The Timber and Plastics Research Group will be attending the renowned World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) in Brisbane, Australia, from June 22-26, 2025. The WCTE is the world’s leading forum for innovations in timber construction. Prof. Dr. Kay-Uwe Schober has been appointed to the International Scientific Committee of the conference as the German representative. He will head the newly established key topic “Engineering Bamboo” and present the BambooJoint transfer project launched at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Bamboo is considered a major source of hope for the future in the area of sustainable construction, as it grows extremely quickly, and is lightweight, stable, and versatile. Mainz University of Applied Sciences has been intensively researching the potential of this extraordinary natural material for several years. Students and researchers from the fields of civil engineering and interior architecture are working together with industry partners to continue developing bamboo from the technical, design, and construction perspectives – from joining techniques and fiber composite materials to innovative load-bearing structures. The BambooJoint project builds on this research work and tackles the central challenge of reliably connecting round hollow cross-sections in bamboo construction. The aim is to develop an easy-to-assemble, (semi-) prefabricated connector system – suitable for the material, cost-efficient, aesthetic, and, above all, climate-neutral.
Mainz University of Applied Sciences is developing a bio-based composite material for this and testing the load-bearing capacity of the connector for safe use in building construction. The project partner is Modell- und Formenbau GmbH Sachsen-Anhalt (MFSA), which is contributing the corresponding manufacturing process. The development is based, among other things, on synergies from previous research projects at the university and a cooperative doctorate. “BambooJoint is a good example of how innovative joining techniques and sustainable materials can be combined to create future-proof construction methods - functionally, aesthetically and ecologically,” says Prof. Dr. Kay-Uwe Schober.
Picture: from left to right: Maximilian Leonhard Müller, Christian Pinger (both doctoral students at the School of Engineering, Timber and Plastics Research Group) and Jens Garlin (Modell- und Formenbau GmbH Sachsen-Anhalt (MFSA))
The project is being funded as part of the DATIPilot program of the German Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI). For the first time, projects in the selection process were evaluated in a public pitch competition, focusing on social relevance, innovation potential, and comprehensibility. BambooJoint was not only the sole construction project from Rhineland-Palatinate to receive funding, it also achieved a top position among the panel of judges. A dedicated team consisting of Prof. Schober, company partner Jens Garlin, and doctoral student Christian Pinger took on the presentation, and delivered a convincing, lively, and practical presentation of the transfer idea. Meanwhile, the first 1:1 scale model has already been produced and successfully tested. The positive feedback from the research community and industry has provided motivation for continued development. Together with new and current partners – including the Universidad del Norte in Colombia and the Department of Architecture at Mainz University of Applied Sciences – BambooJoint will also be used in other socially relevant fields of application in the future.
Along with BambooJoint, the second contribution from Mainz is also attracting international attention at the WCTE. Doctoral student Maximilian Leonhard Müller is presenting an AI-supported method for classifying hardwood – an important innovation for a sustainable forestry and timber industry.
Links for more information:
WCTE 2025 - World Conference on Timber Engineering, June 2025
