fischer Highlights - Dr.-Ing. Akanshu Sharma, Junior Professor, Innovative Strengthening and Fastening Methods

00:00:00: Willkommen zu Fischer Highlights, dem Podcast der Unternehmensgruppe Fischer.

00:00:07: Willkommen zu einem neuen Episode des Fischer Highlights. Ich bin Wolfgang Pot und ich bin ein sehr warmes Willkommen zu euch.

00:00:23: Akanshu Sharma ist Professor der Civil Engineering at Purdue University in Indiana, USA.

00:00:29: Aber er hat eine lange Geschichte mit unserer Firma. Bis 2021 war er ein Junior-Professor für fünf Jahre an der Universität Stuttgart, wo er die

00:00:57: 150 Forschungspapier und ist aktiv in vielen technischen Kommittieren, wie auch als Koeditor, Reviewer und Gast-Editor für internationalen Journalisten.

00:01:08: Er ist einer der weltweit ledigen Wissenschaftler in dem Feld der Fassinen-Technologie.

00:01:12: Heute werde ich mit ihm sprechen, was ihm motiviert, von Stuttgart zu USA zu gehen, was ihm fasziniert über die Fassinen-Technologie und warum er so nahezu connectiert zu unserer Firma.

00:01:25: Mein Name ist Wolfgang Pot. Willkommen zu Fischer Highlights, Professor Sharma.

00:01:30: Danke sehr, Herr Pot. Es ist ein tolles Zeichen, mich heute zu sein.

00:01:34: Wir sind auch sehr glücklich, dass Sie die Zeit haben bekommen. Professor Sharma, according to the main association of the German construction industry,

00:01:43: the number of students in civil engineering in Germany has been steadily declining for years.

00:01:50: You studied exactly that and have had an impressive career, so quite a bit can be achieved with this degree, can't it?

00:01:57: For me civil engineering is more than just a field of study or a profession. For me it is my passion.

00:02:05: I can understand that today the number of students in civil engineering is decreasing due to the many newly emerging degree programs.

00:02:13: But I always advise students to follow their passion, because if you spend a large part of your life doing something, it has to be something that you enjoy and that you like to do.

00:02:23: Personally I am fortunate that in my career so far there has not been a single day when I didn't want to go to work because it was boring or not fun.

00:02:34: It has always been highly interesting for me and also motivating to solve new problems every day.

00:02:42: It's a great feeling when you solve a problem that can have a direct impact on the lives of many people, even if they are not aware of it.

00:02:50: I am often asked about my hobbies and I answer that my hobby is civil engineering.

00:02:56: So yes, there is a lot to do in civil engineering and it is a lot of fun.

00:03:01: Yes, that is definitely noticeable. Above all, your passion with which you are involved every day is noticeable.

00:03:08: We at Fisher have observed that very, very often.

00:03:12: Now, you held the endowed Professorship at the University of Stuttgart at that time.

00:03:17: What exactly is an endowed Professorship and what role did our company play in it?

00:03:22: Yes, gladly. The Fisher Endowed Professorship was a major step in my career and I am and will always be very grateful to the Fisher Company and especially to Professor Klaus Fisher for it.

00:03:35: It was only possible through the more than generous support of Professor Fisher.

00:03:40: So the Fisher Endowed Professorship offered me the great opportunity to work as a junior professor at the Institute for Materials and Construction at the University of Stuttgart.

00:03:51: This allowed me to build my own department, purchase testing equipment and hire three doctoral students and all three doctoral students are now employed at Fisher.

00:04:00: For the three doctoral students, I proposed possible research projects to the Fisher Company, which we tackled after joint discussion and agreement.

00:04:08: The best part was that although we worked very closely on the projects, it was a fully independent position that helped me a lot to develop as a researcher.

00:04:17: So the Fisher Company played a very positive role in my career and I am very, very grateful for that.

00:04:23: But that is based on reciprocity because we are still very, very closely connected with you today.

00:04:29: But back to the role of companies like Fisher in promoting research.

00:04:33: That is certainly very, very important also for research that the economy and companies like our Fisher Group are committed to research, isn't it?

