News
Research news and other exciting articles are also continuously posted on our LinkedIn channel.
Eurosteel 2023 in Amsterdam
The 10th Eurosteel Conference took place in Amsterdam from 12 to 14 September.
The focus this year was on "Sustainability policy and research", which was particularly emphasised in the keynote lectures. The Institute of Steel Construction was strongly represented with 15 committed colleagues and a correspondingly large number of conference contributions.
Participants from our institute were: Georgios Balaskas, Helen Bartsch, Lara Bittner, Rafaela Don, Damian Händeler, Kevin Janczyk, Jonas Nonn, Gesa Pauli, Nils Rittich, Justus Voelkel, Cristian Vulcu, Kevin Wolters, Zhiuha Xiong, as well as Prof. Hoffmeister and Prof. Feldmann.
In addition to the professional highlights, there was also an opportunity to relax and network. On the second evening of the event, after a boat trip through the canals of Amsterdam, a conference dinner was held in a former market garden.
We thank all participants and organisers who contributed to making this conference a success.
We look forward to the next Eurosteel!
EVACES 2023 in Milano – Focus: Monitoring Systems
"Welcome to Milano" was the welcome message for this year's EVACES conference, which focuses on experimental vibration analysis of engineering structures. The tenth edition took place last week was hosted by the Milan-based Politecnico. The focus this time was on monitoring systems, that is, with the sensory monitoring, whether short-term or permanent, of critical civil engineering structures.
The conference is intended as a platform for exchange between science and industry, where the latest research results, developments and applications can be presented and discussed. The exchange on all important aspects of vibration-based monitoring and testing enables ever better condition analyses of civil engineering structures.
We were represented with two expert contributions. Georgios Balaskas presented "Experimental system identification and damage detection in steel-concrete composite frames subjected to monotonic and cyclic lateral loads" on earthquake loaded industrial plants and their monitoring.
Thorben Geers has explained the comparability of bridge monitoring systems for different types of structures under the title "Data-based condition and prognosis statements of bridge structures via standardized monitoring systems". The aim is to compare the condition of different structures for optimized maintenance under permanent traffic load.
We thank you for the excellent organization and are already looking forward to the next EVACES 2025.
Visit to the construction site of a boarding house in modular timber construction
A few weeks ago, the Institute was allowed to visit the construction site of a new boarding house in modular timber construction near Düren. In contrast to the usual modular construction with steel frames, this building is completely made of wooden panels. The construction of the building is the result of our Hybrid-Module research project. In the project, we developed optimised room cells together with the company BOLLE System- und Modulbau GmbH.
Raphael Bruns, the managing director of the company BOLLE, showed us around the construction site and explained the special features of the building. He pointed out the elaborate preliminary planning and the skilful mastering of various challenges. All in all, the tour of the construction site of the new boarding house was a successful insight into the innovations and developments in the field of modular and sustainable construction. Many thanks to Raphael Bruns and BOLLE for this opportunity!
Timber Structures Award 2023 at RWTH
At the end of July, the Timber Structures Award was presented for the second time for outstanding final theses at RWTH. The prize winner is Svenja Kann, who impressed with her outstanding Master's thesis on "Numerical modelling of the structural behaviour of timber frame buildings on the basis of test results".
The prize, endowed with a total of 3,500€, is donated by Burkhard Walter, he is the owner of the engineering office Walter + Reif in Aachen. With the prize, he would like to increase the visibility of structural timber engineering at the university. To this end, he launched the prize in 2020 together with Prof. Benno Hoffmeister, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and proRWTH. At that time, Jonas Bonhage and Lukas Rauber were awarded the prize for their Master's theses. The next Timber Structures Award is planned for 2025. Once again, outstanding theses in the field of structural timber engineering at RWTH will be eligible to apply.
Doctoral Examination of Rafaela Don
Recently, our college Rafaela Don defended her dissertation in Romania. Her thesis, titled "Seismic performance of multi-storey frames with slim-floor beam-to-column joints," investigated the possibility of integrating slim-floor beam-to-column connections into steel and steel-concrete composite frame systems designed for medium and high seismicity. Currently, the application of slim floors is limited due to the assumption of articulated bearing and lack of rules in the current Eurocodes. Rafaela developed a design procedure based on experimental studies of the connections as well as advanced numerical simulations, with which the slim-floor beam-column connections can be used for structures in seismic regions.
We congratulate very much to the passed examination!
Life-Cycle Conference IALCCE in Milan
Last week, two of us were at IALCCE 2023 in Milan. The conference at the Politecnico Milano is all about "Life-Cycle Civil Engineering", i.e. circular construction with a view to the use of sustainable materials and constructions.
In this context, the reuse of building components or entire structures also represents a sustainable alternative to recycling. In this context, Kevin Janczyk presented his paper "Numerical de-termination of the wrinkling stress of steel polyurethane sandwich panels for reuse scenarios" on the reuse of facade elements made of sandwich panels.
Felix Eyben presented the paper "On the development of regulations for the increased reuse of steel structures", which deals with the necessary steps to create normative regulations for the reuse of steel structures.
