Preserving wooden buildings for longer

Dr. Serena Gambarelli from the Materials Testing Institute at the University of Stuttgart wants to understand and model the hygro-thermo-mechanical properties of wood, and has been included in the Baden-Württemberg Foundation's Elite Program for postdocs. Wood isn't only used in a variety of engineering projects, it's also used in objects of cultural interest such as sculptures and paintings. If the complex organic material is exposed to unsuitable environmental conditions such as changes in humidity and temperature or mechanical influences, this can lead to damage and impair its durability. Dr. Serena Gambarelli at the Materials Testing Institute at the University of Stuttgart wants to understand and model the complex hygro-thermo-mechanical behavior of wood in order to preserve structures, historical buildings and artifacts. As a part of the Elite Program for postdocs run by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation, she was eligible for funding for her project. Dr. Gambarelli is carrying out research into the computational mechanics of various building materials and building methods. The focus is on the development of reliable digital tools for analyzing the most important processes of deterioration in heterogeneous materials, such as for example concrete, natural stone, masonry or wood, which are caused by a variety of different stresses and interactions.