Research

The construction industry consumes more than 50 % of natural resources, generates more than 50 % of global waste annually and is responsible for more than 35 % of total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. In order to meet the requirements for sustainable concrete structures in the future, the traditional approach of engineers must change: Resource and energy consumption must be reduced so as not to jeopardise the natural environment for future generations. At the same time, the world's population will continue to grow and existing infrastructures will also age. Therefore, planned research efforts must address these issues in order to build the community of the future. To address this situation, future research activities at the Institute for Solid Structures will be guided by the goal of protecting the built and natural environment.

With the European Green Deal initiative, the European Commission (EC) has recognised that a circular approach in the construction sector could significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment and the pressure on natural resources. The research activities of the Institute for Concrete Structures aim to cover the entire life cycle (see figure) in order to improve the sustainability of concrete structures. This is done through research and teaching on topics from the following key areas:

Key research areas

• Sustainable building materials with the development of innovative materials based on renewable raw materials
• Circular design for functional structural elements based on deconstruction or structural optimisation
• Monitoring over the service life to extend the useful lifespan or to prepare for deconstruction and reuse
• Recycling and selective deconstruction at the end of life by analysing material recovery
• Secondary raw materials by transforming waste into useful products with attractive properties that pave the way for a circular economy.