications of the methods in designing and optimizing nano energy harvester. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Herausforderung Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 04.11.2016 - 15:00 h at Bochum Die Nutzung des unterirdischen Raums ist ein Schlüsselfaktor für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung sowohl von Industrie-, als auch von Schwellenund Entwicklungsländern. Unterirdische transalpine Verkehrsverbindungen, die Tendenz zu größeren Durchmessern, schwierige geologische Verhältnisse oder hohe Grundwasserdrücke stellen den Tunnelbau und die Vortriebstechnologien vor große Herausforderungen. Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Rengshausen und Dr.-Ing. Bernd Schockemöhle werden in ihrem Vortrag auf das Großprojekt Emscherkanal BA40, welches mit Hilfe der kleinsten EPM-TBM der Welt realisiert wurde, eingehen und dessen Besonderheiten und Schwierigkeiten erläutern. Der Vortrag von Dr. Gerhard Wehrmeyer berichtet von entscheidenden Design Aspekten bei sehr großen Tunnelbohrmaschinen mit Supersize Durchmessern. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Multilevel modeling of fiber-reinforced concrete and application to numerical simulations of tunnel lining segments
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Lecture is held on 31.10.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum On October 31st, 2016 Yijian Zhan from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Multilevel modeling of fiber-reinforced concrete and application to numerical simulations of tunnel lining segments'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
SATBIM: Simulations for Multi-Level Analysis of Interactions in Tunnelling based on the Building Information Modelling Technology
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Lecture is held on 25.10.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum Dr.-Ing. Jelena Ninic from Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, The University of Nottingham will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'SATBIM: Simulations for Multi-Level Analysis of Interactions in Tunnelling based on the Building Information Modelling Technology'. Building and construction information modelling (BIM) for decision making is a vital means for the analysis of complex, integrated and multi-disciplinary systems such as mechanized tunnelling in urban areas. Both the planning and the design phase require analysis, modelling, numerical analysis, and visualisation with consideration of widely differing scales (from cm to km). The current state-of-the-art tunnel design process is cumbersome and involves significant manual, time-consuming preparation and analysis as well as excessive computing resources. To fulfil the requirements of both information and numerical modelling on different level of details (LoDs), we propose SATBIM, an integrated platform for multi-level information modelling, structural analysis and visualisation of the mechanized tunnelling process. Hence, SATBIM ensures a seamless workflow during the design tasks while minimizing the analysis time. A concept for parametric modelling of shield-bored tunnels within existing environment is presented, developed using the BIM tools Revit and Dynamo, and employed as the basis for structural analysis on different LoDs. To this end, each system component (soil with excavation, tunnel lining with grouting, TBM and buildings) is developed in the information model for different LoDs, making use of parametric modelling by means of Revit custom object families and Dynamo, a visual programming environment for Revit. Based on the resulting Tunnel Information Model (TIM), a corresponding numerical model for each component at each LoD is developed, considering proper geometry, material representation, interfaces and the construction process. Finally, the results of the numerical simulations and their impact on the existing environment are visualised within the TIM to enable comprehensive and quick understanding of effects of design actions on the stability and safety of the existing environment. The software is organized in a highly modular way in order to provide high flexibility, not only for further extensions, but also to be adaptable to changes in the simulation software. The SATBIM platform enables practical, yet flexible and user-friendly generation of the tunnel structure for arbitrary alignments on different LoDs, supporting the design process and providing an insight into soil-structure interactions during construction. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
1. Klausur Antrags-TP-Treffen
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18.10.2016 - 09:00 at: Ruhr University Bochum |
Role of Soil Plasticity in Evaluating Clay Conditioning for EPB Tunnelling & Case Studies of Tunnel Projects with Big Challenges
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Lecture is held on 14.10.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum Dr. Shuying Wang from Central South University, China will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837. The lecture is divided into two parts: Topic 1: 'Role of Soil Plasticity in Evaluating Clay Conditioning for EPB Tunnelling', Topic 2: 'Case Studies of Tunnel Projects with Big Challenges'. Topic 1: Role of Soil Plasticity in Evaluating Clay Conditioning for EPB Tunnelling Soil clogging occurred at the early construction stage of Nanchang Metro Line 1, China, when an earth balance pressure (EPB) shield passed through the argillaceous siltstone with a total content of clay minerals of 40.5%. To avoid the reappearance of soil clogging at the later stage, a new scheme was proposed to determine soil conditioning parameters, taking both slump value and liquidity index of soil into account. The scheme was applied successfully in the field. The effect of dispersant on Atterberg limits of clays was investigated. The liquid limit and plasticity index of the clays decreased with an increase of dispersant content. The Zeta potentials with different dispersant contents were determined to analyze action mechanism of the dispersants. With the increase in dispersant content, the Zeta potential decreased continually (i.e. negative charge increased) in bentonite solution and tended to a lower constant in kaolinite solution. The mean barrier potential of clayey particles became higher with high dispersant rate, thus it was difficult for the clays to be agglomerated and easy to disperse. Topic 2: Case Studies of Tunnel Projects with Big Challenges Some tunnel projects with big challenges will be presented briefly. (1) A combination of sub-horizontal jet-grouted columns and pipe roof was proposed to reinforce weak ground before Jiangmen tunnel passing beneath a spillway for drainage of Yu-long Reservoir. As indicated in numerical simulation, the umbrella formed by jet-grouted columns works as a shell, and the pipes in the pipe roof behave as beams in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel. (2) The twin EPB shield tunnels in Changsha Metro Line 3 will pass nearly perpendicularly beneath Liuyang River Tunnel in Wu-Guang High-speed Railway Line. Centrifuge testing results were presented to show effect of the metro twin tunnels on Liuyang River tunnel. (3) The twin slurry shield tunnels, each with a diameter of 11.3 m, will pass beneath Qianjiang River in Hangzhou, China. The ground excavated by the shields is mainly composed of clay and silty clay, and so slurry separation will be a big problem for field construction. Second, the Qiantang River is famous of the strong tide, resulting in significant change of water level. Thus, the change of shield tunneling parameters such as slurry and grouting pressures with water level will be studied. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 grants qualifying scholarships to Syrian engineers
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30.09.2016 Is there anything a university can do for immigrants from conflict areas in order to give them a new perspective for a better future? Moreover, what can its individual institutions do? In the summer semester of 2016, the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center 837 - Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the first time awards a scholarship to cover the costs of living of two especially talented students. After having finished their Bachelor studies in civil engineering, Syrian siblings Ghina and Jehad Jezdan arrived in Germany in the beginning of 2014. Since the winter term of 2015/16 they have been studying the international Master’s program Computational Engineering, which, with a focus on numerical analysis and computational simulations, places special demands on students. The DFG (German Research Foundation) aspires to contribute to the integration of immigrant scientists from trouble areas and hence wants to facilitate their contribution to research projects. "According to a release of the DFG from December 2015, all project managements as well as the universities are entitled to apply for extra funds for qualified candidates - aspiring or doctorate scientists - to engage in already funded DFG projects. When we received this information from the DFG, SFB Coordinator Prof. Günther Meschke and myself decided that we would take matters into our own hands to actively improve the living conditions of students with the respective personal background", explains Jörg Sahlmen, Central Executive Officer of the SFB 837. Since he is also the General Coordinator of the international study program Computational Engineering, the procedure was simple. "We reviewed the performances of the students who were formally qualified for the scholarship and had interviews with the best candidates. Ghina's and Jehad's achievements were significantly better than those of the other candidates." Since June both have been receiving a monthly scholarship that allows them to fully concentrate on their studies without having to work on the side. Especially for Ghina, the scholarship is important, as she also has to provide for a little son. The scholarship is designed as a training measure for PhD studies in one of the SFB’s departments. "There are already professors who are interested in hiring the two awardees", says Mr. Sahlmen. This is truly an example for integrating as well as securing the future of immigrants from crisis areas that should set a precedent. |
Workshop: Verschleiss von Abbauwerkzeugen im maschinellen Tunnelbau: Analyse des Tribosystems Lockergestein aus geologischer und werkstofftechnischer Sicht
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Lecture is held on 21.09.2016 - 09:30 h at Bochum Im Fokus der Veranstaltung “Verschleiß von Abbauwerkzeugen im maschinellen Tunnelbau: Analyse des Tribosystems Lockergestein aus geologischer und werkstofftechnischer Sicht”, die am 21. September 2016 stattfindet, steht der Erfahrungsaustausch zwischen Industrie und Forschung bezüglich der Verschleißthematik im maschinellen Tunnelbau: Auf welche Probleme treffen Werkzeughersteller und Baufirmen in der Realität und wie können bzw. werden diese aktuell gelöst. Wie können wir in Kooperation Untersuchungen und Ergebnisse generieren, die direkt im Tunnelbau Anwendung finden. Ein detailliertes Programm und alle weiteren Informationen finden Sie im Flyer. Die Teilnahme am Workshop ist kostenlos. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Effective Stress in Multiphase Porous Media
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first Lecture is held on 15.09.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum second Lecture is held on 16.09.2016 - 08:30 h at On September 15th - 16th, 2016 the workshop "Effective Stress in Multiphase Porous Media" will take place. To date there is an ongoing discussion about how to describe the effect of soil water interaction (in terms of suction) when dealing with the mechanical behavior of partially saturated soils. One approach is to describe the macroscopic effect of suction in terms of effective stress. This has the fundamental advantage that classical soil mechanic principles can be applied to partially saturated soils. A growing number of lab tests indicate that the effective stress concept is sufficient to describe macroscopic effects of soil water interaction when dealing with limit state, e.g. shear strength, related problems. However, a systematic experimental validation, taking into account the full mechanical stress and suction range as well as different failure modes is still missing and different aspects of this approach are under discussion. On this workshop the state of the art concerning this research field will be discussed. Different invited speakers will present their experimental data, analyze existing and new data sets and present theoretical background and investigations on the level of microstructure. Please register by e-mail: conference-gbf@rub.de. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Summer School on Uncertainty in Modeling, 5th - 8th September 2016
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05.09.2016 at: Bauhaus Universität Weimar Members of the SFB 837 have attended the joint SFB-GRK-WRS Summer School on Uncertainty in Modeling at Bauhaus University Weimar from 05. - 08. September 2016. The summer school has been hosted by the Training Group (GRK 1462) "Evaluation of Coupled Numerical and Experimental Partial Models in Structural Engineering" and organized in cooperation with the "Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems" (WRS) from Technical University Vienna and the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 837) "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" from Ruhr University Bochum. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
First Fast-Track student: B.Sc. Sahir Butt
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01.09.2016 at: Bochum Since the winter semester of 2000, the Faculty of Civil and Engineering has been offering the Master's program Computational Engineering. Since then it has brought about some of the best graduates the RUB has ever seen. One of them will be Sahir Butt, a B.Sc. graduate in Automotive and Marine Engineering from the NED University of Engineering & Technology, Pakistan, who started the RUB Master's program in October 2014. As a cooperation between the CompEng Master's course and the Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (SFB 837) a Fast Track scholarship program was introduced for extraordinarily qualified candidates in the winter semester of 2015/16. With a GPA of about 0.9 Sahir Butt surely is one of them. The Fast Track program is conceived so as to give students the chance to obtain a Master's and a PhD degree at the same time, while working at one of the SFB's sub projects as a research assistant. Currently the scholarship holder is integrated in subproject C4 under the leadership of Prof. Meschke. The goal is to develop numerical models to investigate the interactions between the cutting tool of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) and the ground. Just recently, Sahir has been doing research in the area of brittle fracture and fragmentation modeling, which is a scenario faced by TBMs when excavating in hard rocks. He is using a relatively new continuum model known as Peridynamics to model this problem. |
Doctoral Thesis: Simulationen aus dem Tunnelvortrieb: Parameteridentifikation und Validierung mit der Methode der Diskreten Elemente
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Lecture is held on 26.08.2016 - 12:00 h at Bochum On August 26st, 2016 Nicola Wessels from the institute Mechanics of Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Simulationen aus dem Tunnelvortrieb: Parameteridentifikation und Validierung mit der Methode der Diskreten Elemente'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Modeling fluid-infiltrating, partially-frozen and quasi-brittle porous media with nonlocal discrete-continuum techniques
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Lecture is held on 29.07.2016 - 10:00 h at Bochum Prof. Steve WaiChing Sun from Columbia University, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, USA will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Modeling fluid-infiltrating, partially-frozen and quasi-brittle porous media with nonlocal discrete-continuum techniques'. Many engineering applications, such as geological disposal of nuclear waste, require reliable predictions on how porous media responds to extreme environments. This presentation will discuss the relevant modeling techniques designed specific for porous media subjected to such harsh environments. In particular, this talk will provide an overview of:
see Flyer for further details |
Consistent Implementation of FEM Solutions for the Theory of Porous Media
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Lecture is held on 08.07.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum Dr. Dorival M. Pedroso from University of Queensland, School of Civil Engineering, Australia will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Consistent Implementation of FEM Solutions for the Theory of Porous Media'. The Theory of Porous Media (TPM) is a rational and convenient mathematical framework to represent the macroscopic behaviour of porous media including interactions between multiple constituents. The resulting system of equations is usually known as the hydro-mechanical problem and seldom possesses analytical solutions with few exceptions; however many successful applications take advantage of numerical solutions based on the finite element method (FEM). A way to update primary and state variables in the FEM is to use implicit schemes that are unconditionally stable. These schemes nonetheless require a number of (consistent) derivatives for achieving (quadratic) convergence when using Newton’s method. Furthermore, all state variables must be initialised with consistent initial conditions. Therefore, overall consistency of the numerical solver must be followed in order to obtain accurate results under feasible computing times. An additional challenge during the solution of the multiconstituent flow problem in porous media is the treatment of unilateral boundary conditions that arise when liquid may escape from the porous domain through a region prone to changes in saturation. These kind of boundary conditions greatly increase the difficulty especially in coupled simulations and hence require a proper method to treat them. This presentation aims to clarify the aforementioned challenges and to suggest a couple of algorithms that were published in to their solution. Focus will be given to:
see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Brochure 2016
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30.06.2016 The latest SFB 837 Brochure 2016 can be downloaded here. It will give an overview of the SFB team and the research topics. English brochure 2016 |
Status Seminar 2016 @ Burg Schnellenberg
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28.06.2016 28.06.2016 Image gallery seminar Image gallery excursion see Flyer for further details |
Centrifuge Model Tests and Numerical Analyses on Shallow Tunnels in Unsaturated Ground
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Lecture is held on 24.06.2016 - 13:00 h at Bochum Attention: Time has been changed! Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wei Wu from University of Natural Resources & Life Sciences, Austria will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Centrifuge Model Tests and Numerical Analyses on Shallow Tunnels in Unsaturated Ground'. The face stability of shallow tunnels in partially saturated soil is investigated by means of centrifuge testing and numerical analysis. A silty soil is used in these studies. Some model tests were carried out with a geotechnical centrifuge by varying soil densities and the ground water table. FE analyses with a constitutive model were performed for partially saturated soil. In this presentation, the numerical results will be compared with the centrifuge test results. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Seismic Reconnaissance in a Tunnel Environment using Full Waveform Inversion
