Press review: Water is for heating
A look back at the field trip in October 2025
2025/10/20 by Uli Knaack
In October 2025, the Institute of Structural Analysis and Design at TU Darmstadt organized an excursion to Chile. The aim of the trip was to combine theory, teaching, and practice, gain international perspectives, and strengthen intercultural skills across domains, countries, and languages.
In collaboration with the School of Architecture, Engineering, and Civil Construction at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC), a two-day workshop was held on the application of generative artificial intelligence in bridge design. The program was complemented by visits to construction sites and architectural highlights, including the Bahá'í Temple in Santiago de Chile, which was co-designed by a project partner.
The excursion also offered a wide range of insights into the country's technological and climatic features: in the Atacama Desert, participants visited solar power plants and the impressive large telescope, one of the most important astronomical observatories in the world. In southern Chile, the focus was on the wood processing industry, where participants learned about sustainable material cycles and innovative manufacturing techniques.
The student excursion enabled participants to experience current research topics in real-world application contexts and to deepen international cooperation. The insights gained will be incorporated into the institute's ongoing research and teaching, thus making an important contribution to the education of tomorrow's engineers.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all partners and sponsors, especially the Technical University of Darmstadt, who made this trip possible.