Concrete Structures

The chair of Structural Design of Concrete Structures provides education aiming to design safe concrete (and masonry) structures, carries out research and pursues strategic internal and external collaborations. The results are published in high quality scientific journals. The chair addresses structural design from a value chain type of perspective. Design, manufacturing and assembling are considered in an integral manner with a focus on innovation to work on a digital transition. Digital technologies, on all levels, are needed to improve on both construction productivity and sustainability in the sector. It is our vision that design, manufacturing and assembling should be studied in an integrated and digital manner. This explains why the chair also hosts the certificate program on construction technology.

Research Profile

The research is focussed on digital design, digital manufacturing and digital assembling (D3DMA). Digital design is studied on three subsequent levels. On a macro level, the structures of buildings and (small) civil structures like pedestrian bridges are designed using both parametric and generic design tools. Optimisation algorithms, like form finding and topology optimisation are incorporated to safe on natural resources and explore new shapes, always bearing the construction technology in mind. On a meso level concrete components like slabs and walls are studied numerically. Parametric design tools are being developed, based on strut and tie analysis, yield lines and the stringer panel methods. Finally, on a micro scale, discrete FEM analyses are used to study e.g. the pull-out behaviour of reinforcement and fibres. All types of analyses are supported with fundamental experimental research for matters of verification. Finally, digital manufacturing is treated in the certificate program on construction technology.

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3D Concrete Printing

The 果冻传媒 performs high-end research on concrete printing. The research program is called 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) and is run by the chair of Concrete Structures of the Unit Structural Design, in close collaboration with the chair of Innovative Structural Design and chair of Architectural esign and Engineering. The research group operates and develops its own 3D Concrete Printer at the Department of the Built Environment.

ReCreate

ReCreate is an EU Horizon 2020 project that received 鈧�12.5 million in funding to investigate the feasibility of deconstructing and reusing precast concrete elements instead of demolishing them. ReCreate pushes the boundaries towards a more circular construction industry by focusing on all stages of the value chain. By choosing reuse instead of demolition and producing new elements for each new structure, the CO₂ footprint can be reduced significantly 鈥� in some cases, up to 75%!