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Lecture is held on 24.06.2016 - 10:00 h at Bochum On August 26th, 2016 Khayal Musayev from the institute Mechanics of Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Seismic Reconnaissance in a Tunnel Environment using Full Waveform Inversion'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Numerical Investigation of Hydro-Mechanical Coupling in Fractured Porous Media, Creep and Cracking of Rocks
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Prof. Ahmad Pouya Lecture is held on 21.06.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/604 Prof. Ahmad Pouya from Laboratoire Navier, Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech, France will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Numerical Investigation of Hydro-Mechanical Coupling in Fractured Porous Media, Creep and Cracking of Rocks'. Hydromechanical coupling in cracked or fractured porous media is at the basis of desiccation cracking in soils and concrete, hydraulic fracturing in petroleum applications and fault activation in reservoir formations due to fluid injection. Numerical modelling of these phenomena faces different difficulties both for the hydraulic and mechanical aspects. The mass balance equation for fluid exchange between fractures and the porous matrix was recently extended to multi-fractured porous media and the weak formulation of the flow problem allowed building an efficient Finite Element method for flow in these media. Also cohesive zone models have allowed a great progress for modelling fracture propagation by taking into account non linearities like plasticity and creep. More sophisticated formulations of these models allow modelling propagation under normal, shear or mixed loading modes. Another difficulty, which has impeded the used of FEM for multi-fractured materials, was the difficulty for mesh generation in domains containing a high number of cracks. Recent developments make possible the use of FEM to the case of fractured or cracked media. Based on these progresses, numerical methods have been developed and applied to the analysis of a variety of problems like hydraulic fracturing in reservoir formation, shrinkage cracking in soils and cyclic fatigue and viscous cracking in polycrystalline materials like salt rock. Some examples of these numerical modellings will be given in this presentation. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Rheological characterisation of earth-pressure-balance (EPB) support medium composed of non-cohesive soils and foam
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Lecture is held on 20.06.2016 - 13:00 h at Bochum On June 20th, 2016 Mario Galli from the institute Tunneling and Construction Management, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Rheological characterisation of earth-pressure-balance (EPB) support medium composed of non-cohesive soils and foam'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
7th International Workshop on Reliable Engineering Computing (REC 2016)
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17.06.2016 The 7th International Workshop on Reliable Engineering Computing (REC 2016) with the topic "Computing with Polymorphic Uncertain Data" will be held in the Convention Center of Ruhr University Bochum, June 15 - 17, 2016, see http://rec2016.rub.de for further details. The conference REC 2016 is an interdisciplinary event with contributions especially from Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. The meeting will be held the first time in Germany this year and is organized by the Institute of Structural Mechanics in cooperation with Prof. Rafi Muhanna (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA) und Prof. Robert Mullen (University of South Carolina, USA). The workshop topic "Computing with Polymorphic Uncertain Data" is focused on computational approaches taking aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties into account. Stochastic and non-stochastic approaches will be presented and also combinations of diverse uncertainty models will be discussed. Workshop program |
Reconstruction Rastatt DB tunnel - SFB 837 cooperates within BIM pilot project
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25.05.2016 On 25th May 2016 Alexander Dobrindt, minister of transport and digital infrastructure, inaugurated the construction site for the new Rastatt tunnel. On the basis of a cooperation with the SFB 837, Building Information Modeling (BIM), i.e. the comprehensive modeling of the entire construction process, was first applied by the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The goal is to make precise predictions on expected settings and potential risks for the surface development. On this occasion, Minister Dobrindt emphasized the significance of digital planning technologies and hence the cooperation with the SFB. According to Dobrindt, the "leap to digital planning and building 4.0" could be taken on the basis of this BIM pioneering project. The construction site hence became "an intelligent data cloud – with a new quality of data, close connections between all involved parties, a higher transparency and efficiency as well as real time project controlling." This would help to reduce risks and to implement building projects in a "better, faster and cheaper" manner. The Rastatt tunnel has a length of 4.2 km. It is part of the new rail way track Karlsruhe-Basel (Rheintalbahn), for which two single-way high speed tubes are built. The federal government has been investing 450 million euros in the project. The tunnel is reconstructed with the aim of reducing travel times and the noise load for the neighboring areas. The tunnel is to be finished in 2022. Further information can be obtained here Image gallery |
Higher Order Finite Elements for the Simulation of Ultrasonic Waves for Structural Health Monitoring
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Lecture is held on 10.05.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Gabbert from Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Higher order finite elements for the simulation of ultrasonic waves for structural health monitoring'. Ultrasonic waves offer a great potential for structural health monitoring (SHM) in many applications. At distinguished discontinuities high frequency waves are transmitted, reflected and mode conversions may also occur, which can be used to identify even small structural failures and damages. For a suitable design and analysis of SHM systems the finite method (FEM) is commonly applied. Due to the required increasing number of elements per wave length for increasing frequencies, the application of standard finite elements is limited due to the computational costs. In the presentation it is shown that for wave analysis higher order finite elements with non-uniform ansatz spaces are much more efficient with respect to computational costs and accuracy than standard lower order finite elements available in commercial FEM software tools. Even more complex finite element models are required if traveling waves in heterogeneous materials have to be investigated. In the presentation it is shown, that a higher order finite cell approach is of great advantage for such materials, because the mesh has not to be body fitted. A regular cubic or tetrahedral mesh is sufficient. The real structure is taken into account only during the integration of the finite element/cell matrices. It is also possible to use a microstructure available from CT measurements. The accuracy of the cell approach is shown for different wave propagation examples. see Flyer for further details |
Girlsday 2016
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28.04.2016 Like in the past few years this spring too, the so-called "Girls Day" took place at universities throughout Germany. Ruhr-University also participated in the event, opening its doors to female pupils between 14 and 16 years of age. The goal was to give them an impression of study programs and research institutions in which women are traditionally a minority. In more than 30 natural-scientific workshops participants gained insights into engineering practice and had the chance to prove their practical skills. Several departments of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences along with their SFB 837 sub projects also contributed to the Girls Day. Illustrating some specific aspects from the areas of tunneling and foundation engineering it was shown how interesting and exciting the work of an engineer can actually be. Various presentations and workshops on topics such as "Concrete is colorful" (BSc. Frederik Buckenhüskes, Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Breitenbücher / Department of Building Material Techniques in cooperation with the M.Sc. Jasmin Tkocz, Department of Structural Engineering - Prof. Dr.-Ing. P. Mark), "Hocus Pocus with Sand and Clay" (M.Sc. Raoul Hölter, / Department of Foundation Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics - Prof. Dr. Ing. Schanz /) and "Structural Mechanics: How can Buildings be Calculated?" / Dr. Ing. Steffen Freitag, M.Sc. Katharina Kremer, Institute for Structural Mechanics - Prof. Dr. tech. Meschke) aroused the participants' interest for tunneling-related issues and inspired a new generation of scientists. Image gallery |
On adaptive polygonal finite elements: An application to collapse plastic analysis
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Prof. Hung Nguyen Xuan (HUTECH University, Vietnam) Lecture is held on 26.04.2016 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/604 Prof. Hung Nguyen Xuan from HUTECH University, Vietnam will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'On adaptive polygonal finite elements: An application to collapse plastic analysis'. Polygons occur extensively in nature. Polygonal finite elements have been applied to a wide range of mechanics problems. They offer more flexibility in mesh design for arbitrary geometries. However, adaptive polygonal finite elements have not been found sufficiently in the literature and furthermore in collapse plastic analysis of solids. The present research contributes into four crucial points: 1) a spatial decomposition structure obtained from a so-called polytree mesh scheme; 2) Wachspress shape functions at vertex and bubble nodes handled at a primal-mesh level; 3) plastic strain rates and dissipation performed over a dual-mesh level; and 4) a new adaptive primal-mesh strategy driven by the L²-norm-based indicator of strain rates. Investigating both purely cohesive and cohesive-frictional materials. It is proved numerically that the present method performs well for volumetric locking problem. In addition, the optimization formulation of limit analysis is written by the form of second-order cone programming (SOCP) in order to exploit the high efficiency of interior-point solvers. The present method retains a low number of optimization variables and allows us to design and solve the large-scale optimization problems effectively. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture – Dr. Burton Lee The View from Silicon Valley : Internet-of-Things, Industry4.0 and the Future of Engineering Sciences
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Lecture is held on 15.04.2016 - 10:00 h at RUB, IC 03/604 In cooperation with Faculty for Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Burton Lee will hold a guest Lecture on "The View from Silicon Valley : Internet-of-Things, Industry4.0 and the Future of Engineering Sciences" Guests are sincerely welcome. Retrospect This past Friday PhD MBA Burton Lee gave a guest lecture in which he introduced the audience to the mindset of the most important location of the IT and high-tech industry, the Silicon Valley. "What is currently hot in Silicon Valley" was the focus of his speech, and he approached the topic from various points of view, including terms such as "Internet-Of-Things" "Industry 4.0" and "The Future of Engineering". He also focused throughout his guest lecture on the differences between Europe and the USA, regarding e.g. start-ups and financing. Having studied as a young man in Germany, Burton Lee is familiar with both mentalities and was hence able to illustrate his points with anecdotes from his time in many countries and companies. From his personal experience he encouraged his audience to always follow their interests and desires. Staying abroad, if at all possible outside of Europe, as well as being interested in a broad range of areas is to him quintessential in order to get a good job. see Flyer for further details |
RD SME Workshop „Subsurface Modeling and Engineering“
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Lecture is held on 07.04.2016 - 10:00 h at Bochum On April 7th the RD-SME Workshop „Subsurface Modeling and Engineering“ will take place. The workshop starts with two invited presentation: "Background and status of the In-situ Stimulation and Circulation Experiment" Dr. Florian Amann (ETH Zürich Switzerland) "Numerical Methods in Geoenergy Applications" Prof. Dr. Olaf Kolditz (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Germany) Afterwards an overview on three existing collaborative research centers within the RD-SME will be given. Link see Flyer for further details |
Faculty organizes pen house in cooperation with the SFB 837
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17.03.2016 On 17th March 2016 interested pupils visited the RUB at the annual open house to find out about its variety of study programs. After the welcome speech of the Head of the Dean's Office, Dr. Ulrike Schulte, the pupils joined the comprehensive program offered by the chairs of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A number of guided tours provided insights into the working rooms such as the concrete labs of SFB 837, or the lab for infrastructure and environmental engineering. Furthermore, they had the chance to ask questions on what it's like to study civil engineering, got insights into the fields of research of the SFB 837 and whatever aspects came into their minds. Tutors, members of the student council und doctoral candidates of the SFB 837 explained how the courses are structured and gave their perspective on possible job fields of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates. Image gallery |
Zwischenstatusseminar 2016
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Doctoral Thesis: Optimierungsgeschützter Entwurf von Stahlbetonbauteilen am Beispiel von Tunnelschalen
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Lecture is held on 07.03.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum On March 7th, 2016 Thomas Putke from the institute Concrete Structures, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Optimierungsgeschützter Entwurf von Stahlbetonbauteilen am Beispiel von Tunnelschalen'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Overview of Subsurface Geosciences at Berkeley Lab with Focus on Nuclear Waste Disposal
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Lecture is held on 15.02.2016 - 09:00 h at Bochum Dr. J.T. Birkholzer from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Overview of Subsurface Geosciences at Berkeley Lab with Focus on Nuclear Waste Disposal '. This presentation will provide an overview of cross-cutting subsurface energy research conducted at Berkeley Lab. Subsurface energy resources (primarily hydrocarbons but also geothermal energy) currently provide or enable more than 80% of U.S. primary energy, and the trend of relying on the subsurface to meet U.S. energy needs is expected to increase. The subsurface is also a vast reservoir that can be used for the transient storage of energy and for the permanent disposal of energy waste streams (such as CO₂ and nuclear waste). However, the complexity and difficulty involved in characterizing subsurface reservoirs hinder our ability to utilize the full potential of these systems, and thus to deliver critical subsurface energy solutions. Berkeley Lab is at the forefront of tackling the scientific and technical challenges to managing and optimizing subsurface utilization while minimizing environmental impacts. This requires integration across a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise, including multiphase flow, reactive geochemistry, imaging of the subsurface, and geomechanics. A particular focus of the presentation will be on Berkeley Lab’s research related to nuclear waste disposal. After being a key contributor to the research and licensing activities for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository, Berkeley Lab is now conducting research and technology development to enable long-term disposal of used nuclear fuel and wastes in alternative host-rock environments (e.g., shale, salt rock, crystalline rock). Examples of research foci include the near-field rock damage and potential transport pathways induced by repository construction and waste emplacement, the impact of such damage on radionuclide transport in different components of engineered barrier, and long-term performance assessment studies on the suitability of alternative repository locations and designs. Advanced methods for monitoring and simulating relevant coupled processes are tested against data from large in situ experiments conducted in subsurface field observatories. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Untersuchungen zum Fließ- und Entwässerungsverhalten sowie zur Scherfestigkeitsentwicklung von einkomponentigen Ringspaltmörteln im Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 02.02.2016 - 14:00 h at Bochum On February 2nd, 2016 Bou-Young Youn-Çale from the institute Building Materials, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Untersuchungen zum Fließ- und Entwässerungsverhalten sowie zur Scherfestigkeitsentwicklung von einkomponentigen Ringspaltmörteln im Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837-member Dr.-Ing. Jelena Ninic awarded ZERNA Prize 2015
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31.01.2016 at: Bochum On Friday, 21st November 2015, the Official Graduation Ceremony of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering took place. On this occasion, Dr.-Ing. Jelena Ninic, former research assistant at the RUB department of Structural Mechanics and member of the SFB 837 was awarded the 'ZERNA Prize' for the outstanding quality of her PhD thesis. 'Zerna Planen and Prüfen GmbH' is a long-established engineering company the founder of which, Prof. Professor Emeritus Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr.-Ing. E.h. mult. Wolfgang Zerna, significantly shaped the profile of the RUB between the 1960s and 1980s. He was the first professor to take over the Civil Engineering department in 1967. At the same time, he intensified his practical activities as an engineering consultant, as a test engineer, and as an author of scientific engineering publications. The Zerna Prize has hence a long tradition at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and carries a high amount of prestige. Image gallery |
Review Workshop: Exploring Different Doctoral Training Setups and Identifying Potential Cooperation Schemes between 02.-03. November 2015
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30.01.2016 at: Bochum As part of the German-South Africa Cooperation in Higher Education, a BMBF-Funded Workshop on the topic "Exploring Different Doctoral Training Setups and Identifying Potential Cooperation Schemes" was hosted by RUB- Research School on 2nd and 3rd November 2015. Opening speeches were given by the RUB Rector Prof. Dr. Axel Schölmerich and Thomas Böhm, a representative from the German Rector's Conference. The workshop served to illustrate PhD training approaches in Germany, using the example of the SFB 837 Integrated Graduate School (MGK). Furthermore, it discussed the SA concept and explored potentials for further cooperation. The following organizations participated in the workshop: The National Research Fundation (SA), the SA Department of Science and Technology, the RUB- Research School (RURS), DFG, GK iGRAD-Plant (Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf), International Graduate School of Science and Engineering (TU München) and of course, SFB 837 (RUB). Image gallery |
Joint Workshop "Recent Advances In Tunneling" hosted by IKC Cambridge in cooperation with Tongji University, University of Graz, University of Leoben and SFB 837 Ruhr University Bochum on occasion of the International Conference EUROCK 2015, October 07-10.
