Geotechnical safety

Rock in-situ in the caving area of the underground depot of the Federal Armed Forces at Neckarzimmern Source: BGR

The use of the Earth’s surface for industrial, transportation and supply utilities often induces a degradation of living conditions for people, animals and plants. In this respect, an intensive use of the underground space would offer several benefits to the ecology. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) supports the industry with regard to site selection, geological exploration of the underground and the geotechnical survey of the safety of natural caverns and underground buildings for transport and systems for supply and disposal, for example rock cavities, salt caverns, underground facilities and disposal sites, CO₂ storage, crude oil and natural gas deposits.

BGR advises the Federal Government in the evaluation of the geotechnical safety of underground facilities, disposal sites and repositories. For example, the long-term safety of miscellaneous depots of the Federal Armed Forces is being investigated by geotechnical measurements and numerical model calculations.

To reduce power station emissions, scientists are considering underground storage of CO₂. The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in these emissions would thus not escape into the atmosphere. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources is examining the potential and the safety of such repositories together with international partners.