The activity of the institute comprises the whole field of the building materials of building construction, engineering and infrastructure. That contains imparting basic knowledge concerning the selection, property and way how to meet the standards of building materials for future structural engineers. It also comprises extending special knowledge within the chosen education (e.g. damage caused by construction, sustainment, method of testing, certification and qualitiy assurance). In addition to that, external further education (e.g. sustainable building) is being offered and colleges are being supported as far as the education and work in laboratories are concerned.

Due to the fact that the institute (TVFA) also acts as an examiner, continuously practise orientated topics concerning the building experience are offered as subjects for dissertations and theses in collaboration with companies and firms.

The research´s priorities are:
• sustainable building – ecological valuation of building materials and building components, indicators describing the ecological sustainment, models of valuation, building material and building component catalogues, analyses of the life cycle of building materials, recycling
• reconstruction of buildings - material, models of decision, sanitation versus new building, investigation
methods/diagnosis of buildings, corrosion prevention in reinforced concrete structure
• property of mineral adhesives – rheological behaviour of mortar, chemistry of concrete

The institute actively cooperates with the TU Graz in the following main emphases in research: advanced building technology and innovative geotechnics, chemical engineering and environmental technology, integrated development of buildings

The TVFA, the Institute for Testing and Research in Materials Technology which is connected to the institute, acts as an accredited office for the examination and inspection of building materials and is devided into the following fields of work:

- granulation of stones, adhesives, mortar and concrete, bricks, concrete products and precast concrete parts, bituminous building materials, and breadth of sealing
- Concrete steel and prestressing steel
- Chemistry - adhesives, concrete, mortar, water, corrosion of concrete steel etc.

Supervision of the company-owned control of production apart from its activity as accredited office for examination and inspection, also advice concerning sanitation and in the case of damages caused by construction is given. Expert opinion is drawn up as well.
Collaborators of the institute are active in numerous national technical bodies of experts as well as in international committees (RILEM, IABSE, ISO). About every 3 years, the institute releases a report which documents the current development.


Short Description:
Science: basic education in building material for civil engineers,
imparting special knowledge within the chosen education; external further education (e.g. sustainable building)

Research: currently the main emphasis is put on:
• sustainable building – ecological concepts of valuation, analysis of the life cycle of building materials, recycling
• reconstruction of buildings – material, investigation methods/diagnosis of buildings, corrosion prevention
• property of mineral adhesives – rheology, chemistry of concrete

TVFA:The Institute for Testing and Research in Materials Technology acts as an accredited office for the examination and inspection of building materials and has the following fields of work:
mineral building materials like granulation of stones, mortar and concrete, steel, bituminous building materials, constructional chemistry, supervision of the company-owned production control.