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31.12.2015 at: Salzburg, Austria Since 2011, the SFB 837 has been maintaining close cooperations with the IKC Cambridge, UK and Tongji University Shanghai with a focus on the topic "Recent Advances in Tunneling“. Bi- and trilateral PhD-workshops were organized in Cambridge (2011), Shanghai (2012) and Bochum (2013). In 2014, when a meeting took place for the fourth time, this time at Shanghai, the group was extended for University of Graz and University of Leoben, both members of the organization "ACTUE" (Austria China Research in Tunneling and Underground Engineering). Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Schoolarship program 2015 – Internship B.Sc. Ishaan Rajankar, National Institute of Technology in Surathka, India
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27.12.2015 at: Bochum Mr. Rajankar, undergraduate student from the National Institute of Technology in Surathka, India, was SFB 837 scholarship holder for a three-month period from June to August 2015 at the Institute of Tunneling under the direction of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Thewes, supervised by Mrs. Alena Conrads, M.Sc. The purpose of his Internship was a deeper introduction into the field of mechanized tunneling with the focus on separation plants and process simulation. Therefore, a simulation model of a separation plant was successful realized with the software AnyLogic®. |
SFB-Short-Term Scholarships at Ruhr-University Bochum - Second Call
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29.11.2015 at: Bochum The Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 invites applications for
see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Calibration of numerical models considering uncertainties – application to mechanized tunnel simulations
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Lecture is held on 24.11.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum On November 24th, 2015 Shorash Miro from the institute Computing in Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Calibration of numerical models considering uncertainties – application to mechanized tunnel simulations'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Herausforderung Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 06.11.2015 - 15:00 h at Bochum The use of subsurface structures is one of the key factors in the sustainable development of both industrial and emerging/developing nations. Subsurface transalpine traffic routes, the tendency towards larger diameters, difficult geological conditions and high groundwater pressures pose new challenges to tunneling and excavation technologies. This year's workshop will feature the following presentations (held in German): "Tunnel Rastatt - Herausforderungen für den maschinellen Tunnelbau und für modernes Building Information Management" Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Grundhoff, Dipl.-Ing. Sascha Klar, ABS/NBS Karlsruhe-Basel - Projekt Tunnel Rastatt, DB Netz AG, Karlsruhe "2. S-Bahn Stammstrecke in München - Herausforderungen für den Tunnelbau im schwierigen Umfeld von Bestandsbauwerken in der Innenstadt" Dipl.-Ing. Albert Schneller, Großprojekt 2. S-Bahn-Stammstrecke München, DB Netz AG, München Participation is free of charge see Flyer for further details Image gallery |
Reliability analysis of Geotechnical Systems&apos
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Prof. G. L. Sivakumar Babu - Indian Institute of Science, India Lecture is held on 12.10.2015 - 17:00 h at Bochum IC 03/604 Prof. G. L. Sivakumar Babu from Indian Institute of Science, India will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Reliability analysis of Geotechnical Systems'. The properties of natural soil are inherently variable and influence design decisionsin geotechnical engineering. Apart from the inherent variability of the soil, the variability may arise due to measurement of soil properties in the field or laboratory tests and model errors. These wide ranges of variability in soil are expressed in terms of mean, variance and autocorrelation function using probability/reliability based models. The most common term used in reliability based design is the reliability index, which is a probabilistic measure of assurance of performance of structure. The main objective of the reliability based design is to quantify probability of failure/reliability of a geotechnical system considering variability in the design parameters and associated safety. The presentation highlights the importance of reliability based design methodologies of different geotechnical systems such as shallow foundations, pile foundations,retaining walls, unsaturated slopes, piping in dams as well as pavements, municipal solid waste landfills. A number of techniques and concepts such as random fields, inverse reliability based optimization; response surface methods, time dependent reliability etc have been used to bring out the significance of consideration of variability in soil parameters in the design and analysis of geotechnical systems. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Download: SFB 837 Brochure
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30.09.2015 The latest SFB 837 Brochures can be downloaded here. They will give an overview of the SFB team and the research topics. English brochure 2015 German brochure 2014 |
Doctoral Thesis: Multi-physical simulations: transport and infiltration of suspensions in granular porous media
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Lecture is held on 25.09.2015 - 14:00 h at Bochum On September 25th, 2015 Alexander Schaufler from the institute Continuum Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Multi-physical simulations: transport and infiltration of suspensions in granular porous media'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Model Identification for the Adaption of Numerical Simulation Models – Application to Mechanized Shield Tunneling
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Lecture is held on 21.09.2015 - 14:00 h at Bochum On September 21st, 2015 Veselin Zarev from the institute Foundation Engineering, Soil & Rock Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Model Identification for the Adaption of Numerical Simulation Models – Application to Mechanized Shield Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Analysis of Slurry (Mix shield) TBM Ground Deformation Control during the Queens bored tunnels project in New York City
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Prof. Mike Mooney - Colorado School of Mines, USA Lecture is held on 16.09.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/604 Prof. Mike Mooney from Colorado School of Mines, USA will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Analysis of Slurry (Mix shield) TBM Ground Deformation Control during the Queens bored tunnels project in New York City'. The first part of the presentation will give an overview of the Colorado School of Mines. A summary of the research projects currently being conducted is also included. The second part of the presentation will focus on recent research into slurry TBM control of ground deformation observed on the Queens bored tunnel project in New York City. Four closely spaced and near surface transit tun-nels were excavated using two me-chanically identical Herrenknecht mix shield TBMs. The talk will describe the Queens bored tunnels and obser-ved deformation, present the observed TBM behaviors and the results of com-putational modeling. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
PROF. MESCHKE HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THE AUSTRIAN SCIENCE BOARD
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16.09.2015 - 15:59 The Council of Ministers of the Austrian Federal Government has decided to appoint Prof. Dr. Günther Meschke, Head of the Institute for Structural Mechanics at Ruhr University Bochum, to be a member of the Austrian Science Board as of 01.01.2016 for six years. According to the press release of the Austrian Science Board, "Prof. Günther Meschke, as an excellent exponent of modern engineering sciences, enjoys high international reputation. He is an expert for scientific policy, especially for comparing the situation in Austria with other countries." At the turn of the year 2015/2016, the Austrian Science Board will be faced with far-reaching changes. At that time, the term of the current prominent chairmanship will end, which is very active concerning governmental policy on higher education. After the decision of the Austrian Council of Ministers July 7, 2015, the Austrian Science Board is pleased to announce, that the characteristics of his advisory activity, i.e. independence and scientific substantiality, will be guaranteed also in the future due to the appointment of excellent successors. The new members of the Austrian Science Board, which have been suggested and nominated by the Austrian Council of Ministers, fulfill all mandatory requirements: high scientific reputation, political independence, long-term experience in science and matters concerning the universities and scientific policy, reliable readiness to contribute to the working groups of the Austrian Science Board. The Austrian Science Board advises both the Federal Minister and the universities, as well as advising the National Assembly and the regional assemblies about matters concerning the universities and generally on special questions of scientific policy and the arts. Taking into consideration European and international developments, the Science Board observes and analyses the Austrian university system and as well as the related academic systems and prepares recommendations for their further development. |
Summer School on Risk
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25.08.2015 at: Vienna Members of the SFB 837 have attended the joint SFB-GRK-WRS Summer School on Risk at Vienna University of Technology from 16. – 22.08.2015. The summer school has been hosted by the “Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems” (WRS) and organized in cooperation with the Research Training Group (GRK 1462) “Evaluation of Coupled Numerical and Experimental Partial Models in Structural Engineering” from Bauhaus University Weimar and the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 837) “Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling” from Ruhr University Bochum. see Flyer for further details |
The round thing in the square thing: Civil Engineering football match on 15th July 2015
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15.08.2015 On 15th July 2015 the annual football match hosted by the Civil Engineering student council was held on the synthetic turf behind the GB building. The teams - made up of students and lecturers of the faculty - all put up a good fight, even despite the high temperatures and the sultry weather conditions. The team that represented the SFB 837 didn't make it to one of the first three places, but was only narrowly defeated by the rivaling teams that mainly consisted of Civil Engineering and Computational Engineering students. With free drinks and free grilled sausages everyone was finally rewarded - winners and losers, players and viewers. Image gallery |
23rd International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making MCDM 2015 - Bridging Disciplines
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Lecture is held on 02.08.2015 - 00:00 h at Hamburg SFB 837 will organize a special session at 23rd International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making MCDM 2015 - Bridging Disciplines in Hamburg, Germany, August 2nd-7th, 2015 |
Highly-Scalable Methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation
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Lecture is held on 07.07.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Riccardo Rossi from International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Barcelona will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about "Highly-Scalable Methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation". The simulation of engineering problems in CFD and other disciplines requires handling increasingly complex geometries. This in turn puts an increasing burden on all the aspects of a simulation pipeline, from the pre processing to the solution stage. The use of “Immersed CFD” techniques represents an appealing alternative in addressing such scenario, providing a completely automatic path toward the solution of complex CFD problems. A cornerstone of such technique is the capability of efficiently running extremely large problems, since the use of fine meshes is mandatory both in capturing the geometrical features of interest and in providing the required accuracy. The focus of the talk will be thus on highly scalable solver technologies for CFD, with special emphasis on the use of modern HPC hardware. The talk will include a brief discussion of deflation approaches to scalable sparse preconditioning as well as the discussion of real world benchmark examples. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Status Seminar 2015
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29.06.2015 at: Burg Schnellenberg Image gallery |
Doctoral Thesis: A Hybrid Ground Data Management Concept for Tunneling Projects
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Lecture is held on 26.06.2015 - 11:00 h at Bochum On June 26th, 2015 Felix Hegemann from the institute Computing in Engineering, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'A Hybrid Ground Data Management Concept for Tunneling Projects'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
From Tunnel Vision to Visions of a Tunnel
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31.05.2015 at: Blue Square The perspective from the biomechanical processes that cause the eye disease "glaucoma" to the physical soil conditions that are important in tunneling was drawn up in the presentation "Virtual Tunnel Vision: From Numerical Eye Models to Simulations in Tunneling" on 2nd April 2015 at BlueSquare in Bochum's city center. The presentation was given by Prof. Dr. tech. Meschke, head of the RUB department of statics and dynamics and coordinator of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center 837 on the topic "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling", which was established in 2010. He was assisted by Dr.-Ing. Britta Schößer from the RUB department of tunneling and construction management (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thewes) and herself involved in the SFB 837 as a leader in the sub project A6 (transient penetration processes of bentonite suspensions into cohesionless soft soils). The presentation merged selected results of the SFB837 and numerical multiscale models of the human eye to show up today's possibilities of advanced computer-aided simulations. The presentation was a part of the presentation series "ING für ALLE", an experimental and multimedia format for young and old. The series explores the complex engineering processes that paved the way for common items and arrangements that shape our everyday life. The presentations each take place on every first Thursday in the month. They are organized by ALLES ING!, a joint initiative of the three RUB engineering faculties. It's goal is to give the engineering sciences a more modern outlook and make them more popular among the public. Further information:
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Doctoral Thesis: Forward and inverse modelling of seismic waves for reconnaissance in mechanized tunneling
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Lecture is held on 29.04.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum On April 29st, 2015 Lasse Lambrecht from the institute Geophysics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Forward and inverse modelling of seismic waves for reconnaissance in mechanized tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Modelling of anisotropy, creep and destructuration in clay
