This book addresses one of the most important material categories: Materials used for constructions. A large percentage of the gross national product of most co- tries goes into infrastructure and buildings. This statement is true not only for the present but for most other periods in history, and for most cultures. This explains why understanding the behavior of construction materials has always been the - ject of intense investigations. The construction industry consumes extreme v- umes of material, and the growing demand for quality and safety require conti- ous improvement of materials and material compositions. A deep understanding of material behavior is essential to enable efficient construction: light-weight or heavily burdened structures ask for the development of innovative composites or new material compositions. Rapid economic growth and a dense and growing population require sensitive and sustainable use of resources. Finally efficient use of resources means extending the usage of existing structures, so non-destructive testing methods are needed to assess the safety and utility of these structures. Civil Engineers and Material Scientists from all over the world are openly d- cussing ideas for new materials, and for structural health monitoring. Over the last decade many innovations have come to fruition, primarily in the field of comp- ites but also for improving the design of existing material. This is especially true for concrete, perhaps the most used material in the world – broadening its range of applications and improving performance.
PrivDoz Dr.-Ing. Christian U. Große, born 1961, studied Geophysics at the University of Karlsruhe (TH) and earned his Ph.D. in 1996 in Civil Engineering at the University of Stuttgart followed by his Habilitation in 2005 at the same place. He is University lecturer (Privatdozent) at the University of Stuttgart and head of the Department of "Non-destructive testing and monitoring techniques" at the Material Testing Institute MPA, University of Stuttgart. Currently, he has published more than 180 scientific papers at international journals and conferences. His research interest include the application and development of non-destructive testing methods (ultrasound, acoustic emission, impact-echo, vibration and modal analysis, Radar, optical methods) as well as structural health monitoring using wireless sensor networks.
