Research

Our proposed research initiative seeks to propel machine learning into the forefront of geotechnical engineering, with a vision to address critical challenges and revolutionise the field for the betterment of society. The overarching goals of our project align with the need to confront uncertainty, combat climate change through zero carbon emission strategies, address soil parameter heterogeneity, expedite finite element (FE) calculations e.g., for reliability analyses, and enhance design efficiency to reduce material consumption, particularly in the context of concrete. By undertaking this multidimensional approach, our research aims not only to apply machine learning in geotechnical engineering but to fundamentally transform the field, ushering in a new era of efficiency, sustainability and resilience. Through collaboration and innovation, we aspire to make machine learning an integral and indispensable tool for addressing the complex challenges faced by geotechnical practitioners in the 21st century.

Climate change is currently one of the greatest challenges of our time. The influence of the building sector is enormous, with a raw material consumption of 47.5 gigatonnes per year and an energy consumption of 40% of the total energy consumed worldwide. According to the BMK report Energy in Austria 2021: Facts and Figures, the provision of space heating and air conditioning consumes almost 24% of the total final energy demand. Progress with regard to the environmental efficiency of residential and service buildings is therefore particularly crucial in this sector. 30% of Austrians live in buildings constructed in the sixties and seventies, another 30% in houses older than 40 years. The newly constructed buildings are responsible for only 10-20% of the total energy consumption due to the high demands on thermal insulation. 80% of the energy is consumed by older existing buildings. In Austria, about 1.9 million residential units are in a thermally insufficient condition and thus in need of renovation. The renovation of existing buildings and in particular the renovation and thermal refurbishment of the façade is therefore currently one of the most important sub-sectors of the building industry. The advancement of research as well as the large-scale establishment of environmental and economically attractive systems is therefore indispensable. The aim of this project is to research the basics for the development of serially prefabricated systems (e.g. from renewable raw materials). With the help of these fundamentals, a basis is to be created for the industry in order to be able to offer innovative and, in particular, environmental competitive alternatives to the currently largely used composite thermal insulation systems with corresponding capacities on the market in the future. The focus will be on resource-efficient and recyclable systems and building materials as well as efficient and economical production and installation. Accompanying the research into technical solutions, an ecological and economic analysis will be carried out in order to be able to quantify the potential accordingly.

The project will establish an Integrated Research Centre (IREC) for advanced numerical and analytical analysis of reliability, performance, and service life of existing and new civil engineering structures such as bridges, tunnels, protective barriers, etc. The IREC will aim to integrate the knowledge and tools of the cross-border partners from BOKU-IKI and BUT-STM and offer a unified and efficient access and service to the target groups on both sides of the border. This synergy will enable easy cross-border transfer of parts of solutions to complex problems. Within the framework of its activities, the Centre will offer both knowledge transfer in the form of seminars and publications and direct application and consultancy activities towards partners from engineering offices and infrastructure operators and owners. The common services, methods and tools will be intensified and adapted to the current needs of the target groups and thus prepared for an optimized operation of the research centre after the end of the project. The research centre will be autonomous after the end of the project, self-financed by the funds raised by providing services to the technical offices and the professional community. Without the joint involvement of the two cross-border partners, the required comprehensiveness and availability of the services offered could not be achieved, and thus the necessary change in the approach of the professional community to the application of modern advanced numerical methods to improve and streamline the design and assessment of building structures and to ensure sustainable and reliable transport infrastructure. For the duration of the project, the research centre will consist exclusively of two founding project partners. Future expansion of the research centre with additional partners from research institutions or industry is not excluded, in line with the needs of future developments in the field and the needs of the programme regions.