Stability and Failure of Functional Optimized Structures Group

Head of Group

Prof. Dr.

Christina Völlmecke

christina.voellmecke@tu-berlin.de

Office MS 2
Building MS

Curriculum Vitae

Prof. Völlmecke graduated with a Diploma in Civil Engineering in 2004 from the University of Kassel. Thereafter she went to work for a consulting engineering company in London. A year after graduation she returned to academia and graduated with a Master of Science in General Structural Engineering in 2006 and a PhD in Structural Mechanics in 2010 from Imperial College London. From 2009 - 2013 she worked as a Lecturer at the Continuum Mechanics and Material Theory Group for Prof. Dr. rer. nat. W.H. Müller at TU Berlin. Since 2013 she is chairholder of the Stability and Failure of functionally optimized structures group at the Institute of Mechanics at TU Berlin.

Research

  • Geometrically non-linear modelling of structures and (semi-)analytical simulation with a small number of generalized coordinates / degrees of freedom
  • Investigation of the behaviour of structures particularly after attaining critical load values; predict properties in the post-critical range to specifically make use of post-critical deformations.
  • Interaction of complementary methods: Analytic methods, numerical comparisons as well as experimental validations using additively manufactured prototypes.
  • Increased focus on environmental and climate aspects, e.g. by using alternative or recycled materials in additive manufacturing; development of products in accordance with the UN sustainable development goals, ...

Google Scholar

Focus Areas

Sustainability

The implementation of sustainability aspects in research and teaching is an important objective for Prof. Völlmecke.

This is reflected in teaching through the permanent adoption of sustainability related projects in the course 3D Printing in Mechanics and Engineering for Equity Think Tank as well as in theses supervised by her.

Gender Equality

Prof. Völlmecke considers it a privilege as a junior professor to motivate female pupils and students to pursue a career in a STEM related field. In this regard she regularly participates in student workshops, in the Girls Day at TU Berlin as well as in first-semester events for female students.

She is the co-founder of Womxn from Arts to Engineering Community and Co-Organizer of the Berlin Local group of the network Mutterschaft und Wissenschaft.

Memberships (selection)

  • Topic Editor "Sustainable and Green Materials", SAGE Journal Composites and Advanced Materials, seit 2021
  • Associate Editor, Advanced Composite Letters, SAGE Journal, seit 2019
  • Initiator of the Special Issue “Recent Advances in Architectured Materials”, Advanced Composite Letters, SAGE Journal, 2020
  • Member of the steering committee “Stability” Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI/ASCE), USA
  • Member Deutscher Hochschulverband (DHV)
  • Member of The International Society for the Interaction of Mechanics and Mathematics (ISIMM)
  • Member of the Gesellschaft für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik (GAMM)
  • Member of the European Mechanics Society (EUROMECH)

Activities in Academic Self-Representation(selection)

  • IPODI (International PostDoc Initiative for female Scientists) Selection Committee, 2017, 2019
  • Member of the group of university teachers in the Institute Council of the Institute for Mechanics, TU Berlin, since 2014
  • Deputy Member of the group of university teachers in the Faculty Board of Faculty V, TU Berlin, since 2014
  • Member of the Gender Equality Commission, Faculty V, since 2015
  • Member/deputy Member of the advisory board to the women's representative, since 2014