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Lecture is held on 28.04.2015 - 16:30 h at Bochum Prof. Gustav Grimstad from Norwegian University of Science and Technology will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about "Modelling of anisotropy, creep and destructuration in clay". Natural soft soils exhibit bonding between particles. During straining, some of these bonds can be progressively destroyed by a process called "destructuration". In recent years, a number of constitutive models incorporating bonding and destructuration have been proposed. The various models differ in the precise form of the destructuration law and in the form of the underlying reference model used for the "unbounded" material. A model for soft clay, including rate dependency by utilizing the time resistance concept, is presented. The model is primarily meant for soft clays and the calibration of the model is performed with focus on the "wet" side. However, the conceptual basis can be applied to higher degree of over-consolidation which will produce similar results as high strain rates will for "normal-consolidated" clay. More details on the model can be found in e.g. Grimstad and Degago (2010). Recently NTNU has been administrating an EU project called "Creep of Geomaterials", www.ntnu.edu/creep. The aim of the project is partly to get to a consensus on creep modelling in the engineering practice. The reasonable modelling of creep deformation in the soft clays in e.g. Norway and Sweden for engineering practice is important to ensure a good design that reduces e.g. maintenance costs or ensures the integrity of the construction. The presentation will also touch upon the work that has been done in the "CREEP" project. see Flyer for further details |
Numerical simulation of a progressive slide mechanism in a sensitive clay. The Smaaroed case from Sweeden December 2006
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Lecture is held on 28.04.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Steinar Nordal from Norwegian University of Science and Technology will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about „Numerical Simulation of a Progressive Slide Mechanism in a Sensitive Clay - The Smaaroed Case from Sweeden December 2006„. The lecture introduces porepressure based strength softening, as observed in Scandinavian soft, sensitive clays. The softening implies that, strictly speaking, a conventional limit equilibrium based slope stability analysis is not appropriate for a highly sensitive clay. A slide may develop in a progressive manner, passing peak strength at different times along a potential, long sliding surface. A traditional limit state based design may provide a safety factor larger than one for a slope that actually will fail. The progressive failure mechanism is believed to play an important role for the quick clay slide that took place in Smaaroed in Sweden in December 2006. An investigation committee concluded that the slide was triggered by the construction of an embankment overloading the upper part of the slope. The slide then progressively developed 200 meter downslope. The constitutive model „NGI_ADPsoft„ is used in a finite element simulation order to incorporate the anisotropic strain hardening/softening behavior of the sensitive clay. A regularization method is implemented in order to remediate mesh dependency. The method involves non-local strains controlling the shear band thickness through an internal length. The FEM analysis of the Smaaroed slide is presented and demonstrates how local failure first develop under the embankment before the failure mechanism is then seen to gradually progress downslope, finally covering the area that actually failed in 2006. The results shed light on a discussion, currently going on in Norway, on how much safety factors must be increased to account for the effect of softening in a practical design if traditional limit equilibrium analysis is used for calculating the slope stability. see Flyer for further details |
Methodology for Real-Time Adaptation of Tunnels Support using the Observational Method
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Daniel Dias from Polytech Grenoble, France will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about “Methodology for Real-Time Adaptation of Tunnels Support using the Observational Method”. The observational method in tunnel engineering allows the evaluation in real time of the actual conditions of the ground and to take measures if its behavior deviates considerably from predictions. However, it lacks a consistent and structured methodology to use the monitoring data to adapt the support system in real time. The definition of limit criteria above which adaptation is required are not defined and complex inverse analysis procedures may be needed to consistently analyze the problem. A methodology for the real time adaptation of the support systems during tunneling will be presented. In a first step, limit criteria for displacements and stresses will be proposed. The methodology uses graphics that are constructed during the project stage based on parametric calculations to assist in the process and when these graphics are not available, since it is not possible to predict every possible scenario, inverse analysis calculations are carried out. The methodology will be applied to the “Bois de Peu” tunnel which is composed by two tubes with over 500 m long. It will be showed that the methodology has potential to be applied in real cases contributing for a consistent approach of a real timeadaptation of the support system and highlight the importance of the existence of good quality and specific monitoring data to improve the inverse analysis procedure. see Flyer for further details |
Changed Location!!!
Doctoral Defense: Computational strategies for predictions of soil-structure interactions during mechanized tunneling
Doctoral Defense: Computational strategies for predictions of soil-structure interactions during mechanized tunneling
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2015 - 13:00 h at Bochum On March 31st Dipl.-Ing. Jelena Ninić will give a defense of her doctoral dissertation "Computational strategies for predictions of soil-structure interactions during mechanized tunneling". Mechanized tunneling is a well-established construction technology that allows for tunnel advances in a wide range of geological environments, high ground water pressures or small cover depths as often met in urban tunneling. During the design and construction of shield-driven tunnels, a reliable prognosis of the tunneling-induced effects as well as constant process control and real-time countermeasures are required to enable safe construction and to prevent failures. To this end, computational strategies for the holistic prognosis of soil-structure interaction effects caused by mechanized tunneling in the design phase as well as in real time during the tunnel construction are proposed: In the first part, the components of a process-oriented finite element model for the simulation of the shield tunneling process in partially saturated soil are presented. The model is applied for the evaluation of effects and interactions induced by the mechanized tunneling process. The second part presents an embedded beam formulation for discretization-independent FE analyses of interactions between pile foundations and the surrounding soil. The proposed formulation allows consideration of piles and pile groups with arbitrary orientation, independently from the discretization of the surrounding soil. In the third part, a method for simulation-based steering of the mechanized tunneling process in real time during the construction is proposed. To this end, meta models are used to substitute computationally expensive finite element simulations. The proposed simulation-based model update and computational steering procedure is demonstrated with the example of real project data of the metro Wehrhahn-Line in Düsseldorf. see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Computational Strategies for Predictions of Soil-Structure Interacting During Mechanized Tunneling
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2015 - 13:00 h at Bochum On March 31st, 2015 Jelena Ninic from the institute Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, will present her doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Computational Strategies for Predictions of Soil-Structure Interacting During Mechanized Tunneling'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Introduction of X-Earth Center and Its Application of Rock Mechanics
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Lecture is held on 03.03.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof. Akira Sato from Kumamoto University, Japan will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about "Introduction of X-Earth Center and Its Application of Rock Mechanics". Geo-mechanics group including rock and soil mechanics group of Kumamoto University are organizing research group "X-Earth Center". The organization introduced industrial and μ-focus X-ray CT scanner systems, and has been operating and applying the systems to the Geo-mechanics field. At the beginning of the presentation, X-Earth Center and its activities are introduced. Main research field of Prof. Sato is the rock mechanics, and also applying CT system to the analysis of water flow, water saturation process, CO² migration process, diffusion phenomena in the porous media and so on. Results of these analyses are mainly introduced in the presentation. He also studies DEM analysis to understand the blockage phenomena in the vertical shaft of open pit mines and water-vapor flow simulation by finite volume method are also studied. Outlines of these research topics are also introduced. see Flyer for further details |
Guest Lecture: Damage in pressurized interfaces of hydrocarbon wells
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Lecture is held on 17.02.2015 - 16:00 h at Bochum Prof Carlo Callari from University of Molise, Italy will hold a guest lecture in the framework of SFB 837 about "Damage in pressurized interfaces of hydrocarbon wells". In oil/gas wells, circumferential cracks are often observed at the two contacts of cement sheath with the casing and the rock, respectively. The corresponding formation of an annular gap at these interfaces (the so-called "micro-annulus") can be the main reason for upward leakage of fluids. In sites of CO2 storage or shale gas production, such a leakage can be an environmental issue of major concern, especially in presence of several abandoned wells. The upward propagation of debonding at well interfaces is often driven by the same fluid pressure, thus indicating the crucial role of the coupling between fluid flow and mechanical damage in the problem at hand. In view of these considerations, we present an interface poroelastic law to model fluid-induced damage. The new model is obtained from a penalized thermodynamic potential for porous interfaces, defined in terms of displacement jump and fluid pressure, and employing generalized poroelastic coefficients which depend on a damage internal variable. The coupled laws for traction and fluid content obtained from this potential are fully consistent with arguments using surface fractions and partial stresses. The rate of energy release resulting from differentiation of the interface potential with respect to damage is realistically dependent on fluid pressure. The considered damage criterion and the corresponding evolution law employ an available expression of damage resistance for dry interfaces. We assess the model ability in reproducing the main behavioural features of fluid-pressurized fractures in concrete. Furthermore, the proposed poroelastic damage model is contrasted with other laws for pressurized interfaces. The model is implemented in a formulation of the problem consisting of a well with displacement discontinuities and fluid pressures at interfaces. The semi-numerical solution of this problem is employed to simulate the effects on well integrity due to the combined action of fluid pressure, cement shrinkage, temperature variations and rock strain. see Flyer for further details |
PROJECT EMSAT WINS EUREKA INNOVATION AWARD
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30.01.2015 at: Bochum On Nov, 19th 2014 the project EMSAT (Enhanced Monitoring and Simulation Assisted Tunneling) won the EUREKA-Award in the category "Innovator of Tomorrow" In the project EMSAT, Ruhr University Bochum, the Austrian company Geodata and Montanuniversity Leoben have developed an integrated tunnel monitoring, simulation and information system. It consists of three interlinked modules: 1. EMSAT-cut: a realtime measurement system consisting of sensors and devices used to monitor the individual forces acting on excavation tools of a tunnel boring machine. 2. EMSAT-sim: a processing system consisting of computer hard- and software components used to calculate finite-element tunnel simulations rapidly and automatically. 3. EMSAT-inf: an information system used for management, visualization and analysis of tunneling data and for connecting all EMSAT-modules. EMSAT provides continuous prognoses (e.g. of the expected ground deformation) right during tunnel excavation. The prognoses are based on input data that are live-recorded on site and transferred directly from the tunnel boring machine to a remote data processing center via the Internet. Offered as a webservice, EMSAT helps avoiding tunneling risks such as collapses or critical deformation. Newspaper article       © SIF 2014 |
SFB-Short-term Scholarships at Ruhr-University Bochum
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01.01.2015 The Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 invites applications for
see Flyer for further details |
RUB Visiting International Professor Grant
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19.12.2014 at: Bochum RUBs Research School decided to award a Visiting International Professor Grant of 12.000€ to Prof. Dr. Callari. This Research School PLUS funding can be used for Prof. Callaris visits to RUB |
On the Interaction between a Tunnel Boring Machine and the Surrounding Soil
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M.Sc. Daniele Festa, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands Lecture is held on 02.12.2014 - 16:00 h at Bochum IC 03/606 The presentation gives a brief overview of my PhD research. This research project investigated the mechanical equilibrium of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) driving in soft soil and the interaction between the TBM-shield and the soil, where primarily monitoring data is used to model the physical processes induced by the TBM advance. The monitoring data used is obtained from the Hubertus tunnel in The Hague, Netherlands. A kinematic model of shield behaviour is introduced that captures the displacement history of the soil induced by the advancing shield. The calculated displacements are processed into stresses acting on the shield by means of a purpose-built bedding model. Limitations and advantages of the newly proposed bedding curves are discussed. Stresses, forces and moments acting on the TBM are combined to verify its mechanical equilibrium. The conditions where a static equilibrium is or is not achieved are discussed. As a result, a quantitative assessment of the influence of the tail-void grouting is made. The interface displacements calculated by the model and those actually measured into the soil are compared. Where correlation is weak alternative explanations are proposed, including the penetration of pressurized grout mortar into the interspace between the TBM-shield and the excavated geometry. It is shown that the pattern of the induced displacements substantially differs from that assumed by the volume-loss scheme. see Flyer for further details |
The Spaghetti bridges - or what do civil engineers do?
