Franz Pacher
Franz Pacher ( born April 28, 1919 in Mittelsuchau, Czechoslovakia) is an Austrian civil engineer and a pioneer of rock mechanics and the modern tunnel construction, in particular the new Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM ).
Curriculum vitae
After graduating from the country's top secondary school in Graz Franz Pacher began his studies in civil engineering at the Technical University of Graz, where he graduated in 1943 and was in consequence there until 1945 worked as a research assistant in the field of hydraulic engineering. In the years 1946 to 1952 worked as a design engineer Pacher and construction manager on power plant construction sites, where he made his first personal experience with the rock mechanics and tunneling. In 1952, he joined the "Engineering Bureau of Geology and Civil Engineering" by Leopold Müller. The following years were marked by the rapid development of rock mechanics, at the Franz Pacher as closest collaborator, and from 1957 participated as a crucial partner of Leopold Müller. In 1966 he took over sole leadership of the engineering office. In the years up to 1975 was the collaboration with Professor Ladislaus of Rabcewicz of crucial importance for the development of tunneling. 1983 Franz Pacher walked to his office for " Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling " in the " Engineering Association of Geotechnical and tunneling " (IGT ) to. After a continuous delivery of his agendas Franz Pacher joined retired in 1988. In his 45 years in the profession, he was project engineer and manager of an engineering company, researchers, teachers, and an honorary member of institutions in the field of Geomechanics and Tunnelling.
Company activity
With the beginning of modern tunneling mid-60s began for Franz Pacher an intense activity in the planning and advising tunnel projects. In particular, here is the Schwaikheim tunnel on the railway line Waiblingen- Schwäbisch Hall Hessental to mention, the first tunnel in Germany, which was prepared according to the principles of the NATM (NATM ). This was followed by planning and consulting activities in the construction of the Munich and the Vienna U- Bahn network. In the years 1968-1975 Pacher worked at the Tauern and the Katschberg tunnel. From 1981 to 1985 he was responsible for the German Federal Railroad in the Rail Line Hanover -Würzburg among others the ridge tunnel for the tunnel static and on-site consultation. In addition, Pacher working on many power stations such as at the Hirzmannsperre in Styria, on the Dürrachsperre in Tyrol and the Turbinenanlange the textile works Reutte. As a longtime employee of Leopold Müller Pacher was also involved in the monitoring of anchoring the dam Vajont. In the years before his retirement, he was instrumental in almost 90 % of all tunnels in Austria.
Research
Special merits Pacher lie in the area of basic research, such as in the definition of plane and spatial gap area ratio and the mountain curves. In a publication of 1964 was a way of Pacher first presented to show the relationships between rock pressure history and development of load and graphically. After deformation measurements should provide the basis for the course. On this basis, the so-called characteristic design method developed. As recently as 2009 Advanced Pacher this chart to a chart, in which both the rock pressure as well as the deformation against time. This chart provides the opportunity not only a more accurate representation of the events, but also allows the allowable deformation as well as the time limits for the expansion better estimate.