The Chair of Tunnelling, Pipeline Construction and Construction Management conducts research in both conventional and mechanised tunnelling, and is also involved in the cost calculation of tunnel structures, BIM in tunnelling.
Design of an energy management system for road tunnels – TWIN4Energy
As part of the new TWIN4Energy research project, a digital twin is to be developed and tested in a pilot scheme. This is intended to support the energy-efficient and sustainable operation of road tunnels. The main focus is on reducing energy demand, as this is a priority due to the high energy consumption, particularly from safety and operational systems. The main objective of the project is to optimise the tunnel’s energy status, map key consumption parameters in real time, systematically evaluate them and derive potential optimisations in the form of measures. To this end, the digital twin serves as an information model. This model integrates sensor data, operational information and static design data. It thus enables a dynamic representation of a real tunnel structure. For the development of the digital twin, the first step involves identifying suitable functional blocks, with the inclusion of at least one major consumption area such as lighting, ventilation or drainage. The aim is to implement a model-based analysis and evaluation environment that enables a distinction to be made between actual consumption and referenced target values.
Contact persons:
Dr.-Ing. Götz Vollmann
Zuzan Azad M.Sc
Digitisation and optimisation of road tunnel operation through the AI-supported creation of digital twins – DIDYMOS
The DIDYMOS research project is an innovative research project for the development of digital twins for road tunnels. Particularly in the case of existing tunnels, important structural information is often only available in analogue, unstructured documents. The main objective of the project is to optimise the operation and maintenance processes of road tunnels. To this end, scalable methods for digitising existing documentation are being developed. These enable the development of advanced strategies for predictive life cycle management. Relevant information from heterogeneous existing documentation is extracted, structured and evaluated using AI. In addition, innovative interaction concepts with digital twins are being developed, implemented in a demonstrator and evaluated. The expected benefits include more efficient tunnel operation, increased availability and reduced maintenance and repair costs.
Contact persons:
Dr.-Ing. Götz Vollmann
Zuzan Azad M.Sc
The objective of the KOINOR PRO research project is to further develop an innovative cement-free shotcrete for the fire protection upgrading and retrofitting of underground transport structures. The objective is to develop a new construction material that can be used to coat existing tunnels without significantly affecting the clearance profile and that meets the highest safety standards. The objective of the research is to optimise the material properties in order to prevent spalling in the event of fire, extend the area of application to station structures and improve the CO2 balance through the use of recycled aggregates. Concurrently, work is being carried out on accelerated approval for practical use in order to address the urgent need for refurbishment in the ageing transport tunnel infrastructure in a timely manner.
Contact persons:
Dr.-Ing. Götz Vollmann
Matthias Rengshausen M.Sc.
Contact persons:
Dr.-Ing. Anna-Lena Hammer
Christian Rhein M.Sc.
Contact persons:
Dr.-Ing. Götz Vollmann
Matthias Rengshausen M.Sc.
Dr.-Ing. Anna-Lena Hammer
Christian Rhein M.Sc.
Contact persons:
Judith Berns, Msc.
Projektleitung:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus König
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Thewes
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Last update: Mar 17, 2026
