INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION: ESTABLISHING A POROUS MEDIA OBSERVATIONAL
FACILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KASSEL, GERMANY

A Documentation of Work Progress to Date
© 1999 by Claire Welty

October 1997


November - December 1997

  • Sand and plexiglass ordered and received
  • Steel base welded together
  • Tobias Wunschik and Axel Waldhoff priming support beams
    Unpainted beam after feet have been attached
    Tobias and Axel priming - Photo1, Photo2, Photo 3
  • January - March 1998

  • Painting and leveling the steel base
    Axel painting
    Axel and Tobias leveling the base - Photo1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4
  • Building the stainless steel frame
    Stainless steel pieces ordered by Ralf
    Tobias at the drill press
    Detail of attaching frame to base - side view
    Detail of attaching frame to base - end view
    Detail of upper frame corner
    Frame partly up - end view
    Frame partly up - side view
    Axel welding - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4
    Tobias squaring corners
    Building secondary support structure - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4
  • Claire, Reinhart, and Ralf visit U. Stuttgart to check out large-scale experimental setups
  • April - May 1998

  • Completed frame
    After side supports and side 1 of plexiglass attached
    Close up
  • Tank christening and celebration
    Attaching the name plate - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4
  • June - July 1998

  • Tissa's first visit
    Tissa and Claire; Tissa, Claire, Ralf, & Matthias
    Ralf showing Tissa the tank - Photo1, Photo2
    Bernd and Tissa
  • Finishing the side pieces
    Ralf and Bernd pulling protective plastic coating off of a side piece
    Claire and Bernd marking the grid on sidepieces - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
    Tobias and Bernd moving side pieces with overhead crane
  • August - September 1998

  • Sealing the bottom and checking for leaks
    Matthias sealing tank
  • Water deaeration system installed by Reinhart Hassinger and students, based on U. Stuttgart's design
    Deaeration unit
    Electrical and hydraulic controls for deaeration unit - Photo1, Photo2
  • Rows and columns of grid labeled
    Labelled tank
  • Grid blocks labelled for first set of runs with lnk variance = 0.25;
    Colors of dots correspond to 5 sands of differing permeabilities
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4
  • End appurtenances machined and attached
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
  • Claire's sabbatical ends September 4, 1998
    Photo1

  • October - November 1998

  • Water reservoir system designed and installed
  • Tank pressure-tested with water; leaks eliminated
  • Water-treatment train tested (deaeration/disinfection)
  • Sampling ports installed
    Sampling port design
    Labelled photo of needle system

  • December 1998 - January 1999


    February - March 1999

  • Claire visits in February
  • Specific conductance measurement equipment tested and calibrated
    Bernd testing equipment - Photo1, Photo2
    Ralf emptying sample vials
  • Paddles designed and machined for use in packing blocks of sand
    Photo1, Photo2
  • Tank cleaned and readied for first random field packing
    Detail of end appurtenances - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
    Detail of constant head appurtenances - Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
    Details of paddles installed in tank - Photo1, Photo2
  • April - May 1999

  • Sand readied in cups corresponding to grid labelled on tank
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4, Photo5
  • Tissa and Claire visit in April and help pack tank
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
  • Tank being filled
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3
    View of tank from top
  • June - July 1999

  • Tissa and Claire visit Kassel
    Photo1, Photo2
  • Views of packed tank
    Photo1, Photo2
  • Views of end appurtenances
    Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4
    Manometer board
  • Run #1 begins