Awards
Teaching Award 2022
On 14.12.2022, during the Senate meeting, Prof. Steffen Marx, Peter Betz and Conrad Pelka received the Teaching Award 2022 for the lecture and seminar offered on "Reinforcing Concrete Structures".
News report: Lehrpreis 2022
Innovation Award 2021 of the Industrieclub Sachsen e. V. for Oliver Steinbock
On 15.11.2022, the Innovation Award 2021 was presented to Dr.-Ing. Oliver Steinbock, he is the proud 30th award winner. He received the 5000 euro prize for his doctoral thesis at Technische Universität Dresden, in which he researched how to rehabilitate dilapidated bridges with the help of carbon concrete.
News report: Innovationspreis 2021für Oliver Steinbock
Kurt Beyer Award 2021
Adrian Diaconu (Vertretung Hochtief bzw. Stifter des Preises), Rektorin und Preisträger Dr. Michael Frenzel, Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen, per Videokonferenz
Dr. Michael Frenzel (Faculty of Civil Engineering) receives the Kurt Beyer Prize 2021 for his dissertation "On the load-bearing behaviour of lightweight, layered concrete slabs". The work provides an overview of the current state of development and existing research on layered, sandwich-type concrete slabs. It addresses the properties of concrete, steel and reinforced concrete and in detail the bond between concrete layers, which particularly influences the load-bearing capacity of layered concrete floors. Subsequently, different component conditions are explained and the failure types that can occur in layered elements are presented. These include bending tensile and bending compression failure as well as bending shear and joint failure. Formulas are provided for calculating deflections in the service condition as well as failure loads depending on the type of failure. Calculation approaches for the assessment of the component condition due to the different shrinkage of the concretes are also given.
Bridge made of reinforced carbon concrete receives two awards from the Fédération internationale du béton (fib)
Marc Koschemann, Iurii Vakaliuk (v.n.l.r.) präsentieren stolz die Urkunden
Oslo/Dresden: It bears the name CarboLight Bridge and combines slim design and resource conservation. The bridge made of carbon concrete and infralight concrete was specially designed for the Deutsches Museum by scientists from the Institute of Concrete Structures at the Technische Universität Dresden. The bridge has taken its place in the bridge and hydraulic engineering department of the Deutsches Museum, which was redesigned during the general refurbishment, and impressively presents the advantages of the innovative combination of materials.
The bridge received two awards at the fib Congress, which took place in Oslo from 12 to 16 June 2022: the Exceptional Recognition Special Prize in the "Award for Outstanding Concrete Structures" competition and the Innovation Award 2022 in the "Structures" category for the paper "An ultra-light Carbon Concrete Bridge: From Design to Realisation" by the authors Marc Koschemann, Iurii Vakaliuk and Manfred Curbach.
News report: CarboLight Bridge receives award
Construction Industry East Award for Josiane Giese
Die Preisträger in der Kategorie “Architektur” Quentin Pagés und in der Kategorie „Bauingenieurwesen“ Josiane Giese
As an important signal for securing the future, the Bauindustrieverband Ost e. V. awarded its industry prize to graduates in civil engineering and architecture at the internal meeting of the association's Human Resources Development Committee on 9 November 2021 in Leipzig. The prize in the civil engineering category was awarded to Josiane Giese for her diploma thesis "Experimental investigation of a carbon concrete reinforced slab bridge". Evidence of the performance of carbon concrete was provided in the strengthening of a bridge structure and the effectiveness of the strengthening measure was demonstrated. The successful application of carbon concrete reinforcement in bridge construction is an important contribution to further research and the establishment of this construction method in practice.
Honorary pin 2020 for Prof. Manfred Curbach
On 04.10.2021 Prof. Manfred Curbach received a golden pin of honor 2020 of the Technische Universität Dresden during the staff party. In the field of textile and carbon concrete, Manfred Curbach has done pioneering work and he was responsible with great success for a term of office of the Prorectorate University Development of the Technische Universität Dresden. Prof. Manfred Curbach stands equally for interdisciplinarity, internationality and successful technology transfer. The golden honorary pins are awarded to members of the Technische Universität Dresden who have rendered outstanding services and special individual achievements for the benefit of the university.
Golden pin of honor 2020 of the Technische Universität Dresden
Saxony Construction Industry Award for Outstanding Theses in the Field of Civil Engineering and Architecture 2020
In 2020, the "Prize of the Construction Industry of Saxony" for outstanding final theses in the field of civil engineering and architecture will go to Iurii Vakaliuk (Institute for Solid Construction, TU Dresden) and Robert Bretschneider (TU Dresden).
The "Bauindustrie Sachsen 2020 Award" in the civil engineering subfield was awarded to Iurii Vakaliuk from the Institute of Solid Construction at the Technical University of Dresden for his master's thesis on "Conceptual development for the arrangement of modular textile-reinforced macrocells".
In explaining the reasons for the award, Finck says: "The work in the field of civil engineering demonstrates a very good concept for reducing overall construction costs, in particular for reducing the material volume of concrete. The "Saxony Construction Industry Award", which is presented every two years, is endowed with 2,000 euros.
Kurt Beyer Award 2018
What do an underwater concrete pressure housing for deep-sea exploration and an airship hangar for zeppelin construction have in common? Both are topics of exceptional dissertations that were awarded the Kurt Beyer Prize at TU Dresden on May 22, 2019.
