Congratulations to Mr. Brian Rust on successfully completing his doctoral degree!

On July 22, 2026, Brian Rust, M.Sc., successfully defended his dissertation titled

“On the Tensile Strength of Single-Sided Welded T-Joints Made of High-Strength Steels.”

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Ivo Herle (TU Dresden) chaired the doctoral committee. The dissertation was reviewed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Richard Stroetmann (TU Dresden), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Ummenhofer (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Christian Schmale (TU Dresden). Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Löhnert (TU Dresden) was also a member of the doctoral committee.

Mr. Rust’s dissertation deals with the static tensile capacity of welded joints made of high-strength steels in strength classes S500 through S960, with particular emphasis on the heat-affected zone (HAZ) formed during welding. The focus is on softening in the HAZ and its effects on the load-bearing capacity of single-sided welded T-joints. To this end, the effects of welding parameters on the strength properties of high-strength structural steels were investigated, and a regression model was developed to determine the yield strength and tensile strength within the HAZ. Experimental investigations, numerical simulations of the weld-induced temperature field, and structural mechanics calculations subsequently formed the basis for a concept to estimate the geometric extent of the HAZ, as well as for a model to calculate the tensile load-carrying capacity of welded joints with HAZ failure. The applicability of the load-bearing capacity model was confirmed for both single-sided T-joints and butt welds. In addition, the direction-dependent method was further developed for single-sided fillet welds.

The doctoral dissertation was awarded the overall distinction of “summa cum laude.”

We warmly congratulate Mr. Rust on this outstanding achievement and wish him all the best in his future scientific and professional endeavors!