Historical development of the Chair of Steel, Lightweight and Composite Structures

The Chair was established at the Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering of the Ruhr University Bochum, founded in 1967. The Chair for Structural Engineering II was first occupied by Otto Jungbluth in 1969.

After Jungbluth left to the Technical University of Darmstadt, the Ruhr University appointed Karl-Heinz Roik in 1972 as his successor in the field of steel structures. Karl-Heinz Roik studied in Darmstadt, did his doctorate with Prof. Kurt Klöppel and was a professor at the Technical University of Berlin before he started working in Bochum. In his work, Prof. Roik decisively shaped the design and equipment of the faculty. For instance, the construction and equipment of the KIBKON test hall was largely initiated by Prof. Roik. His research focus was the safety, economy and durability of composite structures. The composite construction was decisively developed and promoted through the development of scientific foundations as well as design methods and regulations at the Chair in Bochum.

After Roik's retirement, Rolf Kindmann took over the Chair of Steel Structures in 1990. Rolf Kindmann studied civil engineering at the Ruhr University and did his doctorate there with Prof. Roik on "Determining the load capacity of flat rod structures with spatial stress". Prof. Kindmann's main research areas were the cross-sectional load-bearing capacity and the stability behavior of steel components. He also got involved with the textbooks he wrote for the dissemination of knowledge and skills in steel and composite structures as well as with the development of the RUBsteEl-tools for the computer-oriented design of steel structures in training and professional practice. During the period of Prof. Kindmann as the Chair holder, the Chair was renamed in 2009. From then on, he presided over the Chair of Steel, Timber and Lightweight Structures.

As the fourth holder of the chair, Markus Knobloch led the Chair of Steel, Lightweight and Composite Structures from 2014 until 2024, continuing and further developing the long-standing tradition of steel construction at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Ruhr University Bochum. His scientific work was characterized by fundamental and application-oriented research in the field of steel and composite structures, with particular focus on structural mechanics, stability, durability, fatigue and fracture mechanics, as well as the global fire behavior of structures. A distinctive feature of his work was the close integration of large-scale experimental investigations with advanced numerical simulations and analytical models. Prof. Knobloch also significantly shaped teaching within the degree programs in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Computational Engineering through a broad and modern course portfolio covering steel construction, timber construction, bridge engineering, building and industrial structures, and computer-based analysis methods for steel and composite structures. In addition to his activities at the chair, he held key leadership positions at Ruhr University Bochum, including serving as Head of the Institute of Structural Engineering and as Dean of the Faculty. Furthermore, he was strongly engaged in national and international standardization activities, particularly within Eurocode committees related to steel and composite construction, structural stability and fire design, thereby making substantial contributions to the development of practice-oriented design rules. His tenure stands for a strong scientific profiling of the chair, a close integration of research, teaching and standardization, and a sustained international networking of the discipline.

From 2024 to 2026, Rebekka Winkler served as Deputy Professor and headed the chair during this two-year transitional period. She assumed overall responsibility for the chair and ensured the continuous continuation of its research, teaching, and numerous organizational activities. In addition to overseeing the academic and scientific development of the chair, she was responsible in particular for coordinating teaching and research activities as well as for the supervision and management of the team. With great commitment and a strong sense of responsibility, she helped maintain the chair’s established structures and activities throughout this transitional period while also providing new impulses. In doing so, she made a significant contribution to the stability and continued development of the chair.

In 2026, Helen Bartsch took over as head of the Chair of Steel and Lightweight Structures. With her appointment, she continues her academic career as a professor at Ruhr University Bochum and assumes responsibility for the further development of the chair. Prof. Bartsch studied Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, where she subsequently completed her doctorate. Following her PhD, she worked as a Senior Academic Engineer before being appointed to the professorship in Bochum in 2026. Her research focuses on sustainable steel structures throughout their entire life cycle. A particular emphasis is placed on the reuse of steel components and the retrofitting of existing structures in order to conserve resources and extend the service life of buildings and structures. Her further research interests include the fatigue resistance and service life of steel structures, plastic limit states and stability phenomena, as well as the structural behaviour of high-strength steels. With her appointment, the chair continues its long-standing tradition of research and development in steel and lightweight construction, while placing an increasing emphasis on sustainable and future-oriented structural solutions.