The Vice Rector for Research at TU Dresden, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil.Gerhard Rödel and Dipl.-Ing. Adrian Diaconu from Hochtief Infrastructure GmbH NL Germany Southeast congratulate Dr. Sebastian Wilhelm.
In his dissertation (Use of UHPC pressure casings for protection against extreme environmental conditions in the deep sea (grade: "summa cum laude", supervisor: Prof. Manfred Curbach, TUD Faculty of Civil Engineering)), Dr. Sebastian Wilhelm investigated how ultra-high-strength concrete is suitable for underwater pressure casings. The aim was to create a cost-effective and durable alternative to expensive titanium housings. Underwater pressure casings are used to explore the deep sea - a world rich in mineral resources that is considered more unknown than the moon. At the Institute of Solid Structures, he developed a reclosable pressure casing made of UHPC for use down to a depth of 3,000 m and analyzed, among other things, the time-dependent material behavior, permeability and durability of UHPC. The tests were simulated numerically. From the measurement data, Dr. Wilhelm calibrated a material model law. He was able to demonstrate that concrete pressure casings with a wall thickness of 35 mm and an outer diameter of 250 mm could even withstand a pressure of 60 MPa, corresponding to 6000 m water depth, for a short time. In practice, Dr. Wilhelm was already able to realize a one-year deep-sea field study in the Arctic with the pressure casing.
Concrete pressure case with bonded sapphire crystal pane
In addition to Dr. Sebastian Wilhelm, Dr. Roland Fuhrmann was awarded the Kurt Beyer Prize 2018 for his dissertation "Dresden's Gateway to the Sky - The First Aerodynamically Shaped Airship Hall and its Influence on Architectural History".
The Kurt Beyer Prize was awarded in a ceremony on May 22, 2019, in the Rector's Hall, Mommsenstraße 11. The Kurt Beyer Prize, endowed with EUR 5,000, was awarded for the 23rd time this year. Since 1996, HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH has donated the endowment for this prize, which is awarded to outstanding TUD graduates or postgraduates in civil engineering or architecture. The donor has so far provided more than EUR 100,000 in prize money.
Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal 2019
The Braunschweig Scientific Society (BWG) awards the Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal 2019 to Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr-Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach, Director of the Institute of Solid Construction at the Technical University of Dresden, in recognition of his achievements and services in the research and application of new building materials and construction methods for concrete construction.
Manfred Curbach is one of the outstanding construction researchers of this time. He has made special contributions to the development of structural engineering in concrete construction.
Carl Friedrich Gauss Medal 2019
Significant modern developments can be attributed to his impulses, his creativity and his inspiring power of persuasion, such as the textile concrete construction method, such as the paradigm shift in concrete construction from "heavy, massive, dreary" to "filigree, light, elegant" and such as the current research into carbon reinforcement in concrete construction instead of steel reinforcement.
Manfred Curbach has an impressive ability to think up forward-looking research topics, to realize them, to communicate the results, to implement them in construction practice and to accompany them there to successful application. His work has made it possible to set the course for the development of construction in the future towards improved performance, aesthetics, conservation of resources and economic efficiency.
The medal will be awarded at the BWG's Annual Ceremonial Meeting on May 10, 2019, at 4 p.m. in the Dornse of the Old Town Hall of the City of Brunswick. In the morning (9:30 a.m.) of the same day, a public scientific colloquium will be held in honor of the award winner in the mayor's room of the Altstadtrathaus with the topic "Building in 2050: Requirements, Opportunities, Ideas".
Source: Press release Braunschweig Scientific Society
„Das ist etwas, was ich an unseren Vorgängern so bewundere. In außergewöhnlichen Momenten besaßen sie einen außergewöhnlichen Mut,
um eine Idee umzusetzen.“
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Manfred Curbach im Interview
Straßen asphaltieren, Wohnhäuser, Hochhäuser und Brücken bauen, bei Planungen öffentlicher Gebäude wie Sportstadien, Schwimmbädern oder Einkaufszentren beratend für die Prüfung der Statik dabei sein, vor Ort auf der Baustelle den Ton angeben – sehen so die typischen Tätigkeiten eines Bauingenieurs aus?
Eigentlich muss man dies ein wenig stärker differenzieren. Es gibt Bauwerke, bei denen Bauingenieure tatsächlich diejenigen sind, die entwerfen, die konstruieren, die rechnen und bei der Bauausführung maßgebend tätig sind. Das sind zum Beispiel Brücken, Straßen oder Industriebauwerke. Dann gibt es natürlich eine ganze Reihe von Gebäuden, bei denen sich Bauingenieur und Architekten die Arbeit teilen, z. B. bei Hochhäusern. Die Entwürfe stammen in der Regel von Architekten, die auch die Detailplanung machen. Die statische Berechnung und Konstruktion werden von Bauingenieuren durchgeführt. Die Aufgaben im Zuge der Bauleitung, Kalkulation, Abrechnung eines Bauingenieurs in einem Unternehmen finden im Büro statt. Ein weiteres wichtiges Aufgabenfeld eines Bauingenieurs ist die Kontrolle der Statik anderer als Prüfingenieur. Diese haben sich zusätzlich zur Grundausbildung zum Bauingenieur weitergebildet, bereits eine Menge Erfahrung und Kenntnisse und eine sogenannte Prüflizenz bekommen, um die Statik anderer prüfen zu können. Dann haben wir viele Bauingenieure in der öffentlichen Verwaltung, die Ausschreibungen vorbereiten, frühe Planungsphasen begleiten und natürlich hinterher auch kontrollieren, ob das gebaut wurde, was sie bestellt haben und auch abnehmen. Und dann gibt es noch Bauingenieure in der Wissenschaft.