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20.11.2014 at: Bochum We use several infrastructures like streets, tunnels, and bridges every day on our way to school or work. Only once these are damaged and do not work properly anymore do we notice that we need them urgently. Just: how do you build a bridge? And: do all bridges look the same? Together we take a look at how loads are being carried and which constructions are necessary for this. You can construct bridges by yourself and can test how much weight they can withstand. As examples you should collect several pictures and drawings of bridges in advance and bring them along to the event. Seminar Konzept    |
Herausforderung Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 14.11.2014 - 15:00 h at Bochum The use of subsurface structures is one of the key factors in the sustainable development of both industrial and emerging/developing nations. Subsurface transalpine traffic routes, the tendency towards larger diameters, difficult geological conditions and high groundwater pressures pose new challenges to tunneling and excavation technologies. In his presentation Prof. Anagnostou will dicuss the stability of the tunnel face on the basis of the latest scientific findings. The presentation of Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Ehrbar gives insights in the construction of the Gotthard Base Tunnel and suggests conclusions for future large-scale tunneling projects. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Short Course 2014 with the Board of Advisors (SFB-Beirat)
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Lecture is held on 14.11.2014 - 09:30 h at Bochum Veranstaltungszentrum On 14th November 2014 the SFB short course will take place at the RUB-Veranstaltungszentrum. The goal of this special workshop is to provide basic knowledge on mechanized tunneling to all researchers involved in the SFB and to summarize the state of the art in research after the first phase of SFB 837. All topics of SFB 837 - from the numerical multiscale method to machine technology - will be addressed. The members of the SFB-Beirat are invited to take part as special guests. Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Doctoral Thesis: Monitoringbasierte strukturmechanische Schadensanalyse von Bauwerken beim Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 07.11.2014 - 11:00 h at Bochum On November 7th, 2014 Steffen Schindler from the institute Concrete Structures, Ruhr University Bochum, will present his doctoral thesis in the framework of SFB 837 about 'Monitoringbasierte strukturmechanische Schadensanalyse von Bauwerken beim Tunnelbau'. The presentation is open to all SFB837 members. see Flyer for further details |
Eurostars Project EMSAT in finals for EUREKA-Award
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31.10.2014 The Cooperation Project Eurostars / EMSAT between Geodata in Austria and the Institute for Structural Mechanics has been selected as one of the three finalists in the category "Innovators of Tomorrow". EUREKA's Eurostars Programme is the first European funding and support programme to be specifically dedicated to research-performing SMEs. |
SFB 837 meets the Japan Society of Civil Engineers
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24.10.2014 - 13:00 at: Ruhr University Bochum The digital design of infrastructures is currently a big topic, not only in Germany. Japan researchers and construction companies are also working on new approaches to digitial design and construction. To learn about the current state of digital design of infrastructures in Germany, a delegation from the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers visited the Ruhr-Universität in Bochum on October 24, 2014 (see picture). On the one hand, industrial insight was given by HOCHTIEF ViCon GmbH and ceapoint aec technologies GmbH, which presented fundamental working practices and completed projects. On the other hand, current research results of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 within the area of holistic data management and interaction modeling for mechanized tunneling were discussed. This meeting has revealed that the efficient design and construction of large infrastructure projects are still a big challenge, and that the key to success is the use of methods specifically developed for the digital design and construction of industrial structures, known as Building Information Modeling. |
Aspects of Optimal Experimental Design
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Lecture is held on 21.10.2014 - 16:00 h at Bochum The utilisation of mathematical models to gain a deeper understanding of complex (technical) systems is common practice in various research fields. In addition to the proper choice of a suitable model structure the parameter identification step is crucial in modelling. The determination of unknown model parameters by minimising the difference between simulation results and measurement data may result in imprecise parameter estimates, θ. A proper quantification of these parameter uncertainties, however, is a challenging issue but a prerequisite for Optimal Experimental Design (OED). OED aims to provide credible parameter estimates by evaluating additional experimental runs, which are designed in an optimal way. In this lecture the essential step of uncertainty quantification and propagation is addressed. It is shown how the so-called Point Estimate Method (PEM) provides a reasonable compromise of accuracy and computational load. Hence, after a short recall of the uncertainty quantification basics the merits of PEM are demonstrated by illustrative examples. Additionally, the direct link between parameter sensitivities and OED is presented. Here, too, the determination of global parameter sensitivities benefits from the efficiency of PEM. Some comments to the software tools used for implementation complete the presentation. see Flyer for further details |
Minisymposium "Computational Modelling in Underground Construction"
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first Lecture is held on 22.09.2014 - 00:00 h at Kyoto, Japan second Lecture is held on 25.09.2014 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In the framework of SFB837 Prof. G. Meschke (RUB, SFB837), Prof. K. Soga (Cambridge University, UK) und Prof. Y. Yuan (Tongji University, China) will organize a minisymposium "Computational Modelling in Underground Construction" at 14th IACMAG Conference, September 22-25, 2014 in Kyoto, Japan |
Evaluation of oil contamination in porous media by X-ray CT image analysis and LBM simulation
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Lecture is held on 17.09.2014 - 10:00 h at Bochum Mechanism of oil contamination in a porous media is complex due to flowing because some oil should be flushed by water movement or some oil should be trapped. These mechanics is caused by the capillary force and it should be exerted by three items: pore diameter, pore shape and connectivity. Hence, it has a great influence to the oil flow. Nowadays, μ-focus X-ray CT can evaluate first two items applying adapt image processing. Besides, the clarification to flow dynamics will require mechanical properties and indentation velocity of fluid with viscosity ratio between the fluids, the interaction force, and wetting properties such as contact angle. Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) may be relatively easy to introduce the boundary conditions for the boundary complexity. In addition, LBM has the high adaptability to a two-phase flow issue, so the research results by for instance, two-phase flow in porous material such as soil materials can be calculated including the movement of the fluid interface between two phases for the oil - water. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanism of water-oil flow in porous materials. Therefore LBM simulation was implemented using by pore structural data that is extracted from CT image. In this presentation, authors simulate capillary behavior of a light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) with different capillary number (Ca) and then, trapped LNAPL will be simulated by water injecting after LNAPL distributed in the glass beads. In this presentation, LBM simulation to artificial image with regular arrangements and to X-ray CT image of glass beads would be conducted and their results are discussed. see Flyer for further details |
guest lecture: Compressibility of Porous Materials, Thermodynamics, and the Total Differential
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Lynn Schreyer-Bennethum, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Colorado Denver Lecture is held on 16.09.2014 - 16:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IC 03/606 Typical experiments performed on saturated soils (swelling and non-swelling porous materials) include the drained, jacketed, and pseudo-bulk compressibility experiments. In this talk we show how to use thermodynamics to develop the relationship between these compressibilities and the compressibility of each phase and the void fractions. The mathematical tool used is one commonly used in physical chemistry, but has not been used consistently in hydrology and geomechanics: the total differential. The results of the thermodynamical analysis (with no constitutive assumptions) are presented for a saturated porous material with possibly both phases compressible, and the theory is compared with Biot's, Zimmerman's, and Gassmann's formulation. Also we examine the results of Brown and Korringa. Because minimal assumptions are made the results are applicable to developing a framework for deriving a Terzaghi result and potential consequences for wave propagation. see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Summer School: Experiment and Simulation
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Lecture is held on 01.09.2014 - 10:00 h at Bochum In den Verbundforschungsvorhaben SFB 837, GRK 1462 und WRS finden sowohl experimentell als auch numerisch orientierte Vorgehensweisen zur Erforschung der vielfältigen Wechselwirkungen beim maschinellen Tunnelbau, zur Bewertung gekoppelter numerischer Partialmodelle im Konstruktiven Ingenieurbau und zur Erforschung komplexer Wasser-Ressourcen-Systeme Anwendung. Labor- bzw. in-situ Experimente liefern Erkenntnisse zur Beschreibung physikalischer Phänomene und werden zur Validierung numerischer Modelle und zur Identifikation der entsprechenden Modellparameter benötigt. Die Summer School "Experiment and Simulation" fokussiert auf die gezielte Kombination Experimenteller und numerischer Untersuchungen zur Erforschung des Material-, Struktur- und Systemverhaltens. see Flyer for further details |
Minisymposium Computer aided steering in engineering" 11TH WORLD CONGRESS ON COMPUTATIONAL MECHANICS
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first Lecture is held on 20.07.2014 - 00:00 h at Barcelona second Lecture is held on 25.07.2014 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In the framework of SFB837 Dr. S. Freitag (SFB 837), Prof. D. Hartmann, Prof. G. Meschke und Dr. Stascheit (Maidl Tunnel Consult) will organize a mini symposium "Computer Aided Steering in Engineering" at 1th World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM2014) Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Link |
Status Seminar 2014
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14.07.2014 at: Burg Schnellenberg Image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Minisymposium Polymorphic Space- and Time-Dependent Uncertainty Modelling in Engineering
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first Lecture is held on 13.07.2014 - 00:00 h at Liverpool, UK second Lecture is held on 16.07.2014 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In the framework of SFB837 will participate in minisymposium "Polymorphic Space- and Time-Dependent Uncertainty Modelling in Engineering" at 2nd International Conference on Vulnerability and Risk Analysis and Management and 6th International Symposium on Uncertainty Modelling and Analysis (ASCE-ICVRAM-ISUMA 2014), Liverpool, UK Link |
Performance analysis of TBM's by using analytical cutting models and geostatistics
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Prof. George Exadaktylos Lecture is held on 10.07.2014 - 14:00 h at Bochum IC 04/408 In mechanized tunneling using TBM's the contact of the cutting tools with the rock (or soil) precedes every other work like mucking and support. Penetration into the cohesive/frictional porous solid by the tip of a disc cutter or cutting pick of a TBM, can be achieved only a fraction of a cm at a time. Analysis of the cutting processes in rocks and soils give precious information on rock mechanical properties e.g. strength, deformability and abrasivity (backward problem). The forward problem is the optimum design of cutting tools, i.e. picks, discs, then of the cutting head and operational parameters. In order to achieve both aims the logical step is to study first the mechanics of a single cutter penetrating and cutting the geomaterial and then compose the whole response model of the cutting head. Analytical models of cutting tools for Geomaterials based on Elasticity Theory, Limit Theory of Perfect Plasticity and Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics are presented. Before the outset of the excavation of a TBM several geotechnical and geological data are collected along the tunnel "corridor". This data should be interpolated along the planned tunnel axis on a 3D grid of the geological model. Geostatistical theory accompanied with CAD tools provide the mathematical/geometry frame needed for the estimation of spatially or temporally correlated data from sparse spatial sample data. Then it is possible to correlate the TBM performance with the geological-geotechnical conditions at regular intervals along the tunnel. Herein, we are going to display the above concepts and tools with two example case studies, one referring to the double tube tunnel DB320 project (part of the KCRC West Rail Project in Hong-Kong) and another pertaining to a 1,800 m section of the metro line extension in Athens. see Flyer for further details |
Informationssysteme im Tunnelbau
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Lecture is held on 08.07.2014 - 12:00 h at Bochum Für die sichere Abwicklung von komplexen Infrastrukturprojekten ist die kontinuierliche Aufzeichnung, Auswertung und Verarbeitung der anfallenden Daten zur Projektsteuerung nötig, um den Projektfortschritt und die Kostenentwicklung zu dokumentieren. Die Bewältigung dieser Datenflut entwickelt sich bei Großprojekten zu einer der Hauptaufgaben des Managements. Web-basierte, modular aufgebaute und daher frei konfigurierbare Softwarelösungen wie IRIS.tunnel bieten die Möglichkeit, die zuvor größtenteils isoliert betriebenen Datenauswertungen wie bspw. das Dokumentenmanagement, Management von Planungs- und Abrechnungsdaten sowie Erfassung und Verarbeitung von Maschinen- und Sensordaten in einer zusammenführenden Plattform zu bündeln. Der Vortrag beschreibt Aufbau und Funktionsweise eines solchen Informationssystems und gibt Hinweise für die Anwendung.  see Flyer for further details |
DFG agrees on continued funding of the SFB 837 Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling
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12.06.2014 at: Bochum The German Research Foundation (DFG) has been funding the Collaborative Research Center "SFB 837" since July 1st 2010. The SFB 837 is comprised of researchers from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Geo Sciences. In a DFG senate meeting on May 15th, 2014, the SFB 837 was unanimously recommended for continued funding for four more years. According to DFG, such a unanimous decision is etraordinarily rare, and hence the involved parties are all the more proud of such a positive appraisal. The focus of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 837 "Interaction modelling in mechanized tunneling" is the research and development of Computer aided models, methods and design concepts, that, with the support of experimental studies and empirical data, can accurately predict and model the numerous complex interactions of the components (ground, shield machine, support measures, tunnel lining, existing buildings) and processes (advancing and excavation process, construction operation) involved in mechanized tunneling. To this end, the goal of the SFB 837 is to supplement pre-existing empirical approaches used in design and monitoring of the mechanized tunneling process, with reliable and accurate numerical models in order to enable more efficient, low risk and environmentally friendly solutions in the design and construction of shield supported tunnels. Proceeding from the findings and developments of the first funding period, the research program for the second period (1 July 2014 to 30 June 2018) will encompass further associated research topics. Among these are two new sub-projects, which are specifically dedicated to the exploration of bentonite-soil-interactions in hydro shield machines and to tool-soil interaction. The SFB 837 currently employs 25 PhD candidates, 27 research assistants and 4 technical employees. It also features an integrated graduate school and maintains close relations to renowned universities worldwide (e.g. University of Cambridge, Tongji University). PR-Announcement |
