Studienarbeiten
Ausgeschriebene Abschlussarbeiten für Bachelor und Master

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Energy Efficient Construction

Generative Design Lab

  • Aerated Concrete Formwork: exploring novel Strategies to Fabricate Individualized Bricks

    2022

    Bachelor thesis

    Additive manufacturing methods are opening up new shaping possibilities in many industries. Although later than in other sectors, this technology is also gaining a foothold in the building materials industry. The construction sector, with its immense demand for highly individualized components, appears to be a worthwhile field for the widespread establishment of such manufacturing methods. In the traditional process for aerated concrete, the gassing process first takes place in large molds, after which the large blocks are cut into workable bricks and then hardened in an autoclave under pressure and heat. The thesis is supported by Rodgauer Baustoffwerke, a manufacturer that owns one of the most modern aerated concrete plants in Europe and is very interested in the improvement of its manufacturing processes.

    The aim of the thesis is to investigate the suitability of 3D printing of specialized formwork shapes for the production of individualized aerated concrete elements. This includes the theoretical development of special components and associated formwork strategies, their experimental production and a subsequent scientific evaluation of the experiments.

    Supervisor: Alexander Wolf, M.A. Architekt

    Announcement as PDF

  • Green Clinkers: customized Bricks for more Biodiversity in the Facade

    2022

    Master thesis

    The increasing demand for environmentally friendly construction methods also has an impact on façade design. The establishment of plants in the building envelope is often even expressly desired. Aim of the Work The purpose of the study is to develop ceramic building components, which are able to host plants in a façade. To achive this, several different geometric designs have to be made, each with a scale 1:1 prototype. Also, suitable plants need to be found, to be planted into the Bricks. In a second step, the prototypes have to be investigated over a 4-week period to evaluate them growing roots. Finally, statements have to be formulated on how a massproduction of the developed designs could look like.

    Supervisor: Alexander Wolf, M.A. Architekt

    Announcement as PDF

  • Printing Simulations: on the Behaviour of Clay in Additive Manufacturing with 6DOF

    2022

    Master thesis

    3D printing technology is making its way into the construction industry. While other sectors have already seen widespread market adoption, our industry‘s need for large-format components presents additive manufacturing with its own unique challenges. The research and development of such components often still takes place on a trial-and-error basis and thus requires an enormous effort, as 3D printing processes often take hours or even days. A novel approach(1) links the geometry to be printed with the rheological properties of the raw material and tries to predict their printability in a process with tree degrees of freedom, using finite element methodology. This approach has already been verified in terms of feasibility.

    The purpose of the study is to first adapt the existing methodology to the research on additive manufacturing of clay and ceramic components carried out at the TU Darmstadt. In a second step the methodology needs to be developed further, to enable the simulation of a printing-process six degrees of freedom. Finally, predictions have to be made which kinds of geometries could be possible to print with this evolved process, and which limitations of it might have.

    Supervisor: Alexander Wolf, M.A. Architekt

    Announcement as PDF

  • Sustainable Ceramics: approaches on Recycling Surpluses and Wastes from Brick Production

    2022

    Master thesis

    The construction sector is, due to the sheer size of buildings as its final roducts, one of the largest emmiters of waste in the European Union. For much of this, the demolition of buildings is to be held accountable, but also during production of building components a significant quantity of surpluses and waste appears. While novel approaches attempt to recylcle shredded ceramics into new bricks, other leftovers still remain unused. The purpose of the study is to first explore the different kinds of wastes and surpluses, that occur during brick production. Also, their yearly occurence needs to be quantified. In a second step, different strategies need to be formulated to up-, down- or recycle these leftovers. Further, depending on the formulated strategies, experiments have to be carried out als a proof-of-concept for some of the strategies. Last, predictions have to be calculated on how much economic and environmental impact the up-, re- or downcycling of the production leftovers could have.

    Supervisor: Alexander Wolf, M.A. Architekt

    Announcement as PDF

Glass Competence Center

  • Investigating the Crack Growth Behavior of Indented Glass Specimens under Subsequent Loading

    2023

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Glass is a ubiquitous material in modern engineering applications, prized for its transparency, strength, and versatility. However, glass is inherently brittle, and its susceptibility to crack initiation and propagation poses significant challenges in structural and safety-critical contexts. Understanding how cracks propagate in indented glass specimens under subsequent loading is therefore critical for enhancing the safety and reliability of glass- based structures and products.

    The outcomes of this thesis are expected to contribute to the knowledge base on glass fracture mechanics and safety assessment. Moreover, the findings may have practical implications for improving the design and perfor- mance of glass components in engineering applications, such as architectural glazing, automotive windshields, and electronic displays.

    Supervisor: Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Investigation of the mechanical and thermomechanical behavior of spatial glass structures with innovative slim fitting solutions

    2023

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    While the glass panes in conventional lattice shells are typically used only as infill elements, activating the full load-bearing potential of glass can contribute significantly to reducing the material and energy resources of substructures for glass facades.