Inspiriert durch die Schweizer Bauingenieure Robert Maillart und Christian Menn, bildeten Langlebigkeit, Ästhetik, Leichtigkeit und Ressourcenschonung das Tragwerk Ihrer damaligen Zukunftsvision. Wie hat sich diese Zukunftsvision entwickelt?
Anfang der 1980er Jahre war ich für einen Auslandskurs in Princeton/USA und der dortige Gastprofessor war Christian Menn, damals Professor an der ETH Zürich. Als ich dort war, hielt er gerade eine Vorlesungsreihe und hat z.B. über die Brücken von Robert Maillart geredet, aber natürlich auch über seine eigenen Ideen (Anmerkung der Redaktion: Christian Menn erhielt 1998 ebenfalls die Gauß-Medaille) Er hat mich, was Entwurf und Konstruktion von Brücken angeht, sehr geprägt. Herr Menn hatte ziemlich radikale Ideen. Das begann damit, dass er sagte „Eine schöne Brücke zu bauen muss nicht teurer sein als eine schlecht gestaltete Brücke“. Man braucht also nicht Geld um schön zu bauen, sondern eher Geist. Jede Brücke verlangt nach ihrem eigenen Stil in Abhängigkeit von der Umgebung, in der sie gebaut wird. Und es muss immer ein Gleichgewicht geben, nicht nur zwischen den Kräften – das ist selbstverständlich – auch zwischen der Struktur, der Form und der Last, die abgetragen werden soll. Das ist nicht automatisierbar, das kann kein Computer. Ich sehe nur, das eben sehr viel gebaut wird, was diesen Regeln nicht unbedingt entspricht. Es gibt eine Art Standard-Querschnitt und Standard Statisches System, das gerne immer wieder angewendet wird und teilweise zu durchaus plumpen Brücken führt.
Bleiben wir beim Brückenbau: Welche Ziele stehen bei Ihnen noch auf der Agenda?
Wenn ich mir meine eigenen Brücken so anschaue, dann hält sich das schwer in Grenzen. Meine Wirkung ist oft eher eine mittelbare. Studierende so auszubilden, dass sie dieses Bewusstsein möglichst frühzeitig mitbekommen und dann in Zukunft hoffentlich schönere Brücken bauen. Da würde ich mich eher als Lehrer sehen und weniger als Ausführender.
Termine, Meetings, Dienstreisen, Konferenzen, Abstimmungen – was motiviert sie und wie gelingt Ihnen dieser Kraftakt?
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Manfred Curbach im Interview
Das ist schwer zu beantworten! Ein Grund könnte sein, der aber gleichzeitig ein großes Handicap ist, dass ich mich für sehr viele Dinge interessiere. Wenn man neugierig ist, dann möchte man wissen was Kollegen und Mitarbeiter auf dem Herzen haben. Sie haben alle auch gute Ideen und es wäre natürlich schade wenn das hinten herunterfallen würde. Es ist diese Neugier als Grundeigenschaft, deswegen auch Geschichte und zukünftige Materialien in einem. Wir haben ein wichtiges Forschungsvorhaben am Institut zur Geschichte eines zu Unrecht nicht so bekannten Bauingenieurs, der hier in Dresden gewirkt hat – Willy Gehler. Er ist nach dem 2. Weltkrieg fast in Vergessenheit geraten, er durfte nicht mehr erwähnt werden, hat aber in der ersten Hälfte des Jahrhunderts unglaubliche Leistungen erbracht, von den wir heute noch zehren. Auf der anderen Seite versuchen wir ein Material zu entwickeln, das die Zukunft bestimmt – den Carbonbeton.
Welches bestehende Bauwerk auf der Welt begeistert Sie besonders und warum?
Es gibt so einige Brücken von Maillart, die fast so vollkommen sind, dass sie heute noch mit den vorhandenen Materialien kaum nachgebaut werden können. Mit hochfestem Beton oder mit Carbonbeton schaffen wir es vielleicht wieder, so schöne schlanke Brücken zu bauen. Das hat Maillart damals mit dem ordinären Stahlbeton geschafft. Die Salginatobelbrücke wird von vielen gern als besonderes Bauwerk benannt. Eine, die mich schon immer fasziniert hat, ist die Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Und das eigentlich mehr aufgrund der Historie und der damaligen Bedeutung. Entworfen wurde sie von Johann Roebling, geboren in Mühlhausen in Thüringen, oder wie er später in den USA hieß John August Roebling. Mit etwa 25 Jahren ist er ausgewandert. Im Staat New Jersey hat er angefangen eine Fabrik zum Spinnen von Seilen aufzubauen. Er war wirtschaftlich schnell erfolgreich. Dann kam er auf die Idee, diese Seile im Brückenbau zu verwenden und hat einige Brücken gebaut, z. B. in Pittsburgh oder die erste dauerhafte Eisenbahn- und Straßenbrücke über den Niagara River. Sein größter Entwurf war dann die Brooklyn Bridge, den er noch selber angefertigt hatte. Zur Fertigstellung 1883 war sie die am weitesten gespannte Hängebrücke weltweit, auf Mauerwerkstürmen aufgehängt mit einer ganz leichten Fahrbahn aus Metall und Holz. Nach seinem Tod hat sein Sohn Washington, ebenfalls Bauingenieur, die Brücke weiter gebaut. Das ist eine Brücke, die so eng mit der Familie Roebling verbunden ist und eine solche Leistung für die damalige Zeit darstellt. Technisch ist ja inzwischen vieles möglich. Aber damals ohne die Kenntnisse eine derartige Brücke zu bauen, erfordert einen ungeheuren Mut. Das ist etwas, was ich an unseren Vorgängern so bewundere. In außergewöhnlichen Momenten besaßen sie einen außergewöhnlichen Mut, um eine Idee umzusetzen.
