The standards committee for founding extended the topical ductile cast iron standard, EN 1563:2011, with high-strength, solid solution hardened materials. These nodular graphite castings show a ferritic matrix predominantly, solid solution hardening is carried out with silicon in the range between 3 to 4,3 weigth-%. The main advantage for a foundry in comparison to conventional grades is the increase of yield strength as well as an increase of elongation at fracture. Furthermore these materials provide a more uniform hardness distribution and better machining properties. The better material properties of silicon-alloyed grades offer huge opportunities during cast part development in terms of light weight potential because of wall thickness reduction. Since several decades the peak-fire pressure as well as the mean effective pressure increases steadily in internal combustion engines. This trend effects among other things the thermodynamic degree of efficiency, emissions and fuel consumption. Simultaneously engine components are loaded with high stresses, which have to be encountered by modern material solutions. The solid solution hardened grades are not very widespread today. Thereby it is of major importance to provide material data sets, especially high temperature behaviour and fatigue data under cyclic loads. The aim of this thesis is the examination of silicon-alloyed samples which are produced by gravity sand casting. The results should declare the adaptability of the solid solution hardened, silicon-alloyed castings for heavy duty cylinder head applications.