RESEARCH PROFILE

Bert Snijder is a Full Professor and holds the Chair of Structural Design (Steel Structures) at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). His key areas of expertise include civil and structural engineering, mechanics of materials, structural and stress analysis, finite element analysis and structural design in relation to architecture. His research interests concern strength, stability and fatigue of steel structures. He is also interested in structural systems, connections, cold-formed sections, composite and hybrid structures and high-strength steel applications. The application domain concerns buildings and bridges.  

Research on strength, stability and fatigue contributes to a better understanding of structural behavior resulting in new and better design rules. Recently, a research project was carried out to investigate the residual stress levels in S460 Jumbo sections for the American high-rise building market and to determine the appropriate buckling curves to be used for these sections. Structural systems with steel concern pre-stressed steel structures, stay-cable structures and stability structures in high-rise steel buildings. Connection research focuses on the mechanical behavior of bolted and welded connections. The research on cold-formed sections contributes to a broader application of cold-formed thin-walled plate products and sections. In composite and hybrid structures, steel is combined with concrete, timber, glass or FRP such that all materials are optimally used. For high-strength steels, it has to be investigated whether current design rules are still appropriate or new design rules have to be developed. 

Research for code development leads the way to safe new applications of steel as a structural material for buildings and bridges. High-strength steels for single use or in composite and hybrid structures are the future".

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

After obtaining his MSc in Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology, Bert Snijder worked as a researcher at TNO and as a structural engineer / project manager at NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Dutch Railways) and the engineering office that emerged from NS. Here, he gained practical experience in designing railway stations and bridges.

He chaired the editorial board of Structural Engineering International, the journal of IABSE (International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering) and is currently vice-president of IABSE. He represents The Netherlands in the European code committee responsible for the content of Eurocode 3 on steel structures and he chairs the Working Group on EN 1993-1-1 of this committee. He also chairs Technical Committee 8 ‘Stability’ of the ECCS (European Convention for Constructional Steelwork). He is member of many (inter)national committees and (co)author of many journal articles and conference papers.