Moderne rheologische Messungen zum besseren Verständnis des Fließverhaltens von Bohrspülungen - vergleichende Betrachtung herkömmlicher und neuer innovativer Messverfahren
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Lecture is held on 04.06.2014 - 00:00 h at Bochum "Moderne rheologische Messungen zum besseren Verständnis des Fließverhaltens von Bohrspülungen - vergleichende Betrachtung herkömmlicher und neuer innovativer Messverfahren" is a Workshop which will be presented by Mrs. Dr. H. Strauß and Mrs. Dipl.-Chem. A. Schulz on 04th June. image gallery
see Flyer for further details |
Joint Workshop "Recent advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research" in the framework of the International Conference GeoShanghai 2014, May 26th - 28th between IKC Cambridge, Tongji Univerity Shanghai and Ruhr University Bochum
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first Lecture is held on 26.05.2014 - 00:00 h at Shanghai, China second Lecture is held on 28.05.2014 - 00:00 h at The SFB 837 has established a continuous collaboration "Recent advances in Tunneling and Underground Space Research" with the IKC Cambridge, UK and Tongji Univerity Shanghai, China in 2011 and 2012. Bi- and trilateral PhD. workshops were organized in Cambridge (2011) and Shanghai (2012) and Bochum (2013) In 2014, the joint workshop will be integrated within GeoShanghai 2014 Conference on a special session. This upcoming workshop groups from "ACTUE" Austria China Research in Tunneling and Underground Engineering. Link see Flyer for further details |
Wave Propagation in Partially Saturated Soils
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Lecture is held on 16.05.2014 - 14:00 h at IC 03/653 "Wave Propagation in Partially Saturated Soils" is a lecture which will be presented by Mrs. Dr.-Ing. B. Albers. If the pores of a porous medium are filled by two (or more) immiscible fluids, as for example, water and air, then they are called "partially saturated". The pore fluids possess different partial pressures, i.e. there exists a discontinuity in the pressure across the interface separating them. This difference is called capillary pressure. It depends on the geometry of the pore space, on the nature of the solids and and on the degree of saturation, i.e. the ratio of the volume occupied by one of the pore fluids over the entire pore volume. In the lecture some aspects of the phenomenology and of the mechanical properties of such media are addressed. The modelling of three-component media will be described. A linear macroscopic model is introduced whose material parameters have to be determined from their measurable microscopic counterparts. The focus of the talk lies on the propagation of sound waves in partially saturated soils. The wave propagation analysis predicts the existence of four sound waves in partially saturated porous media - one transversal wave, S, and three compressional waves, P1, P2 and P3. Their acoustic properties are shown in dependence on frequency and degree of saturation. The P1-wave is mainly driven by the skeleton. At a high degree of saturation its speed increases up to the double of the value for other saturations. This phenomenon may be used for the development of nondestructive testing methods, e.g. to warn against landslides. The P2-wave shows a similar behavior to the sound wave in suspensions: its speed has a deep minimum in dependence on the saturation. The P3-wave only exists if at least two immiscible pore fluids occur. Its speed is attributed to the capillary pressure between the pore fluids. See the image Gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Workshop on Communication and Conflict Management by Dr. Ulrike Hanskötter, Research Engineer and Communication Trainer at Airbus, GER
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Lecture is held on 09.05.2014 - 14:00 h at IC 03 / 653 What does communication have to do with yoga? Not the least, one would usually say. In her workshop on "Communication - A View from a Research Engineer Working in an International Industrial Company" Dr. Ulrike Hanskötter, research engineer and communication trainer at Airbus, proved the opposite, however: Dysfunctional conversations and even conflicts can be overcome and avoided by means of so-called "non-violent communication, a concept which goes back to American psychologist Marshall Rosenberg. NVC is useful for resolving conflicts, connecting with others, and living in a way that is conscious, present, and attuned to one's genuine and living needs. This corresponds to the teachings of yoga according to which a higher state of mind can be achieved by a high degree of self-awareness. Yoga allows individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. In this sphere, communication can even do entirely words and misunderstandings just won't occur. In this context, Dr. Hanskötter extended her views on the concept of Dragon Dreaming, a method that is based on chaos and system theory, strategies of community building, project management and the knowledge of the Aborigines. It relies on creativeness, transparency, teamplay and cooperation and aims at unfolding the potential of all involved parties to identify and realize a common goal. Even though these were two highly unusual approaches for the SFB audience, who, as engineers, are used to think in strictly logical terms, Dr. Hansktter's explanations fell on fertile ground and were a true inspiration to many of them. See the pictures to get an impression of that interesting and unconventional afternoon. see image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Interaktionsmodelle für die Trassenplanung von Tunnelbauwerken
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Lecture is held on 08.05.2014 - 08:30 h at RUB, IC 04 / 206 "Interaktionsmodelle für die Trassenplanung von Tunnelbauwerken" is a workshop which will be organized by the reseach group DFG 1546 - 3D Tracks and the SFB 837 - Interaction Modeling Mechanized Tunneling. Prof. M. Breuning, Prof. A. Bormann, Prof. S. Hinz, Prof. T. Kolbe and Prof. E. Rank as well as some Members of the SFB 837 will give lectures on May, 8th. see image gallery see Flyer for further details |
Data Assimilation for Geotechnical Applications
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2014 - 13:30 h at Bochum In the framework of SFB 837 Prof. Akira Murakami from Kyoto University Japan will hold a guest lecture with the topic of "Data Assimilation for Geotechnical Applications" This presentation includes a computational method, incorporating the finite element model into data assimilation using the particle filter, is presented for iden- tifying material properties based on sequential measurements under the known changing traction boundary conditions in order to overcome some difficulties in identifying the parameters for elasto-plastic problems from which the existing inverse analysis strategies have suffered. A soil-water coupled problem, which uses the elasto-plastic constitutive model, is dealt with as the geotechnical application. see Flyer for further details |
Applications of the Particle Filter to some practical Problems in Geotechnical Engineering
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2014 - 13:30 h at Bochum In the framework of SFB 837 Prof. Takayuki Shuku from Okayama University Japan will hold a guest lecture with the topic of "Applications of the Particle Filter to some practical problems in geotechnical engineering" This presentation includes two application examples of the particle filter (PF) to practical problems in geotechnical engineering. In the first example, deformation behavior of Kobe Airport island constructed on a reclaimed land were analyzed by using a soil-water coupled finite element method with a elasto-plastic constitutive model called Cam-clay model, and the elasto-plastic parameters of the model were identified by the PF. Second example focuses on the consolidation behavior of clay foundation improved by a vacuum consolidation method which is a typical remedial measure for long-term settlement of clay foundation. Identified parameters by the PF were applied to future predictions for deformation behavior of foundation grounds, and the practicability of the PF was discussed by comparing prediction results with the corresponding observation data. Apart from the inverse analyses, our latest topics regarding a particle method (Moving Particle Semiimplicit method, MPS) are also demonstrated in the presentation. see Flyer for further details |
Multi Tasking Business Men and Women
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first Lecture is held on 19.02.2014 - 13:00 h at Bochum second Lecture is held on 20.02.2014 - 09:00 h at Beruflich etwas bewegen, mit Spaß forschen und lehren, Privatleben und Hobbies haben, Eltern sein. Sie wollen in allen Bereichen Ihres Lebens richtig gut sein. Geht dies? Mit dieser Fragestellung beschäftigt sich das Seminar "Multi Tasking Business Men and Women" von Frau Susanne Westphal. Das Seminar findet in deutscher Sprache statt. Anmeldeschluss ist der 21.01.2014. see Flyer for further details |
Soil Variability and its Consequences in Geotechnical Engineering
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Lecture is held on 26.11.2013 - 13:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum The core competences of civil engineers are designing, building and maintaining structures and buildings to enable life and business for society. This includes the prevention against natural hazards such as climatological, hydrological, meteorological and geophysical disasters. Such complex hazards ask for sophisticated techniques to ensure appropriate safety standards for society. Too low safety standards can result in many casualties and much economic damage, whereas too high standards results in overly expansive systems. Therefore, these phenomena ask for sophisticated methods to consider their impacts on structures. Especially geotechnical engineers are asked for integrated concepts to design structures withstanding the above mentioned hazards. This presentation will focus on the evaluation of the effects of soil variability within the framework of probabilistic methods. The evaluation of stochastic soil properties including spatially correlated soil properties is deeply investigate on a theoretical basis. These results are used in case studies on the evaluation of the spatial correlation of different measurement data sets. These outcomes are also used in different case studies, which are focusing on the effects of soil variability for typical geotechnical problems. see Flyer for further details |
Best Paper Award
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08.11.2013 - 12:00 at: Ruhr University Bochum The paper entitled "A Refined Product Model for Shield Tunnels Based on a Generalized Approach for Alignment Representation", which had been prepared in collaboration with the TU Munich, won the Best Paper Award at the 1st International Conference on Civil and Building Engineering Informatics (ICCBEI) in Tokyo. The authors are Julian Amann(1), Andre Borrmann(1), Felix Hegemann(2), Javier R. Jubierre(1), Matthias Flurl(1), Christian Koch(2), Markus König(2) (1:Technische Universität München, 2:Ruhr-Universität Bochum) |
Workshop mechanized and conventional tunneling
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Lecture is held on 30.09.2013 - 08:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum On the 30th of September a group of young researchers and professionals from the Institutes for Subsurface Engineering (Leoben, Austria) as well as Tunnelling and Construction Management (Bochum, Germany) are teaming up with fellow engineers from the Herrenknecht AG (Schwanau, Germany) for a workshop on the research activities and new findings regarding mechanized and conventional tunneling. From foam conditioning on EPB-machines to clogging effects at the cutting faces, from new methods for the numerical simulation of the cutting process of hardrock-disks to state-of-the-art monitoring of TBMs and their cutting tools, the researchers will touch a broad variety of topics. Most presentations will refer to ongoing doctorates work. The workshop will be supported by the collaborative research department "Interaction modeling in mechanized tunneling " (SFB 837) of RUB and is open for interested researchers. For more information on the workshop and its location as well as the registration please contact Dr. Götz Vollmann (0234/3226104; goetz.vollmann@rub.de). The detailed program of the workshop can be found here.
list of presentations |
SFB 837 discussed on LinkedIn
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23.09.2013 Mr. Tobias Rahm was asked to present his research within the subproject C3 of SFB 837 to a professional audience at the AnyLogic Conference 2013 in Berlin. Mr. Rahm is developing a process-oriented simulation model for mechanized tunneling. A central aspect of his work is the combination of two simulation paradigms in one model to simulate the related processes in detail. This hybrid approach made an impression on the professional audience. Furthermore, he demonstrated in an interesting way how the simulation software AnyLogic can be applied in construction industry. Mr. Rahm was the only academic speaker in this conference. The presentation of each speaker was filmed an uploaded to Youtube. The talk of Mr. Rahm can be accessed in full length at: YOUTUBE. Furthermore, the presentation attracts attention on LinkedIn where it is discussed among the users of this social network: LinkedIn Login. In the field of simulation software, AnyLogic (by XJ Technologies) is by now one of the leading solutions. It is applied by well-known companies such as Infineon, Strabag, Volvo, Thales or Fraport. But also governmental institution, e.g. NASA or the German Aerospace Center, are among the users. The AnyLogic Conference was established to present the whole spectrum of possible applications. It took place right after the world-famous Winter Simulation Conference 2013. The full article of "Simulation of the Construction of a Tunnel with a Tunnel Boring Machine" can be found on: AnyLogic . |
WHL-Workshop - SFB meets Landeshauptstadt Dsseldorf
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Lecture is held on 02.09.2013 - 07:00 h at On Monday, September 2nd, 2013 the Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Modeling in mechanized Tunneling" welcomed a delegation from the state capital city Dsseldorf and the engineering consultants Grassl. During the half-day workshop, researchers of the subprojects A4, A5, C1, D1 and D3 presented the status quo of an interactive product model of the tunneling project "Wehrhahn-Linie" in Dsseldorf. The researchers have compiled available (measurement) data from the whole tunneling process in Dsseldorf, converted them in a common data format and organized the data in an interactive product model. Currently, a web-service is being integrated to couple numerical simulations on the basis of an interaction platform.  In the Virtual Reality Lab (VR-Lab) at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Chair of Computing in Engineering), all participants had the chance to try the interaction platform in a 3D visualization environment. One special highlight for the guests from Dsseldorf was the interactive animation of the shield tunneling machine in connection with settlements measured by the TerraSAR-X satellite. "It's a very impressive experience to take a walk through Dsseldorf and see the animated colored settlement dots", said Andrea Blome, Head of Traffic Department at the state capital city Dsseldorf. At the end of the workshop Prof. Mark gratefully acknowledged the technical and financial support from the authorities of Dsseldorf which allowed this valuable project to be accomplished.
