Smile City project: better urban bicycle mobility infrastructure
The SMILE CITY project develops innovative construction solutions for deploying the network of bicycle lanes and electric bicycle charging stations, reducing their environmental impact and making them safer for users. They include prefabricated concrete and rubber elements that reuse different types of urban, industrial and construction waste. The demonstration phase contemplates the construction of 100 km of bicycle lanes and 20 electric bicycle charging points.
Potential for reusing single-use products as construction materials
Some objects designed as disposable products end up becoming problematic waste once they have served their purpose. One possible solution for these materials is to incorporate them into certain construction products, provided they do not breach regulations and standards. ITeC has been tasked with identifying the requirements these products would have to meet, the methods for verifying compliance, and what type of certifications they would need for a smooth market entry.
Top Sec project: self-sustaining green roofing
Southern European cities are facing hotter summers and longer droughts. Against this backdrop, Top Sec project aims to develop and demonstrate naturalised green roofs with no need for irrigation and minimal maintenance. The key component for making them self-sustaining is an innovative substrate made from biochar derived from municipal organic waste sludge. Different water retention techniques and plant species will be also tested to identify the most efficient choices.
Evaluation of a building system using blocks with recycled content
The manufacturer of prefabricated blocks lightweighted with agricultural waste has come to ITeC for advice on how to demonstrate their performance, given that the product differs substantially from those contemplated in section SE-F of the Spanish Technical Code (CTE). ITeC has drawn up a testing procedure consistent with both the nature of the product and CTE’s basic requirements.
Assessment of recycled metal fibres for concrete reinforcement
A manufacturer extracts metal fibres from end-of-life tires which can be reused to obtain fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) in line with the provisions of the Spanish Structural Code. This means that the fibres must be CE marked, but such recovered fibres fall outside the scope of harmonized standard EN 14889-1. ITeC has offered the manufacturer an alternative through a European Technical Assessment.
INBUILT project: innovative bio/geo-sourced, re-used and recycled construction products
INBUILT will develop and demonstrate 10 innovative products and systems, such as large-sized rammed earth blocks, recycled fired and non-fired bricks, hybrid straw-clay boards, recycled concrete (bulk and blocks), prefabricated waste wood wall elements, smart windows and curtain walls with recycled glass and bio-PUR frames, recycled textile and paper fibre insulation, bio-based recycled insulation and second life photovoltaic panels.
Re-Plan City Project to promote construction materials obtained from tire recycling
The Re-Plan City project wants to expand the use of RTM (Recycled Tire Materials) products and applications for transport infrastructure (roads and railways), buildings (reinforced concrete with steel fibers for floors, rubber pieces for noise reduction, insulating fibers), street furniture and sports facilities. ITeC has contributed by developing guidelines for green public tenders aimed at public developers that see in RTM products an opportunity to improve the environmental footprint of their projects.
Development of a European Evaluation Document (EAD) for innovative fibre boards
A European H2020 project is developing a new medium density fibreboard (MDF) free of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) using industrial cellulosic waste as raw material. A product of this nature is outside the scope of the harmonized standards that regulate MDF boards, so a specific evaluation procedure will be required in order to bring it to the market with the required CE mark.
Alternatives to conventional road barriers with lower environmental footprint
A manufacturer of vehicle restraint systems sells concrete barriers made with recycled aggregate and low-emission cement, and wants to quantify their environmental advantages compared to conventional barriers. They have asked ITeC to issue a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for both alternatives, covering the cradle-to-gate + C and D modules as per EN 15804+A2 standard.
Verification of the Environmental Product Declarations of a range of slag aggregates
A company that recycles waste generated during steelmaking has asked ITeC to verify the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for the different varieties of aggregate obtained as a product for the construction market. The process requires verifying the data used in the Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) commissioned by the company, reviewing the inflow and outflow of raw materials, waste, emissions, and the production processes.
