Kurosch Thuro - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kurosch Thuro

Research paper thumbnail of Internet of Things Geosensor Network for Cost-Effective Landslide Early Warning Systems

Worldwide, cities with mountainous areas struggle with an increasing landslide risk as a conseque... more Worldwide, cities with mountainous areas struggle with an increasing landslide risk as a consequence of global warming and population growth, especially in low-income informal settlements. Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) are an effective measure to quickly reduce these risks until long-term risk mitigation measures can be realized. To date however, LEWS have only rarely been implemented in informal settlements due to their high costs and complex operation. Based on modern Internet of Things (IoT) technologies such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and the LoRa (Long Range) communication protocol, the Inform@Risk research project is developing a cost-effective geosensor network specifically designed for use in a LEWS for informal settlements. It is currently being implemented in an informal settlement in the outskirts of Medellin, Colombia for the first time. The system, whose hardware and firmware is open source and can be replicated freely, consists of versa...

Research paper thumbnail of Hazard assessment of landslide-prone areas on highly weathered dunite rock in Bello Oriente, Medellín, Colombia (Project Inform@Risk)

&... more &am…

Research paper thumbnail of Detailed Fluid Inclusion and Stable Isotope Analysis on Deep Carbonates from the North Alpine Foreland Basin to Constrain Paleofluid Evolution

Geofluids

The recent interest on environmentally friendly energy resources has increased the economic inter... more The recent interest on environmentally friendly energy resources has increased the economic interest on the Upper Jurassic carbonate rocks in the North Alpine Foreland Basin, which serves as a hydrogeothermal reservoir. An economic reservoir use by geothermal fluid extraction and injection requires a decent understanding of porosity–permeability evolution of the deep laying Upper Jurassic strata at depths greater than 2000 m. The analysis of paleofluids caught in cements of the rock mass helps to determine the postdepositional reservoir evolution and fluid migration. Therefore, the high- and low-permeability areas of the Upper Jurassic in the North Alpine Foreland Basin referred to as Molasse Basin were analyzed by means of encountered postdepositional cements to determine the reservoir evolution. The cements were sampled at different hydrocarbon and geothermal wells, as well as at outcrops in the Franconian and Swabian Alb. To determine the composition and temperature of the paleof...

Research paper thumbnail of Die geologischen Verhältnisse beim Vortrieb des Meisterntunnels Bad Wildbad/Nordschwarzwald

Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins

Research paper thumbnail of Fachsektion Ingenieurgeologie

Research paper thumbnail of Factors with an influence on the wear to excavation tools in hydroshield tunnelling in soft ground / Einflussfaktoren auf den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge beim Vortrieb mit Hydroschild-TVM in Lockergesteinen

Geomechanics and Tunnelling, 2015

ABSTRACT The wear to excavation tools is a central challenge for tunnelling with Hydroshield (TBM... more ABSTRACT The wear to excavation tools is a central challenge for tunnelling with Hydroshield (TBM) in soft ground because it is one of the main causes of stoppages. Due to the inaccessibility of the processes involved and the wide range of influencing factors, there has been no method of forecasting the wear to excavation tools until now. Working from a detailed analysis of 18 tunnel drives with hydroshield TBMs, an empirical approach to investigate the factors with an influence on the wear to excavation tools was selected for the present work. The analysis enables the qualification and quantification of the essential factors with an influence on the tool life parameters of the excavation tools.Der Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge ist eine zentrale Herausforderung beim Vortrieb mit Hydroschild-TVM in Lockergesteinen, weil dieser eine Hauptursache für Vortriebsunterbrechungen ist. Bisher liegen aufgrund der Unzugänglichkeit der beteiligten Prozesse und der hohen Bandbreite an Einflussfaktoren keine Prognosemethoden für den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge vor. Mit der detaillierten Analyse von 18 Vortrieben mit Hydroschild-TVM wurde für die vorliegende Arbeit ein empirischer Ansatz zur Untersuchung der Einflussfaktoren auf den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge gewählt. Die Analyse erlaubt die Qualifizierung und Quantifizierung der maßgeblichen Einflussfaktoren auf die Standgrößen der Abbauwerkzeuge.

