About

The Department Materials, Mechanics, Management & Design (3MD) focuses on design, management, mechanics and materials principles of civil infrastructures and buildings. These structures are analysed by means of a multi-scale approach that governs the entire lifecycle from development, design, testing, building, maintenance and operation to reuse or recycling.

The Department is structured into three sections: Materials and Environment (M&E), including the micro-mechanical laboratory (Microlab), Applied Mechanics (AM) and Integral Design and Management (IDM), the core disciplines of which focus on three scales, namely the material scale, structural scale, and system scale, respectively.

Furthermore, four connecting themes have been defined: (i) design from the materials scale to systems scale, (ii) sustainability including circular approaches, (iii) digitalization, and (iv) resilience. By analysing the four connecting themes by means of a multi-scale approach, a coherent research programme can be established for the Department. Advanced and integrated use of data, experiments and simulations characterises the research programme, which has a broad scope and takes a deep, multi-scale approach.

 

3MD strategically aims to:

  • optimise the resilience of buildings and infrastructures to increased loading, natural hazards, and anthropogenic threats;
  • improve the sustainability of buildings and infrastructures by producing comprehensive solutions to reduce negative environmental impact;
  • advance the transition to renewable energy systems from a materials, mechanics, management and design perspective;
  • foster a technological transition by developing innovative, smart materials, novel construction technologies, advanced computational techniques, and design principles to create safer buildings and infrastructures with increased performance and functionality.

Having societal impact is key for the department. Therefore, the research is focusing on societal themes climate change, energy transition, and resource depletion.

3MD has currently four labs: the Microlab for materials research, the Masonry lab for full-scale experimental research on masonry structures, the Digital Construction lab (additive manufacturing, novel parametric design methods, robotics, VR/AR/XR techniques etc.), and the Delft Artificial Intelligence Lab for virtual material testing. The Department also works in close connection with the other department in structural engineering Engineering Structures (ES).

Sections

More information about the sections can be found by clicking the names below.

Labs

Digital Construction lab