Wenn Sie eine Brücke Ihrer Wahl bauen dürften – wie sieht sie aus, wo steht sie und wen verbindet sie miteinander?
Was uns jetzt gerade umtreibt sind Brücken aus Carbonbeton, die den Vorteil haben, dass sie deutlich weniger Beton brauchen und damit erheblich schlanker sein können. Ich wünsche mir, dass es irgendwann mal Brücken aus Carbonbeton gibt, die in der Tradition von Robert Maillart stehen. Er baute schon vor über 100 Jahren Brücken, die diese Schlankheit aufweisen und letztlich auch die Dauerhaftigkeit, die mit dem Carbonbeton noch größer sein könnte. Wo sie einmal stehen könnte weiß ich nicht, denn es muss den richtigen Ort geben. Man musst erst den Standort sehen, um sagen zu können, welche Brücke an diese Stelle passt. Brücken verbinden Menschen miteinander.
Seit rund 25 Jahren entwickeln Sie Carbonbeton mit, um den globalen Herausforderungen unserer Zeit wie Bevölkerungswachstum und nachhaltiges Wirtschaften mit Ressourcen zu begegnen. Woher kommt diese Faszination für Carbonbeton und wie ist es Ihnen möglich, diese seit so langer Zeit aufrecht zu erhalten?
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. Manfred Curbach im Interview
Als das vor 25 Jahren begann, ahnte ich noch nicht, welche Ausmaße das annehmen kann. Aber mir war sofort klar, dass dies eine Kombination ist, die Zukunft hat. Wir haben damals bei Sanierungsmöglichkeiten mit dünnen Schichten eine Nische gesehen. Das es dann über die Jahre immer mehr wurde, überrascht mich nach wie vor. Mittlerweile würde ich sagen, dass der Carbonbeton das Zeug hat, den Stahlbeton in einem beträchtlichen Anteil zu ersetzen. Das erklärt vielleicht ein bisschen, weshalb wir da immer noch daran arbeiten. Es gibt einen Druck hinter dem Ganzen, weil wir mit dem Stahlbeton nicht so weiter bauen können wie bisher. Das verbraucht viel zu viele Ressourcen. Sand wird mittlerweile knapp, auch in Deutschland. Selbst an Orten, an denen wir noch Sand haben, darf man ihn nicht abbauen. Das heißt, wir müssen mit dem Material, was wir haben, sehr viel sparsamer umgehen. Da wir aber nicht weniger u. a. aufgrund der Bevölkerungsentwicklung bauen können, bleibt uns nichts Anderes übrig, als etwas wie Carbonbeton zu verwenden.
Das Dresdner Brückenbausymposium findet 2020 bereits zum 30. Mal statt. Gibt es dann eine große Torte aus Carbonbeton? Spaß beiseite – was ist für das Jubiläum geplant, gibt es da bereits Ideen?
Wir hatten vor vier Jahren das 25-jährige. Das haben wir ein bisschen gefeiert. Der Tagungsband war statt dem gängigen TUD-Blau in Silber. Zum 50. können dann die Veranstalter vielleicht einen goldfarbenen Umschlag wählen. Für das 30. ist bisher nichts Größeres geplant. Am Vorabend wird bereits zum 8. Mal der Deutsche Brückenbaupreis verliehen. Dieser wird alle zwei Jahre vergeben und ist mittlerweile auch schon wieder zu einer kleinen Tradition geworden.
Die Gauß-Medaille, benannt nach dem Braunschweiger Mathematiker, der in jüngerer Zeit auch den 10 DM-Schein schmückte. Was bedeutet diese Auszeichnung für Sie, die bereits zum 70. Mal verliehen wird?
Das kann ich am ehesten daran festmachen, wenn ich schaue, wer den Preis bisher bekommen hat. Diese Medaille richtet sich ja an fast alle Wissenschaftsbereiche. Letztes Jahr war es der Verfassungsrichter Paul Kirchhof, 2017 die Meeresforscherin Antje Boetius, 1998 Christian Menn – ich empfinde das als sehr, sehr große Auszeichnung, in diese Gruppe von Menschen mit aufgenommen zu werden.
