Building Physics
Topics: Thermal insulation, moisture protection and sound insulation of buildings
Prof. Dr. Christoph Höller // Prof. Dr. Oliver Steffens
About the laboratory
The Building Physics Laboratory is dedicated to research and teaching on the topics of thermal insulation, moisture protection and sound insulation in buildings. Special emphasis is placed on the acoustic characterization of constructions and building materials as well as the investigation of the energy efficiency of buildings and districts.
Teaching
In teaching, the Building Physics Laboratory is comprehensively represented in various degree courses through lectures and laboratory practicals as well as student work.
(Photo: Florian Hammerich / OTH Regensburg)
Students on the Bachelor's degree courses in Civil Engineering and Building Climatology experience the Building Physics Laboratory in various basic practical courses right at the start of their studies. For example, they measure the thermal conductivity or acoustic absorption coefficient of various building materials, learn how a heat pump works or experimentally determine the sound insulation value of a wall.
In advanced laboratory practicals or practical exercises, students learn how to use sound level meters, measure thermal comfort or perform thermography with a thermal imaging camera.
Bachelor's and Master's theses solve application-oriented, current problems and combine the practical skills of the students with the equipment of the Building Physics Laboratory. This is done regularly as part of current research projects or collaborations with industrial partners such as engineering firms.
The Building Physics Laboratory regularly offers topics for student theses (Bachelor's theses, Master's theses, project work). It is also available to supervise external work. If you are interested, please contact the building physics professors.
The Building Physics Laboratory is characterized by application-oriented and innovative research, particularly in the fields of energy efficiency in buildings and sound insulation.
Laboratory equipment
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- Impedance tube incl. measurement technology for measuring the acoustic absorption coefficient in accordance with DIN EN ISO 10534
- Flow resistance measuring device for measuring the flow resistance in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9053-1
- Test stand for measuring dynamic stiffness in accordance with DIN EN 29052
Elastic intermediate layers for floating screeds are analysed on the test stand for measuring dynamic stiffness. (Photo: Florian Hammerich / OTH Regensburg) 
The impedance tube is used to determine the sound absorption coefficient of acoustic materials. (Photo: Florian Hammerich / OTH Regensburg) 
Flow resistance is an important parameter that affects the acoustic quality of a material.
(Photo: Florian Hammerich / OTH Regensburg)
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- Vibration measurement technology (accelerometers, shakers, instrumented hammers, impedance head, etc.) for measuring structure-borne sound and sound transmission in buildings
- Sound level meters (NTi Audio XL2) for measuring the sound pressure level in various situations
- Measurement technology for airborne and impact sound measurements in buildings
(Photo: Florian Hammerich / OTH Regensburg)
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The Building Physics Laboratory uses standard software tools for building physics verifications and energy balancing of buildings. In addition, specialized software tools are available for teaching and research.
- CadnaA for calculating sound propagation outdoors
- CadnaR for calculating sound propagation indoors
- Hottgenroth Energieberater for calculating the energy efficiency of buildings
- Hottgenroth SWS for simulating protection against summer overheating
- ZUB Argos Pro for calculating thermal bridges
- IDA ICE for thermal building simulations
- WUFI Plus and WUFI 3D for hygrothermal simulations
- COMSOL for finite element calculations
- MATLAB for self-programmed data analyses, simulations, and calculations
Contract research
The Building Physics Laboratory is available for consultations and measurements on building physics issues as well as research and development projects as part of contract research. If you are interested, please contact the laboratory managers.
Team
Laboratory management: Prof. Dr. Christoph Höller (Building Acoustics)
Laboratory management: Prof. Dr. Oliver Steffens (Building Physics)
Technical assistant: Sven Lange
Research assistant: Anna Rieger
Research assistant: Paul Schoplocher
Completed research projects
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Acoustic design principles for pipework and fixing elements
How can one predict, even during the construction phase, how noise sources (e.g. pipework; building services systems) will affect occupants? This project aims to answer this question – which is crucial for building acoustics as a whole – regarding a suitable assessment parameter, using water-carrying pipework systems as an example for the first time.
