Nils Wenzel

As part of the IACES local competition, we hosted a fast-paced Design-Build-Test challenge in timber engineering. Student teams had 80 minutes to design and build two double-shear timber connections - one for maximum load-bearing capacity, the other for maximum ductility. Using various tools and timber screws, teams combined technical knowledge with creativity. The final testing took place in our laboratory, offering participants valuable hands-on experience in structural timber design and research.

www.iaces.kit.edu

Landesbeirat Holz BW

We are delighted that four out of six awards of the Studierendenpreis Holzbau BW 2025 went to graduates from our chair. The prize honours the best Bachelor's and Master's theses in timber construction.

We congratulate:

- Anna-Katharina Schmitt

- Johannes Hasselmann

- Jonas Ernst

- Jan Kipper

Pictures of the award ceremony and posters of the award-winning works: https://holz-bw.de/studierendenpreis/ 

TU Wien

We are pleased to announce that Carmen Sandhaas will hold a keynote lecture ("Uncertainties and challenges concerning the determination of input parameters for modelling") at CompWood 2025 and Alexander Weese will present his current work on optimising the positioning of boards in glulam-like products.

The ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Computational Methods in Wood Mechanics – from Material Properties to Timber Structures (CompWood 2025) will take place on June 4-6, 2025 in Vienna, Austria on the premises of the TU Wien, within only a few minutes of walking distance to many of the city’s world-famous attractions.

tagesschau

The Märklin building set as a model for circular building? Build, dismantle, recombine. If buildings are thought of as construction kits, completely new routines can be developed - flexible, efficient and material-friendly.

Together with Jörg Finkbeiner, Philipp Dietsch talks to Kerstin Peetz about the current state of circular construction. Together, they discuss how principles such as design for reuse, digital material passports and the use of renewable raw materials can be put into practice - and where economic and legal hurdles exist. Kerstin Peetz has presented this complex topic in a clear and well-founded way. The interview has already been broadcast on WDR and BR - and is now available on Tagesschau.de.

VAH

We held our semi-annual PhD seminar at the Sattelmühle-Foundation from the 24 to 26 March. 17 colleagues from KIT and the University of Innsbruck exchanged ideas on current research questions, methods, and interim results. A key part of the seminar is a professionally guided excursion; this time a walk in the woods. Thanks to Prof. Hilger and Burkhard Steckel, we were able to experience the development of the Sattelmühle Forest up close and gain valuable insights into the impact of climate change on the forest and the building material wood. Special thanks go to the Sattelmühle-Foundation for their generous support and to the Verein der Freunde der Versuchsanstalt e.V. for organizing this seminar.

https://sattelmuehle-stiftung.org

VAH

The ‘Guideline for the Reuse of Structural Load-Bearing Elements’ is now available! Our project team is excited to announce the publication of this guideline. The new guideline for the reuse of structural load-bearing elements offers planners valuable support in the environmentally friendly and building law-compliant reuse of steel and timber components. It contains practice-orientated methods for the dismantling, preparing and reintegration of structural components as well as regulatory recommendations for implementation in accordance with German building law. The guide shows that the reuse of structural components is not just feasible, but also regulation-compliant - a crucial step towards promoting sustainable building practices in the construction sector. The full guideline and accompanying research report are now available.

VAH

KIT Timber Structures has been researching timber construction for over a century. When Philipp Dietsch took office, he committed himself to digitizing all research reports, dissertations and proceedings of our institute and making them freely accessible. Today we are delighted that this mission has been fulfilled! The digitization was time-consuming, but the result is worth it. You can download original works such as Karl Möhler's habilitation (1956) or Hans Joachim Blaß' dissertation (1987) from our website. You will also find conference proceedings from 52 years of INTER / CIB W-18 and 25 years of Karlsruher Tage. Discover the entire archive here: https://holz.vaka.kit.edu/19.php

VAH

We, KIT Timber Structures and Building Construction, are looking for a full-time carpenter or joiner (f/m/d) with the option of part-time employment. In this position you will support our laboratory with a variety of tasks, including

- Woodworking (e.g. preperation of test specimens)

- Carrying out material tests

- Preparation and production of test equipment, e.g. for tests on components or joints

- Handling testing machines, including for large-scale component tests

All further information can be found on the official job advertisement of the KIT.