Research

Investigation of the influence of mechanical loading on the corrosion rate of reinforcing steel – Strain-induced corrosion crack test on structural samples

In the view of the safety and sustainability costs of maintaining our infrastructures, there is an urgent need to better understand the behaviour of materials under working conditions, i.e., environmental conditions and mechanical stress. The aim of the project is explaining the failure of reinforcing steel, which has occurred in several locations in water-locks. In these locations, and in addition to the presence of a cracked concrete, the steel rebars endure alternating mechanical loading that caused <More>

The influence of pile-driving induced vibrations on the hydration of early-age concrete regarding cast-in-place concrete pile groups

Concrete is a widely utilized construction material, owes its structural integrity to its mechanical strength. The strength development of concrete is possibly disturbed because of early age vibrations and these effects cannot be inspected visually for damage. The defects resulted from <More>

Automated data acquisition for life cycle management optimization using precast elements in the construction of massive waterways structures with coupling to BIM methodology

he objective of this research project is to develop a concept for coupling BIM methodology with automated data acquisition
to optimize the construction process and the life cycle management of precast elements in hydraulic engineering. The research project consists of two phases: In the first phase, a measurement and monitoring concept for the construction and service life phases of precast components will be developed. In the second phase <More>

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

The overarching goal of the SHM project is to develop new and innovative methods to monitor infrastructure buildings and to evaluate continuously their structural conditions. In this project, an interdisciplinary team consisting of engineers and mathematicians works together with industrial companies. <More>

NormPOD

During condition assessment of a structure often non-destructive testing is conducted. Some of the non-destructive testing methods are based on elastic wave propagation. With the project normPOD we are investigating those non-destructive testing methods impact echo and ultrasonic inspection, which are based on elastic wave propagation, in regard to their reliability. A reliability assessment is important, because a defect might remain undetected under certain circumstances if its size lies below a certain threshold. Fort hat reason usually a probability of detection (POD) is introduced, which gives the likelihood of a defect of a certain size to be detected.  <More>

ENDURE

Bridge structures are the most vulnerable components of the road infrastructure. The evaluation of their condition via inspections and monitoring is therefore standardized practice in all D-A-CH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) countries. The current assessment of the structures is based on condition rating. The detected findings on the structure and the resulting assessment are recorded in database systems. The data sets thus enable an insight into the condition development. These data sets also have the potential to predict the remaining service life of a bridge or its elements. <More>

DAfStb

Concrete is the most used construction material in building and infrastructure construction. In 2018, the German ready-mix concrete industry generated sales of €3.84 billion with production equivalent to 52.7 million cubic meters of ready-mix concrete. Furthermore, the construction and building sector is responsible for (9.95 Gt CO2) of global CO2 emissions. For the sake of saving resources and reducing CO2 emissions, efforts must be made in the selection of construction materials, design, layout, construction logistics, construction methods, maintenance measures and life cycle management. <More>

Crack Widths in Reinforced Concrete Structures: Problems, Analysis and Perspectives for Ensuring Durability

A combination of desirable properties such as a high compressive strength, a broad availability of its raw materials and a superior cost efficiency make concrete the most widely used construction material in the world. However, due to its low tensile strength the formation of cracks from micro to macro scale due to load and load independent deformation caused by e.g., shrinkage, is unavoidable. Cracks can serve as pathways for aggressive chemical substances that can lead to a progressive deterioration of the cement stone as well as of the reinforcement, affecting the load capacity, service life and usability of concrete structures. <More>

HSU

Letzte Änderung: 11. August 2023