Partners: Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences; Technical University of Berlin; Fischerwerke GmbH & Co. KG
Project leader: Prof. Dr Christoph Höller
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Paper-based room acoustic elements
Development of a multi-layer composite optimised for sound absorption for room acoustic elements, comprising individual layers of fibre-based and highly-filled paper, through the combined use of numerical simulation methods and metrological validation.Cooperation partner: Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS), Heidenau
Project leaders at OTH Regensburg: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marcus Wagner (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), Prof. Dr. Christoph Höller (Faculty of ANK)
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Energy Digital Twin for AI-based Dynamic Energy Management in Neighbourhoods and Residential Areas
Project duration: 2020–2022
Project sponsor: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy / ZIM (VDI/VDE/IT)
Partners: Luxgreen Climadesign, Consolinno Energy
Team: Prof. Dr Oliver Steffens, Stefan Ettengruber M.Sc., Paul Schoplocher M.Sc.
About the project:
Reducing energy consumption is a key priority for the German government, with the aim of cutting primary energy consumption by 80 per cent by 2050 compared with 2008. Globally, buildings account for more than a third of energy consumption and, directly or indirectly, a third of global CO₂ emissions. In addition, there is a significant need for further residential and commercial space.
To reduce primary energy consumption in buildings rapidly and significantly, there is a need for the swift planning of new, energy-optimised urban neighbourhoods and the rapid refurbishment of existing neighbourhoods. Most buildings in the old industrialised countries were built between the 1950s and 1970s, have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years and are characterised by high final energy consumption. According to the German government, the refurbishment rate must be increased from 1 per cent to at least 2 to 2.5 per cent.
The aim of the EDDA project is to develop realistic, dynamic, energy-efficient digital twins in order to ‘process’ and combine innovative energy supply technologies on the one hand and building materials on the other, in conjunction with large volumes of data from a wide variety of sources. The data is determined, amongst other things, through various simulations and processed using artificial intelligence. The result is an optimal tool for the neighbourhood planning of the future. At the same time, the innovative system provides optimised training data for the energy management system’s AI (artificial intelligence) , enabling the energy supply to achieve a 90 per cent optimisation level after just a few days. Previously, this would have taken at least two years.
OTH Regensburg’s contribution to the project was the development and evaluation of new building system simulation components using the finite element method. This makes it possible to determine the thermodynamic behaviour of building storage masses and to generate load curves in interaction with the transient boundary conditions of the structural simulation (FEM simulation) . At the next stage, these results and building component properties are approximated, and new model components for building system simulation using IDA ICE are programmed using the equation-based Neutral Model Format and integrated into the model library. Specifically, this takes into account convective phenomena, solar radiation effects and the heat-moisture interaction within building components.
Publication: Dragos Paul Schoplocher, Stefan Ettengruber, Oliver Steffens: Improvements for building-performance simulations by a comparative finite-element method analysis. Energy and Buildings 278, 112563 (2023).
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"Manufacture and installation of an innovative solar-active façade rendering system based on the principle of a polar bear’s coat" (Photo: OTH Regensburg) Energy-efficiency refurbishment of the Margarethenau cooperative housing estate in Regensburg
In 2021, the MAGGIE project won the Federal Environment Agency’s ‘Environment & Construction’ award in the ‘Climate-Just Renovation’ category. The judges recognised the renovation of Margarethenau as a flagship project on the path to achieving climate targets in the building sector, involving residents and taking social compatibility into account.”
Project duration: 2017–2022
Project sponsor: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Projektträger Jülich GmbH)
Partners: , University of Bayreuth, Baugenossenschaft Margaretenau eG, Franken Maxit, City of Regensburg, Luxgreen Climadesign, Consolinno Energy, TGA Projektierung
Find out more
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Sustainable energy-efficient refurbishment and restoration of historic urban neighbourhoods
The quality of life in an urban neighbourhood can be improved when architecture, energy efficiency, renewable energy supply and affordable housing come together. All of this requires comprehensive expertise from architects, planners and operators.
How can a building refurbishment be successfully implemented to promote climate protection and sustainable living standards? Professor Oliver Steffens and his research team at OTH developed strategies for this using the example of the Plato-Wild Ensemble, a cooperative housing estate dating from the 1920s in the east of Regensburg. What makes the refurbishment concept unique is its interdisciplinary approach: 30 project participants from the fields of engineering, economics and the social sciences developed several potential solutions for the Plato-Wild Ensemble: Following a thorough assessment of the existing conditions, the project team pursued the concept of infill development and the energy-efficient retrofitting of the building envelope. The aim was to preserve the historic façade. The project team underpinned the approaches to architectural modernisation and renewable energy supply with numerous designs, calculations and simulations. Building physics analyses relating to thermal, moisture and sound insulation were another key component.
