We congratulate Matthias Andrae on his doctorate.

6 October 2025

Matthias Andrae, a research associate at our institute, successfully defended his doctoral thesis on October 6, 2025. We congratulate him most sincerely!

The title of his work is:

"Experimentelle und numerische Untersuchungen von ertüchtigten Kunststofffenstern unter Explosionsbelastung"
(Experimental and numerical investigations of reinforced plastic windows under explosion load)

The following experts participated: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Exz. Em Norbert Gebbeken, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ingo Ehrlich and Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Max Gündel.

This dissertation deals with the development and evaluation of reinforcement measures to increase the resistance of conventional plastic windows. It focuses on preventing or reducing flying glass and window fragments caused by air blasts from explosions.

Against the backdrop of accidents involving explosives, terrorist attacks, and military conflicts, the question arises as to how buildings, technical facilities, and critical infrastructure can be better protected. Given our very large building stock, its vulnerabilities to explosion loads must be identified. Regarding the threat posed by blast waves, the glass in existing windows and its shattering properties represent the greatest danger. The shatterproof films and impact containment systems available on the market are only partially suitable for retrofitting, as other weak points of the window, such as the frame construction and fittings, may fail beforehand. A comprehensive, holistic study of the load-bearing behavior of plastic windows under explosion loads is still lacking. This is where Mr. Andrae's work comes in.