 From left to right: T. Barciaga, M. Galli, Dr. Labbert, M. Grassl, A. Blome, E. Ziem, H. Neu, Prof. Mark, F. Hegemann, S. Schindler, Dr. Lehner, Dr. Koch, A. Alsahly, A. Vonthron |
Summer School on "Risk and Uncertainty"
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29.08.2013 at: Bauhaus-University Weimar: In August 2013 SFB 837 contributed to the International Summer School on the topic "Risk & Uncertainty" at Bauhaus-University Weimar. The Summer School is a series of academic programmes organised annually in rotation with the following three Phd Research Groups: DFG GRK 1462 "Model Qualities" (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar), DFG SFB 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) and Doctoral Programme for the Exploration of Complex Water resources (Vienna University of Technology). In 2013 the SFB members Prof. Tom Schanz, Mr. Shorash Miro and Dr. Steffen Freitag were invited to give lectures about Optimization Techniques, Meta-Modeling, Global Sensitivity Analysis, Probabilistic Analysis of Failure and Numerical Simulation with Uncertain Data in Mechanized Tunneling see Flyer for further details |
Top-cited article
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22.08.2013 at: Ruhr University Bochum The member of the collaborative research center Dr. Steffen Freitag is a co-author of a publication, which is ranked as one of the Most-Cited articles from 2010 to 2011of the international journal Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering. This journal has an Impact Factor of 4,460 and is ranked #1 in three engineering categories (Construction & Building Technology; Engineering, Civil; and Transportation Science & Technology). The paper with the title "Recurrent Neural Networks for Uncertain Time-Dependent Structural Behavior" authored by Wolfgang Graf, Steffen Freitag, Michael Kaliske und Jan-Uwe Sickert has been published 2010 in a Special Issue on Computational Intelligence in Structural Engineering and Mechanics. Link |
International Workshop: Cutting tool - Soil Interaction
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Lecture is held on 05.07.2013 - 12:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In the framework of the Collaborative Research Center "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (SFB 837), a workshop on "Cutting Tool-Soil Interaction" is organized, focusing on modeling approaches for the excavation processes at the cutting wheel of tunnel boring machines in particular in soft soils. The workshop will be held on July 5th at Ruhr-University Bochum at the Convention Centre of the Ruhr-University Bochum. Lectures:
see Flyer for further details |
Cooperative Agreement between Brenner Base Tunnel SE (BBT SE) and the Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (SFB 837)
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21.06.2013 at: Ruhr University Bochum On 17.April 2013 a Cooperative Agreement between the Brenner Base Tunnel SE (BBT SE) and the Collaborative Research Center 837 "Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling" (SFB 837) has been signed by Prof. Konrad Bergmeister (CEO of BBT SE) and Prof. Günther Meschke (Speaker of SFB 837). The Brenner Base tunnel project is part of the Trans-European Network (TEN) plan of the European Commission, providing a high-speed north-south railway connection from Germany to Italy, crossing the Austrian and the Italian alps. With a length of 64 km it currently constitutes the largest railway tunneling projects worldwide. The Agreement constitutes the formal basis for a scientific and academic interchange between the two institutions. Aware of the importance of mutual cooperation and the historical chance of contributing to this significant infrastructure project, the two partners have agreed to promote scientific studies, Master- and Ph.D. theses, other research projects of SFB 837 as well as the exchange of academic and research information. A strategic committee represented by Profs. Bergmeister and Meschke will coordinate the cooperation in order to provide appropriate administrative assistance in each institution. On a yearly basis, an agenda taking into account both administrative and financial matters should be developed that ensures the precise selection and ideal coordination of the project topics and activities. A digital platform (internet portal e/o FTP-server) which serves both as an exchange and research tool enables to share open questions, research topics and other relevant areas of interest. Each of the projects will be conducted on the basis of a project-specific written agreement, determining the terms and conditions for their implementation. |
Status Seminar 2013
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Lecture is held on 10.06.2013 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum See photo gallery of this event see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 Joint Workshop - Advances in tunneling research
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Lecture is held on 16.04.2013 - 10:10 h at Ruhr University Bochum On April 16th the Joint Workshop "Advances in Tunneling" in Cooperation between University of Cambridge (UK), Tongji University (China) and SFB 837 will take place at Ruhr University Bochum. See photo gallery of this event see Flyer for further details |
Workshop IKC-CCE-SFB837: Excursion Day
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Lecture is held on 15.04.2013 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum As a part of the social and cultural program that was organized for the foreign guests of the IKC-CCE-SFB837 Workshop, the excursion-group left Bochum early in the morning on Monday 15 April by coach and headed for the first destination: Düsseldorf. There they had an exciting tour to a Subway Construction Site (Wehrhahn Linie) which was accompanied by an interesting presentation of Dipl.-Ing Ingo Pöhler, Head of the Highway-, Tunnel- and City-Railway-Construction Department, Düsseldorf and Prof. Markus Thewes, Head of the Department for Tunneling and Construction Management at RUB, about the finishing of the metro trail near the shopping center Kaufhof under special conditions. After having lunch at the Television Tower of Düsseldorf during which the participants enjoyed a breathtaking view over the city-centre, the group headed for Cologne where a guided-tour of the famous Cologne Cathedral was the next agenda item. The typical sightseeing in the city centre was followed by a delicious dinner in a traditional Cologne restaurant. In a good temper the excursion-group returned to Bochum in the evening hours. See photo gallery of this event |
Short Course: Messdaten-Verwaltungssystem GKSpro/TISSY − City-Tunnel Leipzig
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Lecture is held on 28.11.2012 - 14:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum For November, 28th SFB has organized two guest lectures at Ruhr University Bochum. The two guest lectures will be held by Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stolp - Gesellschaft fr Informatikdienste mbH Eichwalde (Germany) and Dr.-Ing. Stefan Franz - Deutsche Einheit Fernstraenplanungs- und -bau GmbH Berlin (Germany) The seminar exemplifies the data management system GKSpro/TISSY on the basis of the Leipzig city tunnel. The basic requirements on the project included transparent data structures for all measurement systems, the long term availability of measurement results and the centralization of data in view of the fact that assignments were given to the contractors on a lot-by-lot basis and the heterogeneous project structure (inner- city tunnel, installation of stops, connection to the existing traffic network, measures to support the construction ground). Guests are sincerely welcome see Flyer for further details |
SFB837 guest lecture - challenges in tunneling
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Lecture is held on 31.10.2012 - 15:30 h at Ruhr University Bochum For 31 October 2012, 3:30 p.m., SFB 837 has organized two guest lectures at Beckmannshof, Ruhr University Bochum. The two lectures form a part of a series of guest lectures and seminars organized by SFB 837. The goal of the series is to form the basis for a lively dialogue between SFB members, internationally renowned researchers and experts from industry. All topics of SFB 837 - from the numerical multiscale method to machine technology - will be addressed. Guest lecturers: Prof. Dr. Bergmeister, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria Dr.-Ing. E.h. Martin Herrenknecht, Herrenknecht AG, Germany picture gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB837 Summer School on Risk at TU Wien
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Lecture is held on 04.08.2012 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In July 2012 SFB 837 contributed to a summer school on the topic "Risk" at TU Wien. The summer school, which was held between Sunday 29 July and Saturday 4 August 2012, was organized by Prof. Bucher (Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Institute of Building Construction and Technology of the TU Wien). Amongst other things, SFB 837 organized a session that addressed research topics from various SFB sub areas in the frame of the topics reliability and risk. In the frame of the event renowned guest lecturers presented on topics such as reliability, risk analysis and risk assessment. The summer school forms a part of cooperation between the Weimar Graduate School 1462 on the topic "Evaluation of Coupled Numerical Partial Models in Structural Engineering", the Vienna doctoral program for the exploration of complex water resources systems and SFB 837. A joint workshop in Weimar is scheduled for next year. picture gallery see Flyer for further details |
SFB 837 meets Tongji - Joint workshop
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first Lecture is held on 23.07.2012 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum second Lecture is held on 11.06.2012 - 13:54 h at From July, 23rd. - 24th a joint workshop in cooperation with SFB 837 will be held at the College of Civil Engineering at Tongji University China. The College of Civil Engineering has the traditionally advantageous civil engineering programs that are the oldest, strongest and most comprehensive in Tongji University. The College consists of The Department of Structural Engineering, the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, The Department of Bridge Engineering, the Department of Surveying and Geo-informatics and Research Institute of Structural Engineering and Disaster Prevention. In the frame of the workshop a cooperation agreement on the exchange of PhD candidates between the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Tongji University and the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences at RUB has been concluded. Click here to see photos Link see Flyer for further details |
SFB meets IKC (University Cambridge)
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Lecture is held on 20.06.2012 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum On Wednesday, 20 June 2012 Ruhr-University Bochum welcomed a delegation from the University of Cambridge. The cooperation between the Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre (C-IKC) and SFB 837 lead a small group of researchers around Prof. Kenichi Soga to the Ruhr-Area to conduct investigations on sub project 4 (Heading Face Stability). Apart from indulging in a lively exchange on the latest research findings at both universities the visitors were guided through the various research institutions at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences. Furthermore they gained insights into ongoing experiments, e.g. shotcrete experiments, that were conducted in the construction halls. In the frame of sub project A4 experiments were conducted on the macro scale (Department of Tunneling, Prof. Markus Thewes and Dipl.-Ing. Mario Galli) to determine the settlement of soil-foam-mixtures using serial photography. On the microscale the Department of Continuum Mechanics (Prof. Holger Steeb and M.Sc. Aycan zarmut) presented on their rheological investigations on particle-foam-mixtures. In the future the cooperation should further be extended, especially on a doctorate level. The scheduled visits between IKC and SFB 837 will surely fulfill this goal. zu den Fotos |
RUB GIRL'S Day: Lightnings in the laboratory and colorful concrete
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19.06.2012 at: Ruhr University Bochum This year's Girl's Day on 24 May 2012 gave female pupils the chance to learn in own experiments that concrete is "colorful" and versatile. They also learnt how to let hearts flash up electronically. With numerous natural-scientific workshops and comprehensive information on university studies RUB contributed to the so-called Girl's Day - a nationwide initiative to spark female pupils interest in natural scientific study programs and professions. The Girls Day is addressed to female pupils who are working towards a high school diploma. The RUB Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences in cooperation with SFB 837 informed prospective female Civil Engineering students about study programs and career opportunities in research and practice. A workshop on the material behavior of concrete aroused the participants interest for tunneling-related issues, as the following pictures prove. Click here to see photos |
Workshop: Lining in mechanized tunneling
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Lecture is held on 18.06.2012 - 09:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum Tunnel lining with prefabricated lining elements is of special importance in mechanized tunneling. The linings are in constant interaction with the tunnel and the surrounding ground. Both the design of the lining and the grouting of the annular gap have improved rapidly over the past few years. The specific loads and surrounding conditions during the production process, installation and usage should be paid special attention to. On the one hand, advances are due to appropriate experimental investigations. On the other, numerical methods allow corresponding predictions of long-term behavior. The workshop presents and discusses current developments and experiences in tunnel lining and the grouting of the annular gap. Registration Registration for RUB-Staff see Flyer for further details |
Status Seminar 2012
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Lecture is held on 11.06.2012 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum See photo gallery of this event see Flyer for further details |
Seminar: TBM technology seminar
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Lecture is held on 31.05.2012 - 09:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 5/21 Dipl.-Ing. Ruben Duhme, Herrenknecht Asia Headquarters Pte.Ltd. The TBM technology seminar examines the principles, design and working conditions of all common types of tunnel boring machines from the view- point of a machine manufacturer. The participants will get an overview of the whole process - from the analysis of the geotechnical conditions and the resulting machine types to the actual design concepts devised within the planning phase of a project. Further- more an idea of the various challenges and unforeseen events which might strongly affect the success and economic efficiency of a project is given. Finally, the seminar discusses aspects such as earth pressure and mixshields as well as the different types of TBM used in hard-rock. Anmeldung Anmeldung für Rub-Mitarbeiter see Flyer for further details |
SFB meets IKC (University Cambridge)
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Lecture is held on 20.03.2012 - 00:00 h at 
"Innovation and Knowledge Centre" (IKC), University of Cambridge: The "Innovation and Knowledge Centre" (IKC) on Smart Infrastructure and Construction at the University of Cambridge is focused on Smart Infrastructure and Construction and combines business knowledge with the most up-to-date research to harness the full potential of emerging technologies. IKC is led by Professor Robert Mair and Professor Kenichi Soga of the Civil Engineering Division of the Department of Engineering. Innovation and Knowledge Centers are center´s of excellence with five years" funding to accelerate and promote business exploitation of an emerging research and technology field. Their key feature is a shared space and entrepreneurial environment, in which researchers, potential customers and skilled professionals from both academia and business can work side-by-side to scope applications, business models and routes to market. In this respect, IKC are quite comparable to the German SFBs (Sonderforschungsbereiche / Collaborative Research Centers). The Cambridge IKC is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Technology Strategy Board, and by industry with a total amount of £17 million. Funding for the Cambridge IKC will be £10million from EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board, with an additional £7million from a number of industry organisations. The Cambridge research centre links research in sensor and data management with innovative manufacturing processes to provide radical changes to the construction and management of infrastructure. The aim is to transform the industry through a whole-life approach to achieving sustainability in construction and infrastructure, covering design and commissioning, the construction process, exploitation and use, and eventual decommissioning.
