Special Load-Bearing Structures

summer semester event number | C-2.1-43
winter semester event number  | C-2.1-44
supervision | Prof. Dr.-Ing. Julian Lienhard

lecturer | Dr.-Ing. Oliver Berger
 
In the bachelor's degree programme, the basic knowledge of load-bearing structures and the interrelationships between construction and design are taught as part of the structural fundamentals. In the module Special Load-bearing Structures, more in-depth knowledge of load-bearing structures and their interactions with design and building technology is also taught. The module is offered with different emphases in summer and winter semesters. In the summer semester, storey buildings, i.e. buildings with several storey ceilings on top of each other, are dealt with in depth; in the winter semester, other building types are the focus, such as halls, bridges, towers, membranes, shells.
 
The winter semester begins with load-bearing structures and systems for halls. What has to be considered in particular for hall structures, how do the available systems and materials influence each other. The transition from halls to bridge structures takes place through a significant increase in spans and other systems. The part on towers focuses on architecturally designed towers as observation towers and landmarks. As the last part, both compressive and tensile stressed surface structures, i.e. shells and membrane structures, are dealt with. Analogous to the historical development, control surfaces or minimum surfaces are presented first and then, at the end, the free-formed hybrid shells.
 
In these modules, not only the fundamentals of the respective load-bearing structures are dealt with, but also the function-related boundary conditions. In the case of storey buildings, for example, the distances between columns for storey buildings with office use are always a multiple of the development grid; this development grid is in turn determined by a whole series of functional settlements. (Office organisation, office size, different uses on the upper floors, ground floor and basement). These functional constraints are presented with examples and discussed in terms of their impact on the design. Extensive analyses and a small design task are carried out in which the acquired knowledge is applied.
 
These modules are open to all Master's students as compulsory electives. For the specialisation Design Research, one module is compulsory, the other can be worked on in the compulsory elective area.