00:04:41: Yes, of course. That is 100% true.

00:04:44: Not only during my time as a Fisher Endowed Professor, but also after my move to the USA, Fisher has played the biggest role in my research and has shaped the careers of many of my students.

00:04:56: In my opinion and experience, the best way to advance technology is through collaboration between industry and research.

00:05:03: The best research is that which can bring about major and positive changes in people's lives and that is only possible through partnership with industry.

00:05:12: I have been very fortunate that my research has benefited greatly from industrial partners, especially in the field of fastening technology.

00:05:20: It is even better to see when the results of my research are implemented in the standards and in the design software of companies.

00:05:28: This shows that the research I conduct has a significant impact in reach, which would not have been possible without the support of companies like Fisher through funding and close cooperation.

00:05:38: It is a win-win collaboration where the industrial partners contribute the practical context and resources, while the research partners contribute the knowledge and expertise.

00:05:49: Together they produce the best innovations.

00:05:57: Professor Schama, you are undoubtedly one of the most important scientists in the field of fastening technology, where it is clearly evident that everything you research and work on is also put into practice.

00:06:10: That is, I believe, also a very great success.

00:06:13: But I also wanted to ask you again, your research path has led you from Germany to the USA.

00:06:19: What was your motivation for this change?

00:06:21: Yes, so it was not an easy decision for me.

00:06:26: I spent a very long time in Germany, more than eight years.

00:06:30: I loved the country, I loved the work, I made many friends and I also enjoyed the culture.

00:06:36: After completing my doctorate, which was in 2013, I started working as a senior research engineer at the University of Stuttgart.

00:06:45: Ich habe mich wirklich gefreut, neue Projektprozesse für die Industrie und die German Research Foundation zu schreiben,

00:06:53: und ich habe auch viele Doktorale und Masterstudien übernommen.

00:06:58: Ich wollte eigentlich in Deutschland leben, aber mein Ziel und mein Ziel war immer, ein Professor von civil engineering zu werden.

00:07:07: Unfortunately, das deutsche Universität nicht für das Thema zu viele Möglichkeiten hat.

00:07:14: Ich war froh, ein Fischer in der Prof. des Professors zu bekommen, aber es war nicht eine 10-jährige Position,

00:07:21: sondern eine Position, die zu einem Maximum von sechs Jahren zu sein hat.

00:07:25: Es wurde mir klar, dass ich, wenn ich ein Professor geworden wäre, von Stuttgart und probably auch von Deutschland zu gehen.

00:07:32: Es war eine sehr schwierige Entscheidung.

00:07:34: Ich wusste, dass ich immer wieder hinterhergekommen bin und wieder von Stratz zu beginnen.

00:07:41: Aber ich hatte meinen Schicksal zu tun.

00:07:43: So, als ich die Welt für die Professorschipp-Opportunitäten sah,

00:07:48: habe ich die Advertisement für eine Position in der USA bei Purdue University gefunden.

00:07:53: Ich wusste, dass Purdue University eines der besten Universitäten in der Welt ist,

00:07:57: mit einem sehr guten Ranking und einer großen Lab für große Experimenten, wie die Framestructures.

00:08:05: Ich habe dafür geplant und habe eine Sache ledigend zu einer anderen und heute bin ich hier.

00:08:11: Ich muss mich nochmals bedanken für die Fischer-Kompany für die Vertreter der Ersichtung.

00:08:15: Auch wenn ich meine Arbeit von Deutschland bis zur USA in der USA ausgerichtet habe,

00:08:18: habe ich noch sehr kurz mit Fischer heute dabei gearbeitet.

00:08:21: Ihr seid jetzt auch im Bereich der großen Erzgeber- und Erzgeber-Fraktion,

00:08:28: of course, very, very interesting.

00:08:30: Firstly, of course, for our company,

00:08:33: but also for humanity as a whole.

00:08:35: This is already evident from the past devastating earthquakes

00:08:39: recently in Myanmar and now very recently also again in Turkey.

00:08:44: How is research on the seismic retrofitting

00:08:47: of buildings progressing?

