Good Vibrations

• Subject Area: Acoustics ; Construction Material Sciences, Chemistry, Building Physics ; Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 514174400

The "Good Vibrations" project aims to further develop research regarding construction with renewable raw materials through understanding and simulation or modeling. A special focus is placed on sound insulation and propagation. The traditional construction method in residential buildings in Germany and Europe is still carried out using massive construction which leads to a poor climate balance. In regards to building physics and engineering, there is an increasing drive towards alternative and significantly more climate-neutral building materials and building constructions, such as the renewable raw material, wood, or lightweight construction materials. Currently, there are still building acoustics challenges, as there is still a significant limitation to the use of wood as a building material. In order to gain a better understanding and to develop sustainable innovative solutions for sound insulation in timber and hybrid construction as well as in lightweight construction, a high-resolution vibration analysis is necessary. At the same time, a deeper understanding of the acoustic properties of facade components is necessary for urban simulations such as sound propagation in urban quarters and transmission into the interior. In this interdisciplinary project the necessary laboratory equipment "3D scanning vibrometer (vibration modes, transmission) and 1D and 3D intensity probe (radiation) and the visualization technology "LED video wall" are used. The devices will be able to capture complicated vibration modes in such a way that they can be used for various simulations of building models and furthermore for neighborhood and city models. The goal is to ensure the improvement of modeling with the help of these vibration and radiation measurements and to develop innovative approaches. Furthermore, an urban digital twin will be used as a data integration platform and basis for acoustic simulations. For this purpose, a component library will be integrated into the urban digital twin to enable multidimensional and cross-sectoral urban and neighborhood analyses. The large-scale measurement devices contribute in generating a deep understanding and creating a knowledge base for sustainable building materials. They also support the simulation of building models and strengthen the transversal areas of "digitalization" as well as "sustainability", which have been recently defined in the universities research strategies and the interdisciplinary research focus "building and urban development". Thus, the new laboratory infrastructure means a significant profile strengthening of the university.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: 3D Laser Doppler Vibrometer
• Instrumentation Group: 8860 Geschwindigkeitsmeßgeräte (außer 047, 053, 192 und 244)
• Applicant Institution: Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Berndt Zeitler
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Volker Coors