The research was funded by the ‘Zukunft Bau’ research initiative of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The guide has been published as the third volume in the series ‘Zukunft Bauen: Forschung für die Praxis’. The recommendations set out in the guide are aimed at planners, architects and property owners.
(Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development)
Further information and the final report are available for download at BBSR – Publications – RENARHIS
Project duration: 2012–2014
Project sponsor: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Projektträger Jülich GmbH)
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Selected conference papers and publications on the MAGGIE project:
- Oliver Steffens: Historic Buildings and Artificial Intelligence (MAGGIE Project):
Pathways to a sustainable energy transition in the existing building stock. vhs lecture series ‘Open University’. Regensburg, 10 October 2022. - Belal Dawoud: The MAGGIE hybrid energy supply system; opportunities and lessons for the energy transition. 3rd Congress on Energy Transition in Construction. Wuppertal, 9 June 2022.
- Thomas Mühlberger: Solar Construction: Energy-efficient modernisation of the Margaretenau co-operative housing estate in Regensburg – MAGGIE. Climate-friendly refurbishment of a residential building with the development of a hybrid energy system in conjunction with innovative façade systems. Bayern Innovativ Conference ‘Energy-Efficient Refurbishment of Existing Buildings’. Regensburg, 6 October 2021, followed by a field trip to the Margaretenau housing estate. https://www.bayern-innovativ.de/de/veranstaltung/energetische-sanierung-im-gebaeudebestand
- Oliver Steffens: MAGGIE – Artificial Intelligence, sector coupling and solar-active building components for climate protection and affordable housing: innovations in Regensburg’s Margaretenau. 10th Bavarian Innovation Congress. Regensburg, 14 July 2021. https://www.techbase.de/news-termine/events-termine/detail/14/7/2021/10-bayerischer-innovationskongress
- Oliver Steffens: Solar Construction: Energy-efficiency refurbishment of the Margaretenau co-operative housing estate in Regensburg – MAGGIE. Artificial intelligence for climate protection and low housing costs. Stadt.Land.Digital – Nationwide Digital Day ‘Digital local authorities save energy – online presentation and interactive exchange of best practice from smart local authorities’, 18 June 2021. https://www.wik.org/fileadmin/StadtLandDigital/210618_StadtLandDigital_Digitale_Kommunen_Sparen_Energie.pdf
- Oliver Steffens: Solar Construction: Energy-efficient modernisation of the Margaretenau co-operative housing estate in Regensburg – MAGGIE. Artificial intelligence for climate protection and low housing costs. Berlin Energy Days, 22 April 2021.
- Oliver Steffens: SOLAR CONSTRUCTION: Sustainable modernisation concepts using the example of Margaretenau in Regensburg. Overview of the MAGGIE research project. ‘Climate-Neutral City’ Symposium, OTH Regensburg, 9 February 2019. https://idw-online.de/de/news710438
- Oliver Steffens: New ideas for the future of traditional residential neighbourhoods. Forward-looking modernisation concepts using the example of Margaretentau in Regensburg. vhs lecture series ‘Open University’: ‘How do we want to live? New concepts for housing and mobility in Regensburg’. Regensburg, 28 May 2018.