00:08:49: - Yes, we are conducting large scale experiments

00:08:52: on full scale reinforced concrete structures

00:08:55: to investigate and improve their behavior

00:08:57: during earthquakes.

00:08:58: This very important research work is mainly supported

00:09:01: by Fisher with a cost share from Purdue University.

00:09:05: As part of this project,

00:09:06: we are testing two-story full scale

00:09:09: reinforced concrete structures.

00:09:11: The structures represent typical buildings around the world

00:09:14: that were not built for seismic forces.

00:09:17: One of the structures was successfully tested

00:09:19: in December last year and in 2024

00:09:22: and clearly showed the weaknesses

00:09:24: of the beam column connections

00:09:25: and how they can influence the seismic behavior

00:09:28: of this building.

00:09:29: The second structure was reinforced with haunch elements

00:09:33: that are attached to the structure using Fisher anchors.

00:09:36: The haunch elements are very effective

00:09:38: in improving the seismic performance

00:09:40: of beam column connections,

00:09:41: provided that the anchors function well.

00:09:44: Therefore, the use of the highest quality anchors

00:09:47: is one of the most important requirements

00:09:48: for such reinforcement methods.

00:09:51: We have already demonstrated the high effectiveness

00:09:53: of the reinforcement method through tests

00:09:56: at the component level.

00:09:58: This test will serve as the final proof of concept,

00:10:01: which will hopefully demonstrate the effectiveness

00:10:04: of the reinforcement method at the structural level.

00:10:07: We are working intensively on the testing

00:10:09: of the second structure,

00:10:11: which is reinforced with haunch elements

00:10:13: and the testing is scheduled for mid-May this year,

00:10:16: so actually less than a month away.

00:10:19: We are also working on the development of design

00:10:21: and calculation methods for the performance of structures

00:10:26: with haunch elements connected with Fisher anchors.

00:10:30: And when all the pieces come together,

00:10:31: we will have an excellent solution to prevent the collapse

00:10:35: of many buildings in future earthquakes.

00:10:37: So what you are doing and researching

00:10:40: will almost certainly be able to save

00:10:42: many, many human lives in the future.

00:10:45: And why is it that in earthquake prone areas,

00:10:48: safe construction is often still not guaranteed?

00:10:52: What is the reason for that?

00:10:54: Strong earthquakes do not occur very often,

00:10:56: but they do happen from time to time all over the world.

00:10:59: The last earthquake, as you mentioned, in Myanmar,

00:11:02: occurred only two years after the devastating earthquake

00:11:05: that occurred in Turkey in 2023.

00:11:08: Every earthquake shows us how vulnerable many buildings

00:11:11: and structures are to such natural disasters.

00:11:14: In recent decades, enormous research efforts

00:11:16: have improved our knowledge of the safe planning

00:11:18: and construction of buildings.

00:11:20: However, there is a very large stock of buildings

00:11:23: that are not designed for seismic loads

00:11:26: because the knowledge about seismic design

00:11:28: was not available at the time of their construction.

00:11:31: For example, in developing countries,

00:11:33: the proportion of buildings not designed for earthquake loads

00:11:37: is as high as 90%.

00:11:39: Many of the tragic collapses we see after major earthquakes

00:11:43: are related to such buildings.

00:11:45: The question is, can we do something about it?

00:11:49: Can we increase the seismic performance of such buildings

00:11:52: and be better prepared for the next major earthquake?

00:11:55: That is the answer we are trying to find with our research.

00:11:58: So one can be very curious about what the final outcome will be

00:12:03: and how all of this will develop further.

00:12:05: Another major challenge for the entire construction industry

00:12:09: is also posed by climate change.

00:12:12: How is the industry actually adapting to this worldwide?

00:12:16: There are many different ways in which the construction industry

00:12:19: is addressing climate change and adapting its methods accordingly.

00:12:24: Primarily, the industry's focus is shifting

00:12:27: towards sustainable methods using innovative materials and designs.

00:12:32: And the use of limestone, which partially replaces clinker

00:12:35: and cement, is becoming increasingly common in construction.