In addition to many exciting presentations, it was also possible to establish contacts and promote scientific exchange. Of course, a typical Italian aperitif was also included.
All conference papers are freely accessible under this link.
New Timber Construction Project HELEPOLIS
Some time ago the new timber construction project "HELEPOLIS" was started at the institute. The timber panel construction method discussed here is a widely used timber construction method with a high degree of prefabrication, short construction times and extremely low resource consumption. Currently, timber panel construction is the preferred choice for timber buildings with few floors. The project aims to make this construction method more attractive for multi-storey buildings as well.
The aim of the research project is to develop a calculation approach for the load-bearing consideration of (fire protection) claddings. For this purpose, the load-bearing behaviour of timber panel walls with cladding is to be investigated experimentally and numerically. Based on the results, a calculation method is to be developed that can reliably represent the load-bearing behaviour of timber panel walls with cladding.
Research partners are WALTER REIF Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH and ADAMS Holzbau - Fertigbau GmbH. The project will run until June 2025 and is fundet by FNR - Förderprogramm Nachwachsende Rohstoffe des BMEL.
Pentecost Excursion 2023 in NRW, Darmstadt, Frankfurt und Luxemburg
Last week, the Institute of Steel Construction together with the Institute of Solid Construction invited to the annual Pentecost excursion. Together with 20 students, exciting construction projects were visited in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Darmstadt, Frankfurt and Luxembourg.
Various bridge structures such as the Leverkusen Bridge and the Mühlheim Bridge in Cologne and the Pont Grand-Duchesse Charlotte Bridge in Luxembourg, imposing high-rise buildings such as the Frankfurt Four or the One Plaza in Düsseldorf, but also unique engineering structures such as the FAIR particle accelerator in Darmstadt could be marveled at. As every year, there was an interesting mixture of existing and new buildings in steel, concrete and composite construction.
All in all, the young engineers gained a comprehensive insight into the implementation of large-scale projects from the point of view of construction management and project control, but the structural engineers present were also able to provide an insight into their areas of responsibility.
Thanks go to the many companies that made this excursion possible.
Federal Specialist Group Conference on Metal Construction Technology and Steel Construction/Welding
28th of April 2023
On 28.04.2023 we received a visit from the Federal Specialist Group Conference on Metal Construction Technology and Steel Construction/Welding. After a short introduction to the structure of our institute, current and completed research projects from the broad spectrum of our specialist areas of steel construction, composite construction, timber engineering, glass construction, lightweight metal construction, earthquake and wind engineering were presented. Photos and videos of experimental investigations from the projects provided a vivid presentation. This was followed by a guided tour of our STB and ZMB test halls. This ended with a demonstration of our wind tunnel.
We hope that we were able to offer our visitors an interesting insight into our daily business of scientific work and current research topics and will be happy to answer any questions in the future.
Conference HOCHFEST of FOSTA in Essen
16th of May 2023
On 16 and 17 May, part of our team participated in the FOSTA conference "High-strength steel in steel and plant construction" at the Haus der Technik in Essen.
The event focused on ongoing research questions regarding high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels and their enormous potential for lightweight construction. The efficient use of steel as a material was also discussed; high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels are indispensable from the point of view of sustainability.
Professor Feldmann presented updates on "Requirements for the general use of high-strength steels up to S960 in steel construction" and "Universal high-performance supports made of S960 without welding". Felix Eyben presented results of a project focusing on "Load-bearing capacity analysis of welded steel components using damage mechanics".
Many representatives from industry also took part in the conference, which led to exciting discussions about the interfaces between research and practice during the breaks and at the evening event.
Overall, it was a very successful event from which all participants benefited. We will be happy to come again.
Doctoral Examination of Alexander Funke
12.05.2023
Last Friday, 12.05, our colleague Alexander Funke successfully passed his doctoral examination. The title of his thesis is "Payloads for car parks". He examined the origins and current normative regulations and developed new payloads for the planning of multi-storey car parks with the help of a simulation study. The basis for this were measurements of real vehicle weights in 4 multi-storey car parks in Germany, the static evaluation of typical multi-storey car park structures, as well as the future development of the vehicle population.
Afterwards, colleagues, friends and family went into town together, where Alex held his fountain speech.
We congratulate him on his doctorate!
Glass Construction Conference 2023 - TU Dresden
16-17.03.2023
A little over a month ago, from 16-17 March 2023, the annual glass construction conference of TU Dresden took place, at which current topics in constructive glass construction from the areas of research, projects and standardisation are presented. The conference offers the opportunity for professional dialogue between planners, industry and universities.
During the conference, our colleague Benjamin Schaaf presented current research results on the influence of production-related inhomogeneities and artificial ageing on structural silicone adhesives used in glass construction. These topics play an important role in the formation of durable, load-bearing adhesive bonds.
We will definitely be back next year.
Series of events - Practical examples from structural engineering (BMS Colloquium)
11.04.2023
Attention students and interested parties!
