Photo: Walter Scheinast, OEGG http://www.oegg.at/ — CC BY-SA 4.0Source
Franz Pacher
engineer
- April 28, 1919
- March 3, 2018
- 98 years
About Franz Pacher
Franz Pacher, 98, Austrian engineer.
Explore other notable deaths in 2018 or deaths in March 2018.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Franz Pacher?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Franz Pacher (28 April 1919 in Prostřední Suchá, present-day Czech Republic – 3 March 2018 in Salzburg, Austria) was an Austrian civil engineer and a pioneer of modern tunneling. He is one of three men who are considered to be the chief developers of the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM).
During the later years of his career, he was involved in nearly 90% of all tunnel constructions in Austria.
Early life and education
After graduating from the Upper Secondary School in Graz, Franz Pacher studied civil engineering at the Technical University of Graz, from which he graduated in 1943.
Career
He remained at the Technical University of Graz as a research assistant in the field of hydraulic engineering until 1945. From 1946 to 1952, he worked as a design engineer and site manager on power plant construction sites. During this period he had his first encounters with rock mechanics and tunneling.
In 1952 he went to work for Leopold Müller’s firm, the Engineering Office for Geotechnics and Tunnel Construction. In 1957 he became Müller’s partner, and in 1966 he became sole manager of the business. During their years together, Pacher and Müller made major advances in rock engineering and helped usher in the era of modern tunneling in the mid-1960s.
In the years prior to 1975, his collaboration with Professor Ladislaus von Rabcewicz was crucial to the development of tunneling construction and design.
In 1983, Franz Pacher converted his rock mechanics and tunneling firm into the Ingenieurgemeinschaft für Geotechnik und Tunnelbau (IGT), or Engineering Group for Geotechnics and Tunneling Construction. He finally retired in 1988.
Projects
Pacher worked on the Schwaikheim Tunnel on the Waiblingen-Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental railway line, the first tunnel in Germany to be built according to the principles of shotcrete construction. He was also involved in the planning of the Munich and Vienna subways, and served as a consultant during their construction.
Between 1968 and 1975, he worked on the Tauern Road Tunnel and the nearby Katschberg Tunnel in the state of Salzburg. From 1981 to 1985, he was in charge of tunnel construction of the new German railway line between Hannover and Würzburg. This included work on the Landrücken Tunnel. He was also involved in such projects as the construction of the Hirzmannsperre power plant in Styria, the Dürrach dam in Tyrol, and the turbine plant for the textile works in Reutte.
While in the employ of Leopold Müller, Pacher also helped monitor the anchoring of the Vajont dam.
Contributions
Pacher was responsible for major advances in fundamental research, such as the definition of planar and volumetric proportions of discontinuities and the ground reaction curve. In a 1964 publication, he introduced the Pacher-Fenner curve, a method for prediction and graphical representation of the interaction between ground pressure and tunnel support loading. This led in turn to the development of the convergence-confinement method. In 2009 Pacher created a diagram showing the time-dependency of both ground pressure and deformation.
Teaching
From 1966 to 1987, Pacher lectured on rock mechanics at the Technical University of Munich. From 1979 to 1983, he was a lecturer in Applied Rock mechanics at the Vienna University of Technology.
Other professional activities
From 1975 to 1987, Pacher headed the Working Committee on Tunneling at the Research Association for Transport and Roads. Pacher delivered many lectures and wrote numerous papers for professional journals.
Memberships
From 1969 to 1999, he was a member of the Subcommittee on Dam Surveillance at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. From 1966 to 1988, he served as an expert in rock mechanics on the reservoir commission at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management.
After 1984, he was a member of the Road Research Advisory Board at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economics. He was a founding member of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) in 1962 and the Austrian Society for Geomechanics in 1968. From 1975 to 1981 he was president of the latter organization.
Awards
- In 1975, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Surveying at the University of Karlsruhe.
- In 1977, he was appointed an honorary professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying at the Technical University of Munich.
- In 1979, he was awarded the professional title "Baurat h.c."
- In 1994, he was presented with the Golden Medal of Honor of the State of Salzburg.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Franz Pacher on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Pacher
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Franz Pacher's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year was Franz Pacher born?
- A.1928
- B.1919correct
- C.1935
- D.1910
Franz Pacher was born on 28 April 1919.
Source: biographical introduction
2.Where did Franz Pacher graduate from in 1943?
- A.University of Karlsruhe
- B.University of Vienna
- C.Technical University of Grazcorrect
- D.Technical University of Munich
Franz Pacher studied civil engineering at the Technical University of Graz, graduating in 1943.
Source: early life and education
3.What is the English translation of the firm Franz Pacher founded in 1983, IGT?