Research paper thumbnail of Unified Qualification Requirements for Ground Engineering and Engineering Geology Professionals

Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 7, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Technical Concepts for an Early Warning System for Rainfall Induced Landslides in Informal Settlements

Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk

Research paper thumbnail of Entwicklung eines Frühwarnsystems für Rutschungen in den tropischen Anden (Medellín, Kolumbien)

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Tool wear in TBM hard rock drilling - backgrounds and special phenomena

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of The importance of analogue outcrops of the Upper Jurassic to interprete the lithology of the deep geothermal borehole Geretsried

Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins

Research paper thumbnail of Engineering geological and geotechnical analysis of a rock slide in the quarry Frauenmühle near Metten (Lower Bavaria)

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Dealing with natural hazards along federal and state roads in Bavaria

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Penetration tests at the Koralm Tunnel (KAT2) - The right tool to improve penetration prediction in TBM tunneling? / Penetrationsversuche am Beispiel des Koralmtunnels (KAT2) - Ein Werkzeug zur Verbesserung von Penetrationsprognosen im maschinellen Tunnel

Geomechanics and Tunnelling, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Weathering in interbedded marls and conglomerates: the 1806 Goldau Rock Slide

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Tool Wear in Drill and Blast

Drill & Blast is a commonly used excavation method for the construction of underground openings (... more Drill & Blast is a commonly used excavation method for the construction of underground openings (e.g. tunnels, caverns) in hardrock conditions worldwide. Wear of the employed tools may take place during different steps of the working cycle, affecting a wide range of machinery and materials. Although excavators, dump trucks or conveyor belts are also permanently exposed to the excavated rock mass and therefore undergoing geologically influenced wear, the wear of the rock cutting tools (i.e. drilling bits, excavator chisels, picks) is the most expensive wear phenomenon. Drilling equipment and bit tool wear Common blasthole diameters range from 38 to 48 mm and are typically drilled by use of hydraulic rotary percussive drilling hammers (impact power of about 15 to 20 kW). In most geological conditions, predominantly button bits are used which consist of a number of cemented carbide buttons inserted and/or solded into holes of a steel body (Figure 1). The properties of the button bit can be adjusted effectively to the local circumstances by variation of the amount of inserted buttons, button composition, button geometry, solding and steel quality or the bit's flushing system.

Research paper thumbnail of Testing conditions and geomechanical properties influencing the CERCHAR abrasiveness index (CAI) value

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Feb 1, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Technical Note Testing conditions and geomechanical properties influencing the CERCHAR abrasiveness index (CAI) value

Research paper thumbnail of Design of a Database for Documentation and Analysis of Lab Data and Rock-Properties Derived in Field Measurements

ABSTRACT Increasing requirements for ground investigation programs in large construction projects... more ABSTRACT Increasing requirements for ground investigation programs in large construction projects are putting pressure on existing data management systems. Today data from a wide range of necessary field and lab investigations are stored in large ta-bles and spreadsheet programs. These tables are often complicated, poorly opti-mized, or inflexible. To handle large data loads in a more appropriate way, the chair of Engineering Geology at TUM is working on a database concept to optimize easy and fast data management. Its main objective is to make these data accessible to project part-ners across broadly distributed locations. This database solution will offer easy access, quick output, and fast analysis of field and lab data. Our database system is based on a MySQL database with an HTML-PHP web in-terface to allow online access. The deployed user management system allows administrators to grant and constrain access to data to guarantee the safety of project data. The base module manages the data of project partners, project data and laboratory data. Simple analysis of the data is integrated in the base module. In addition users can export data for further analysis, thereby allowing integration with a wide range of popular software. This database system is open to add-on modules to develop further analysis tools to investigate the collected data in detail. At the moment, we are developing an add-on to use this database for drill test analysis. Today we are managing over 60 projects with 500 samples and almost 1200 lab tests with the base module.

