Shared use of research infrastructure (Press Release 11/26)

Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA) and Hochschule München (HM) have recently signed a cooperation agreement on the shared use of research equipment and infrastructure. At the heart of the collaboration is the THA’s Technology Transfer Centre (TTZ) in Aichach, whose machinery and testing and measurement facilities in the field of solid construction will be used jointly by both universities in future.

“When two leading universities join forces, the result can only be top-notch: Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and Hochschule München will in future share highly specialised research equipment and the infrastructure at the TTZ Aichach. Under the guiding principle of ‘exploiting synergies, realising potential’, researchers and students from both universities, as well as practice partners, will work closely together – this cooperation will give rise to new innovation,” said Bavaria’s Minister for Science, Markus Blume, MdL.

The aim of the partnership is to significantly strengthen application-oriented research in solid construction and to systematically accelerate the transfer of scientific findings into construction practice. To this end, the agreement provides for the intensification of academic collaboration through joint research activities and the coordinated use of research infrastructure. In particular, expertise in the fields of composite technologies, new construction technologies, additive manufacturing and alternative building materials – including, amongst others, ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHFB) and carbon-recycled concrete – digital design and manufacturing processes, as well as sustainability and resource-optimised construction – and further developed across the entire value chain, from material development through component testing to application in infrastructure and building construction projects.

Expert pool at TTZ Aichach to be expanded
Until now, research work has been carried out separately – on the one hand at the Technology Transfer Centre for Digital Design and Manufacturing in Construction at THA (TTZ Aichach) and, on the other, at the Department of Civil Engineering at HM in the Laboratory for Solid Construction and Structural Engineering (LMKI). By bringing together these research capabilities and the practical expertise of the participating cooperation partners from the construction industry and the skilled trades, the pool of experts at TTZ Aichach is being significantly expanded.

TTZ Aichach boasts innovative machinery
Researchers from both universities and the participating practice partners have access to specialised machinery, testing and measuring equipment at TTZ Aichach. In the field of solid construction research, testing facilities for large-scale components, equipment for processing carbon-recycled concrete and 3D concrete printing processes are used in particular to develop resource-efficient components. For quality assurance and approval procedures, the load-bearing capacities of manufactured test specimens and structural elements can be verified at TTZ Aichach using, amongst other things, specialised measurement systems (DIC, DFOS, etc.), carbon fibre tensile tests, and other material and structural mechanical testing methods. The use of the equipment is based on coordinated planning and is supported by technical expertise.

Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and Hochschule München symbolically sign on a carbon-concrete slab
In the presence of Bavaria’s Minister for Science, Markus Blume, MdL, representatives of both universities symbolically signed the cooperation agreement on a specially developed carbon-concrete slab. To reduce resource consumption in buildings, the THA is conducting research in collaboration with the companies LINDERMAYR GmbH & Co. KG and Hitexbau GmbH into cross-sectionally optimised floor slabs, which can only be realised in this form using carbon reinforcement.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, THA’s Vice-President for Technology and Research, Prof. Dr. Frank Danzinger, said: “Sharing infrastructure enables us to put research findings into practice much more quickly. In the construction sector in particular, the integration of laboratory work, simulation and real-world production determines the pace of innovation. Through this collaboration, we are creating a robust framework for transfer projects with the construction industry and the public sector.”

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Seiler, Dean of the Department of Civil Engineering at Hochschule München, explained: “For the Department of Civil Engineering at Hochschule München, the partnership opens up direct access to experimental manufacturing and testing processes. In future, students and researchers will be able to integrate design, construction and material behaviour under real-world conditions – a decisive step towards digitally supported and sustainable construction practice.”

Research is put into direct practice
at the TTZ Aichach The Technology Transfer Centre (TTZ) at the Technical University in Aichach specialises in digital planning and manufacturing in the construction sector, with the aim of making a significant contribution to a sustainable and future-proof construction industry. The innovations developed at the TTZ Aichach in the research fields of solid construction and digital timber construction – tailored to the real-world needs of the construction sector and the skilled trades – are put to immediate use in businesses. Through the cooperation between the two universities, the TTZ Aichach’s existing partner network – which includes construction companies and skilled trade businesses, chambers of commerce, guilds and research clusters – is being expanded. Further practice partners will be involved in new joint cooperation projects.

Those interested can find further information on the THA website.

We would be happy to arrange an interview with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Seiler.

Contact: Ralf Kastner on T 089 1265-1922 or by email .