The InDeckLe project is developing sustainable solutions for floor construction using clay and other regional resources. The aim is to create environmentally friendly alternatives through material substitution and CO2 reduction. The HFT Stuttgart is a partner of the Biberach University of Applied Sciences. InDeckLe is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg.
Construction requires many resources and is a major source of CO2 emissions. The proposed project is intended to address aspects of these issues and provide holistic, sustainable solutions for floor constructions in conjunction with the natural material clay. By using natural, regionally producible raw materials (wood, clay) and combining these with each other or with the building materials steel and concrete, substitution products for ceilings are to be developed that ensure the sustainability of buildings through material substitution and CO2 reduction along the entire value chain from the material supplier to the subsequent user, including subsequent dismantling. In several cooperative work packages, the project aims to develop composite solutions with clay that meet the requirements for use in the construction industry in terms of mechanical and physical building properties.
In addition to investigations and tests on the mechanical load-bearing capacity of the system, the use of clay will be considered in its entirety. The acoustic properties of the floor system will also be investigated at the Centre of Excellence for Acoustic and Thermal Building Physics at the HFT Stuttgart. Further acoustic measurements will be carried out to investigate damage detection at the bonded joint, in order to detect potential damage as early as possible. In addition, the operational aspects of such a floor solution will be considered holistically. Concepts for both production and subsequent installation will be developed and compared. Due to the excellent recyclability of the building materials, a data standard will be developed using wireless sensor technology to store the material properties in the component itself. This will ensure that the building materials can be used as sustainably as possible at the end of their life cycle.
The aim is to determine not only the most economical but also the most ecological design at the design stage, using a life cycle assessment. In addition to initial proposals for design methods, the research project will also investigate a wide range of other relevant parameters and properties to enable earth building in horizontal components as soon as possible.
Prof Dr Jörg Schänzlin is the project leader at Biberach University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Dr Dieter Uckelmann, Prof. Dr Berndt Zeitler and Prof. Dr Birol Fitik are involved at the HFT Stuttgart under the leadership of Prof. Martin Stumpf.