    A current research project is investigating the integration of local and linear connection structures in glass supporting structures, which should help to better exploit the structural potential of the glass panes used and thus reduce the steel consumption in substructures to a necessary minimum. This should ultimately enable the construction of transparent glass structures with a wide variety of shapes and applications.

    Supervisor: Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Investigations on the glass-pillar contact interaction in vacuum insulated glazing

    2023

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Vacuum insulated glazing is a highly energy efficient glazing system. Yet, its setup (more precisely the array of support pillars necessary to withstand the high loads of atmospheric pressure (10 tonnes/m2)) evokes complex stress distributions and high stress gradients locally. This can result in the formation of so-called cone cracks which can develop into through-thickness cracks and can thus lead to catastrophic failure of these glazing units. In the design of VIGs it is typically assumed that the glass-pillar contact is not of concern if the separation of pillars is limited. Yet, investiga- tions of various VIGs show that cracks occur anyway and failure can originate at a pillar.

    Supervisor: Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Vakuumisolierglas - Technologie für eine energieoptimierte Gebäudehülle

    2023

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Vacuum insulating glasses (VIGs) are an innovative window technology with the potential to revolutionize energy-efficient buildings. Windows and transparent facade elements are the main sources of heat loss and CO2 emissions in buildings.VIGs consist of glass panes with a vacuum gap that minimizes thermal effects and improves the energy balance of building envelopes. Small spacers in the va- cuumed inter-pane space ensure stability over decades and significantly influence the behavior of VIGs. Investigation of this influence and the development of standards for the use of VIGs are crucial for the introduction of energy-optimized window and facade systems in Germany and Europe. VIGs could thus make a significant contribution to sustainability in construction.

    Supervisor: Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Kreislaufwirtschaft von Architektur-glas: Analyse des Standes der Technik und Forschung und Entwicklung von ersten Lösungsansätzen

    2023

    Bachelor thesis

    In order to reduce the consumption of raw materials, the production of climate-damaging gases, and the generation of waste, the topic of the circular economy has been coming to the fore for some time. The circular economy is a holistic approach that aims to use raw materials and the resulting products efficiently and for as long as possible. It includes repairing, reusing and recycling.

    Supervisor: Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster

    Announcement as PDF

  • Untersuchung der Festigkeiten von additiv gefertigten Glasbauteilen

    2023

    Bachelor thesis

    Supervisor: Philipp Amir Chhadeh, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Sustainable roof glazing systems by using thin glass in multi-pane insulating glazing units

    2022

    Master thesis

    Supervisors: Jonas Muth , M.Sc., Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster

    Announcement as PDF

  • Bruchverhalten von Glas

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    The aim of a current research project is to predict complex crack propagation during the glass breakage process as well as the resulting fragment geometry and size. To this end, ISM+D is creating a database from experimental studies in which glasses with different thermal toughness levels are broken in a targeted manner. The wave propagation in the glass body resulting from the impact is recorded with special sensors. The fracture pattern is analyzed by means of digital image processing.

    Possible topics for a thesis (Bachelor or Master):

    - Numerical characterization of fracture morphologies in thermally toughened glasses.

    - Stochastic modeling of fracture morphologies in thermally toughened glasses

    Supervisor: Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster

    Announcement as PDF

  • Glas 3D Druck: Temperaturmessung beim Aufheizen und Abkühlen der Basisplatte und resultierende Spannungen

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    To address the desire for transparent facades, glass 3D printing will be used to create novel joints for facade applications. Figure 1 shows the construction chamber of the glass 3D printer at the TU Darmstadt, which is to print molten glass onto a heated base plate made of glass.

    To understand the process of glass 3D printing, the heating of the base plate using a hot plate and gas burner and the subsequent cooling will be studied. In order to know and reduce the risk of breakage during printing, temperatures and stresses during printing will be studied. For this purpose, a thermographic camera is available to measure the temperature of the glass surface, see Fig. 2b. Numerical simulations are possible to calculate stresses during heating. After cooling, residual stresses may remain in the glass, affecting the optical and mechanical quality of the component. The residual stresses can be studied after printing using stress optics, see Fig. 2a. Experiments on heating and cooling the base plate on the glass 3D printer can be carried out in a thesis.

    Supervisor: Kerstin Thiele , M.Eng.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Spannungsoptische Messmethoden zur Reduzierung zerstörender Prüfungen an Einscheiben-Sicherheitsglas (ESG)

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Supervisors: Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster , Kerstin Thiele , M.Eng.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Breakage behavior of automobile windshields in pedestrian protection

    External master thesis at Volkswagen in the field of strength of glasses

    2022

    Master thesis

    Vehicle safety has the task of developing vehicles in such a way that accidents are avoided or the consequences of accidents are reduced as much as possible. In the field of pedestrian protection, so-called impactors are used to represent parts of the human body (head, hip and leg) and to assess the risk of injury in the event of a collision with the vehicle. The criteria and limits for assessing impactor load cases are defined and continuously developed by legislation (UN R 127) and consumer protection organizations (Euro NCAP). For example, the area of the windshield is newly included in the legal impact area and extended beyond the previous level for the Euro NCAP consumer protection test.