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of anisotropy on hard rock drilling and cutting

Geological difficulties may have a high impact on the economics of an underground construction pr... more Geological difficulties may have a high impact on the economics of an underground construction project, especially when the chosen excavation system turns out to be unsuitable for the conditions encountered. Thus it can be argued that the geological and petrological characteristics of the rock mass should be evaluated with the same degree of effort as that for the geotechnical prognosis. Mechanical parameters seem to be of limited value, especially if the rock mass is composed of anisotropic and inhomogeneous material. Inhomogeneity and anisotropy obviously play a key role during the process of rock fragmentation. The main subject of this paper is the investigation of the influence of anisotropy in drill and blast tunnelling. To investigate the crack pattern in different rock types, drilling tests have been performed using drilling rigs with state-of-the-art percussion drills and common hard metal button bits. The base of the drill hole in the block has been extracted and orientated thin sections have been analyzed. Using the Particle Flow Code, the influence of anisotropy on crack propagation has been investigated. First results show similar crack patterns and propagation as found in the drilling tests. Résumé: Des difficultés d'ordre géologique peuvent avoir un impact important sur la situation économique d'un projet de construction souterraine. Particulièrement lorsque la méthode de fouille choisie s'avère ne pas être la bonne pour les conditions rencontrées. Ainsi on peut conclure que les caractéristiques géologiques et pétrologiques d'un bloc de pierre devraient être évaluées avec le même soin que les tests géotechniques. Les paramètres mécaniques particulièrement semblent être de valeur limitée si le bloc de pierre est composé de matériaux non homogènes et anisotropes. L'hétérogénéité ainsi que l'anisotropie jouent visiblement un rôle primordial au cours du processus de fragmentation de la roche. Le sujet principal de cet article traite des études sur l'influence de l'anisotropie sur le forage et le perçage de galerie souterraine. Afin d'étudier les modèles de fente dans différents types de roche, des tests de forage ont été exécutés à l'aide de disques de forage, de percussion derniers cris et de « boutons de fleuret » communs en métal dur. La base du trou de forage dans le bloc de pierre a été extraite et de fines sections orientées ont été analysées. L'influence de l'anisotropie sur la propagation des fentes a été étudiée en utilisant le « Particle Flow Code ». Les premiers résultats montrent des modèles de fente ainsi qu'une propagation de la fente similaires à ceux trouvés dans les tests de forage.

Research paper thumbnail of Internet of Things Geosensor Network for Cost-Effective Landslide Early Warning Systems

Worldwide, cities with mountainous areas struggle with an increasing landslide risk as a conseque... more Worldwide, cities with mountainous areas struggle with an increasing landslide risk as a consequence of global warming and population growth, especially in low-income informal settlements. Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) are an effective measure to quickly reduce these risks until long-term risk mitigation measures can be realized. To date however, LEWS have only rarely been implemented in informal settlements due to their high costs and complex operation. Based on modern Internet of Things (IoT) technologies such as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and the LoRa (Long Range) communication protocol, the Inform@Risk research project is developing a cost-effective geosensor network specifically designed for use in a LEWS for informal settlements. It is currently being implemented in an informal settlement in the outskirts of Medellin, Colombia for the first time. The system, whose hardware and firmware is open source and can be replicated freely, consists of versa...

Research paper thumbnail of Hazard assessment of landslide-prone areas on highly weathered dunite rock in Bello Oriente, Medellín, Colombia (Project Inform@Risk)

&... more &am…

Research paper thumbnail of Detailed Fluid Inclusion and Stable Isotope Analysis on Deep Carbonates from the North Alpine Foreland Basin to Constrain Paleofluid Evolution

Geofluids

The recent interest on environmentally friendly energy resources has increased the economic inter... more The recent interest on environmentally friendly energy resources has increased the economic interest on the Upper Jurassic carbonate rocks in the North Alpine Foreland Basin, which serves as a hydrogeothermal reservoir. An economic reservoir use by geothermal fluid extraction and injection requires a decent understanding of porosity–permeability evolution of the deep laying Upper Jurassic strata at depths greater than 2000 m. The analysis of paleofluids caught in cements of the rock mass helps to determine the postdepositional reservoir evolution and fluid migration. Therefore, the high- and low-permeability areas of the Upper Jurassic in the North Alpine Foreland Basin referred to as Molasse Basin were analyzed by means of encountered postdepositional cements to determine the reservoir evolution. The cements were sampled at different hydrocarbon and geothermal wells, as well as at outcrops in the Franconian and Swabian Alb. To determine the composition and temperature of the paleof...

