Focus of Research at the Facutly

The research activities of the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering gain their interesting profile through the cooperation in the ‘Dortmunder Modell’. They are characterized by the variety of involved disciplines and their corresponding variety of methods that involve architectural, engineering, economic, construction management, mathematic, humanistic and scientific methods, which are respectively being applied by the different chairs. The variety of research activities accrues through the independent interests of the individual chairs, the professors, as well as the scientific assistants. Furthermore, a special development potential results from the spirit of the ‘Dortmunder Modell’, through the collaboration of methodically different fields.

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The Research Focus of Durable Constructions deals with the aspect of durability in building structures. The aim is an in depth-analysis and determination of how buildings and engineering constructions have to be designed and constructed in order to present a lifespan appropriate to their purpose and their use of resources. With this principle of resource saving construction, the lifespan of building structures must now be increased through further planning and construction concepts in consideration of the requirements in a life cycle.  The research activities include subject fields such as the durability of construction, the congruence of durable construction with the architectural design, the longevity of building components and the adaptability of constructions and building structures to changing requirements and standards.

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Durable Composite Materials

Materials – our construction materials – build the foundation of building. Material properties, material processing and material combination determine the appearance, the long-term functionality and the efficiency of structures. Development, selection and proper use of our construction materials require detailed, interdisciplinary knowledge. In the research focus this knowledge is build up, expanded on and deepened through interdisciplinary, integrative research projects. The focus is on composite materials like reinforced concrete, textile concrete, surface protection systems, and steel-sandwich-systems. The durability of those composite materials in individual structures towards mechanical and environmental stresses is a central theme in regards to long-term acting.

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Long Term Civic Art

Sustainability in the urban development requires long-term functioning urban structures. In order to reach that objective, city configurations that aim not for short term fulfilling of function, but for a diversity over long periods of time without radical conversions, are needed. Within the research focus and Institute of Civic Art urban forms that have proven successful in the long-term such as certain types of districts, squares, streets, blocks and urban houses are being examined and introduced into the present day design practice. Key issues are energy efficient urban districts, urban housing typologies, and the historic preservation of urban design, as well as the history of the urban and dense city. In the concept of Civic Art social, economic, political, ecological, technical and cultural aspects of a city are being combined with the artistic functions of urban design. The disciplines of architecture, urban planning, spatial planning, traffic planning and civil engineering that have drifted apart in the past decades are being joined.

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Simulation of Efficient and Sustainable Materials

The characterization of physical processes through modeling has a long tradition in the building sector and serves the development of efficient structures. Thereby the structure is representative for the overall structure like the supporting construction of a building, as well as for the microstructure of Materials, which greatly affects the material properties. The aim is to look at material, microstructure and the responding macro-behavior as a symbiosis and to make a holistic simulation. Nowadays it is possible to develop scale independent numeric simulation models through the usage of modern computer-based procedures, like the Finite Element Method (FEM) and High Performance Computing (HPC). By using these innovative multi- scale simulation models, structures shall be designed on micro as well as on macro scale through optimization algorithms. The structures should have properties that are as efficient as possible with regard to the respectively desired requirements on both scales. An important aspect of the UA Ruhr’s common key profile point “materials Chain” is strengthened through the research focus. The goal of this key profile point is to allow a complete scale independent and continuous examination of the entire material chain – from the finished building component to the atom and reversed – which creates the basis for the design of new materials.

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Sustainable Realization

The research focus sustainable realization is based on the ever-changing requirements of the building and real estate practice. Accordingly, the current and future research impulses lay in the organizational, economical, building technical and contractual optimization in the life cycle of a project. Especially research areas like innovative contractual models, sustainability of investment decisions, implementation of sustainable aspects into the call for bids and awarding processes, and building information modeling, are of importance.

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