Architecture & Construction

Architecture & Construction

AdvanceAEC: New Research Network Boosts Architecture Innovation

Five DFG-funded research centers harness international research synergies and foster the development of early career researchers. The “Research Network for Advancing Architecture, Engineering and Construction” (AdvanceAEC) brings together international researchers who strive to advance architecture, engineering and construction through digital technologies and an interdisciplinary approach. It aims to address the multifaceted ecological, economic and socio-cultural challenges the built environment is facing. Involved on the part of the University of Stuttgart are the Cluster of Excellence EXC 2120 (Integrative Computational Design…

Architecture & Construction

Programmable Insulation: Shape Memory Polymers Innovate Energy Efficiency

Innovative insulating materials made of shape memory polymers are developed and tested by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Applied Polymer Research IAP, for Chemical Technology ICT and for Building Physics IBP within the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials CPM. The high-tech foams are to be used as functional materials, for example in the field of construction. The air conditioning of enclosed work, recreational and living spaces is of great social importance in industrialized countries. On average, people spend more than…

Architecture & Construction

3D Printing Greener Buildings With Local Soil Innovations

The construction industry is currently facing two major challenges: the demand for sustainable infrastructure and the need to repair deteriorating buildings, bridges and roads. While concrete is the material of choice for many construction projects, it has a large carbon footprint, resulting in high waste and energy expenditure. Today, researchers report progress toward a sustainable building material made from local soil, using a 3D printer to create a load-bearing structure. The researchers will present their results today at the American…

Architecture & Construction

Exploring the Risks of Burning Electric Cars in Tests

There’ s a loud bang, and then it starts: A battery module of an electric car is on fire in the Hagerbach test tunnel. A video of the test impressively shows the energy stored in such batteries: Meter-long flames hiss through the room and produce enormous amounts of thick, black soot. The visibility in the previously brightly lit tunnel section quickly approaches zero. After a few minutes, the battery module is completely burnt out. Ash and soot have spread throughout…

Architecture & Construction

Concrete Innovation: Self-Stressing Technology Unveiled

More than ten billion tonnes of concrete are produced and used worldwide every year. This is more than all other building materials combined. By way of…

Architecture & Construction

TU Graz Enhances Concrete Diagnostics for Safer Infrastructure

Whether crumbling tunnel walls, cracks in concrete facades or porous bridge piers, according to statistics from the National Association of Corrosion Engineers…

Architecture & Construction

The digital construction site: A smarter way of building with mobile robots

Demand for affordable living space has gone through the roof. Developers embarking on large, complex construction projects need efficient solutions that save…

Architecture & Construction

Double helix of masonry — Researchers discover the secret of Italian renaissance domes

Sigrid Adriaenssens, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton, collaborated on the analysis with graduate student Vittorio Paris and…

Architecture & Construction

Stuttgart Light Rail Bridge Built with Swiss Carbon Ropes

On the night of Sunday, May 3, a spectacular bridge-building event will take place in Stuttgart: Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG (SSB) is extending the U6 light…

Architecture & Construction

ArKol Project: Tapping into the Thermal Potential of Façades

The project “ArKol – Development of architecturally aesthetic, integrated façade collectors with Heat Pipes,” just ended in February 2020. The project focused…

Architecture & Construction

Research made easy: DFKI spin-off “baukobox” helps architects with detailed planning

The web-based application was realized as a user-friendly platform by former employees of the TU Kaiserslautern (TUK) and the German Research Center for…

Architecture & Construction

Northeast Tree Species: New Sustainable Building Material Insights

Two tree species native to the Northeast have been found to be structurally sound for use in cross-laminated timber (CLT) – a revolutionary new type of…

Architecture & Construction

Mobile Smart Homes: DFKI & TU Berlin Enhance Living Accessibility

Turning one’s own four walls into a smart home is not a matter of the future anymore: speech-controlled assistants, intelligent gadgets and digital locks…

Architecture & Construction

Pollination Thrives in Urban Areas Over Countryside

Cities all over the world are expanding. A number of studies have already shown that the conversion of natural areas into built land affects insects and, while…

Architecture & Construction

Formula 1 Tech Inspires Skyscraper Design at City University

City, University London draws on Formula 1 technology for the construction of “needle-like” skyscrapers.

Architecture & Construction

Living Bridges: Ancient Indian Techniques for Climate-Friendly Cities

Inaccessible valleys and ravines lead from the North East Indian Meghalaya plateau to the wide plains of Bangladesh. In the monsoon months the mountain streams…

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