Search

Up to now, there is no equivalent to the smart city concept for rural areas. Such a concept can draw on the findings and experiences from the urban context, but must adequately take into account the characteristics and structures of rural areas. This is where the enrolment of a concept for smart countryside in this paper starts as an action-oriented framework. Through an integrative consideration of current trends and tendencies, normative debates about equality and justice as well as possibilities in various fields of action, it includes development options that become possible through digitalisation and 'smart' implementation. Their realisation should be strongly demanddriven. The concept includes also governance processes and knowledgemanagement, and the application of co-design approaches. Development potentials of digitalisation are seen beyond simple technology orientation. The concept of digitalisation presented here can contribute to a more comprehensive transformation of rural areas towards sustainability. It formulates a joint design mandate for politics, society and science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning for design and analysis of steel frame halls The use of digital tools in design and construction processes increases efficiency, especially for recurring tasks and processes, such as the dimensioning of components or structures, which follow similar patterns. This paper develops an artificial intelligence (AI)‐based assistant for use in the pre‐design and design of steel frame halls as a prototypical co‐pilot. For this purpose, the necessary database of steel frame halls is first compiled from project archives of TRAGRAUM Partnerschaft Beratender Ingenieure mbB. This will be examined in the context of data analyses according to the decisive description parameters and similarities, so that finally suitable AI surrogate models for the prediction of the hall parameters are trained by means of regression analyses. Furthermore, an interface to the finite element program SOFiSTiK is implemented, which passes the predictions of the AI regarding the parameters of the steel frame halls to a parameterized input file and triggers the calculation and design. In the course of the calibration of the AI substitute models, in addition to the approximation qualities, possible safety margins to be provided are also discussed in the context of this article. This article shows that the prototypical co‐pilot for the preliminary design of steel frame halls could be successfully implemented. Furthermore the AI newly generated hall frames can be classified as stable with respect to the validation considerations. An outlook on future further developments of this approach as well as the transfer to other applications complete this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free‐form reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete and composite components: Calculation of cross‐section values A resource‐efficient use of concrete as a construction material can be achieved by adapting the individual shape of a component under consideration to the stresses that occur and by arranging composite construction materials (e. g. reinforcing steel, prestressing steel or structural steel) in suitable areas of the component. Due to the advancing digitalisation in the construction industry, for example in the context of Building Information Modeling, computer‐aided 3D modelling methods are increasingly being used in the planning of structures. These allow engineers to design components in free form. In reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete and composite construction, the design of such components is currently still associated with great effort. In the context of the development of a practical method for the calculation of free‐form concrete components, this paper presents a CAD‐integrated method for the calculation of cross‐section values. Cross‐section values are required as an essential calculation basis when real, three‐dimensional structural components are treated using simplified calculation theories, such as the beam theory. In this paper, the mathematical and numerical fundamentals of a method for the calculation of cross‐section values of free‐form concrete, reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete and compound components are presented. The calculation method is based on flat geometric regions described by Non‐uniform rational B‐Spline tensor product surfaces, which can be extracted from solid models, for example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast‐charging station Leipzig – the floating roof on a computer‐generated endless support For a fast‐charging station at the production site of a sports car manufacturer, a roof was to be developed that would transport the image of the brand in addition to I function as weather protection. The existing technical infrastructure, i. e., power lines that could not be built over and movement and maintenance spaces for the charging columns, only allowed for a few and, above all, irregular support points and support positions. The design process results in a seemingly floating roof whose cladding is modelled on an aerofoil supported on a single endless column. The infinite support Spline, iconographically analogous to an initially simple appearing bent‐up paper clip, ensures both the clamping of the cantilevered roof and the global reinforcement through the spatial support positions and inclinations. The geometry was developed using an evolutionary optimisation algorithm with the most outstanding efficiency while complying with the given geometric restrictions. Within the parametric structural model, in addition to the control and analysis of the static performance, the geometric implementation of the milled circular arcs at the head and foot points was also carried out. The entire process, from the development and variant study to the analysis and documentation to the production, thus took place in a closed digital process chain. Therefore, it was possible to achieve the design goal of contrasting a flat roof and a filigree support structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online platform for the management of digital visual data for the condition monitoring of protective coatings on marine steel structures The paper presents an online platform for the annotation and management of visual digital data, which allows for the condition monitoring and maintenance modelling of protective coatings of marine steel structures by means of digital image data only. A 10‐step procedure is introduced which includes the data acquisition, transfer of the data into the online platform, the annotation and management of the data by means of special tools and methods, and the modelling for condition monitoring and maintenance purposes. Some special applications of the platform are exemplary illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital learning and self-assessment tools have gained importance in medical education over the last years and are pushing back print media more and more. They enable flexible learning that is aligned with current state exams and the latest scientific findings. Embedded videos, interactive graphics and practice questions offer a more diverse learning experience than using books alone. While the commercial learning tools cover the state examinations' content well, they often lack what is additionally taught in different faculties. At the same time, the dominance of a few providers is tied to rising costs for students or to provide campus licenses. Faculties may thus offer literature and learning platforms of less variety, and an intensive and broad examination of subjects and problems is made more difficult. The promotion and nationwide availability of locally initiated non-commercial learning and examination tools can counteract this development. Electronic learning platforms enable efficient exam preparation with the presentation of exam questions. Paper-based preparatory exams have already been almost completely replaced by their electronic counterparts. Digital exams offer decisive advantages over paper-based exams, for example with the embedding of video sequences and increased feasibility of sequential questions, and should become standard not only in exam preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of 2019, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) presented a discussion paper on the Arable Farming Strategy. The Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) was intensively involved in the preparatory work and supported the BMEL in developing the arable farming strategy. It describes six guidelines that define the framework for sustainable arable farming. In a total of 12 fields of action, challenges and conflicting objectives are named and corresponding objectives and measures are identified. Some of the contents of the arable farming strategy are presented below. It is also shown how departmental research - and the JKI in particular - is already actively supporting the implementation of the arable farming strategy today as well as in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]