This summer semester, the lecture series "Structural Engineering – Structural Concrete – Steel Construction – BMS Colloquium" of the Chairs of Structural Analysis and Dynamics, Institute of Structural Concrete and us will take place again. Here, companies from practice present current projects, from the planning or construction of interesting structures to the repair of existing structures. You can find the individual lectures and dates in the flyer below this article.
Further information is also available here
The lectures are an exciting opportunity to get an insight into current major projects and to ask the speakers questions. The first lecture will take place next Tuesday, 18.04.2023 at 18:15 in BS1 (Mies-van-der-Rohe Str. 1, Aachen). Dr Björn Haag from the INGENIEURGRUPPE BAUEN will give a vivid presentation on load-bearing structures subject to structural dynamics. Structural dynamic loads can be, for example, bouncing people, heavy machinery, earthquakes or explosions.
Doctoral Degree of Robert Fontecha
17.04.2023
This Monday, 17 April, our colleague Robert Fontecha successfully passed his doctoral examination. The title of his thesis was "Determination of aerodynamic and aeroelastic properties of wind turbines and their support structures through wind tunnel measurements".
He investigated the behaviour of powerful, and therefore particularly high, wind turbines through wind tunnel measurements.
Afterwards, colleagues, friends and family moved together into the city, where the newly graduated Dr. Fontecha held his fountain speech in the Aachen money fountain.
We congratulate him on his doctorate!
The new CEN/TS 19100: Design of glass structures
24.03.2023
After 10 years of hard work, another step has been taken on the way to European glass structure standardisation!
With the publication of the three parts of CEN/TS 19100, it becomes clear in which direction structural glass engineering in Europe will develop.
As a forerunner to "Eurocode 10 - Design of glass structures", which will be published for the first time in 2027, CEN/TS 19100 already shows the most important topics of structural glass engineering and the current state of research and standardisation.
Our Professor Markus Feldmann (Chairman of the Committee TC 250/SC 11 Structural Glass) took this publication as an opportunity to write an overview and summary of the work steps and contents of the Technical Specification.
The publication has been published in one of the leading European journals in glass construction ("Glass Structures and Engineering") and can be accessed under the following link.
https://www.springer.com/journal/40940
After all the work and fruitful discussions, we must not forget to thank all those involved:
Many thanks for your energetic work in the Project Team as well as in the Committee!
Maximilian Laurs - Jan Belis - Nebosja Buljan - Annie Criaud - Eric Dupont - Martina Eliasova - Laura Galuppi - Paavo Hassinen - Ruth Kasper - Christian Louter - Giampiero Manara - Anne Minne - Tim Morgan - Gabriele Pisano - Mauro Overend - Gianni Royer-Carfagni - Jens Schneider - Gregor Schwind - Christian Schuler - Geralt Siebert - Anna Sikynova
Already now, the work on the transition of the TS into a Eurocode continues with the usual verve. One can expect a lot!
Doctoral degree
10th of February 2023
On Friday, 10 February, our employee Vitali Reger received his doctoral degree.
The title of the dissertation is "On the activation of components for plus-energy buildings in lightweight metal construction".
Following his doctoral lecture, the freshly graduated Dr. Reger held his at least equally exciting fountain speech in the Money Fountain - Cycle of Money.
We congratulate him on his doctorate!
Excursion to the Rhine bridge in Leverkusen
27th of October 2022
Today a post to one of our exciting excursions of the last year...
At the end of October, interested employees and students went to the well-known construction site of the Rhine bridge in Leverkusen. There we were first given a tour of the old bridge to see for ourselves the damage that has occurred over time and especially due to the increase in traffic. The engineer in charge, Mr. Jungmann from the Autobahn GmbH, also told us one or two anecdotes about the process from the idea to renovate the bridge, to the closure for heavy traffic, to the realisation that a new bridge is necessary. Afterwards, the construction site of the new bridge was visited. It will be a cable-stayed bridge with two hollow boxes in steel construction. In particular, the challenges that arose during the construction of the new bridge were presented to us.
PS: We recommend the video of the "Sendung mit der Maus" about the Leverkusen motorway bridge to get an overview of the project:
Welding of headed studs in composite constructions
In composite constructions, concrete and steel profiles are combined in order to make optimal use of the different materials. This is used particularly in bridge construction and multi-storey car parks. But how exactly is the “composite action” achieved in these types of constructions? The best way to find out is to ask the expert. The expert in this case is Dipl.-Ing. SFI Rainer Trillmich (IWE) from Bolte GmbH. Mr Trillmich visited us in our lab at the end of last year to weld headed studs needed for the bonding of steel- and concrete cross-sections onto our test beams. And he turned it into an impromptu lecture on stud welding! What are the characteristics of a proper weld, which edge distances should be met and how are headed studs tested? Additionally, exciting illustrative material was also captured for the Institute’s lectures. The video can be found on our LinkedIn channel. But be careful: the welding process, which only takes roughly one second, produces a bright flash. So put on your sunglasses and be amazed!
Timber construction excursion
25th of October 2021
On 25.10.2022, the Institute of Steel Construction went on a day excursion with interested students of timber construction. The first stop of the excursion was the timber construction company Derix in Niederkrüchten. During a guided tour of the production hall, we were shown the fully automated production processes of glue laminated timber. We got an insight into the production of cross laminated timber (X-LAM) and glulam (BSH).
