SCHEMERL

AUSTRIA (see also List of Individuals)

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26.3.1754 Ljubljana/SI - 28.1.1844 Wien/A

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Josef Schemerl was born in today's capital of Slovenia, then an Austrian territory. He visited Germany in 1777 to inspect the main works done for rivers such as the Rhine, Weser and Elbe. Being appointed Royal engineer for river works in 1782 he was knighted by the Austrian Emperor in 1809 when directing the Hofbaurat institution in Vienna. Up to 1803, Schemerl improved the Neustädter Kanal of the capital and designed the Polytechnic School of Vienna, today's Technical University. He was considered the Austrian expert in hydraulics.

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Schemerl has particularly contributed to practical methods for river improvements. For a long time, the main element of river works was the fascine, a rope-shaped bundle of live cuttings lashed together with twine. Fascines grow rapidly when constructed from live materials. The resulting systems work well to secure soils, they are simple and effective, require little time to build and can be installed with little site disturbance. They were and still are used on their own to provide erosion protection along streams. They can also be used in conjunction with soil bioengineering techniques and erosion control. The elements used have a typical diameter of 1 foot at their heads and somewhat less at the other end, the total length being typically 1 m. So called sausages are longer and thinner and made normally from conifers. Often, they are filled with gravel, because sand would be washed out, and cobbles would counter their flexibility. Schemerl has recognized the significant effect of fascines when used in rivers and torrents, although they were previously described by Bernard Forest Bélidor (1697-1761) or Johann Esaias Silberschlag (1716-1791). He proposed two main fields of application, namely covers of river shores, and spur dikes to concentrate the river flow in low and medium discharge conditions to the axis, thereby promoting recirculating currents along the river shores.

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_{Gspan, N. (1994). Schemerl von Leythenbach, Josef Maria. Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 10: 75-76. Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften: Wien.}

_{Schemerl, J. (1788). Abhandlung über die Schiffbarmachung der Ströme. Krauss: Wien. Schemerl, J. (1803). Abhandlung über die vorzügliche Art an Flüssen und Strömen zu bauen. Krauss: Wien, 1st edition 1782.}

_{Schemerl, J. (1809). Erfahrungen über den Strombau. Geisslinger: Wien.}

_{Schemerl, J. (1818). Del miglior modo di construir ripari sui fiumi e torrenti. Venezia. Schmidt, M. (2000). Josef Schemerl. Hochwasser und Hochwasserschutz in Deutschland vor 1850: 55-58. Industrieverlag: Oldenbourg.}