Construction Materials
Solid structures such as locks and weirs are designed for a service life of at least 100 years with a minimum of repairs. The loads to which they are exposed during their service life by far exceed those acting on normal structures, from loads due to approaching ships through to bed-load transport and frost and chloride attacks. These are exacting requirements which necessitate comprehensive expertise in the choice of materials and the execution of construction projects.
The key tasks undertaken by the Construction Materials section include:
- fundamental issues relating to construction materials for and the building of solid hydraulic structures
- fundamental and project-specific assessments of the suitability of materials for solid structures and for maintaining and upgrading waterways
- expert assessments of existing waterway structures with respect to their durability and the elaboration of repair plans
- providing advice on the invitations to tender for and the planning and execution of new construction and repair measures
- dealing with questions on the sustainability of construction methods
- production of specific waterways engineering regulations and standards applicable to construction materials and building construction work
We undertake these tasks by carrying out the necessary physical material tests in our own construction materials laboratory.