The members of the chair deal with current topics in steel and timber design in research and teaching. The chair is an important part in the innovative cross-material teaching in civil engineering that is pursued at the BTU. A major focus of basic and applied research is on fatigue resistance in steel design and the cyclic effects of fatigue-stressed structures such as bridges and crane runways. In addition, the chair has been working for many years on topics relating to stability theory and joining technology, which includes welding and bonding in the construction industry.