Lecturer: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Heimbs
When: Winter semester, Monday, 13:15 - 14:45 Uhr
Where: HB 35.1 (IFL)
Responsible: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Heimbs
When: Winter semester, Monday, 15:00 - 15:45
Where: HB 35.1 (IFL)
Crash and impact loads are not a ‘niche’ or special load case, but play a major role in the design of many structures. In automotive vehicle development, front crashes, side crashes and other crash load cases are the decisive drivers for the structural design. In aircraft construction, type certification would not be granted without proof of a crash- and impact-resistant structural design to ensure evacuation after an emergency landing or safe continuation of flight after a bird strike. There are numerous other examples in many other industrial sectors.
Crash- and impact-resistant structural design is a complex and exciting field, as it focuses on highly non-linear material deformation and destruction that requires specialised knowledge of transient dynamic material and damage behaviour as well as physical phenomena in order to develop adequate energy absorbers or robust structures and analyse them in dynamic finite element simulations.
We impart this knowledge and much more in our English-language lecture series ‘Crash and Impact Dynamics of Lightweight Structures’ (3 SWS, 5 ECTS), which is aimed at Master's students in aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, general mechanical engineering or similar fields.
We are delighted to be able to offer students at TU Braunschweig a unique opportunity that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world:
The lecture (2 SWS) is divided into the following chapters:
In the exercises (1 SWS), we focus particularly on practical work:
In addition, optional laboratory modules have recently been offered starting in the 2026/27 winter semester, which give students the opportunity — again, unique in the world — to independently conduct bird strike tests as high-velocity impact load cases using state-of-the-art testing and measurement technology. The IFL is the only German university to have a new, modern, large 220 mm caliber gas gun for conducting such tests on site:
Small lab: “Crash and Impact Dynamics of Lightweight Structures with Small Lab” (total of 5 SWS / 7 ECTS including lectures/exercises/lab):
The laboratory course (2 SWS) involves the independent preparation, execution, and evaluation of impact tests on the IFL gas gun (bird strike tests using artificial bird projectiles) at increasing impact speeds. As part of the coursework, students must write a structured report summarising and discussing the work steps and results.
Extended (large) lab: „Crash and Impact Dynamics of Lightweight Structures with Lab“ (total of 7 SWS / 11 ECTS including lectures/exercises/lab):
The laboratory course (4 SWS) includes the independent preparation, execution, and evaluation of impact tests on the IFL gas gun (bird strike tests using artificial bird projectiles) at increasing impact speeds, as well as strain rate-dependent material characterization on the new high-rate tensile testing machine. Furthermore, fluid-structure interactions are taught as advanced topics in finite element simulation in order to enable independent simulations of bird strike loading in the commercial FE software Abaqus/Explicit, including the correlation of test and simulation. A graded report and colloquium on the completed lab tests are included in the final grade along with the exam result.
The highest possible quality of teaching is very important to us, which is regularly recognized by students in teaching evaluations and makes this course, “Crash and Impact Dynamics of Lightweight Structures,” a very popular lecture. Here are the results of the teaching evaluations from the last few semesters:
Winter semester 2024/2025: Total score of 4,9 / 5
Winter semester 2025/2026: Total score of 4,9 / 5
Institute of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures
Hermann-Blenk-Straße 35
38108 Braunschweig
E-Mail: ifl(at)tu-braunschweig.de
Telephone: +49 531 391 9903