Major-Instrumentation Initiative:CT of structural elements under changing load

计算机断层扫描技术在建筑材料技术中已经使用了多年，目的是通过使用小尺寸样本来了解建筑材料的接缝结构以及它们在不同暴露条件下的变化情况。然而，缺乏适当配置的设备，可以通过x射线技术更好地了解整个建筑部件的承载和变形行为。因此，根据DFG的招标报价，一种全新的断层扫描门户（TOP）已经被构思出来；它可以在不断增加的负载下以高分辨率精度扫描真实尺寸的建筑部件。它利用了高辐射能，这是必不可少的，例如，照亮棒状钢筋混凝土组件，使用至少30 x 30厘米的横截面尺寸，并成像0.1毫米宽的裂缝。此外，还集成了第二个辐射源，在尺寸较小或对材料要求较低的情况下，可以实现更高的分辨率。该设计被认为是一项跨学科的工作。设计的指导因素是：建筑行业的需求，机器，x射线和测量技术，校准程序，原始数据的数学重建，以及它们的可视化准备和在高性能计算机上的进一步处理，以及研究结果的可用性。在该设施的规划中，考虑了多功能用途，这将有可能研究不同尺寸的建筑部件，包括各种材料，以及不同静态负载配置和动态负载集体下的土壤/岩石。在投标准备过程中，其他大学的研究人员和结构工程以外的研究人员对设备设计表现出了极大的兴趣，这保证了该设施的广泛使用。广泛的用途将使该设施成为结构化跨学科研究项目的起点。这样，图像数据和数值模拟的结合将成为优先考虑的问题。凯泽斯劳滕工业大学看到了建立研究基础设施的巨大可能性，并承诺为该项目提供可观的资金。它还打算将CT设施整合到一个独特的土木工程设备中心（BIG），在那里，根据透明的规则，向感兴趣的研究人员提供具有国家重要性的大型设备。其目的是将现有设施（耐火炉）与将要采购的设备（其中包括振动台）整合在一起。断层扫描门户将由一个大学间科学委员会监督，该委员会包括所有邻近大学的代表。所获得的研究数据将定期向全世界提供。

Computer Tomography has been used for many years in construction materials technology in order to gain knowledge, using small format samples, of the joint structure of construction materials and how they change under different conditions of exposure. However, there is lack of appropriately configured equipment that would enable by means of X-ray technology a better understanding of bearing and deformation behaviour of entire building parts.Hence, in line with the DFG offer to tender, a completely new type of Tomography Portal (TOP) has been conceived; one that can scan building components of real life dimensions under increasing load with high resolution accuracy. It makes use of a high radiation energy, which is indispensable in order for example to illuminate bar-like reinforced concrete components using cross-section dimensions of at least 30 x 30 cm, and imaging of cracks of 0.1 mm width. In addition, a second radiating source has been integrated, which in the case of smaller dimensions or less demanding materials permits higher resolutions.The design has been understood as an interdisciplinary work. The guiding factors in the design were: the needs of the construction industry, machine, X-ray and measuring technology, calibration procedure, mathematical reconstruction of raw data, with their visual preparation and further processing on high performance computers as well as the availability of the research results.In the planning of the facility a versatile use has been considered that would make it possible to investigate construction components with different dimensions from materials of all kinds as well as soils/rocks under different static load configurations and dynamic load collectives. The great interest in the design of the equipment demonstrated during the tender preparation by the researchers of other universities included in the application and by researchers outside structural engineering, promises extensive use of the facility. The broad use will make it possible to employ the facility as the starting point for structured interdisciplinary research projects. In this way the combination of image data and numerical modelling will become a priority.TU Kaiserslautern, for its part, sees an outstanding possibility to establish a research infrastructure and is committed to contribute considerable funding to this project. It further intends to integrate the CT facility into a unique Civil Engineering Equipment Centre (BIG), in which large equipment of national importance is made available to interested researchers in accordance with transparent rules. The aim is to integrate already existing facilities (fire resistance furnace) with equipment to be procured (among other, a shaking table).The Tomography Portal is to be supervised by an inter-university Scientific Council, in which representatives of all neighbouring universities are included. Research data obtained are to be made accessible worldwide on a regular basis.