Research paper thumbnail of Die geologischen Verhältnisse beim Vortrieb des Meisterntunnels Bad Wildbad/Nordschwarzwald

Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins

Research paper thumbnail of Fachsektion Ingenieurgeologie

Research paper thumbnail of Factors with an influence on the wear to excavation tools in hydroshield tunnelling in soft ground / Einflussfaktoren auf den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge beim Vortrieb mit Hydroschild-TVM in Lockergesteinen

Geomechanics and Tunnelling, 2015

ABSTRACT The wear to excavation tools is a central challenge for tunnelling with Hydroshield (TBM... more ABSTRACT The wear to excavation tools is a central challenge for tunnelling with Hydroshield (TBM) in soft ground because it is one of the main causes of stoppages. Due to the inaccessibility of the processes involved and the wide range of influencing factors, there has been no method of forecasting the wear to excavation tools until now. Working from a detailed analysis of 18 tunnel drives with hydroshield TBMs, an empirical approach to investigate the factors with an influence on the wear to excavation tools was selected for the present work. The analysis enables the qualification and quantification of the essential factors with an influence on the tool life parameters of the excavation tools.Der Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge ist eine zentrale Herausforderung beim Vortrieb mit Hydroschild-TVM in Lockergesteinen, weil dieser eine Hauptursache für Vortriebsunterbrechungen ist. Bisher liegen aufgrund der Unzugänglichkeit der beteiligten Prozesse und der hohen Bandbreite an Einflussfaktoren keine Prognosemethoden für den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge vor. Mit der detaillierten Analyse von 18 Vortrieben mit Hydroschild-TVM wurde für die vorliegende Arbeit ein empirischer Ansatz zur Untersuchung der Einflussfaktoren auf den Verschleiß der Abbauwerkzeuge gewählt. Die Analyse erlaubt die Qualifizierung und Quantifizierung der maßgeblichen Einflussfaktoren auf die Standgrößen der Abbauwerkzeuge.

Research paper thumbnail of Unified Qualification Requirements for Ground Engineering and Engineering Geology Professionals

Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 7, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Technical Concepts for an Early Warning System for Rainfall Induced Landslides in Informal Settlements

Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk

Research paper thumbnail of Entwicklung eines Frühwarnsystems für Rutschungen in den tropischen Anden (Medellín, Kolumbien)

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Tool wear in TBM hard rock drilling - backgrounds and special phenomena

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of The importance of analogue outcrops of the Upper Jurassic to interprete the lithology of the deep geothermal borehole Geretsried

Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins

Research paper thumbnail of Engineering geological and geotechnical analysis of a rock slide in the quarry Frauenmühle near Metten (Lower Bavaria)

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Dealing with natural hazards along federal and state roads in Bavaria

Geomechanics and Tunnelling

Research paper thumbnail of Penetration tests at the Koralm Tunnel (KAT2) - The right tool to improve penetration prediction in TBM tunneling? / Penetrationsversuche am Beispiel des Koralmtunnels (KAT2) - Ein Werkzeug zur Verbesserung von Penetrationsprognosen im maschinellen Tunnel

Geomechanics and Tunnelling, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Weathering in interbedded marls and conglomerates: the 1806 Goldau Rock Slide

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting Tool Wear in Drill and Blast

Drill & Blast is a commonly used excavation method for the construction of underground openings (... more Drill & Blast is a commonly used excavation method for the construction of underground openings (e.g. tunnels, caverns) in hardrock conditions worldwide. Wear of the employed tools may take place during different steps of the working cycle, affecting a wide range of machinery and materials. Although excavators, dump trucks or conveyor belts are also permanently exposed to the excavated rock mass and therefore undergoing geologically influenced wear, the wear of the rock cutting tools (i.e. drilling bits, excavator chisels, picks) is the most expensive wear phenomenon. Drilling equipment and bit tool wear Common blasthole diameters range from 38 to 48 mm and are typically drilled by use of hydraulic rotary percussive drilling hammers (impact power of about 15 to 20 kW). In most geological conditions, predominantly button bits are used which consist of a number of cemented carbide buttons inserted and/or solded into holes of a steel body (Figure 1). The properties of the button bit can be adjusted effectively to the local circumstances by variation of the amount of inserted buttons, button composition, button geometry, solding and steel quality or the bit's flushing system.

