Roland May’s Post

«If it is possible – that is, within the range of affordability – and the damage can be repaired within reasonable limits, then any repair is worthwhile» Rony Schneider, electrician With the new CAS ETH in Repair and Maintenance, we develop scalable strategies for maintaining the value of buildings and their components. 🏢🔧 Whether architecture, civil engineering or industrial design - here you will acquire transdisciplinary skills to play a key role in negotiating and shaping sustainable change in the construction industry. We look forward to inputs from the industry and the construction sector by: Markus Bambach, Roger Dietschweiler, Yves Ebnöther Anne Fabritius, René Jähne, Fabian Kastner, Arend Kölsch, Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg, Mirko Meboldt, Dimitrios Piskas, Robin Rehm, Oliver Streiff. Click here for more information: https://lnkd.in/epJmUtDn CAS ETH ReMain is a collaboration between Departement Architektur (D-ARCH) ETH Zürich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, supported by Basler & Hofmann The program starts in spring semester 2025. Applications can be submitted here from 1.September onwards (Rolling Application) https://lnkd.in/gfuCFisn ! #Reparatur #Repair #Werterhaltung #Weiterbildung #Continuingeducation #CAS #Schlüsselfunktion #Reduce #Nachhaltigkeit #Sustainability #Wirtschaftlichkeit #Baurecht #Industrie #Bausektor #Construction #LCA #Circularity #Matertialflows #ETHZurich

🏛️🔄 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 Ever wondered how we can preserve the charm of historic buildings while giving them a new lease on life? Jurjen Koopmans, a Civil Engineering & Management student at the University of Twente, is tackling this very challenge in his graduation project. Jurjen is developing a system to identify and solve common problems in repurposing monumental buildings, ensuring a sustainable future for Dutch heritage sites. His research delves into the circular economy, focusing on innovative methods such as bio-based insulation and new functions for hard-to-insulate spaces. Real-life transformations like the Hazemeijer complex in Hengelo and the Emmaüs monastery in Velp serve as inspiring examples of how old can meet new in the most elegant ways. 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗷𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 —they offer practical solutions for designers and contractors aiming to preserve these cultural icons for future generations. Ready to be inspired and learn more about his work? Click the link below to read the full article! 👇 🇬🇧 https://lnkd.in/esbF3vRD 🇳🇱 https://lnkd.in/eVNzbHri   #SustainableDesign #CircularEconomy #utwente #InnovativeSolutions #utstories

MSC Façade Engineering Another module completed, this time Structural Integrity. It was great to hear from Dominic Pask this week who shared his many years of experience designing glass and other novel structural solutions. We also had a presentation from Ed Forwood. In addition to a detailed explanation of how stick and unitised systems differ in their ability to accommodate main structure movements, Ed also pointed our students to the research he participated in with ex colleagues from Arup and Sika (https://lnkd.in/euAj4wmF) to explore the important role structural silicone can play in hung and sworded unitised systems. The students were left with a very clear message that better understanding and analysis of the holistic interactions between the facade and main structure will lead to better buildings with lower overall embodied carbon. This is aligned with Ed’s current work with Multiplex on embodied carbon.

Exciting news today! Aarhus University presents a ten-year plan for the development of campus. All of the four engineering departments will be gathered around Katrinebjerg, Gustav Wieds Vej and Kasernen close to the University Park. It's an ambitious enhancement. "Engineering has got too big for the existing buildings, and the joint campus we’re setting up will help future-proof our research and our study programmes. It will also give us an opportunity to open up even more towards the surrounding society, enabling us to meet the innovation challenges of the business community across disciplines," says Eskild Holm Nielsen. Link to full article about in comments. Visualisation: AART Architects Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Aarhus UniversityDepartment of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University

📣Invitation to Workshop on New and Reused Bricks in Masonry📣 In an increasingly complex context of clay bricks, there is an increased need for knowledge exchange, documentation, and progress, which this workshop aims to contribute to.   🧱 Masonry erected in fired clay bricks is an old story, with knowledge obtained through centuries and with the potential to be used in the future. Today the spotlight is again on fired clay bricks due to the possibility of reuse of old bricks in a new context with an associated new requirement for documentation and sorting out bricks with too low quality.   In parallel, new bricks are developed as a suggested solution to a more sustainable choice than the traditional ones.   This workshop will serve as a platform for dissemination of up-to date projects, documentation and state-of-the-art knowledge and will create a forum for knowledge transfer within new and reused bricks in masonry. 🗓️ 28th of March, 2025 at DTU, Lyngby, Denmark 👥 Organizers Inge Rörig-Dalgaard, DTU Sustain and Miklós Molnár, The Faculty of Engineering at Lund University ✍ Read more and sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dTwJbyhT ℹ️ Abstract deadline is January 26th, 2025. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions on bricks2025@sustain.dtu.dk 📧