The trussed arches of the airship hangar, which we visited later, were shown to us here in production. After the guided tour through the factory hall, Derix presented further projects in Norway, the Netherlands and Germany.
Arriving at the airfield in Mülheim, we were welcomed by the planning team of the new airship hangar. Here, the team showed us in presentations their approach to planning the new home of "Theo", WDL's airship. The various stakeholders, such as the project controller IB Römling, the architects Gronau and a structural engineer from the company Ripkens-Wiesenkämper engineers told us about the challenges of planning the closing mechanism of the gantry in cooperation with mechanical engineers and calculating the wind load in a virtual simulation. The supporting structure is characterized by an impressive span, resp. spatial volume, of 92 x 26 x 42 m³ and K-nodes with dowels made of beech wood. This supporting structure is mainly stiffened by cross laminated timber panels.
After the presentation, the visit of the airship and the construction site was exciting and impressive. At the same time to conclude the day, we were able to talk to the structural engineer and other stakeholders. By now, the airship "Theo" has been moved into the hangar, as you can see here in this post.
Up high! Monitoring wind turbinesay
The team around Prof. Feldmann and Prof. Kemper is making a modest contribution to the implementation of the energy transition. They are investigating in more detail the extent to which the tower construction of wind turbines is stimulated to vibrate by the operation of the turbine and the natural wind. The aim of the investigations is, among other things, to keep turbines in operation longer in the future or to reduce the amount of steel required.
To this end, the team from RWTH Aachen University is installing elaborate measuring technology in the first step in order to precisely record the movements of an exemplary tower for several months.
Of course, the installations are carried out personally by the research team. In addition to a head for heights, medical fitness tests and height rescue training (also carried out by RWTH-Aachen), there is one thing above all: lots of fun!
We would also like to thank BMR energy solutions GmbH for their kind support.
Visit to the 40th German Steel Construction Day
29th to 30th September 2022
Some of our colleges travelled to Berlin last week for the 40th German Steel Construction Day. The Steel Construction Day connects the German steel industry, companies from the sector and research and offers the perfect opportunity to exchange ideas on technical topics and make new contacts. In three exciting series of lectures, topics from research or standardisation and development, as well as unusual construction projects or legal framework conditions for building with steel were presented. For the first time, there was a second day, the Strategy Day, with a focus on sustainability in steel construction.
We are already looking forward to the 41st Steel Construction Day at Lake Constance.
Contribution to the international conference SDSS 2022
14th to 16th September 2022
This summer, from 14-16 September 2022, two members of our team, Georgios Balaskas and Jonas Nonn, participated in the international conference "SDSS-2022 The International Colloquium on Stability and Ductility of Steel Structures" at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). The series of international colloquia on the stability and ductility of steel structures, supported by the Structural Stability Research Council (SSRC) and the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), provides a forum for participants from international research and the construction industry to discuss and disseminate their results from theoretical, numerical and experimental research.
The presented papers "Steel and composite joints for MRFs in moderate seismicity: experimental and numerical program" (Georgios Balaskas) and "A consistent approach for the stability verification of steel structures" (Jonas Nonn) were nominated by a jury among the six best scientific conference papers.
Attendance at SEMC 2022 in Cape Town2
05th to 07th September 2022
Three of our staff members, Vera Wilden, Helen Bartsch and Felix Eyben, also participated in the "SEMC 2022" conference in Cape Town (South Africa) from 05-07 September 2022. The international conference is hosted every three years by the Institute of Civil Engineering at the University of Cape Town and brings together academia, research and practice. The content is broadly spread across all fields of civil engineering and structural mechanics and the discussion with the peer review panel allows for a good scientific exchange.
Vera Wilden presented the paper "High performance light timber shear walls and dissipative anchors for damage limitation of wooden buildings in seismic areas" in the session "Timber Structures". With the publications "Influence of high strength steel on the fatigue of welded details" by Helen Bartsch and "Influence of web openings on the load bearing behaviour of steel beams" by Felix Eyben, contributions on higher strength steels in particular were presented.
They used their visit to South Africa also for a subsequent short trip along the famous Garden Route.
Building physics and static investigations on the hybrid module at Bolle
08th to 09th July 2022
As part of the "Hybridmodul" ZIM-project, the workgroups Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes and Timber Structures visited Bolle Modul und Systembau GmbH (https://www.bolle-modulbau.de/) in Telgte on 7 and 8 July. The aim was to examine a modular building prototype made of wood from the point of view of building physics and statics. On the first day, the air tightness was determined with the help of a blower door test and then the sound insulation properties of the prototype were examined. The airborne sound insulation of the exterior walls, the impact sound insulation of the ceiling and the reverberation time of the interior were determined. On the second day, thermographic images were taken to detect thermal bridges.
In addition, investigations were carried out on the supporting structure of the module prototype. During these investigations, first the deflection of the module and then the dynamic stiffness were determined with the help of accelerometers.
We are pleased with these first promising test results, which show great potential for this innovative and sustainable construction method.
