Project facts
Presentation
InnovaConcrete is an innovative project aimed at preserving concrete-based monuments, the most significant Cultural Heritage in the 20th century.
The approach is the impregnation of new products, on the surface and cracks of decayed monuments producing C-S-H gel, responsible for the engineering properties of cement paste.
Multifunctional tailored treatments will incorporate additional performances: super-hydrophobicity and corrosion inhibition.
THe original formulations and techniques include inorganic nanotubes, bioenzyme-assisted self-heallingn and atmospheric plasma technologies.
Theoretical Modelling is related with experimental tests and In Situ validation.
Technical interventions will be combined with activities to promote and achieve social awareness and value creation linked to monuments and buildings.
Impacts & Results
In brief, the major impacts and results that have been highlighted touch on two specific areas and can be summarized into some key points:
Scientific-technical
- Nine conservation products and an application technique (plasma atmospheric), optimized by simulation.
- One product in the market (Surfa Pore™ FX) and two impregnation treatments (C-S-H technology) with commercial exploitation agreements.
- A promising enzyme-assisted method for self-healing of cemen.
- Evaluation of InnovaConcrete technologies on more than 1000 samples at laboratory level.
- Evaluation of InnovaConcrete technologies on 8 case studies, being one of them completely restored.
- A Decision Making Tool focused on concrete conservation.
Socials
- More than 100 different dissemination citizen awareness and training activities, including some non-European activities.
- A tool for touristic and commercial potential analyses of cultural concrete heritage (spin-off launched, ITEch-Heritage & Welfare).
- A first benchmark guidance to conserve historic concrete.
- A selection of the 100 more significant 20th century concrete heritage buildings in Europe.