Das Interview führten Diana Uhlmann und Stefan Gröschel
"Innovation Award Construction Technology 2019" of the DBV
Photo shows the winner of the "Innovationspreis Bautechnik 2019", Dipl.-Ing. Michael Frenzel, with DBV chairman Dr. Jacob (right) and chairman of the jury Professor Curbach (left) at the award ceremony on 8 March 2019 in Stuttgart
Michael Frenzel from Dresden University of Technology wins DBV's "Construction Technology Innovation Award 2019" Dipl.-Ing. Michael Frenzel is the winner of this year's "Construction Technology Innovation Award", which was presented by the German Concrete and Construction Technology Association E.V. (DBV) was awarded on March 8, 2019 in Stuttgart. With his research work "Slab structures made of layered concretes - light and efficient" and his well-founded presentation, Michael Frenzel convinced the jury at the "Colloquium for Young Engineers" in Stuttgart on March 7, 2019, and thus won the "Civil Engineering Innovation Award 2019". In order to promote young students and doctoral candidates in particular, the German Concrete and Civil Engineering Association E.V. (DBV) donates the "Civil Engineering Innovation Award" every two years, which is presented at the German Civil Engineering Day. The certificate was presented by DBV Chairman Dr. Matthias Jacob together with Professor Manfred Curbach, chairman of the jury, in Stuttgart on March 8, 2019. The award comes with prize money of €2,500. Typically, concrete slabs are designed with a high material and energy consumption. In order to be able to produce slab structures that are weight-reduced and conserve resources, Michael Frenzel is developing cross-section- and shape-optimized structures as part of his dissertation at the Technical University of Dresden. However, he not only considered the efficient load-bearing behavior in his work "with a high degree of creativity," but also the aesthetics. Michael Frenzel completed the research work under Professor Manfred Curbach at the Institute of Solid Construction at the Technical University of Dresden. The dissertation is based on his research work within the subproject "Lightweight floor structures made of layered high-performance concretes" of the DFG-funded Priority Program SPP 1542 "Lightweight Construction with Concrete
A total of 11 civil engineers presented their master's thesis or dissertation in the "Colloquium for Young Engineers" on March 7, 2019 and answered the questions of the jury. Michael Frenzel prevailed from this strong field of applicants.
Prize jury
Chairman Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach,
Dresden University of Technology
Members
- Dr.-Ing. Hubert Bachmann, Ed. Züblin AG
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Harald Garrecht, University of Stuttgart
- Dr.-Ing. Julian Meyer, HOCHTIEF Engineering GmbH
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Motzko, Darmstadt University of Technology
- Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Franz Josef Zweier, Max Bögl Stiftung & Co. KG
Source: DEUTSCHER BETON- UND BAUTECHNIK-VEREIN E.V.
Emil Mörsch commemorative coin 2019
The German Concrete and Civil Engineering Association E.V., founded in 1898. (DBV) honored Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach with the Emil-Mörsch-Denkmünze, the highest award of the association, on March 7, 2019. The award was presented by the new DBV Chairman Dr. Matthias Jacob during the opening ceremony of the German Civil Engineering Day 2019 in Stuttgart.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Manfred Curbach is awarded the Emil-Mörsch-Denkmünze.
The laudatory speech and certificate paid tribute to Manfred Curbach as follows: "As an inspiring teacher, an inspiring researcher and a creative engineer, he has achieved outstanding things and given new impetus to concrete construction. He has always allowed people to share his knowledge in a large number of national and international professional associations and in society. Of particular importance are his innovative ideas for the development of carbon concrete, which have received remarkable recognition outside the professional world. Important contributions to the impact behavior of concrete, to multi-axial stresses, to solid bridge construction as well as to the history of concrete construction round off his work. Through his work, in the tradition of Emil Mörsch, he has enhanced the reputation of civil engineering in professional circles and society far beyond Germany's borders."
Opening event DEUTSCHER BAUTECHNIK -TAG 2019
Born in Dortmund in 1956, Manfred Curbach began studying civil engineering at the University of Dortmund in 1977 and graduated in 1982. A scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation took him to Princeton University in the USA. In 1987, Manfred Curbach received his doctorate in engineering under Professor Eibl in Karlsruhe. He then moved into practice, working for the engineering firm Köhler + Seitz in Nuremberg from 1988 to 2004. In 1994, he was appointed professor of solid construction at the Technical University of Dresden.
Manfred Curbach's research focuses on the material behavior of concrete under high loading velocities and the behavior of concrete components under short-term dynamics. In addition, he conducts research on the multi-axial strength of concrete, on the composite behavior between high-performance concrete and reinforcing steel, and namely under fatigue loading. In 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, in particular for his achievements in these fields. Numerous other prizes and awards followed in his career.
Since 2013, Manfred Curbach has been spokesman for the BMBF consortium C³ - Carbon Concrete Composite. His vision is nothing less than a new way of building using carbon concrete. To this end, he conceived, applied for and won over more than 160 partners for a research project with a total volume of almost 70 million euros. And Manfred Curbach has managed to present this topic in such a way that not only the specialist public learns about it. In 2016, he received the "Deutscher Zukunftspreis, Preis des Bundespräsidenten für Technik und Innovation" (German Future Prize, Award of the Federal President for Technology and Innovation), beating off competitors from the automotive industry, among others.
In addition to his technical qualities, his winning and human greatness was also recognized. A passionate teacher and true team player, Manfred Curbach shares his knowledge in numerous honorary posts; consequently, for example, he is a member of the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences.
Manfred Curbach thanked the DBV for the "huge award" as well as his colleagues and the Technical University of Dresden for their cooperation and support. He called on the next generation of engineers to take on responsibility and go their own, new ways.
Since 1938, the DBV has donated the Emil-Mörsch-Denkmünze every two years to honor personalities who have distinguished themselves through special achievements in the field of concrete construction and have promoted this type of construction.