Visit to Intergalva 2022 in Rome
20th to 24th June 2022
Together with colleagues from Munich and Braunschweig, Ronny Kühne took part in this year's In-tergalva from 20-24 June 2022 in Rome. Every three years, when Corona does not make a meeting impossible, industry and research meet at this conference together with hot-dip galvanising associations from all over the world to discuss current developments and challenges as well as exciting research fields in the field of hot-dip galvanising.
Ronny Kühne, together with Mirabela Firan from the Technical University of Munich and Justus Frenz from the Technical University of Braunschweig, presented the topic "Fire resistance of hot-dip galvanised HSS composite girders and connections between protected and hot-dip galvanised steel girders". In addition to the technical exchange, the participants were also able to marvel at sights from Rome and Pompeii, where there was also a galvanising plant to visit.
Excursion to X-Wood in Kall
10th of June 2022
The excursion to the Eifel region took place within the framework of the course "Timber Construction in Practice" supervised by Burkhard Walter. The founder of X-Wood, Michael Schumacher, gave insights into the founding phase and the development of the company. Mr. Walter and Mr. Schumacher gave a tour of the Hilger Holz timber hall in Kall, which was designed by Ingenieurbüro Walter in 2018 and erected by X-Wood. The cross-sections and dimensions of the connections are adapted to the load, so that an economical and resource-saving design is ensured by high utilization rates. Large spans can be realized through high slender glue laminated beams. The special feature of the X-Wood construction method is the high degree of prefabrication, which requires only short assembly times on the construction site.
Mr. Schumacher explained the work steps in production on the basis of the company's own production plant with modern joinery system, which was put into operation in 2021. At a concluding informal get-together, the students were able to engage in professional discussions with the experts Burkhard Walter, Michael Schumacher and Benno Hoffmeister and establish initial contacts with the practical world.
Dutch Open Student Steel Award 2022
21st of April 2022
Under the name „Dutch Open Student Steel”, TU Delft and the Dutch Steel Construction Institute Bouwen met Staal organize an annual competition to acknowledge remarkable research projects in steel constructions. This year, the jury could not agree on a clear winner, so the prize pool of 3,750€ was split. Winners are Stefan Megnet (ETH Zürich) with his master’s thesis “Influence of the strain-hardening on the bending strength and rotation capacity of welded I-section beams” and Nils Rittich with his Master’s thesis “Numerical Investigations of preloading procedures of bolted assemblies”. Further Information can be accessed via https://www.dossaward.com/.
"Digital roof surveying in flight" is ZIM success story
October 19th 2021
The research project "Digital roof measurement in flight" has been included in the series of ZIM success stories by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
Together with the research partner Wierig Profiltechnik GmbH, which focuses on the planning, construction and assembly of industrial halls, a digital procedure for the surveying, design and tendering for the renovation of hall roofs in lightweight metal construction was developed by the teaching and research area of sustainability in lightweight metal construction within the framework of the ZIM innovation network ileM, on which the further steps of the renovation can be digitally based. Thanks to a high degree of automation, the process leads to a significant reduction in time and enables better cost and price calculation. Wierig Profiltechnik GmbH offers the recording by drone as well as the evaluation of the drone data as a new service. The sales company "ClickBuild" will distribute the app for digital construction.
Campus-Talk #1 RWTH Aachen ist Hotspot für Modulbau
Tuesday, 30.03.21
Prof. Ulrich Rüdiger, Rector of RWTH Aachen University, welcomes Minister Ina Scharrenbach and experts from science and industry in the livestream
Modular construction is becoming increasingly important.
"Rising population figures and demographic change require the rapid and high-quality creation of housing as well as healthcare, education and care properties," says Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Equality of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
"In this context, modular construction has evolved in a variety of ways in recent years."
What are the developments in modular construction?
What challenges does modular construction face compared to classic construction?
What role do RWTH Aachen University and the state of NRW play in the topic of modular construction?
These and other questions will be answered by host Prof. Ulrich Rüdiger (Rector of RWTH Aachen University), Ina Scharrenbach (Minister for Home Affairs, Municipal Affairs, Construction and Equality of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia) together with Dr. Carl Richter (Head of the Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering).
In addition to leading space cell manufacturers, Prof. Markus Oeser (Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering), Prof. Markus Kuhnhenne (Chair for Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes) and Dr. Klaus Feuerborn (Managing Director of RWTH Aachen Campus GmbH) will also participate.
Mr. Robert Esser, editor at Medienhaus Aachen, will moderate the event.
Everyone is cordially invited to learn more about module construction from experts from science and industry via livestream in Campus Talk #1.
Link to Campus-Talk #1 : https://www.rwth-campus.com/campus-talk/
Friedrich-Wilhelm Preis 2020
November 2020
The Friedrich-Wilhelm-Preis is awarded annually in the form of prize money to students and young scientists at RWTH Aachen who have been selected on the basis of their outstanding achievements in master's theses, dissertations and postdoctoral theses. This year's prize is awarded to Ms. Gesa Pauli, research assistant at the Institute of Steel Construction, for her master's thesis on "Investigations into the rotational capacity of homogeneous and hybrid beams made of high-strength steel".
DVS-IIW course International Welding Engineer according to DVS-IIW 1170 guidelines
In cooperation with the SLV Duisburg, the DVS-IIW course International Welding Engineer (guideline DVS-IIW 1170) will be offered again in 2020.
Due to the cooperation with the SLV Duisburg, students of the RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen are enabled to participate at particularly favourable conditions.
The practical training in part 2, the lectures which have to be attended as well as the written and oral examinations are mainly carried out in Aachen. Single dates (probably a total of 4) will be held in Duisburg for organisational reasons.
The dates for the course 2020 - Registration is still possible until 12th of June 2020!
Part 1: E-Learning
Part 2: Between the attendance phases of course part 3
Test Part 1: To be announced
Part 3 (Blended Learning): 20.07. - 07.09.2020 (lecture-free period)
Oral examination: 10.09.2020
Further information can be found on the homepage of the Institute for Welding and Joining Technology
International Architecture Congress “Neues Bauen mit Stahl”
15th January 2019
Against the background of urbanisation, architects, engineers and building owners are looking for functional, attractive and above all sustainable solutions. These principles for an urban building culture are reflected in the outstanding architectural and engineering structures with innovative steel load-bearing and façade structures, which will be presented in Düsseldorf.
Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering founded on the RWTH Aachen Campus
19th June 2019
The Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering (CBI), a center in the Cluster Bauen on the RWTH Aachen Campus, has been successfully launched. The center was founded by the four institutes of construction research, solid construction, steel construction and road engineering of RWTH Aachen University with the aim of setting new trends and making existing innovations and technologies in construction more efficient and faster to implement.
The focus of the CBI's work is on the research, development and market introduction of innovative, tailor-made, application-optimised materials, construction methods, processes or concepts, also in connection with the digitalisation of structural engineering and transport infrastructure construction. In addition, the CBI focuses on simplifying the transition to regulations and approvals so that innovations can be implemented more quickly. This is necessary because complex standardization and approval processes inhibit the transfer from the laboratory to the construction site. "Innovations and technology transfer are to be implemented faster and more efficiently in 6-12-month consortium projects. This can only be achieved with strong partners at our side," says Dr.-Ing. Carl Richter, Managing Director of CBI. The first meaningful results were presented at the 1st Center Meeting on 18 and 19 June.
Innovation network ileM is ZIM success story
February 14th 2019
The innovation network ileM has been included in the series of ZIM success stories by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi). The network was initiated in 2016 by the Chair for Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes and now consists of nine industrial partners, with each of whom individual projects are carried out within the framework of the BMWi's Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM). Most of the network partners come from the field of lightweight metal construction and cover the entire value chain from planning, production and processing of semi-finished products to assembly and refurbishment. Another company complements the network with expertise in the field of organic solar films. This bundling of competencies enables a holistic view of the life cycle in lightweight metal construction to be achieved. The focus is on increasing energy efficiency and conserving resources while maintaining a high level of functionality. The network has been managed by Jöckel Innovation Consulting GmbH since the beginning and will be continued beyond the funding period.
Innovation network ileM is ZIM success story
February 14th 2019
The innovation network ileM has been included in the series of ZIM success stories by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi). The network was initiated in 2016 by the Chair for Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes and now consists of nine industrial partners, with each of whom individual projects are carried out within the framework of the BMWi's Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM). Most of the network partners come from the field of lightweight metal construction and cover the entire value chain from planning, production and processing of semi-finished products to assembly and refurbishment. Another company complements the network with expertise in the field of organic solar films. This bundling of competencies enables a holistic view of the life cycle in lightweight metal construction to be achieved. The focus is on increasing energy efficiency and conserving resources while maintaining a high level of functionality. The network has been managed by Jöckel Innovation Consulting GmbH since the beginning and will be continued beyond the funding period.
Sieglos Stahlbau: Renewed Runner Up
16th May 2019
RWTH Faculty 3’s Institutes battled it out on the Könishügel’s football pitch as they do every year. 13 teams competed to determine the deserving title holders of this year’s Bau-WM. All of the notorious crowd pullers were present, from A for aerated concrete to ϕ for “.ϕc-Geotechnik”. “Sieglos Stahlbau” represented the Institute of Steel Construction well, in not doing justice to their name once again. Renewed athletic masterstrokes were called for after last year’s final. As always, the team had initial difficulties finding their way into the tournament and seemed to be strapped to a railway track after their 0-0 against “Lokomotive VIA” in the first group match. Sieglos Stahlbau put the experience of their diverse team to use in their second match against “FS Bunkerkick”. The combined force of the Institute’s senior engineers, without whom the tournament just wouldn’t be the same, the team rung in a 2-0. Another 2-0 against the building technicians, the E-3DOs, who weren’t able to keep their cool for over 12 minutes, secured Sieglos Stahlbau’s first place spot in Group A and fuelled hope for a tense quarter final. There, the Steel Construction Institute’s athletes met the ever-surprising “Road-Runners” from the ISAC. Unlike their cartoon counterpart, Wile E. Coyote, Sieglos Stahlbau caught up to the Road-Runners and dropped a 2-0 anvil on them. In the arguably most thrilling match of the day, against “Blutgrätsche IBAC” Sieglos Stahlbau rolled out a close 1-0 win. Ultimately, Sieglos Stahlbau re-played last year’s final against the reigning champions and the tournament’s organisers “Kupferbolzer 05”. Copper turned to gold as the Kupferbolzer 05 beat Sieglos Stahlbau 3-1 after the latter put all their eggs in one basket for a final equalizing goal, only to be taken advantage of in a ruthless counter goal. Thus, Sieglos Stahlbau settled for being the best second place team once again.
