Director, Multidisciplinary Energy Center and Director, Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnology, Technical University of Darmstadt (TUD)
Biographical Summary
1969-1975: Graduated with Master ́s of Science in Civil Engineering, TUD
1975-1981: Graduate assistant earning Ph.D. at TUD ́s Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnology summa cum laude. Title of dissertation: “Trends in the development and construction of near-surface tunnels within urban proper.”
Beginning 1989: Government Certified Expert for civil engineering projects.
1993 – To date: Professor and chairman of the TUD Institute and Laboratory of Geotechnology.
2007 – To date: Also, director of the TUD multidisciplinary Energy Center, founded in that year to promote advanced studies in all fields related to energy. The Energy Center transcends and includes all TUD faculties, from architecture and engineering to law and business administration.
Since 1993: Professor Dr.-Ing. Katzenbach Engineering Consultancy, Darmstadt.
Beginning in the 70 ́s with the emergence of high rise buildings in Frankfurt on Main of from 40 to 100 meters, Prof. Katzenbach was involved in developing models using finite element calculations for designing the foundations of many of the city ́s unique skyscrapers. The CPRF method combined with the pile raft foundation was perfected and utilized in the construction of, for example, The Main Tower and the Messeturm (Frankfurt Fair Grounds Tower). In Berlin, he was involved studying the wooden pile construction of the seat of German government, the Reichstag. The Sony Center in Berlin used the support of Prof. Katzenbach and his team.
Additional projects include the Moscow Federation Tower as well as buildings in Kiev and Shanghai. He also produced the concept for Germany ́s highest building, the Commerzbank Tower (300 meters), built between 1994 and 1997 at Frankfurt on Main as well as the Frankfurt subway system.
Prof. Katzenbach has conducted extensive research in the fields of energy resulting in the development of energy-saving piles, the use of geothermal energy and seasonal energy storage and management to name only several of many.
Examples of Recent Work
Prof. Katzenbach is currently under contract as “peer reviewer” working with the North American architect, Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill designing the tallest building in the world, The Kingdom Tower (1001 meters) at Jeddah on the Red Sea of the Saudi Arabian Royal family. http://smithgill.com/
It is also interesting that he played the leading role in saving the Cathedral of the Holy Family, Barcelona (Cathedral de la Sagrada Familia) from destruction and earned recognition from UNESCO for his work. Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia