The Research Group on „Structural Intelligence and Reliability“ is working on numerical simulation approaches of structures and processes under consideration of uncertainty. In addition to stochastic approaches, polymorphic uncertainty models are investigated to combine aleatory and epistemic uncertainty. For simulation based reliability predictions of complex structures and processes, model reduction techniques are developed especially based an Artificial Neural Networks and the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition. The Research Group is also working on optimization approaches for robust and durable reinforced concrete and fiber reinforced concrete structures.

Research interests

• Polymorphic Uncertainty Modelling
• Reliability Analysis of Structures
• Numerical Surrogate Models
• Real-Time Simulation
• Optimization of Structures and Processes

Relevant projects

Process-Oriented Simulation Models for Mechanized Tunneling

Subproject C1 of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling“
SFB 837 - Subproject C1

Optimization Approaches for Robust and Durable Reinforced Concrete and Fibre Concrete Structures under Consideration of Scale Bridging Polymorphic Uncertainty Modelling

Subproject 6 of the DFG Priority Program 1886 „Polymorphic Uncertainty Modelling for the Numerical Design of Structures“
SPP 1886 - Subproject 6

Fusion of Machine Learning and Numerical Simulation for Real-Time Steering in Mechanized Tunneling

MERCUR-Project (in cooperation with the Chair of Artificial Intelligence at TU Dortmund)
MERCUR-Project

Research team

	Prof. Dr. techn. Meschke, Günther
	Dr. Neu, Gerrit	Group Leader: Structural Intelligence and Reliability
	M.Sc. Schoen, Stefanie	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Gottardi, Nicola	Research Assistant
	M.Eng. Xu, Chen	Research Assistant
	Dr. Liu, Zhen	Research Assistant (Guest)

Selected Publications

1. Cao, B.T.; Freitag, S.; Meschke, G. A fuzzy surrogate modelling approach for real-time settlement predictions in mechanised tunneling. International Journal of Reliability and Safety, 12 (1/2), 2018, pp. 187 – 217 Special Issue on Computing with Polymorphic Uncertain Data Link: DOI: 10.1504/IJRS.2018.10013808
2. Meschke, G.; Cao, B.T.; Freitag, S. Reliability Analysis and Real-Time Predictions in Mechanized Tunneling. In: Beer, M.; Huang, H.; Ayyub, B.M.; Zhang, D.; Phillips, B.M. (eds.), Resilience Engineering for Urban Tunnels, Chapter 2, ASCE, Reston, 2018, pp. 13 – 27 Link: DOI: 10.1061/9780784415139.ch02
3. Freitag, S.; Edler, P.; Kremer, K.; Meschke, G. Surrogate modelling for solving optimization problems with polymorphic uncertain data. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Reliable Engineering Computing (REC 2018), Liverpool, UK, 2018, pp. 31 – 39
4. Edler, P.; Freitag, S.; Kremer, K.; Meschke, G. Optimization of Durability Performance of Reinforced Concrete Structures under Consideration of Polymorphic Uncertain Data. In: Proceedings of the joint ICVRAM ISUMA UNCERTAINTIES conference, Florianópolis, Brazil, 2018, pp. 1 – 19
5. Neu, G.; Gall, V.E.; Freitag, S.; Meschke, G. Robust Design of Hybrid Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Tunnel Lining Segments. In: Computational Modelling of Concrete and Concrete Structures (EURO-C 2018), Bad Hofgastein, Austria, 2018, pp. 715 – 723
6. Ninic, J.; Freitag, S.; Meschke, G. A hybrid finite element and surrogate modelling approach for simulation and monitoring supported TBM steering. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 63, 2017, 12 – 28 Link: DOI: 10.1016/j.tust.2016.12.004
7. Freitag, S.; Kremer, K.; Hofmann, M.; Meschke, G. Numerical Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures under Polymorphic Uncertain Conditions. In: Bucher, C.; Ellingwood, B.R.; Frangopol, D.M. (eds.), Safety, Reliability, Risk, Resilience and Sustainability of Structures and Infrastructure, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Structural Safety and Reliability (ICOSSAR 2017), Vienna, Austria, 2017, pp. 1535 – 1542
8. Cao, B.T.; Freitag, S.; Meschke, G. A hybrid RNN-GPOD surrogate model for real-time settlement predictions in mechanised tunnelling. Advanced Modeling and Simulation in Engineering Sciences, 3 (5), 2016, pp. 1 – 22 Special Issue Model order reduction: POD, PGD and reduced bases Link: DOI: 10.1186/s40323-016-0057-9
9. Freitag, S. Artificial Neural Networks in Structural Mechanics In: Tsompanakis, Y.; Kruis, J.; Topping, B.H.V. (eds.), Computational Technology Reviews, Saxe-Coburg Publications, Stirlingshire, Volume 12, 2015, pp. 1 – 26 Link: DOI: 10.4203/ctr.12.1
10. Freitag, S.; Cao, B.T.; Ninic, J.; Meschke, G. Hybrid surrogate modelling for mechanized tunnelling simulations with uncertain data. International Journal of Reliability and Safety, 9 (2/3), 2015, pp. 154 – 173 Special Issue on Reliability and Computations of Infrastructures Link: DOI: 10.1504/IJRS.2015.072717

Accurate and predictive simulations of material and structural behavior greatly reduces the time and costs associated with the development of new materials and aid in the development of suitable technologies for improving their service-life. The behavior of such materials and structures is in general governed by aspects that are relevant at multiple length and time scales.
Goals of our research group is the characterization and design of materials and structures considering features at various length and time scales using mathematical models, scale-bridging methods and computational simulations.

Research interests

• Multiscale Modelling of Concrete Durability and Deterioration under Combined Loads
• Modelling of Fracture and Damage in Quasi-brittle Materials
• Additive Manufacturing of Concrete Structures
• Data-driven Material Design

Relevant projects

Computational modelling of alkali transport and ASR-induced damage in concrete

FOR AKR 1498

Damage analyses and concepts for damage-tolerant tunnel linings

Subproject B2 of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling“
SFB 837 - Subproject B2

Simulation of processes at the cutting wheel and in the excavation chamber

Subproject C4 of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling“
SFB 837 - Subproject C4

Influence of microfibers on the degradation of high-performance concrete under cyclic loading

Priority Programme 2020 "Cyclic deterioration of High-Performance Concrete in an Experimental-Virtual Lab" SPP 2020
SPP 2020

Research team

	Prof. Dr. techn. Meschke, Günther
	Dr.-Ing. Gudzulic, Vladislav	Group Leader: Scale-bridging Structural Analysis
	M.Sc. Vu, Giao	Research Assistant
	Dr.-Ing. Butt, Sahir Nawaz	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Daadouch, Koussay	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Fründt, Julius	Research Assistant
	Dr.-Ing. Hofmann, Michael	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Peters, Simon	Research Assistant

Selected Publications

1. Tagir Iskhakov, Jithender J. Timothy, and Günther Meschke. "Expansion and deterioration of concrete due to ASR: Micromechanical modeling and analysis." Cement and Concrete Research 115 (2019): 507-518.
2. Sahir N. Butt, and Günther Meschke. "Peridynamic analysis of dynamic fracture: influence of peridynamic horizon, dimensionality and specimen size." Computational Mechanics 67, no. 6 (2021): 1719-1745.
3. Giao Vu, Fabian Diewald, Jithender J. Timothy, Christoph Gehlen, and Günther Meschke. "Reduced Order Multiscale Simulation of Diffuse Damage in Concrete." Materials 14, no. 14 (2021): 3830.
4. Vijaya Holla, Giao Vu, Jithender J. Timothy, Fabian Diewald, Christoph Gehlen, and Günther Meschke. "Computational Generation of Virtual Concrete Mesostructures." Materials 14, no. 14 (2021): 3782.
5. Giao Vu, Tagir Iskhakov, Jithender J. Timothy, Christoph Schulte-Schrepping, Rolf Breitenbücher, and Günther Meschke. "Cementitious composites with high compaction potential." (2020).
6. Niklas Schäfer, Vladislav Gudzulic, Jithender J. Timothy, Rolf Breitenbücher, and Günther Meschke. "Fatigue behavior of HPC and FRC under cyclic tensile loading: Experiments and modeling." Structural Concrete 20, no. 4 (2019): 1265-1278.
7. Vladislav Gudzulic, Gerrit Emanuel Neu, Gregor Gebuhr, Steffen Anders, and Günther Meschke. "Numerisches Mehrebenen-Modell für Stahlfaserbeton: Von der Faser-zur Bauteilebene: Mehrstufige Validierung anhand einer experimentellen Studie an hochfestem Faserbeton." Beton-und Stahlbetonbau 115, no. 2 (2020): 146-157.
8. Tagir Iskhakov, Jithender J. Timothy, and Günther Meschke. "Expansion and deterioration of concrete due to ASR: Micromechanical modeling and analysis." Cement and Concrete Research 115 (2019): 507-518.
9. Vladislav Gudzulic, Thai Son Dang, and Günther Meschke. "Computational modeling of fiber flow during casting of fresh concrete." Computational Mechanics 63, no. 6 (2019): 1111-1129.
10. Jithender J. Timothy, and Günther Meschke. "Effective diffusivity of porous materials with microcracks: self-similar mean-field homogenization and pixel finite element simulations." Transport in Porous Media 125, no. 3 (2018): 413-434.

The Research Group on „Computational Modeling in tunneling and Underground Structures” is concerned with the developments of computational simulation models and numerical techniques for analyzing complex underground structures and processes, in particular in mechanized tunneling. One of the main focuses of this research group is the holistic process oriented numerical modeling of the mechanized tunneling process (ekate). Several advanced numerical methods, e.g. FEM, PFEM, Immersed Boundary (IB) method, Finite Cell Method and Peridynamics, are employed to model the involved physical phenomena in each individual process. With the move toward digitalization and high performance computing, this research group is also concerned with the integration of parallelization strategies and Building Information Modeling (BIM) within the numerical simulations.

Research interests

• Numerical Simulation in Mechanized Tunneling
• Ground Models and Soil Freezing
• Safety Assessment of Underground Structures
• Safety Assessment of Underground Structures
• Simulation Models for Excavation and Material Transport

Relevant projects

Process-Oriented Simulation Models for Mechanized Tunneling

Subproject C1 of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling“
SFB 837 - Subproject C1

Simulation of Processes at the Cutting Wheel and in the Excavation Chamber

Subproject C4 of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 837 „Interaction Modeling in Mechanized Tunneling“
SFB 837 - Subproject C4

Research team

	Prof. Dr. techn. Meschke, Günther
	Dr.-Ing. Cao, Ba Trung	Group Leader: Sub-surface Structures
	M.Sc. Wang, Jingxiao	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Nösges, Markus	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Williams Moises, Rodolfo Javier	Research Assistant
	M.Sc. Zendaki, Yaman	Research Assistant

Selected Publications

1. Alsahly, A.; Hegemann, F.; König, M.; Meschke, G.: Integrated BIM-to-FEM approach in mechanized tunneling. Geomechanics and Tunneling, 13(2):212-220, (2020) S. 33-63
2. Ninic, J.; Alsahly, A.; Vonthron, A.; Bui, G.; Koch, C.; König, M.; Meschke, G.: From digital models to numerical analysis for mechanized tunnelling: a fully automated design-through-analysis workflow. Tunneling and Underground Space Technology, 107:103622, 2021
3. Alsahly, A.; Callari, C.; Meschke, G.: An algorithm based on incompatible modes for the global tracking of strong discontinuities in shear localization analyses. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 330 (2018)
4. Dang, T. S.; Meschke, G.: A Shear-Slip Mesh Update – Immersed Boundary Model for Computational Simulation of Material Transport in EPB Tunnel Boring Machines. Finite Elements in Analysis and Design (2018), Nr. 142, S. 1-16
5. Bui, H. G.; Schillinger, D.; Meschke, G.: Efficient cut-cell quadrature based on moment fitting for materially nonlinear analysis Computer Method in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 366:113050, 2020
6. Marwan, A.; Gall, V.E.; Alsahly, A.; Meschke, G.: Structural forces in segmental linings: Process-oriented tunnel advance simulations vs. conventional structural analysis. Tunneling and Underground Space Technology, 111 (103836), 2021
7. Alsahly, A.; Callari, C.; Meschke, G.: An algorithm based on incompatible modes for the global tracking of strong discontinuities in shear localization analyses. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 330 (2018), S. 33–63
8. Bal, A. L.; Hoppe, U.; Dang, T.; Hackl, K.; Meschke, G.: A hypoplastic particle finite element model for cutting tool-soil interaction simulations: Numerical analysis and experimental validation. Underground Space (2018)