All in all, the sporting achievements of each participant couldn’t be praised enough. Acquaintances in different Institutes were cultivated, drinks and barbeque were savoured, all on a fun-filled sunny day. A special thanks goes out to the event organisers and to all players. In prospect of next year’s tournament, the athletic management of Sieglos Stahlbau declares: “Watch out Kupferbolzer!”.
Student Excursion 2019
11th to 14th June 2019
This year's excursion of the Institute of Steel Construction and the Institute for Solid Construction led around 20 students to different goals of building construction, bridge construction, works and interesting cities towards Northern Germany. A guided tour through the new production halls of the Derix woodwork went directly to Hamburg on the first day. On the following day, construction sites of Züblin, Implenia and WTM were on foot. From the construction of existing buildings and the detailed preservation of the former Axel Springer office on the 12th floor of the publishing house of the same name, to buildings with high demands on the façade in the inner city area, to the construction of the 100,000 m² Überseequartier with offices, hotels and apartments , Shops, cinemas and a cruise terminal directly on the Elbe differed the visited construction sites in their requirements and the size of each other clearly. The third day starts at ArcelorMittal, the largest steel producer in the world, in Bremen and led over the Dütetal bridge, presented by StraßenNRW, to Münster. The last day of the excursion could end in good weather on the Marbachtal bridge with the company Porr until it went back to Aachen.
Workshop on building in earthquake areas
February 22nd 2019
The Institute of Steel Construction of the RWTH Aachen University hosts a workshop on building in seismic areas as part of the European project EQUALJOINTS+. The workshop addresses structural designers and inspection engineers in the field of building construction/industrial construction/steel construction. Linear and non-linear calculation methods are thematized according to Eurocode 8. Special emphasis is placed on the earthquake-proof design of typical connection details. The program contains 8 training units according to the regulations of the Chamber of Engineers - Construction NRW and is approved as a training event for engineers under Reg. No. 46916. The seminar is recognized according to FuWO for: Consulting engineers, engineers, state-approved experts Examination of stability, public best and sworn. ÖbuvSV experts in this field, authorization to present building documents.
Please see the flyer for the complete programme and information on registration.
The event will be held in German only.
IleM and ZMB at BAU 2019
14 to 19 January 2019
For the first time, the International Federation for Lightweight Metal Construction (IFBS) was represented with a large stand at BAU 2019 in Munich from 14 to 19 January 2019. Together with member companies from the manufacturing and sales departments, supporting members and the partner association PPA-Europe, the Centre for Metallic Design (ZMB) of RWTH Aachen University and the ileM - Innovation Network of the BMWi also presented themselves at the stand.
The ZMB of the RWTH Aachen was represented on site by employees of the Institute of Metal Forming (IBF) and the Institute of Steel Construction (STB/MLB). Interested trade fair visitors were able to learn more about the advantages of interdisciplinary cooperation and the coupling of
The Chair of Sustainability in Lightweight Metal Construction and the other members of the ileM innovation network used the opportunity to present their network projects at the central IFBS stand. With its holistic approach to the life cycle of lightweight metal construction, the network was very well received by visitors and exhibitors.
.
IMPLENIA Award 2018
15 to 16 November 2018
The Implenia Award was presented for the third time on 15 and 16 November for outstanding bachelor theses in the categories of construction operation, BIM, geotechnics, building construction, structural engineering and a special category. 22 students from six universities came to the "Neue Messe Essen" project to win the coveted prize.
Our student assistant Antonia Klipp was able to assert herself in the category of structural engineering with her work on "Model development and numerical simulations for determining the rotational capacity of high-strength steel girders".
AGI Award 2018
October 31st 2018
We congratulate Mrs. Saskia Ehrentraut on her 3rd place of the AGI Award. The AGI Award evaluates theses with special innovative ideas and the high practical relevance to industrial buildings, so that results are directly usable for industrial companies. Ms. Saskia Ehrentraut wrote her bachelor thesis on "Modified wind load approach for lattice structures using wind tunnel tests" in the field of wind engineering at the Institute of Steel Construction and completed it with very good results. The topic of the work was presented in the context of the AGI autumn specialized forum where industrial enterprises and planning offices have participated. For the future we wish Mrs. Ehrentraut all the best, both professionally and personally, and continued success.
