construction site at Wälludden in Växjö

Building technology

Building technology is a very broad area of ​​technology. It is about the knowledge needed to be able to build up most of what you see in the physical environment of our community: buildings, bridges, roads and railways, but also many things that are not visible but are necessary for society, such as foundations and water supply and sewer systems.

Today, more and more challenging and exciting buildings are being erected around us. These can be tall and narrow buildings, or constructions with a long span. This is a development that will continue in the future. In parallel with it, ever higher demands are placed on long-term sustainability, not only on new buildings but also on the existing ones.

The subject building technology is about the design, construction, production and maintenance of buildings, bridges, roads and railways, as well as other infrastructure in our built environment. To succeed in the future, designers must have a deep understanding of the possibilities and limitations of different materials, building elements and systems.

Knowledge of advanced theories for analysis is required, but also an understanding of their practical applications, to be able to shape a sustainable future in collaboration with stakeholders in the construction sector. In the industry, there are good career opportunities and very good prospects for jobs, for example as an engineer or project manager in the construction industry or in authorities that work with construction issues.

The Department of Building Technology provides educational programs at the first-cycle level (building technology and building design) and second-cycle level (sustainable structural engineering). We do research and supervise doctoral students in building technology, often in collaboration with business partners and public organizations.

Our research in the field of wood building technology is internationally recognized. In addition, the staff at the department conducts research in computational mechanics, construction technology, building physics and life cycle analysis.

Our mission is to train the next generation of constructional engineers to bring out scientific and technological innovations in Sweden and throughout the world.

View available positions to apply for at Linnaeus University.

Research in building technology

Research at the Department of Building Technology is carried out in the fields of wood building technology, concrete structures, building physics, historic structures, life cycle analysis and other related fields. Over the years, our researchers have been particularly active in the field of construction of modern wooden buildings and related research issues, in order to create a broader and more efficient use of wood in building structures. Therefore, a large part of the research is conducted in this particular field, often in close collaboration with business partners and public organizations.

A common goal for the research at the department is to develop tools for predictions, to be used for engineering applications. For this purpose, we use experimental, analytical and numerical methods (for example the finite element method) to create new knowledge in the research fields above.

Experiments are carried out in our large and well-equipped laboratory. It features equipment for mechanical testing and characterization of materials and structures of different sizes.

Education

Within the subject of building technology, we give three programmes.

  • The Bachelor of Science in Engineering programme provides knowledge of how to construct homes, office buildings, roads and much more.
  • Building design contains a mixture of courses in technology and architecture.
  • The Master programme deepens knowledge of different materials, calculation methods, building elements and systems, both theoretically and practically.

We also offer a third-cycle programme in building tecnology for both doctoral and industrial doctoral students.

Within the program Expert competence for sustainable wood construction, we develop and provide courses for professionals in close collaboration with industry.

Programmes in building technology

Third-cycle programme

Collaboration

Collaboration in building technology is an important part of both education and research. It strengthens both teachers and researchers in the subject, but also our external partners.

There is a constant need for external participation in our educations through, for example, guest lectures, internships, project work and/or degree projects. We also develop and provide courses in close collaboration with professionals and thus contribute to lifelong learning.

In research, we have well-established collaborations with companies and municipalities in the region, as well as international collaboration with universities and research networks throughout the world. At the same time, we are constantly looking for new collaboration partners. Ideas for joint research projects can emanate either from external partners or from our researchers, and can lead to joint research and development.

If you want to know more about possible collaboration opportunities, you are welcome to contact us.

Our laboratory

The Department of Building Technology operates a state-of-the-art laboratory with advanced and unique equipment for examining material parameters and testing structural components. Experiments are an important part of the department's research, but are also used in education. The equipment enables studies to evaluate and quantify the behaviour of materials and structural parts in different scales, from single millimeters to meters.

In addition to the possibility of mechanically testing specimens under different climatic conditions, we have equipment for geometrically classifying objects using different measurement methods, such as laser scanning and other optical measuring systems. The relationship between force and deformation or strain and elongation are quantities measured by mechanical tests of materials and structural parts. Load and elongation rates, different climatic conditions and load cycles are examples of factors that affect these relationships and are therefore taken into account through measurements and when evaluating results.

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