Research paper thumbnail of Testing conditions and geomechanical properties influencing the CERCHAR abrasiveness index (CAI) value

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Feb 1, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Technical Note Testing conditions and geomechanical properties influencing the CERCHAR abrasiveness index (CAI) value

Research paper thumbnail of Design of a Database for Documentation and Analysis of Lab Data and Rock-Properties Derived in Field Measurements

ABSTRACT Increasing requirements for ground investigation programs in large construction projects... more ABSTRACT Increasing requirements for ground investigation programs in large construction projects are putting pressure on existing data management systems. Today data from a wide range of necessary field and lab investigations are stored in large ta-bles and spreadsheet programs. These tables are often complicated, poorly opti-mized, or inflexible. To handle large data loads in a more appropriate way, the chair of Engineering Geology at TUM is working on a database concept to optimize easy and fast data management. Its main objective is to make these data accessible to project part-ners across broadly distributed locations. This database solution will offer easy access, quick output, and fast analysis of field and lab data. Our database system is based on a MySQL database with an HTML-PHP web in-terface to allow online access. The deployed user management system allows administrators to grant and constrain access to data to guarantee the safety of project data. The base module manages the data of project partners, project data and laboratory data. Simple analysis of the data is integrated in the base module. In addition users can export data for further analysis, thereby allowing integration with a wide range of popular software. This database system is open to add-on modules to develop further analysis tools to investigate the collected data in detail. At the moment, we are developing an add-on to use this database for drill test analysis. Today we are managing over 60 projects with 500 samples and almost 1200 lab tests with the base module.

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of anisotropy on hard rock drilling and cutting

Geological difficulties may have a high impact on the economics of an underground construction pr... more Geological difficulties may have a high impact on the economics of an underground construction project, especially when the chosen excavation system turns out to be unsuitable for the conditions encountered. Thus it can be argued that the geological and petrological characteristics of the rock mass should be evaluated with the same degree of effort as that for the geotechnical prognosis. Mechanical parameters seem to be of limited value, especially if the rock mass is composed of anisotropic and inhomogeneous material. Inhomogeneity and anisotropy obviously play a key role during the process of rock fragmentation. The main subject of this paper is the investigation of the influence of anisotropy in drill and blast tunnelling. To investigate the crack pattern in different rock types, drilling tests have been performed using drilling rigs with state-of-the-art percussion drills and common hard metal button bits. The base of the drill hole in the block has been extracted and orientated thin sections have been analyzed. Using the Particle Flow Code, the influence of anisotropy on crack propagation has been investigated. First results show similar crack patterns and propagation as found in the drilling tests. Résumé: Des difficultés d'ordre géologique peuvent avoir un impact important sur la situation économique d'un projet de construction souterraine. Particulièrement lorsque la méthode de fouille choisie s'avère ne pas être la bonne pour les conditions rencontrées. Ainsi on peut conclure que les caractéristiques géologiques et pétrologiques d'un bloc de pierre devraient être évaluées avec le même soin que les tests géotechniques. Les paramètres mécaniques particulièrement semblent être de valeur limitée si le bloc de pierre est composé de matériaux non homogènes et anisotropes. L'hétérogénéité ainsi que l'anisotropie jouent visiblement un rôle primordial au cours du processus de fragmentation de la roche. Le sujet principal de cet article traite des études sur l'influence de l'anisotropie sur le forage et le perçage de galerie souterraine. Afin d'étudier les modèles de fente dans différents types de roche, des tests de forage ont été exécutés à l'aide de disques de forage, de percussion derniers cris et de « boutons de fleuret » communs en métal dur. La base du trou de forage dans le bloc de pierre a été extraite et de fines sections orientées ont été analysées. L'influence de l'anisotropie sur la propagation des fentes a été étudiée en utilisant le « Particle Flow Code ». Les premiers résultats montrent des modèles de fente ainsi qu'une propagation de la fente similaires à ceux trouvés dans les tests de forage.