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Uncertainty and Artificial Intelligence in Structural Analysis
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07.02.2012 - 14:30 at: Ruhr University Bochum IA 6/21 Structures should be resistant against a multiplicity of environmental actions during their lifetime. The applications of new materials in engineering practice as well as the evaluation of existing structures require knowledge about the time-dependent behavior. Structural monitoring is a possibility to get information. In addition to in situ monitoring of existing structures, numerical or real tests can be performed to investigate time-dependent material and structural behavior. The obtained data sequences can be used to identify structural parameters, which are required to predict structural responses and to assess serviceability, reliability, and lifetime. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture on Modeling of Tunnels for Construction and Maintenance
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Lecture is held on 02.11.2011 - 10:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum In this talk, fi rst, a product model of shield tunnels, called IFC-ShieldTunnel, which was developed several years ago by us in Japan, will be presented by putting emphasis on conceptualization of shield tunnels, geometric modeling of soil layers, and implementation and visualization of instance files. Next, a product model for representing cut & cover tunnels will be presented. The motivation of modeling cut & cover tunnels is not just visualization and compatibility to various 3D CAD systems but for modeling and representing changes of constructed structures with the process model like 4D models. Finally, our on-going research on modeling degradation of reinforce oncrete (RC) entities will be briefly introduced. Abstract see Flyer for further details |
Workshop: Preliminary explorations in mechanzied tunnling
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Lecture is held on 11.10.2011 - 13:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum Reliable preliminary explorations are essential for the safety and efficiency in mechanized tunneling. The workshop addresses current developments in view of preliminary exploration methods and computer-aided identification methods. Guest lecturers: - Dr. Thomas Dickmann (Amberg Technologies AG, Switzerland) - Dr. Rüdiger Giese (German Geo Research Center, Germany) - Dipl.-Geol. André Heim (Herrenknecht AG, Germany) - Dr. Stefan Jetschny (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany) - Jun.-Prof. Frank Wuttke (Weimar Bauhaus-University, Germany) Click here to register see Flyer for further details |
Workshop - model qualities
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26.09.2011 - 12:30 at: Ruhr University Bochum In all engineering disciplines numerical models with varying complexities are used in development, research, planning and for observation purposes. When it comes to the development of reliable models the required model quality and the definition of the mostly enormous number of model parameters are crucial questions. The goal of the workshop is to join researchers from three associated research projects (Ruhr-University Bochum, Weimar Bauhaus University, Vienna University of Technology) to discuss these questions in an interdisciplinary context on the basis of the developed numerical models and methods. The workshop should create a suitable, informal setting to exchange experiences and strategies in terms of model development and the assessment of model qualities. Further, it should pave the way for future cooperation between the three projects. see Flyer for further details |
International Workshop SFB837 - Computational Modeling in Geomechanics and Tunneling
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first Lecture is held on 07.07.2011 - 13:30 h at Ruhr University Bochum second Lecture is held on 08.07.2011 - 09:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum UPDATE !!! Workshop location changed to Ruhr-University Bochum !!! The workshop will address recent advances in computational modeling of soft soils and of interactions between the ground behaviour and machine-driven tunnel construction. Invited Guest Lecturers:
Ibis Bochum Zentrum Universitätsstr. 3, 44789 Bochum Park Inn Bochum Massenbergstr. 19-21, 44787 Bochum for discount in Park Inn Hotel please say accomodation is for RUB SFB837 Workshop Workshop Program |
Seminar: Strain Localization in Partially Saturated Porous Media: Thermodynamics, Numerical Formulation, Applications
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Prof. Carlo Callari, University of Molise, Italy Lecture is held on 06.07.2011 - 15:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 6 / 21 It is presented an analysis of discontinuous displacements and corresponding singular strains in variably saturated porous media, considering also the discontinuous flows and the corresponding singular distributions of fluid contents, to model the accumulation/drainage of gas and liquid along the localized failures . In this analysis, the continuum response is described by a three-phase poroplastic model, whose hyperelastic part is a simplifi ed version of more general laws recently developed within a computationally oriented thermodynamic approach based on Biot work . see Flyer for further details |
Status Seminar 2011
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Lecture is held on 20.06.2011 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum See photo gallery of this event see Flyer for further details |
Girls Day on 28 April 2011
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28.04.2011 - 10:00 at: Ruhr University Bochum Like in the past few years this spring too, the so-called "Girls Day" took place at universities throughout Germany. Ruhr-University also participated in the event, opening its doors to female pupils between 14 and 16 of age. The goal was to give them an impression of study programs and research institutions in which women are traditionally a minority. In more than 30 natural-scientific workshops participants gained insights into engineering practice and had the chance to prove their practical skills. Several departments of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sciences along with their SFB 837 sub projects also contributed to the Girls Day. Illustrating some specific aspects form the areas of tunneling and foundation engineering it was shown how interesting and exciting the work of an engineer can actually be. Various presentations and workshops on topics such as "Concrete is colorful" (Caroline Köster / Department of Building Material Techniques / Prof. Dr.-Ing. R. Breitenbücher); Christina Fust / Department of Structural Engineering / Prof. Dr.-Ing. P. Mark) and Foam Party in Tunneling: How the hole comes into the mountain and what role does foam play in that sense? (Mario Galli / Department of Tunneling, Pipeline Technology and Construction Management / Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Thewes ) aroused the participants' interest for tunneling-related issues and inspired a new generation of scientists. Click here to see photos |
INTERACTION MODELING IN MECHANIZED TUNNELING - Application of Non-probabilistic and Probabilistic Concepts in Finite Element Analysis of Tunnelling
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M.Sc. Ali Nasekhian, Graz University of Technology, Austria first Lecture is held on 01.04.2011 - 11:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 6/21 second Lecture is held on 01.04.2011 - 14:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 0/50 To deal with uncertainties in geotechnical problems, non-probabilistic or imprecise probability methods eveloped in the last two decades are applications in tunneling practice. One nonprobabilistic method that can be combined with numerical methods without modifications of the numerical simulation code is investigated. see Flyer for further details |
INTERACTION MODELING IN MECHANIZED TUNNELING - On the Influence of Soil Models on the Results of Tunneling Simulations and the Consequences of EC7 for Tunneling Design
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Lecture is held on 31.03.2011 - 16:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 6 /21 Finite element analyses are routinely performed in the design phase of tunnel construction. When tunnels with low overburden in soils are considered the infl uence of the constitutive model employed for describing the mechanical behaviour of the soil has a signifi cant infl uence on calculated displacements and lining stresses and consequently on the tunnel design. In the presentation this will be addressed by comparing the results obtained from different constitutive models for a simplified tunnel excavation problem. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture - Large-scale Scientific Computing in FEM Simulations
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Prof. Svetozar Dimitrov Margenov, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences first Lecture is held on 13.12.2010 - 13:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 6/21 second Lecture is held on 14.12.2010 - 09:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 4/56 The finite element method (FEM) has become an established technique for numerical solution of differential equations. This course begins with a short introduction to large-scalescientific computing in FEM applications. Iterative methods play an important role in FEM simulations. Numerous properties of the problem may affect the efficiency of the solution. A particular focus of the presentation is on algorithms for the solution of large-scale sparse FEM matrices. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture - Continuum Theory of Mixtures - Application to Debris Flow Modeling
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Dr. Ioana Luca, Technical University Bucharest Lecture is held on 09.12.2010 - 14:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 4/56 Basics of continuum mixture theory in thermodynamical context (Part I) with application to shallow gravity driven fl ows (Part II) will be presented. Part I: First miscible mixtures are discussed. To illustrate the ideas underlying the thermodynamics of mixture theory a simple example (diffusive motion in a heat conducting fluid) is considered. Then, immiscible (multiphase) mixtures, for which the volume fraction plays a central role, are introduced. Results from Schneider & Hutter (2009), will be discussed. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture - Homogenization Theory & Multiscale Methods
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Dr. Peter Popov, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Lecture is held on 07.12.2010 - 09:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 4/56 Modeling and numerical simulations of fractured, vuggy, porus media is a challenging problem which occurs frequently in reservoir engineering. The problem is especially relevant in fl ow simulations of karst reservoirs where vugs and caves are embedded in a porous rock and are connected via fracture networks at multiple scales. This short course will introduce to basic concepts of homogenization theory such as upscaling diffusion and elasticity problems with highly oscillatory periodic coefficients. An overview will be given also of methods for problems with no clear scale separation as well as for nonlinear problems. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture: Towards a High Performance and Robust Multi-Physics Framework
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Dr. Pooyan Dadvand Lecture is held on 23.11.2010 - 10:30 h at Ruhr University Bochum The multi-physics problems, specially the Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI), are complex by nature. Even more dealing with these problems usually involves several practical diffi culties such as large scale analysis and dirty model handling. The floating platforms in deep seas are good examples of this kind of problems. So the high performance computing and robustness become the essential requirement for a framework in this area. This leads developers from one side to develop more robust solutions and on the other side to use resources like big multi-core machines, clusters and GPUs. see Flyer for further details |
Guest lecture: Standard Finite Element and Particle Methods Lagrangian-Lagrangian & Lagrangian-Eulerian methods
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Dr. Riccardo Rossi Lecture is held on 22.11.2010 - 12:30 h at Ruhr University Bochum IA 6/21 The simulation of problems involving complex topological changes, requires the use of advanced techniques in order to allow tracking correctly the changes in the geometry. The use of Lagrangian particle methods, such as the PFEM allows a natural coupling with existing FE approaches and as such provides a very natural way for dealing with problems that can not be treated in other ways. Interestingly both surface coupled problems and volumecoupled problems can be treated by combining state of the art FE with the PFEM. see Flyer for further details |
SFB Short Course 2010
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Lecture is held on 15.11.2010 - 00:00 h at Herrenknecht AG, D-77963 Schwanau On November, 15th and 16th the SFB short course took place. The Course intends to provide basic knowledge on mechanized tunneling to all researchers involved in the SFB. In particular, the ground behavior, machine types, the excavation process and the lining construction are addressed. see Flyer for further details |
Kick-off meeting 2010
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Lecture is held on 20.09.2010 - 00:00 h at Ruhr University Bochum See photo gallery of this event see Flyer for further details |
Job vacancy Junior Researcher (Post-Doc)
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at: Ruhr University Bochum SFB 837 "Interaction Modelling in Mechanized Tunneling" at Ruhr-University Bochum is looking for a junior researcher (Post Doc) in the field of uncertainty and risk modelling. Candidates are expected to establish a team of junior researchers focusing on Fuzzy Randomness (stochastic, informal and lexical uncertainty treatment) and its corresponding applications in engineering sciences. see Flyer for further details |
Equal opportunities measures at RUB Cooperative Research Centers
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at: Ruhr University Bochum To ensure the implementation of equal opportunities measures for researchers at RUB, cooperative research centers and graduate schools in cooperation with the RUB Administrative Office for Further Education and Counseling (IFB) have developed a concept for the career development of female junior researchers and the promotion of gender sensibility among young scientists. The concept is designed as to match with the RUB overall equal opportunities concept by building on the existing know-how and synergy effects. The developed target group-oriented measures complement on the existing equal opportunities measures offered by IFB while taking into account the conditions and requirements of the supported programs. The cooperation and the jointly implemented measures expand the interdisciplinary network of junior researchers and promote interdisciplinary exchange. Link |
Radar interferometry applied at Dusseldorf Wehrhahn Line - sub project D3
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at: Ruhr University Bochum In the context of SFB 837 "Interaction Modelling in Mechanized Tunelling" at Ruhr-University Bochum the Department of Structural Engineering made use of latest technologies to investigate the effects of tunneling-induced settlements on existing structures. The TerraSAR-X Satellite (DLR) allows the precise and comprehensive monitoring of settlements during the construction of the Düsseldorf Wehrhahn Line. Persistent Scatterern Interferometry (PSI), which is used for this purpose, allows the accurate determination of settlements at many locations to the precise millimeter under optimal boundary conditions. The goal of the project is to develop a method to assess the risk of damage through mechanized tunelling for a classified structure.  In 2007, the TerraSAR-X Satellit was brought into operation by the German Aerospace Center and has since then been delivering information about the earth surface, independently from the weather conditions or time of day. In a height of 514 km the satellite is in a polar circular orbit about earth. It passes the same area on earth, e.g. the Dusseldorf Werhahn Line, every 11 days. Records of the Wehrhahn Line have already been made since spring 2011. They will be continued even after the tunneling process is completed. The project team not only consists of RUB researchers, however. The Department of Geodesy and Photogrammetry at TU Braunschweig converts the satellite data into settlemement information and makes it available for futher use through a geo information system. Furthermore the project is supported by the city of Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf engineering company Grassl and the German Aerospace Center. First results will approximately be available in early 2012.
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On May 18, 2010, the German Research Foundation (Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) announced the start of a new Collaborative Research Center (Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB) 837 for the research of "Interaction models in mechanized tunneling" to be carried out at the Ruhr-University of Bochum (RUB), Germany. The collaboration consists of 14 subprojects and will run for a total of 12 years. The initial funding for the first four years is over 8 million euros (German press release).
Beginning July 1, 2010, the new Collaborative Research Center
"Interaction models in mechanized tunneling" will start at
the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering and at the Faculty
of Geosciences at the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany. Speaker and
Principal Investigator of the Research Center is Prof. Dr. Meschke.
The topics of research for each of the 14 subprojects in the Collaborative Research Center are:
Further information (in German) on the Collaborative Research Center 837 can be found in Zusammenfassung.
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