1930

• Department of Engineering Constructions was established as a specialized structure. Its first head was Professor G.V. Nikitin (1931-1948).

• The first Soviet textbook about reinforced concrete structures was published. For the time, it was a unique book containing educational sections and practical recommendations on the design and construction of reinforced concrete structures for civil, industrial, and special-purpose construction. The book had nine reprints and its author, professor K.V. Sakhnovsky, had later on become the second head of the Department (1948 – 1958).

• The Department’s research and development areas comprised the most essential and much-in-demand design projects. These included improvement of the computational methods for off-center compression elements of reinforced concrete structures and reservoirs; crack resistance and deformations of reinforced concrete elements, etc.

• Laboratory of reinforced concrete and masonry structures testing was launched. Testing of real structures and constructions in the Northwest region of the country and experimental studies were conducted in it focused at the improvement of the theory and calculations of reinforced concrete structures. A whole series of original papers on the study of non-elastic deformations of concrete and reinforced concrete structures were published.

• Spatial constructions were in the focus of special interest and attention. Theoretical studies were accompanied by large-scale model experiments. Studies in the sphere of strengthening reinforced concrete structures were started. Based on their outcomes, professor N.M. Onufriyev founded a scientific school, which works laid practical foundations for strengthening of most civil and industrial constructions. In the early 1960s, he published several monographs and major articles in this sphere. Up to our days, hundreds of civil engineers keep using these “bestsellers” in their practical activities.

• First in Russia studies on fibrous concrete were started at the Department. They caused major interest in other scientific organizations and educational institutions. Broad-scale research and experimental works resulted in the development of a theory, creation of technologies, and production engineering of effectual fibrous concrete construction structures.

• Extensive studies of reinforced concrete high-pressure shells for nuclear reactors had been carried out. A new type of material, heavy armored cement and production technology for making structures of it were developed. These studies were later on expanded and new impressive results achieved.

• Original constructive solutions for high-pressure heat accumulators at new-generation power stations and autoclaves for construction and special technologies were studied. Within the frame of these studies, a serious of unique experiments, first in the world practice, were held.

• A new research dimension connected with the improvement of the theory of adhesion between concrete and reinforcement had been intensively developed at the Department. Two monographs dedicated to this topic were published.

• In 2013, the Department was recognized as the best at SPbGASU.

• The Department continues extensive studies in the sphere of strength of reinforced concrete structures strengthened with fibrous armed plastics and experimental and theoretical studies of the stress-strain state of construction structures with consideration of structural defects and performance-based damages.

• In 2015, the Department of Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Constructions was merged with two sister departments: the Department of Metal Structures and Construction Testing and the Department of Wooden and Plastic Structures. The united department got the name of the Department of Engineering Constructions.