You won't be able to build skyscrapers out of paper anytime soon. The material isn't really suitable for the classic single-family home either. But you can do more with paper than just print on it or fold paper airplanes. Scientists from the leading TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, and TH Mittelhessen have investigated exactly what these possibilities are in the "BAMP! – Building with Paper" project.

The aim was to establish previously unexplored scientific and technical foundations for the use of paper in construction and to develop practical solutions. The focus was on applications for temporary structures, such as trade fair construction, emergency shelters, or one-off large-scale events.

The project partners developed, among other things, paper-based rod and surface elements as models. For example, they designed and modeled a beam that has the same bending stiffness as one made of wood, concrete, or steel. A feasibility study compared the load-bearing capacity of optimized paper components with that of other materials.

The studies have also shown that paper is a sustainable building material. This is especially true for recycled material. When non-renewable primary energy, greenhouse gas potential, and raw material consumption are considered simultaneously, building with paper exhibits by far the best environmental performance.

Dr. Stefan Kolling, Professor of Mechanics at the Giessen Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering , was responsible for the sub-project at THM . He particularly emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the project, in which mechanical engineers, architects, civil engineers, chemists, and environmental scientists collaborated. THM 's role was to develop simulation methods and a material model for the digital development of paper-based components. Numerical simulation helps to reduce the number of necessary practical experiments required when researching and adapting materials to new applications. For example, it allows researchers to investigate how materials behave over time and the influence of temperature and humidity. "This enables us to predict the onset of damage with a reasonable computational effort in relation to the assembly and overall structure simulations," explained research associate Marcus Pfeiffer.

The state of Hesse funded the project for four years with 4.6 million euros as part of the “State Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence (Loewe)”.