The Institute of Building Materials and Components Technology of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Brno University of Technology provides teaching of students of bachelor and master studies in the field of M – Building Materials Engineering, doctoral studies in the field of Physical and Building Materials Engineering and also provides specialized professional courses, seminars and workshops.

The advantage of studying in the M course is the scope for individual, even family-like approach to individual students.

Graduates of M have all the relevant knowledge profiling a civil engineer and gain a comprehensive overview of building structures, classical and the latest building materials and their applications in the construction industry; they also acquire the necessary economic education and, thanks to their universal knowledge, the prerequisites to find employment in a wide range of construction activities, in large companies and in private business.

The scientific research activities of the institute are focused on technology, the use of building materials and research on building components, including their testing.

The Institute of Building Materials and Components Technology offers services focused on:

• development and comprehensive assessment of the properties of building materials and materials,
• testing of all types of concrete, binders, aggregates, mortars and ceramic products in an accredited testing laboratory,
• analysis of the microstructure of materials, including determination of phase composition and determination of the content of partial components,
• 3D display of the micro and macro structure of the tested materials,
• testing of rheological properties of fresh composites,
• detection and localization of defects and defects of materials, monitoring of their deformation development, development of cracks and corrosion,
• simulation of aggressive and climatic influences to verify and predict the durability of building materials,
• analysis of the behaviour of materials at different temperatures up to 1 600 °C,
• determination of volumetric changes of materials in different temperature and humidity conditions,
• diagnostics and assessment (structural engineering surveys, expertise) of building materials in structures,
• material and technological solutions for the rehabilitation of existing structures,
• testing of thermal insulation, acoustic, diffusion and other physical properties,
• design and verification of the optimal use of secondary raw materials as a substitute for primary raw materials,
• experiments in test furnaces and apparatus for extreme stresses of building materials,
• elements and structures (determination of reaction to fire, determination of fire resistance).

Centres of scientific research activities

Responsible: doc. Ing. Jiří Bydžovský, CSc.

Coordination of the preparation of proposals for domestic and international basic and applied research projects, including contract research projects with industrial partners, supervision of the projects from the substantive and economic point of view, consultation of the preparation of interim and final reports on the results of the solutions.

Centre Accredited Testing Laboratory at UTHD

Responsible: prof. Ing. Rudolf Hela, CSc., Ing. Adam Hubáček, Ph.D.

The Accredited Testing Laboratory is currently accredited by the CIA of the Czech Republic with 45 tests in the field of testing of fresh and hardened concrete, concrete products (interlocking and flat pavements, road and other kerbs, trusses, etc.), lightweight building materials, burnt products and thermal-technical properties. ATL is at the same time accredited by ÚNM CR for carrying out accredited tests for product certification in cooperation with authorized person No. 227 VÚPS Praha, a.s.

ADMAS Centre

Responsible: prof. Ing. Rostislav Drochytka, CSc., MBA, dr.h.c.

The Institute participates in the research programme Development of Advanced Building Materials, within which it is engaged in research, development and testing of new building materials and materials on organic and inorganic basis. The main focus is on materials with high performance properties, so-called polyfunctional materials, which can perform multiple functions in a structure simultaneously. This simplifies the execution of the construction and increases the overall efficiency of the use of materials in the construction, which leads to a reduction in the overall energy consumption for the production of building materials and construction of structures, as well as to the saving of raw material resources and, last but not least, to the improvement of the utility properties of the executed structures and the improvement of their durability and service life. The centre has state-of-the-art instrumentation, the most important equipment includes an X-ray tomograph, a scanning electron microscope with environmental probe and 3D imaging, XRD including Rietveld interface, high temperature chambers and SAXS, etc.