Beate Hörnel Metzger Hochschule Mainz

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Beate Hörnel-Metzger

Hochschule Mainz - University of Applied Sciences
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Chair of Construction Material Sciences
Vice Head of the Material Testing Authority (MPA)

Office: H1.31a
Holzstraße 36
55116 Mainz

+49 6131 628-1364
E-Mail: please click here

Competencies

  • Extensive experiences in materials sciences with research focus on creep behavior of anisotropic and composite materials,
  • Design, testing and surveillance of wood, sandwich panels and other composite structures as part of Technical Building Rules, e.g. self-supporting composite elements with foam plastic core and fiber-reinforced plastics cover layer for roof structures,
  • Preparation of national technical approvals (abZ), European Technical Assessments (ETAs) and general construction technique permits (aBG) for applications.

Professional background

  • October 2024 appointment as Full Professor of Civil Engineering with focus on construction materials science and testing at Mainz University of Applied Sciences,
  • Vice Head of the Material Testing Authority (MPA),
  • Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing), Technical University of Darmstadt in co-operation with Mainz University of Applied Sciences, PhD thesis on load-bearing sandwich panels not covered by harmonized standard EN 14509,
  • Senior Research Associate and Lecturer in Construction Material Sciences,
  • Structural Engineer, Bilfinger+Berger (Thai) Construction Co., Ltd., responsible for design and construction of the BangNa-Expressway in Bangkok, Thailand,
  • Freelancer, Ries+Ries Architects in Budenheim/Mainz,
  • Industrial Management Engineer, Dietmar Bücher Turnkey constructions in Idstein/Taunus,
  • Research Assistant, Karlsruhe University of Technology, Building Material Technology division,
  • Diploma Degree in Civil Engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) with specialization in structural engineering, Karlsruhe University of Technology in co-operation with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.

Publications

Green oak building – small diameter logs for construction.
Huber, M., Brüchert, F., Hofmann, N., Schober, K.-U., Hörnel-Metzger, B., Müller, M.L. & Sauter, U.H. (2024). 11th Hardwood Conference, (Németh, R., et al., Eds.). University of Sopron Press, Sopron, Hungary.

Small Diameter Oak Logs for Construction – Considerations for Strength Pre-Grading of Green Logs.
Huber, M., Brüchert, F., Hofmann, N., Schober, K.-U., Hörnel-Metzger, B., Müller, M.L. & Sauter, U.H. (2024). 23nd International Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Wood Symposium, (Wang, X. and Ross, R.J., Eds.). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Green Oak Building with High-Tech Methods, Part 1: Characterisation of the Raw Material.
Hofmann, N., Brüchert, F., Sauter, U.H., Schober, K.-U., Hörnel-Metzger, B. & Müller, M.L. (2023). World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023), pp. 711-716. World Conference on Timber Engineering 2023 (WCTE 2023), Oslo, Norway. doi:10.52202/069179-0097

Towards the use of small-diameter oak roundwood for structural purposes - Determination of mechanical properties by non-destructive and destructive testing as prerequisite for mechanical log grading.
Sauter, U.H., Brüchert, F., Hofmann, N., Hörnel-Metzger, B., Schober, K.U. & Müller, M.L. (2023). 2023 IUFRO All-Division 5 Conference. International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), Cairns, Australia.

Green Oak Building with High-Tech Methods, Part 2: Log Bending Tests for Determination of Strength and Stiffness.
Schober, K.-U., Hörnel-Metzger, B., Müller, M.L., Hofmann, N., Brüchert, F. & Sauter, U.H. (2023). World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE 2023), pp. 119-125. World Conference on Timber Engineering 2023 (WCTE 2023), Oslo, Norway. doi:10.52202/069179-0016

Erstellung eines Bauwerkes mit einem neuartigen Tragsystem aus Eichenschwachholz. Teilvorhaben 3: Mechanische Versuche, Sortierung und Zuordnung zu Festigkeitsklassen der Rohholzressource Laubschwachholz.
Schober, K.-U., Hörnel-Metzger, B., Müller, M.L., Schütz, U. & Bender, T. (2023). In Abschlussbericht, Forschungsprojekt FNR 2218WK18D3, Verbundvorhaben EichenSystem, Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, (Schober, K.-U., Ed.), p. 178. Hochschule Mainz - University of Applied Sciences., Forschungsgruppe Holz und Kunststoffe, Mainz, Germany.

Green oak building - Upgrade eines „problematischen“ Sortiments: Charakterisierung von schwachem Eichenstammholz für Anwendungen im konstruktiven Holzbau.
Hofmann, N., Brüchert, F., Sauter, U.H., Schober, K.U. & Hörnel-Metzger, B. (2022). Waldklimafonds-Kongress 2022. Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR), Göttingen, Germany.

Green-Oak Building: Characterisation of Small-Diameter Logs from Oak by Non-Destructive and Destructive Testing.
Hofmann, N., Brüchert, F., Sauter, U.H., Schober, K.U. & Hörnel-Metzger, B. (2022). 10th Hardwood Conference, (Németh, R., et al., Eds.), pp. 37-39. University of Sopron Press, Sopron, Hungary. doi:10.35511/978-963-334-446-0

Small-Diameter Logs from Oak for Structural Purposes - Determination of Mechanical Properties by NonDestructive and Destructive Testing.
Hofmann, N., Brüchert, F., Sauter, U.H., Schober, K.U. & Hörnel-Metzger, B. (2022). 22nd International Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Wood Symposium, (Wang, X. and Ross, R.J., Eds.), pp. 192-193. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI, Quebec, QC, CA.

High-tech timber engineering with green oak.
Schober, K.U. & Hörnel-Metzger, B. (2022). Timber Innovation Workshop, (Hawkins, W., Ed.). University of Bath, Bath, UK.

Zum Kriechen von Sandwichelementen unter axialer Belastung.
Hörnel‐Metzger, B. & Naujoks, B. (2021). Stahlbau 90(11), 782-790. doi:10.1002/stab.202100074

Beitrag zur Analyse von Sandwichelementen als tragende Bauteile.
Hörnel-Metzger, B. (2015). Doctoral Thesis, Technical University of Darmstadt. ISBN 3000524150.

Sandwichelemente als aussteifendes Schubfeld und tragende Wandscheibe.
Naujoks, B. & Hörnel‐Metzger, B. (2015). Stahlbau 84(11), 849-856. doi:10.1002/stab.201510327

Wandscheibentragfähigkeit von Sandwichelementen.
Lange, J., Berner, K. & Hörnel‐Metzger, B. (2011). Stahlbau 80(9), 673-677. doi:10.1002/stab.201101467

Stahlleichtbau mit Verbundelementen.
Lange, J., Rack, W., Kurpiela, A., Rädel, F. & Hörnel‐Metzger, B. (2010). Stahlbau 79(10), 720-728. doi:10.1002/stab.201001368

Research area

  • Mechanical grading of hardwood,
  • Classification of roundwood as building material,
  • Influence of moisture and density distribution on wood quality over time,
  • Destructive and non-destructive determination of wood defects distribution and their influence on the structural response,
  • Creep behavior of anisotropic and composite materials,
  • Testing of organic and inorganic construction materials,
  • Fiber-reinforced plastics,
  • Composite panels.

Teaching area

Construction material sciences