IMB's research - Overlook

Tensile test on carbon reinforced concrete specimen with temperature device
The Institute of Concrete Structures (in short: IMB) is one of eleven institutes at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technische Universität Dresden. At the IMB, research is being carried out in 8 research teams on various topics relating to building with concrete. The range extends from the modelling of the interaction of individual particles to the experimental investigation of whole structural components. We deal with special material properties of various concretes from light-weight to ultra-high performance, the combination of concrete with different reinforcements, with the influence of different load scenarios – from static standardized short-term test to long term tests to impact – on the load bearing capacity, with optimized construction methods for new buildings and alternative methods for maintaining the existing.
Our current projects can be grouped into the following research areas:
- Current research projects – New concretes and construction methods
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Bond between reinforcement and matrix,
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Special stress scenarios such as impact and multi-axial stresses in material and component tests,
- Simulation with DEM and FEM, development of constitutive laws and design procedures,
- Textile reinforcements – mainly made of carbon fibres – for strengthening of existing structures and for new constructions,
- In-situ load bearing tests and long-term monitoring of structures,
- Other reserach topics.
In addition to pure basic research, joint projects with industrial partners are of great importance as this is the best method to transfer research results into the building practice. Furthermore, mutual scientific exchange with researchers from other universities and research institutes is also of great importance. Joint meetings and discussions, for example, within the framework of the Priority Programmes SPP 1542 or SPP 2020 and of the Research Training Group GRK 2250, in the various collaborative research projects within the Twenty20 project C3 or, e. g., the committees work on the new edition of the DAfStb booklets 220/240, the subcommittee on UHPC or in the frame of the fib TG ‘History of Concrete Structures’ are profitable for all participants and a pool of ideas for new joint projects.