Publications from the MAGGIE project:
Specialist journals (peer-reviewed articles):
- Lang et al. 2019: Electricity Load Forecasting – An Evaluation of Simple 1D-CNN Network Structures, paper presented at ITISE 2019 (6th International Conference on Time Series and Forecasting) in Granada, September 2019, ITISE 2019 Proceedings, ISBN 978-84-17970-78-9
- Lang et al. 2019: Applying a 1D-CNN Network to Electricity Forecasting, chapter in *Contribution to Statistics* (ISSN: 1431-1968), Springer
- S. Malz; O. Steffens; W. Krenkel: Infrared-reflective wall paint in buildings: Energy-saving potential and thermal comfort, *Energy & Buildings*, Vol. 224, 2020
- P. Steininger, M. Gaderer, B. Dawoud, ‘Experimental and Numerical Study on the Solar Gain and Heat Loss of Typical Existing and Refurbished German Buildings’, in: World Energy and Environment Technology Publishers (eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Resilient Built Environment, Coventry, United Kingdom, 2020
- Haug, S., Vetter, M. & Weber, K. (2020). Energy-efficient building refurbishment: balancing energy efficiency and social acceptability. The case of Margaretenau, Regensburg. TATuP – Journal of Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice, 29(3)
- Steininger, P.; Gaderer, M.; Dawoud, B. (2020): Experimental and numerical study on the solar gain and heat loss of typical existing and refurbished German buildings. In: iCRBE Procedia 1.1, pp. 75–93
- Haug, S.; Vetter, M.; Weber, K. (2020): Energy-efficient building refurbishment: balancing energy efficiency and social acceptability. The case of Margaretenau, Regensburg, in: TATuP – Journal of Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 29/3
- Haug, S.; Vetter, M. (2021): Age-appropriate housing in the neighbourhood. Standort 45 (1), 11–17
- Haug, S.; Vetter, M. (2020): Older people in the Margaretenau residential neighbourhood in Regensburg – current situation and future needs, in: Andrea Teti, Harald Künemund, Judith Fuchs, Enno Nowossadeck (eds.): Housing and Health in Old Age – Opportunities for Shaping Health, Housing and the Living Environment in a Society of Long Life. Vechta Contributions to Gerontology. Wiesbaden: Springer VS 239
- Malz, S.; Krenkel, W.; Steffens, O. (2021): On the development of a building insulation system using air layers with highly reflective interfaces. In: Energy & Buildings, Vol. 236
- Steininger, P.; Gaderer, M.; Steffens, O.; Dawoud, B. (2021): Experimental and Numerical Study on the Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Newly-Developed Solar Active Thermal Insulation System. In: Buildings, 11.3, 123
- Steininger, P.; Gaderer, M.; Dawoud, B. (2021): Assessment of the annual reduction in transmission heat loss in a refurbished existing building fitted with an advanced solar-selective thermal insulation system. In: Sustainability, 13.13, 7336
Further publications:
- Malz, S.; Steffens, O.; Krenkel, W.: Solar-active façades in existing buildings, conference paper, Building Physics Days, Weimar, 2019
- Nagl et al. 2018, Stochastic optimisation and machine learning in sector coupling for the development of integrated energy planning for neighbourhood concepts and automated, predictive, electricity-market-driven control, paper presented at the cluster conference in Amberg 2018
- Riederer, M; The MAGGIE Project, SolaresBauen: Energy-efficiency refurbishment of the Margaretenau co-operative housing estate in Regensburg, 4th Regensburg Energy Congress, poster presentation
- Haug, S.; Schiele, A.; Weber, K.; Riederer, M.; Saller, T., 2019: Sustainable living and economic activity: the case of the Margaretenau regeneration area in Regensburg. Presentation at the 20th Conference on Applied Social Sciences: Sustainable Living and Economic Activity. Management of Social Innovations as a Means of Shaping Social Transformation. Munich University of Applied Sciences, 24–26 May 2019.
- Hartmut Netz (2020): The Challenge: Preservation and Further Development. Renovation of Historic Buildings. In: Die Wohnungswirtschaft DW 73, February 2020, pp. 20–23. – an interview by Oliver Steffens
- Haug, S.; Vetter, M.; Cerullo, L.; Weber, K. (2020): MAGGIE: Energy-efficiency refurbishment of the Margaretenau co-operative housing estate in Regensburg.
- Die Wohnungswirtschaft 01/2019 – Solar-active and solar-adaptive external rendering systems. Renovation of historic buildings using solar rendering, pp. 28–30. “Solar-active rendering systems minimise heat loss”. Interview with Oliver Steffens. https://www.haufe.de/download/die-wohnungswirtschaft-ausgabe-12019-wohnungswirtschaft-481062.pdf
- Die Wohnungswirtschaft 02/2020 – “A balancing act between three poles”. Interview with Oliver Steffens, p. 22. www.haufe.de/download/die-wohnungswirtschaft-ausgabe-22020-wohnungswirtschaft-508764.pdf
- Exhibition by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Bavaria: ‘Affordable Housing’ – Heritage-sensitive neighbourhood regeneration in Regensburg
- Wolf, Katharina (2022): Climate-neutral neighbourhoods. In: Renewable Energies, 9 December 2022 (08/2022), pp. 60–63. www.erneuerbareenergien.de/energieversorger/stadtwerke/klimaneutral-im-quartier
- Oliver Steffens: Historic Buildings and Artificial Intelligence (MAGGIE Project):