Dynamics of Solids and Structures

The Dynamics of Solids & Structures section has a world-class expertise in the dynamics of a very broad range of civil engineering structures. We typically deal with vibration and wave propagation problems of those structures in the interaction with their environments (soil, sea, air). For example, we work on the dynamics of pile driving and the associated noise emissions, dynamic soil-structure interaction of offshore wind turbine foundations and of earthquake-excited structures, the dynamics of railway-track transition zones, the dynamics of high-speed railway lines and ultra-high-speed transportation lines, and smart monitoring of structures along with defect identification. In all applications, we not only aim at in-depth understanding but also at smart intervention, thus at optimising the behaviour of a structure/system and eliminating/suppressing unwanted effects. Our work is fundamental in nature but driven by application; it contributes to the development of a clean and sustainable society. In the research projects we conduct, there is often support from and collaboration with industry partners.

In addition to research, we are passionate about teaching, in which we aim to "create the spark from which a burst may flame". We take care of key courses in the BSc programme Civil Engineering, in the MSc programme Civil Engineering and in the MSc programme Environmental Engineering, in the base of the programmes as well as in the specialisation parts.

The Dynamics of Solids & Structures section is led by Dr. Karel van Dalen.