As part of his practice-based teaching, Prof. Dr. Kay-Uwe Schober from the Construction Department held a workshop on connection systems in multi-story timber construction. This class, part of the Timber Construction module for master's degree students, was held in collaboration with Rotho Blass Deutschland GmbH. Rotho Blaas SRL, a multinational company headquartered in the South Tyrolean town of Cortaccia, is a market leader in the development of technologically advanced solutions for mass timber construction systems. The workshop offered students an excellent opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice and benefit from the expertise of a leading company in this field. In particular, the focus was on innovative construction systems in the field of mass timber, providing participants with up-to-date insight into modern methods and developments.
In the first part of the workshop, Jonathan Fries, an employee at Rotho Blass, gave an technical presentation. He provided information on the current status of the development of various connection solutions in timber engineering, particularly in the field of mass timber buildings. The students then acquired practical experience by assembling the SPIDER connection and reinforcement system themselves.
Jonathan Fries explains the professional installation of the SPIDER to the students, photo: Tom Bender
Tom Bender and Christian Pinger, research assistants at Holzbauforschung Mainz (Timber Cconstruction Research Mainz), led an exercise with a cross-laminated timber ceiling element from Eugen Decker Holzindustrie based in Morbach. They prepared the element with a hand-held CNC router to enable precise installation of the SPIDER system. The practical seminar was positively received by the participants and deepened their theoretical knowledge. It also provided insights into the latest international technologies in connection systems for timber construction.
Collaboration with qualified partners like Rotho Blass and Eugen Decker Holzindustrie KG plays an important role in the advancement of timber construction teaching and research at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. The close connection between theory and practice constitutes an important pillar of civil engineering education. This collaboration with the industry is crucial in ensuring a comprehensive and practical education.