00:12:40: The energy efficient design of buildings

00:12:42: is also being considered more and more in practice.

00:12:45: My research focuses on improving designs

00:12:48: to enable optimized use of materials,

00:12:50: thereby reducing both waste and costs.

00:12:54: Another focus of my work is extending the lifespan

00:12:57: of existing structures instead of demolishing and rebuilding them.

00:13:06: In this area of the construction industry and climate change,

00:13:10: you are also very, very active.

00:13:12: And that is also a very large field of research.

00:13:15: Just like another topic that will certainly concern you greatly,

00:13:19: which is the further increase in the number of people on this earth.

00:13:22: This also poses major challenges for construction.

00:13:26: How exactly can I imagine that?

00:13:28: Yes, exactly. So the construction industry is constantly facing various challenges.

00:13:34: It will be no different in the coming decades.

00:13:36: I am thinking primarily of the following three challenges.

00:13:40: The first is, how long can we continue to build with the same materials?

00:13:44: We have limited resources.

00:13:47: And what if we are no longer able to use the same materials due to climate change?

00:13:52: For example, can we build structural constructions

00:13:55: in the same way without steel if we have to?

00:13:57: Should we look for alternatives?

00:13:59: Secondly, as you rightly mentioned,

00:14:02: rapid urbanization and population growth

00:14:04: are putting immense pressure on infrastructure.

00:14:07: At the same time, there is also an increasing shortage

00:14:10: of qualified civil engineers and construction workers.

00:14:13: How can we manage this?

00:14:15: Of course, the third is also artificial intelligence at hand.

00:14:18: So because artificial intelligence is developing extremely rapidly

00:14:22: and with it many new solutions,

00:14:24: we can find many new solutions

00:14:27: and must also adapt to this new technology.

00:14:30: However, these powerful technologies also bring a number of problems with them.

00:14:34: Are we ready to use these technologies responsibly and safely?

00:14:38: In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges for civil engineers

00:14:42: and for civil engineering in the next 20 years?

00:14:45: We have rapid urbanization and population growth,

00:14:48: but we also have a shortage of qualified civil engineers and construction workers.

00:14:53: That is really a big point.

00:14:55: We can solve it a bit with AI,

00:14:56: but then we also get new problems with AI.

00:14:59: And that's why it comes one after the other.

00:15:01: From my point of view, these are perhaps the two biggest challenges

00:15:05: and also, of course, the materials.

00:15:07: I don't see that we can build everything the same in the next 20 or 50 years.

00:15:12: We cannot always use the same methods and the same materials.

00:15:15: We need to be more innovative

00:15:17: in terms of which new materials we can use

00:15:20: and also which new methods we can better use in the future.

00:15:23: Now we have looked at the next 20 years.

00:15:26: Where do you see yourself in this period?

00:15:28: Is a return to Germany perhaps even conceivable for you?

00:15:33: I wouldn't say never.

00:15:34: I love Germany and had a wonderful time there.

00:15:37: It is a fantastic country and has so many good aspects.

00:15:42: So sometimes I really miss Germany,

00:15:44: but at the moment I am not thinking about returning to Germany to live and work again.

00:15:49: I am very happy with my job at Purdue University

00:15:52: and so far I feel that the USA is one of the most tolerant countries

00:15:56: for foreigners like me

00:15:58: and I very much hope that this does not change.

00:16:01: I am fortunate to feel at home not just in one place but in three countries.

00:16:05: Of course, in India, in the USA and definitely in Germany.

00:16:09: But a return to Germany to live and work is not yet on the agenda.

00:16:12: But Professor Schama,

00:16:14: one thing we can definitely tell you

00:16:16: is that we are already looking forward to seeing you again

00:16:19: when you visit us again soon at Fisher.

00:16:22: Thank you very much for these very interesting insights into your research activities.

00:16:27: Thank you Professor Schama for your visit to Fisher Highlights.

00:16:31: Thank you very much Mr. Pott.

00:16:32: It was a great pleasure to speak with you.

00:16:34: Thank you.

00:16:35: [Music]

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