- A.Engineering Group for Geotechnics and Tunneling Constructioncorrect
- B.Industrial Group for Tunnel Architecture
- C.International Geotechnics Team
- D.Institute for Ground Tunneling
In 1983, Franz Pacher founded the Ingenieurgemeinschaft für Geotechnik und Tunnelbau (IGT), or Engineering Group for Geotechnics and Tunneling Construction.
Source: career
4.Which method was introduced by Franz Pacher in a 1964 publication?
- A.The Graz Convergence Method
- B.The Müller-Rabcewicz formula
- C.The Salzburg Tunneling Standard
- D.The Pacher-Fenner curvecorrect
Franz Pacher introduced the Pacher-Fenner curve in a 1964 publication for predicting ground pressure and support loading.
Source: contributions
5.In which city did Franz Pacher pass away in 2018?
- A.Graz
- B.Munich
- C.Salzburgcorrect
- D.Vienna
Franz Pacher died on 3 March 2018 in Salzburg, Austria.
Source: biographical introduction
6.What professional title was awarded to Franz Pacher in 1979?
- A.Doctor of Engineering
- B.Chief Tunnel Engineer
- C.Baurat h.c.correct
- D.Professor Emeritus
In 1979, Franz Pacher was awarded the professional title 'Baurat h.c.'
Source: awards
7.Between 1966 and 1988, in which capacity did Franz Pacher serve at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management?
- A.Head of the Road Research Advisory Board
- B.Chief advisor for power plant construction
- C.President of the Geomechanics Society
- D.Expert in rock mechanics on the reservoir commissioncorrect
Franz Pacher served as an expert in rock mechanics on the reservoir commission from 1966 to 1988.
Source: memberships
8.Franz Pacher was a founding member of which organization in 1962?
- A.Global Engineering Group
- B.Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport
- C.European Tunneling Association
- D.International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM)correct
Franz Pacher was a founding member of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) in 1962.
Source: memberships
9.Which tunnel was the first in Germany to be built using shotcrete construction principles according to Franz Pacher's work?
- A.Katschberg Tunnel
- B.Schwaikheim Tunnelcorrect
- C.Landrücken Tunnel
- D.Tauern Road Tunnel
Franz Pacher worked on the Schwaikheim Tunnel, which was the first in Germany to use shotcrete construction principles.
Source: projects
10.When did Franz Pacher retire from his professional career?
- A.1987
- B.1988correct
- C.1985
- D.1981
Franz Pacher finally retired in 1988.
Source: career
11.What award did Franz Pacher receive from the State of Salzburg in 1994?
- A.Lifetime Achievement Prize
- B.Academic Merit Award
- C.Silver Engineering Cross
- D.Golden Medal of Honorcorrect
In 1994, Franz Pacher was presented with the Golden Medal of Honor of the State of Salzburg.
Source: awards
12.In the later years of his career, approximately what percentage of Austrian tunnel constructions involved Franz Pacher?
- A.Nearly 90%correct
- B.Nearly 75%
- C.Nearly 50%
- D.Over 95%
During the later years of his career, Franz Pacher was involved in nearly 90% of all tunnel constructions in Austria.
Source: biographical introduction
13.With which professor did Franz Pacher collaborate significantly prior to 1975 for tunneling development?
- A.Ladislaus von Rabcewiczcorrect
- B.Fenner
- C.Leopold Müller
- D.Karl von Terzaghi
In the years prior to 1975, Franz Pacher's collaboration with Professor Ladislaus von Rabcewicz was crucial to the development of tunneling construction and design.
Source: career
14.What was the subject of the lecture Franz Pacher gave at the Technical University of Munich from 1966 to 1987?
- A.Hydraulic engineering
- B.Civil structural design
- C.Rock mechanicscorrect
- D.Geology
From 1966 to 1987, Franz Pacher lectured on rock mechanics at the Technical University of Munich.
Source: teaching
15.Which dam did Franz Pacher help monitor while in the employ of Leopold Müller?
- A.Hirzmannsperre dam
- B.Vajont damcorrect
- C.Dürrach dam
- D.Reutte turbine dam
While in the employ of Leopold Müller, Franz Pacher helped monitor the anchoring of the Vajont dam.
Source: projects
16.In what location was Franz Pacher born?
- A.Salzburg, Austria
- B.Prostřední Suchá, Czech Republiccorrect
- C.Schwaikheim, Germany
- D.Graz, Austria
Franz Pacher was born on 28 April 1919 in Prostřední Suchá, present-day Czech Republic.
Source: biographical introduction
People who died on March 3
Related People
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Franz Pacher →Advertisement
