Specifically, the lake clay, which often makes construction and infrastructure projects in southern Germany difficult or impossible due to its high water content and correspondingly low load-bearing capacity, is the focus of attention. Under the direction of the Center for Geotechnics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation, SEBRO is to create the essential foundations for the sustainable and efficient design of foundations in these special soils by means of unique field tests and novel modelling approaches.

Over the next four years, tests will be carried out on twelve foundation systems with several hundred tonnes of load on a 6,000-square-metre test area, in comparison with a shallow foundation. The foundation construction using Atlas piles will be supported by PORR special civil engineering. Wolfgang Wiesnet, Technical Branch Manager for Region South, and his team are enthusiastic about the pioneering spirit of the project: ‘Due to the long duration of the tests and the scientific support, we expect to gain extensive insights into how we can build economically and, above all, safely in the lake clay in the future.’

We are pleased to be able to participate in the SEBRO research project, which is funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation and led by the Technical University of Munich – Geotechnical Center. Further background information on the research project can be found on the website sebro.gbft.ed.tum.de.