Faculty of
Architecture and Civil Engineering

Tasks and equipment

The Laboratory of Timber Engineering at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences specializes in research and development in timber construction. New building products and constructions are developed in cooperation with companies and scientific partners.

Scientific specializations are the research and development of

• wood-concrete composite constructions
• timber composite components
• wood-steel bonded joints and metallic fasteners bonded into wood
• Building products and constructions based on renewable raw materials, including bamboo, hardwood or straw

A high-performance testing and machine infrastructure is available for the production of test specimens and the performance of tests:

• State-of-the-art equipment for on-site sampling, sample preparation and mechanical (sawing, grinding, milling,...) and thermal (drying) pre-treatment
• Program-controlled climate cells and cabinets for defined climatic sample storage as well as material and component testing in the climate
• Various hydraulic building materials testing machines (compression testing machine, bending tensile machine, universal testing machine, torsion testing machine) for mechanical examinations (force- and displacement-controlled, static and cyclic)
• Electromechanical spindle testing machine compression/tensile for mechanical examinations (force- and displacement-controlled, static and cyclic, with climatic chamber)
• Hydropulse machine (compression/tension) for mechanical examinations (force- and displacement-controlled, dynamic, with temperature chamber)
• UV climate chamber for weathering simulation, freeze/thaw cycles, temperature changes or thunderstorm rain simulation
• Ultrasonic device for determining the modulus of elasticity
• Optical measurement technology for deformation measurement (digital image correlation, DIC)
• Pressure vessel and drying cabinet for delamination tests
• Drilling resistance measurements on wood
• Moisture measurements of wood
• Raw and dry density determination of wood

Teaching
Timber construction is a central component of the civil engineering degree program. Students gain in-depth knowledge in bachelor's and master's modules such as "Timber Engineering" and "Timber Hybrid Structures". The link between research and teaching enables practical projects and insights into scientific work.