Structural Engineering

The infrastructure on Germany’s federal waterways includes a large number of structures and facilities, such as locks, weirs, culverts, bridges, or lighthouses. These structures have to meet applicable requirements reliably and consistently in order to ensure the safe and economically efficient operation of the waterways, even if they are exposed to intensive loads throughout their rather long service lives.

By providing expert opinions, carrying out analyses and lab investigations, working on research and development projects as well issuing codes and regulations, the Structural Engineering department supports the German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) both in new construction projects and in the maintenance of existing structures. The department works on topics relating to structural verification, statics, steel structures, construction materials and the maintaining of existing structures, which often require interdisciplinary approaches and cooperation across sections and teams. One focus is on assessing existing structures as realistically as possible to allow well-founded decisions on suitable measures and their prioritisation. Our research is driven by developing methods and standards with the aim of actual applications.

For our work we use advanced numerical, lab testing and experimental methods to provide realistic assessments of actions, construction materials or the resistance of structural components. Our consulting work is based on updated mechanical models, in some cases also on aspects of reliability theory. The continuous development of methods and regulations is growing in importance and enables projects to be carried on and decisions to be made in a future-proof manner even looking beyond the current state of the art.