Construction materials shape ages and cultures

Construction materials were always of great importance for humans. Thus it is no surprise that entire epochs of the human history are named accordingly: Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The rise of the Roman Empire was closely connected with one construction material: the Roman concrete - Opus Caementitium. It facilitated such well-known structures like Pantheon and the aqueducts, which can be admired until today. At the same time Opus Caementitium is still an inspiration for new ecological and durable construction materials.

In the past building and construction materials were just found or simply mined. Later on they were produced purposefully. Today we focus more and more on the interaction of building and construction materials with the surrounding environment. We investigate new alternative or renewable raw material sources thereby finding approaches to treat carefully our natural resources.

Construction materials are a basic subject. The institute for construction materials has its own laboratory with an up to date equipment for research and education. It is capable for investigating the properties of various types of materials starting from micro scale and running all the way up to macro scale.

A profound knowledge is necessary about chemical, physical and mechanical properties of materials and it still is important when it comes to selecting the material best suited for a project. Besides strength and deformation properties several other topics are in the focus lectures of the institute and practical trainings such as production processes at one hand and corrosion processes at the other. Wrong material selection or incorrect application of materials or use often lead in practice to deterioration or even damages. This should be prevented with the knowledge gained in the course of the lectures and practical trainings.