2019 Manfred Curbach
2017 Jürgen Schnell
2015 Karl Morgen
2013 Hans-Wolf Reinhardt
2011 Holger Svensson
2009 Konrad Zilch
2007 Theodor Baumann
2005 Peter Schießl
2003 Wieland Ramm
2001 Gert König
1999 Josef Eibl
1997 Hubert K. Hilsdorf
1995 Jörg Schlaich
1993 René Walther
1991 Herbert Kupfer
1989 Franco Levi
1987 Volker Hahn
1985 Hanno Goffin
1983 Karl Kordina
1981 Hans Wittfoht
1979 Ben C. GerwickJr.
1977 Wolfgang Zerna
1975 Pieter Blokland
1973 Kurt Walz
1971 Hans Minetti
1969 Nicolas Esquillan
1967 Fritz Leonhardt
1965 Hermann Bay
1963 Pier Luigi Nervi
1961 Ludwig Lenz
1959 Eugène Freyssinet
1957 Hubert Rüsch
1956 Alfred Hummel
1955 Bruno Hampe
1954 Max Lütze
1953 Ulrich Finsterwalder
1952 Bernhard Wedler
1951 Adolf Kleinlogel
1950 Willy Gehler
1949 Walter Nakonz
1944 Karl Schaechterle
1943 Leopold Ellerbeck
1942 Fritz von Emperger
1941 Otto Graf
1940 Franz Dischinger
1939 Fritz Todt
1938 Emil Mörsch
Source: DEUTSCHER BETON- UND BAUTECHNIK-VEREIN E.V.
Wackerbarth Medal 2018
Prof. Manfred Curbach (left in picture) receives the Wackerbarth Medal from Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hubertus Milke, President of the Saxony Chamber of Engineers.
During the Chamber of Engineers Day 2018, Prof. Manfred Curbach, Director of the Institute for Solid Construction at the TU Dresden, received the "Wackerbarth Medal".
With this award, the Saxony Chamber of Engineers honors his many years of scientific work, which has been recognized beyond the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as his commitment to the internationally renowned bridge construction symposium.
Dresden Congress Award 2018
Prof. Manfred Curbach (left in picture) and Prof. Jürgen Stritzke receive the Dresden Congress Award for the 28th Dresden Bridge Building Symposium 2018.
As early as 1991, Professor Jürgen Stritzke started with a congress on bridge construction in Dresden. In March of next year, the now 29th Dresden Bridge Building Symposium (DBBS) will take place.
Since its inception, the DBBS has always seen itself as a multiplier of good ideas, interesting innovations and promising technologies and has developed into the largest event of its kind in the German-speaking world and is an ideal meeting place for the exchange of experience on planning, construction, repair and retrofitting of bridges for all those involved and interested in construction. This commitment to the large family of bridge builders and also to Dresden as a congress location was honored on November 15, 2018 with the Dresden Congress Award in the category Continuity.
The Dresden Congress Award - also known as the "Oscar of the congress industry" - honors dedicated scientists, entrepreneurs and congress organizers who have brought congresses and conferences to Dresden and organized them successfully.
Wolfgang Dürr Foundation Award Ceremony in conjunction with WOLFF & MÜLLER Personalentwicklung GmbH 2018
Benjamin Schmidt (left) and Oliver Mosig at the award ceremony in Munich
On October 10, 2018, at EXPO REAL (International Trade Fair for Real Estate and Investment) in Munich, two graduates of our faculty - Mr. Oliver Mosig and Mr. Benjamin Schmidt - received an award for their first-class academic achievements and, in particular, outstanding final theses from the Wolfgang Dürr Foundation in conjunction with WOLFF & MÜLLER Personalentwicklung GmbH, with prize money of 1000 euros each.
German Future Prize 2016
Dresden professors Manfred Curbach, Chokri Cherif and Peter Offermann are the winners of the 2016 German Future Prize.
Dresden professors Manfred Curbach, Chokri Cherif and Peter Offermann are the winners of the 2016 German Future Prize, which was presented by German President Joachim Gauck on November 30 in Berlin and is endowed with 250,000 euros. The research team from TU Dresden was one of the three finalists and successfully beat its competitors. "For the first time in the history of the award ceremony, a team from the field of civil engineering was honored. This shows us how important our research and our approach are in bringing about the much-needed paradigm shift in the construction industry, towards greater resource efficiency and sustainability," said Professor Manfred Curbach, Director of the Institute for Solid Construction at TU Dresden and spokesman for the winning team. The German Future Prize of the Federal President is one of the most important science prizes in Germany. The Rector of the TU Dresden, Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, is particularly pleased: "Congratulations! This is a great success for the three professors, for the TU Dresden and also for the science location Dresden. This is the second time since 2011 that scientists from our university have succeeded in making the emergence of forward-looking innovation comprehensible, starting with the idea and basic research all the way to market launch, and thus convincing the top-class jury of the German Future Prize."
The three researchers from TU Dresden developed a new composite material that relies on the use of carbon instead of steel reinforcement. Carbon is four times lighter and six times stronger than steel. The potential of the innovative composite material is immense. In contrast to reinforced concrete, carbon concrete is more resistant and at the same time more durable, as it does not rust. Components and structures can be designed thinner, saving valuable resources such as water and sand. The material also allows for filigree shapes and a wide range of applications. When carbon concrete is used, material savings of more than 50 percent are possible. This is also accompanied by a reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The development progress also lies in the details. Components made of carbon concrete make it possible to combine them with additional functions, such as insulating, heating or monitoring buildings. Carbon concrete can be used not only in new construction. The material is also ideal for reinforcing existing structures. The service life of buildings, bridges and pylons can be significantly increased by applying a thin layer of carbon concrete. Since 2006, old buildings in Germany and all over the world, such as a department store in Prague and huge silos like the sugar silos in Uelzen, have been reinforced using this method. Carbon concrete as a building material is therefore not only an innovation for the Dresden location, but is also becoming increasingly important worldwide.
