New Leadership in Weimar’s Professorship of Geotechnics: Inaugural Lecture to Take Place on 19 February

Biography
After completing a degree in civil engineering specialising in geotechnical engineering at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Patrick Staubach completed his doctorate at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB). From 2018 to 202, he worked as a scientific associate at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Following a stopover in Bochum, Patrick Staubach returned to Weimar in 2023, where he succeeded Prof. Wichtmann as Deputy Professor of Geotechnics until his appointment as University Professor in the fall of 2024.  

His academic career includes research stays in Australia, in particular at the University of Western Australia (UWA), where the Professorship of Geotechnical Engineering is working together on joint research projects involving sustainable foundation variants for offshore wind turbines. Patrick Staubach has received numerous awards for his scientific contributions, including the »Dr.-Heinrich-Kost-Preis der Gesellschaft der Freunde der RUB« for the best dissertation. 

Key Factor: Geotechincs
The Professorship for Geotechnics addresses four key challenges that are crucial for the future development of construction: the energy transition, urbanization, the rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure, and the increasing occurrence of extreme events such as floods and earthquakes. The starting point is a scientifically based analysis and optimization of the soil foundation. The goal is to make structures more resilient under increased loads. 

One application example is offshore foundations for wind energy systems. »These play a key role in the energy transition, but are exposed to strong cyclic loads caused by wind and waves«, explains Prof. Staubach. Densely populated urban areas are also increasingly presenting geotechnical engineers with challenges. The goal is to improve the load-bearing capacity of the subsoil while also reducing CO₂-intensive building materials like concrete. Another major challenge is the safety of ageing infrastructure. »Streets, bridges, and dams are often subject to high loads for decades and their long-term behaviour cannot be accurately predicted«, continues Staubach. 

Advanced simulation methods make it possible to realistically calculate how increased traffic volumes, for example, or extreme weather conditions will affect structures in order to prevent collapse or material fatigue. During his inaugural lecture on 19 February, Prof. Staubach will be presenting current research results and innovative approaches to overcoming these challenges. 

»Beiträge der Geotechnik im Hinblick auf die Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts«
Prof. Patrick Staubach’s (Professurship of Geotechnics) Inaugural Lecture
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering
19 February, 4:30 pm
Marienstraße 13, Lecture Hall A

»numgeo« Free Analysis Tool
The lecture is part of a two-day workshop aimed at an expert audience.  Over 50 leading scientists and industry representatives will be taking part in an interdisciplinary exchange on current developments in numerical geotechnics and discussing the use of the »numgeo« simulation programme in science and practical application. 

Together with Dr.-Ing. Jan Machaček (TU Darmstadt), Prof. Staubach has been developing the freely available »numgeo« programme for a number of years. The analysis tool is used by scientific institutions and industrial partners around the world - including in regions where access to commercial engineering software is restricted. »This free programme allows engineers to perform advanced simulations without having to rely on commercial providers. This contributes significantly to providing geotechnical solutions for areas with limited financial resources«, explains Prof. Staubach.  

Further information can be found at: www.numgeo.de