    Further information, application requirements and documents to be submitted, etc. can be found here

    Supervisor: Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster

    Announcement as PDF

  • Post-fracture behavior of laminatPost-cracking behavior of laminated glass - Description of the material behavior of polymeric interlayers at large strains.ed glass - Description of the material behavior of polymeric interlayers at large strains.

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Laminated glass consists of at least two sheets of glass joined by a polymer interlayer. In the event of glass breakage, a residual load-bearing behavior occurs in which tensile stresses caused by bending are removed via the polymer interlayer. Numerical mapping of the material behavior of the interlayer in the case of large deformations, as occurs in the case of failure of one or more glass sheets, is currently not possible. The material behavior in this case depends on temperature and loading duration as well as on the magnitude of the load, so that nonlinear viscoelastic material models are necessary.

    Supervisors: Vertretungsprofessur Dr.-Ing. Miriam Schuster , Kerstin Thiele , M.Eng.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Vakuumisolierglas – Technologie für eine energieoptimierte Gebäudehülle

    Vacuum insulated glazing – A technology for an energetically optimized transparent building envelope

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Vacuum insulating glazing (VIG) units are an innovative window technology that has the potential to revolutionize energy-efficient buildings. Windows and transparent façade elements are respon- sible for a large proportion of heat loss in buildings and therefore a large carbon footprint. A vac- uum insulation glazing consists of two or more glass panes between which a vacuum gap is created. This allows thermal effects to be minimized, thus optimizing the energy balance of the transparent areas of building envelopes. To ensure that the individual panes of the VIG can withstand the high stress of atmospheric pressure over several decades, small spacers are inserted into the vacuum gap as shown in the figure below. These are very small and, in addition to the edge seal which hermetically seals the VIG, have a decisive influence on the mechanical and thermomechanical behavior of VIGs. It is now exciting to investigate this influence and to develop implications for the normatively regulated use of the innovative glazing units in order to make a decisive contribution to the establishment of energy-optimized window and facade systems in Germany and Europe.

    Supervisors: Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc., Franz Paschke, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Entwicklung einer Methode zur Qualitätskontrolle bei Vakuumisoliergläsern

    Development of a method for quality control of vacuum insulated glazing

    2022

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Supervisors: Henrik Riedel, M.Sc., Isabell Ayvaz, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Bruchzähigkeit bei steifen Klebern: Auslegung und Dimensionierung von Experimenten an Glaskörpern

    Fracture toughness in stiff adhesives: Design and dimensioning of experiments on glass specimen

    2021

    Master thesis

    The innovative and smart glass product eyrise®, based on liquid-crystal technology, can change its transparence and color within seconds. The edges of the glass panes are sealed with a stiff polymeric adhesive. The employed adhesive layers are thin and thereby shear resistant while simultaneously providing a high adhesion between the two adherends. Due to the geometry of the adhesive layer and the requirements of later numerical investigations, two experimental setups are to be dimensioned. By those means, the fracture toughness for both crack opening mode I and II are to be determined while the similar strength of adhesive and adherends have to be considered.

    Supervisor: Florian Rheinschmidt, M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Folienkissen aus Dünnglas

    Thin glass foil cusions

    2021

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Supervisor: Timon Peters , M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Numerische Simulation der thermisch induzierten Spannungen von Fassadenverglasungen

    Numerical simulation of the thermally induced stresses of facade glazing

    2021

    Bachelor thesis, Master thesis

    Supervisor: Gregor Schwind , M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

  • Numerische Untersuchungen zum thermisch induzierten Glasbruch beim Doppelringbiegeversuch bei hohen Temperaturen

    Numerical investigations on thermally induced glass fracture in the coaxial bending test at high temperatures

    2021

    Master thesis

    Supervisor: Gregor Schwind , M.Sc.

    Announcement as PDF

Paper in Construction

Snow and Avalanche Mechanics

  • Ein Werkzeug zur Prognose von Schneebrettlawinen

    A tool for the prediction of slab avalanches

    2024

    Master thesis

    Winter sports enthusiasts and mountain infrastructure are constantly threatened by the danger of snow avalanches. But how do these avalanches actually form? Similar to the failure of constructions, avalanches can be traced back to a weakness in the snowpack. However, thanks to modern fracture mechanics and solid material knowledge, we are now facing new possibilities for predicting avalanches more accurately.

    Research goal

    The aim is to create a practical tool that allows users to immediately assess the initiation and propagation tendencies of snow avalanches by inputting snowpack data.

    Supervisors: Valentin Adam, M.Sc., Dr.-Ing. Philipp Rosendahl

    Announcement as PDF

Structural Dynamics Unit