Darmstadt´s basic constribution to structural durability - historical review

In the third decade of the last century the investigations related to the structural durability were initiated by Thum, Gaßner and Klöppel based on knowledge that the structural durability is influenced as well by the material properties as by the shape (GESTALTFESTIGKEIT) and the variable operational loading (BETRIEBSFESTIGKEIT). These research had the scope to define the main influences and parameters being of decisive influence to the structural durability. The milestones of the research work being carried in Technical University Darmstadt mainly by Institutes for Material-Science and Material-Testing (IfW/MPA), and for Steel Constructions and Mechanics of Material (IFSW/IWMB), and at Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF/SzM) are summarized in this report. These milestones cover the topics: - Influence of design parameters on structural durability - Fatigue behaviour under operational loading - Determination and description of operational loading related to structural durability - Influence of material and manufacturing on structural durability - Components durability validation - Structural durability related to steel constructions in civil engineering. The specific contributions and individual references are presented in this paper.