Steel Structures
The Institute of Steel Construction is responsible for fundamental and applied research, the development of national and international standards, assessments for Zustimmung im Einzelfall, building inspections and offering technical advice for design and construction.
In order to carry out experimental investigations, the Institute of Steel Construction relies on the Institute’s own test centre as well as the test facilities at the Centre of Metallic Design. This ensures a wide range of standard and specialised test set-ups are available. A comprehensive collection of testing equipment also allows specific stress conditions to be observed, in order to investigate current issues facing the steel construction sector.
Due to the progressive development of numerical methods, the simulation of load-bearing structures and structural components is becoming increasingly important. Numerical models allow the individual influencing parameters to be analysed; this means the that behaviour of the structure or components under specified load scenarios can be considered on a wider scale. For this reason, a high-performance computer server and comprehensive software packages are available to the Institute of Steel Construction.
A list of specific topics within the steel construction field are presented below:
- Stability
- Fatigue behaviour
- Plastic limit states
- High-strength materials
- Reliability and durability
- Joining techniques e.g bolted, welded and adhesive bonding
- Structural dynamics
- Structural monitoring
Research projects at the Institute of Steel Construction are primarily carried out in association with the scientific network at RWTH, alongside national and international cooperation partners. Additionally, the Institute of Steel Construction works with industry representatives, undertaking research and development projects; their aim is to develop new products or processes for practical applications. An overview of current and past research projects relating to steel construction can be found here.