Boring wells with the help of glass beads – a technique by Ochs Bohrgesellschaft mbH

This new technique by Ochs applies glass beads for well boring – which marks a totally new supporting material between the bore hole wall and the well filter drill. The purpose of the supporting material is to support the layers of soil particles at the wall of the bore hole in such a way that clear and sand-free water is able to pass through the free pore spaces to the well filter pipe with as little resistance as possible. Sand and gravel are normally used in this process.

Compared to sand and gravel, glass beads are four to ten times stronger and have an optimal roundness with all beads having nearly the same size. This results in a greatest possible free pore space through which the water can flow unimpeded. Dissolved lime, iron or manganese are far less likely to be found inside the well – also requiring less cleaning intervals. This ensures a longer, better and more economic service life of water catching wells.

Acoustic geo scanner developed by Clausthal University of Technoloy, Chair of Civil Engineering and International Mining

The geo scanner is a new acoustic scanning device used for surveying ground and deposits as well as detecting unconsolidated rock in an effective and professional way. Its principle is easy: Different materials have a different sound behaviour. Its body sound vibrations make for the typical fingerprint of a mountain range and the new device enables us to make it visible. A visual evaluation of the material, as commonly used, is no longer necessary. With this method, raw materials can be optained very efficiently thereby avoiding the extraction of unwanted material.

New drilling procedure by Technical University of Dresden, chair of Construction and Conveying Machinery

Drilling based on the electro-impulse procedure makes use of the destructive effect of the high energy electrical changes which are produced inside the material which is to be loosened. This loosening process is totally different from the ones commonly used. Instead of its compressive strength of the rock, its tensile adhesive strength must be overcome here.

At the university, a down-hole-tool was developped. This is a device which can be integrated into the drilling process just like a conventional drilling tool. The advantages of this new method: nearly no wearout as no mechanical forces are working on the device and a higher drilling speed of 4 m/h in granite. This leads to cost saving when drilling of nearly 30 per cent.