In the research group of Engineering Materials and Building Preservation, the research focuses on reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, which form a significant part of our infrastructure. The investigations cover all aspects of the whole life cycle of a structure – from the design stage until demolition, which ranges over several decades. One aspect entails selecting and characterizing reliable and durable materials, including the service-life design in the design phase, especially for structures exposed to severe environments. During the service life, non-destructive condition assessment followed by performance prediction is of major importance, which could result in repair and rehabilitation and, in the worst case, demolition of a structure. In every phase of a structure’s life, in addition to the reliability of the structure, every decision in service life management affects the sustainability of a structure, which requires further decision-making. Our research provides the basis to design, build and sustainably maintain our structures with low emissions and resource efficiency in the future.
Research Scope
- Deterioration mechanisms and durability of concrete and reinforced concrete
- Experimental, numerical and probabilistic investigations of reinforcement corrosion
- Service-life design and estimation of the remaining service life of reinforced concrete structures
- Condition assessment of reinforced concrete structures using non-destructive testing and monitoring
- Reliability assessment of non-destructive testing methods
- Maintenance planning of reinforced concrete structures
- Sustainability assessment in the life cycle of reinforced concrete structures
- Building Information Modeling of existing structures
Photo of the month
August 2024
Both static and dynamic load cases were carried out and the monitoring system was supplemented with tiny motion and laser vibrometer recordings.
In addition to calibrating the monitoring system, the results will also be used for the further development of the FE model and further investigation of the external tendons.
Contact persons: Yogi Jaelani & Martin Koehncke