Robotics for the building industry
July 18th 2018
Liebherr with the division Tower Cranes, Kuka as provider for automation solutions, the software company Autodesk and the RWTH Aachen University with its three chairs (Individualized Production, Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering WZL | production metrology and quality management, Institute of Steel Construction | Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes) announced their collaboration in the field of robotics for the building industry. The industrial consortium is conducting research together with the interdisciplinary team of scientist in the newly founded Center Construction Robotics on the RWTH Aachen Campus. The Center is under the scientific direction of Professor Sigrid Brell-Cokcan, Professor Robert Schmitt and Professor Markus Kuhnhenne.
More information can be found here.
Second place is a miracle for "Sieglos Stahlbau"
July 13th, 2018
Our football team "Sieglos Stahlbau" has suffered a defeat in the World Cup final against Kuperbolzer 05. And still feel like a winner. The team is not called "Die Mannschaft" - but it is one.
After losing to Kupferbolzer 05 at this year's 17th "Bauingenieurweltmeisterschaft", the Institute of Steel Construction is proud of the best performance since winning the "Bauingenieurweltmeisterschaft" in 2012, and after a mixed preliminary round with a win and a defeat, the team entered the quarter-finals. There, after an exciting 0:0, they defeated the Road Runers in a seven-metre shoot-out. The semi-final could hardly be surpassed in tension. After a 2-0 lead, the opponent of Lokomotive VIA was allowed to come to a 2.2 equaliser in order to prevail again in the seven-metre shoot-out. In the final, the team lost to Kuperbolzer 05 0:1.
SHOWTIME - Steel Hybrid Onshore Wind Towers Installed with Minimal Effort
June 2018
The proposed work aims to develop a steel hybrid solution for onshore wind turbine towers using a lattice structure for the lower portion of the tower and a tubular upper portion. The solution is targeted at tall onshore applications (hub height 120 – 220 meters), required by increasingly powerful wind turbines or in situations where wind shear profile is clearly benefiting higher turbines.
The ingenious Professor Luftikus Wirbelwind or how streamlined is a shoe box?
April 20th 2018
On Friday, April 20, 2018, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Kemper, alias Professor Luftikus Wirbelwind, presented his "ingenious idea" for a scooter powered by wind instead of muscle power at the RWTH Children's University. You can watch the video of his lecture for children from 8 years here.
Please explain it to me, RWTH! Professor Frank Kemper about the aerodynamics of horses
At the CHIO Aachen every second counts - but how streamlined are competition horses and their riders? Professor Frank Kemper explained the role of aerodynamics in equestrian sport to the team of the CHIO Aachen.
Link to the video
IFBS-Prize 2018
January 19th 2018
This year, the International Association for Lightweight Metal Building Envelopes (IFBS) presented the "IFBS Prize for the Promotion of Young Scientists in Lightweight Metal Construction" for the first time. The award was presented by the IFBS during the academic ceremony of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. This year's award went to our student assistant Lisa Kramer, who is currently writing her master's thesis on the subject of "Investigations on the load-bearing behaviour of innovative liner tray profiles" at the Chair for Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes.
Academic Ceremony 2018
January 19th 2018
On Friday, January 19th 2018, the Academic Ceremony as a joint event of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the professorship ‘Sustainable Metal Building Envelopes’ will take place.
At the graduation ceremony Prof. Kuhnhenne will give his introducory lecture on the topic "Innovative and Lightweight Metal Construction".
You can download the event flyer here.
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Prize 2017
November 24th 2017
For more than 30 years, the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Foundation Board of Trustees has annually awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Prize to students, doctoral students and post-doctoral students at RWTH Aachen University for their outstanding scientific achievements. This year's Friedrich Wilhelm Prize has been awarded to Helen Bartsch, Research Associate at the Institute of Steel Construction, for her master's thesis on "Verification of damage mechanics approach to predict ductile failure of dissipative elements under seismic loading conditions (ULCF)". The award of the 24 prize winners took place on November 24th in the auditorium of RWTH Aachen University.
Young European Talent 2017
November 8th to 10th 2017
Between 8 and 10 November, 50 top talents from 5 European countries visited Limburg for the first edition of the project Young European Talent (YET). These young people aged 18-35 were each hand-selected by the relevant embassies and ministries based on their specific talents. Our Chief Engineer Mr. Simon Schaffrath was also included in this selection.
Together with the honorary consuls from Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France, Connect Limburg developed an extensive programme with top speakers from the five sectors spread over three days. The goal of the project is twofold. First, it aims to structurally facilitate a high-quality international network and networking event for young and future decision-makers in Europe. Second, with initiatives such as YET, it wishes to put Limburg on the map as an internationally oriented region that looks beyond borders to provide a network and an inspirational setting to international top talents.
Implenia Award 2017
November 15th/16th 2017
For the second time, the Implenia Award was presented on November 15th and16th 2017 for outstanding bachelor's theses in the categories of construction business, geotechnical engineering, building construction and structural engineering as well as in a special category.
Our student assistant Marvin Lüdecke won the Implenia Award 2017 in the "Special-Category" with his bachelor thesis "Accurate direction-dependent measurement of aerodynamic coefficient of spatial lattice structures" in Stuttgart in November. He was also awarded, together with Leon Immenga (RWTH), for the best presentation of all attendee.