The importance of carbon concrete technology was also recognized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which is funding the C³ - Carbon Concrete Composite e. V. association founded in 2014 with up to 43 million euros. C³ e. V. is an interdisciplinary network of more than 150 partners from the fields of business, science and associations who are jointly driving the introduction of the material to the market.
Gottfried Brendel Prize 2016
The Gottfried Brendel Award, endowed with 3,000 euros, is sponsored by one of the leading companies in the industry, Bilfinger SE. On Oct. 28, 2016, the jury had decided on two equal first prizes and one special prize, which were awarded by Dr. Horst Arnold. The prize winners were Kristina Farwig from the Institute of Solid Construction for her work "Rehabilitation of timber beam ceilings in timber-concrete composite construction" and Cäcilia Karge from the Institute of Steel and Timber Construction for her work "Design and dimensioning of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Datteln-Hamm Canal and the River Lippe in Hamm". The special prize was awarded to Peter Friedrich from the Faculty Computing Center (FRZ) for his work "Normal vector-based sensitivity analysis methods for the validation of models of failure interfaces of three-axial concrete load tests".
Kurt Beyer Award 2016
The happy award winners: Maximilian Kunze (left) and Alexander Schumann (right)
On April 21, 2017, the Kurt Beyer Award 2017 was presented in the ballroom of the Rectorate. One graduate each from the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Civil Engineering received the 2500 euro prize for their outstanding diploma theses.
Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Schumann from the Institute of Solid Construction developed a design of a cantilever hall made of carbon concrete within his diploma thesis. When using carbon concrete, slender and filigree supporting elements can be designed. In addition to its use in façade elements and reinforcement measures for existing buildings, carbon concrete is predestined for filigree new structures, in particular planar load-bearing structures such as shells, folded structures, lattice shells, etc. The hall, designed by Alexander Schumann, features a column-free roof in the form of a double-curved shell with a clear room height of 8 m. It is made of individual prefabricated textile elements. It is made of individual prefabricated textile concrete segments, diamond-shaped bars and a stiffening textile concrete layer between the individual diamonds.
This has resulted in a visually appealing design consisting of a slender and filigree supporting structure that can be completely prefabricated. The design demonstrates that a shift away from the solid towards lightweight and energy-efficient construction can be achieved through the use of carbon concrete.
Kurt Beyer Award 2015
The two winners of the Kurt Beyer Award 2015 in the circle of the laudators
The Kurt Beyer Prize was awarded for the 20th time on June 10, 2016. The prize winners of 2015 are Dr.-Ing. Enrico Lorenz from the Institute of Solid Construction in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, who received the prize for his dissertation "End anchoring and overlapping of textile reinforcements in concrete matrices", and Dipl.-Ing. Julia Krafft from the Faculty of Architecture for her diploma thesis "Grenzwertig - Segelflugzentrum Lemwerder".
Enrico Lorenz conducted meticulous scientific research into the interaction of concrete matrix and textile carbon reinforcement. In order to find out how the textile reinforcement can be securely anchored in the concrete and under what conditions it can be prevented from being pulled out of the concrete matrix, he had to tread uncharted scientific territory. He did so unerringly and, as his doctoral supervisor Prof. Manfred Curbach emphasized, with a combination of theoretical basis, experimental soundness and practical construction applicability. "This triumvirate distinguishes Enrico Lorenz's work to a special degree," said Prof. Curbach.
Kurt Beyer Award 2014
Award ceremony - with (from left to right) Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Otto from award sponsor HOCHTIEF, Dr.-Ing. Jörg Nönnig, Dipl.-Ing. Benjamin Felbrich, Dr.-Ing. Laura Ritter, Prof. Manfred Curbach and the Prorector for Research, Prof. Gerhard Rödel.
The Kurt Beyer Prize has been awarded for 19 years - for the best in the fields of architecture and civil engineering. On May 22, 2015, Dr.-Ing. Laura Ritter and Dipl.-Ing. Benjamin Felbrich were the 43rd and 44th recipients of the prize donated by HOCHTIEF.
Laura Ritter received her doctorate at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, her now awarded topic was "The influence of transverse tension on the bond between concrete and reinforcing steel". The laudator during the ceremony was also the supervisor of the thesis: Prof. Manfred Curbach from the Institute of Solid Construction called the thesis "a very important milestone in composite research" and emphasized that "Laura Ritter's research results provide an excellent basis for all further theoretical analyses in this field."
Benjamin Felbrich approached his diploma thesis with "curiosity, fiery zeal, a genuine desire for discovery and a thirst for research," told his supervisor (together with Sebastian Wiesenhüter) and laudator Dr.-Ing. Jörg R. Nönnig - and added with a smile: "...and soon landed in uncertain terrain!" But it was precisely this, the push to uncertain boundaries and the probing of what was beyond these boundaries, that ultimately led to success, he said. The commission was amazed and surprised at the presentation - but also convinced: Perhaps what Benjamin Felbrich had initiated with his work "Bionics in architecture - experiments with multi-agent systems in irregular folding structures" was the future of architecture.
...a future to which Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Stephan Otto of Hochtief Construction GmbH did not want to close his mind, but nevertheless could not refrain from asking during his ceremonial address: "How is that supposed to be built?" But that is often the case with forward-looking research, that one has more questions than answers in the present (even though the two award winners had presented their work very clearly!). On the other hand, Stephan Otto was able to point out numerous respectable buildings in which HOCHTIEf is currently involved - and he also pointed out that the company is very interested in outstanding young talent...
