THM coupling - Institut für Gebirgsmechanik

Dilatancy and total strain for unheated and heated mine workings — Dilatancy and total strain for unheated and heated mine openings at the WIPP site (Hampel et al., 2016)

For many geomechanical issues, the propagation of heat or fluids and their effect on stresses and deformations must be considered, e.g., in the case of

Final disposal of heat-generating waste,
Injection and withdrawal of gases in storage caverns,
Assessment of the barrier integrity of final repositories and mines,
possible extraction of brine from decomissioned caverns.

In these cases, thermo-mechanical (TM), hydro-mechanical (HM), or even fully thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled calculations may be necessary.


		Dilatancy-driven (left) and pressure-driven percolation (right) around a gas storage cavern over several storage cycles.

24.03.2026

Advanced training "Salt chemistry and THEREDA" at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg

From 16 to 20 March 2026, colleagues from the Institut für Gebirgsmechanik attended an advanced training course at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg on the topic of ‘Salt Chemistry and THEREDA’. The course covered the fundamentals of salt chemistry as they apply to the oceanic salt system.

Save the Date: 55th Geomechanik-Kolloquium in Freiberg

The 55th Geomechanik-Kolloquium will take place on November 13, 2026, at the TU Bergakademie, hosted by the Chair of Rock and Mountain Mechanics/Rock Engineering at the Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinz Konietzky.

A review of the 54th Geomechanik-Kolloquium in Leipzig

The 54th Geomechanik-Kolloquium took place 14 November 2025 in the assembly hall of the New Town Hall of Leipzig. The Institut für Gebirgsmechanik had invited participants to this long-standing conference, which is organised on an annual rotating basis in collaboration with the Institute of Geotechnical Engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg and with the support of the Verein Freiberger Geotechniker.