Laboratory | Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Gdańsk University of Technology

Aim of the Laboratory

The main aim of the Laboratory of the Department of Building Structures and Material Enginnering is experimental research supporting the scientific work of the Department and support of the construction industry through the works related to the diagnostics and optimisation of engineering structures. To achieve this goal the Laboratory offers its services in the field of materials research, numerical analysis and technical advice during the construction works. Moreover in the Laboratory educational activities are conducted and experimental investigations within Engineer’s and Master’s thesis are carried out.

The scope of the Laboratory

Materials research

• Drilling cylindrical samples from structures for laboratory tests.
• Studies of the physical parameters of building materials (strength, moisture absorption, water resistance, frost resistance, abrasibility, moisture flow, thermal conductivity coefficient etc.) as concrete, steel, insulation materials, composites etc.
• Examination of the pore structure distribution in the hardened concrete.
• Nondestructive tests of the material microstructure (2D and 3D) using micro-computed tomography.
• Examination of the thermal stability of materials, specific heat, sorption and desorption of the building materials.
• Examination of the mechanisms of mass transport (moisture) in building materials.

Expertise of the engineering structures

• Local visions with the photo and graphic documentation of the existing state.
• Nondestructive scanning of the reinforcement bars embedded in structure due to determination of the dimension, spacing and the thickness of their concrete cover.
• Concrete adhesion tests (pull-off) and the homogeneity of the concrete (sclerometric method).
• Opencast works.
• Surface and downhole measurement of humidity.
• Measurements of temperature distribution on the surface (thermal imaging)
• Development of opinions, judgements and technical expertises regarding actual technical state of the engineering structures.
• Development of the modernisation projects, repairs and strengthening.
• Assessment of the structure durability

Numerical analyses

• Static and dynamic computations of the engineering structures using advanced numerical models.
• Analysis of the structure strain and stress within ultimate limit state and serviceability state.
• Analysis of the cracking process (width and length of the localised zones and cracks) in concrete and reinforcement concrete (steel or basalt bars and fibers).
• Optimisation of the geometry and reinforcement of the structural elements in engineering structures.

Technical consultancy

• Analysis of the correctness of the technical documentation it terms of the compliance with the applicable standards, law rules and principles of technical knowledge.
• Technical consultancy in the field of building projects and regarding material quality.
• Development of the massive concrete and reinforcement concrete technology.
• Local visions and the assessment of the actual technical state with monitoring of the buildings in the neighbourhood of the engineering investments.