Wolfgang Zerna Medal of Honor 2014
Prof. Manfred Curbach (center) was awarded the new medal in the presence of laudator Dr.-Ing. Franz-Hermann Schlüter and Prof. Wilfried Clauß, Chairman of the VDI-GBG.
The VDI Association of German Engineers honors outstanding achievements in the field of construction technology with a new award: For the first time, the VDI Society for Construction and Building Technology presented the Wolfgang Zerna Medal of Honor at its annual meeting. The award winner is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Curbach from the Technical University of Dresden.
Curbach was honored for his outstanding scientific achievements in the field of building technology. Franz-Hermann Schlüter, member of the Advisory Board for Structural Engineering, emphasized concrete construction as a particular field of activity. Manfred Curbach was chairman of the former VDI Society for Civil Engineering from 2003 to 2008. The first VDI student competition for the design of a Rhine bridge was held during his term of office.
The Wolfgang Zerna Medal of Honor of the VDI is awarded by the VDI Society for Construction and Building Technology in recognition of the outstanding and exemplary personality of its namesake. It honors particularly deserving members and honorarily active persons or engineers who have rendered outstanding services in the fields of civil engineering.
The Wolfgang Zerna Medal of Honor of the VDI is a minted gold coin. On the obverse, it bears the portrait of Wolfgang Zerna, his name, year of birth and death, and the inscription "VDI - Bautechnik"; the reverse and the miniature design are identical to the VDI Medal of Honor. The new award is equal to the Medal of Honor and the Hermann Rietschel Medal of Honor of the VDI.
Source: VDI Verein Deutsche Ingenieure | Press
Kurt Beyer Award 2013
Stephan Otto, Angela Schmidt, Prof. Rainer Schach (from left to right).
The Kurt Beyer Award 2013 was presented on March 21, 2014 in the Rector's Office ballroom. The prize winners are Dipl.-Ing. Angela Schmidt from the Institute of Solid Construction, Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Dr.-Ing. Diana Zitzmann, Faculty of Architecture.
Angela Schmidt received the prize for her diploma thesis "Shape optimization of columns". She had already dealt with the shape optimization of columns as part of her project work in the 9th semester. She had already been honored for this with the Brendel Prize in 2013. Angela Schmidt remained true to the topic of the project thesis by further elaborating on it in her diploma thesis. "In both theses, Ms. Schmidt demonstrated in an outstanding manner that she is excellently able to familiarize herself with difficult topics and issues that are unfamiliar to students and to solve them in an excellent manner," said the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Prof. Rainer Schach, in his laudatory speech.
The Kurt Beyer Prize is endowed with a total of 5,000 euros, and the prize was divided in half. There were a total of ten entries to choose from - six from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and four from the Faculty of Architecture. The two winners presented their work at the award ceremony. The prize was presented by Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Stephan Otto from HOCHTIEF Solutions AG, Civil Engineering and Traffic Infrastructure, which has sponsored the prize since 2011 (previously it had been sponsored by HOCHTIEF Construction AG since 1996).
Leopoldina Certificate for Prof. Manfred Curbach 2013
Prof. Manfred Curbach receives his membership certificate from the President of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Professor Jörg Hacker (right).
During the annual symposium of Leopoldina Class I, high-ranking scientists received their membership certificates from the hands of the President of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Professor Jörg Hacker.
Among the 15 scientists elected to Class I in 2013, the only one from Dresden is Prof. Manfred Curbach from the Institute of Solid Structures at Dresden University of Technology. He is a member of the Leopoldina - one of the oldest scientific academies in the world - in the Section for Technical Sciences.
The Leopoldina was founded in 1652 and is committed to free science for the benefit of mankind and the shaping of the future. With its approximately 1500 members, the Leopoldina brings together outstanding scientists from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and numerous other countries.
Gottfried Brendel Prize 2013
Award ceremony at the faculty day.
The Gottfried Brendel Prize, endowed with 3,000 euros, for special achievements in the project work in the subject of design of civil engineering structures by students in the 9th semester was presented on behalf of the benefactor Bilfinger SE by Harald Möller (on the left in the picture) during the "Faculty Day". The 2013 prize winner is Angela Schmidt for her work "Form Follows Force - Optimizing the Geometry of Columns". Two 2nd prizes were also awarded to Max Käding ("Design of a railroad bridge over the Röder") and to Kevin Wahl ("Design and dimensioning of a cyclist and pedestrian bridge over the Ems near the city of Rheine"). On the right in the picture, the then Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Prof. Rainer Schach.
Kurt Beyer Award 2012
Dr.-Ing. Anett Brückner
The winners of the 2012 Kurt Beyer Award, which has been presented annually since 1996, are Dr.-Ing. Anett Brückner, who wrote her dissertation on the subject of "Shear force reinforcement of structural elements with textile-reinforced concrete" at the Institute of Solid Construction of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Fuchs from the Faculty of Architecture. His thesis dealt with the "Conservation and development of Seres Campill". The prize was awarded in June 2013 in the Rector's Hall.
Laudators of the two prize winners were Prof. Manfred Curbach for the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Prof. Gerald Staib for the Faculty of Architecture. The words of welcome were spoken by the Vice Rector for Education and International Affairs of the TU Dresden, Prof. Ursula Schaefer.
The Kurt Beyer Prize is awarded at TU Dresden for outstanding final theses at the faculties of architecture and civil engineering; it is endowed with 5,000 euros. Since 2011, the award has been presented by HOCHTIEF Solutions AG, for which Dipl.-Ing. Michael Pröbstl spoke during the event.