Our approach to ensuring structural robustness for Cranfield University’s Hydrogen Innovation Research Centre (HIRC) project includes a systematic design philosophy that accounts for both anticipated and unforeseen structural demands. 🎯 Using Eurocodes and UK-specific guidelines, our design incorporates features like diaphragm action through reinforced concrete slabs and strategically placed plan bracing for lateral stability. To address the unique constraints posed by adjacent buildings, such as the Whittle and Water Sciences buildings, we have modelled existing foundations to coordinate new structural grid placements, thereby minimising clashes and ensuring a seamless integration of the HIRC building with its surrounding ground conditions, the foundation strategy involves a doubly reinforced ground bearing raft with selective over-excavation and backfill to counter potential soil heave from tree removal and mitigate shrinkage risks. Additionally, our choice of durable materials and protective coatings against chemical exposure further fortifies the structure, ensuring it meets the demands of the project’s intended lifespan. 🚀

🏗️Today marks the completion of the very first small-scale test on LC3 Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) here at EPFL Fribourg thanks to the guidance of Patricia Guaita, Raffael Baur and team from EPFL ENAC ⬇️ 🌱 Remember the TRC Prototype Pavilion following the joint effort by EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) and Universidade Salvador as a result of an inspiration from Brazilian architect João Filgueiras Lima (Lelé) and the «Argamassa Armada» technique ? From the creative minds of students in architecture and civil engineering to the dedication of our researchers, each step is now bringing us closer to unlocking the full potential of LC3 TRC. 🌍 LC3 is developed at EPFL's Laboratory of Construction Materials (LMC) and offers a sustainable alternative to traditional cement, reducing CO2 emissions by 40%. It is thin, durable, and it can be locally precast and easily assembled even by unskilled workers, making it ideal for addressing construction needs, particularly in the Global South and high-risk areas. Our ongoing efforts aim to expand the reach of this innovation to areas where it's needed most. Marina Nicollier - David Fernandez-Ordoñez - Enrique Corres - Beatrice Malchiodi #PropTech #LC3 #TRC #SustainableConstruction #GreenBuilding #ConcreteTechnology #BuildingMaterials #ClimateAction #GlobalSouth #EnvironmentalImpact #CarbonFootprint #BuildingSolutions #LowCarbon #CementManufacturing #CementIndustry

This new paper from the concluded PhD study of Catarina Ribeiro, at FEUP aims to conduct a critical literature review of the publications about the inhabitants’ perceptions of balconies in order to identify the most relevant criteria to consider during the design process. The analysis was based on the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) criteria (technical, functional and behavioural). It was a pleasure to be part of the supervision team, with Nuno Ramos from Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto and Nuno Valentim from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto. #well-being #literature review #perception #residential buildings https://lnkd.in/dYNf-WdA CERIS Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability Instituto Superior Técnico

Dries Heyvaerts is dedicated to advancing a circular economy in the built environment by combining engineering insights with the pragmatic approach of architecture. Driven by a passion for creating solutions that harmonise structural integrity and sustainability, he strives to deliver impactful outcomes for both the built environment and society. With dual degrees in Architecture (2022 - UAntwerp - Faculty of Design Sciences) and Civil Engineering (2024 - Faculteit Toegepaste Ingenieurswetenschappen - UAntwerpen), Dries bridges the gap between design and technical innovation. Currently, he is expanding his expertise and professional network through the post-academic programme "Circulair Bouwen: Van Materialen tot Bouwproject" at UGain - UGent Academie voor Ingenieurs. This programme perfectly complements his commitment to transforming the construction industry by prioritising material reuse, minimising waste streams, and embedding circular principles across all phases of the building process. Under the mentorship of Amaryllis Audenaert, and with Kostas Anastasiades (PhD) and Cecilia Furlan as co-supervisors, Dries’s research places a strong emphasis on urban mining. This innovative approach focuses on identifying and recovering reusable construction materials from end-of-life structures, reducing waste, and unlocking the full potential of these resources for sustainable construction practices. #uantwerpemib #circulareconomy #innovation

Tests on LC3 Textile Reinforced Concrete at EPFL Fribourg campus are proving promising! 🌍 LC3 Textile Reinforced Concrete is a thin and durable product that can be locally precast and easily assembled by workers with minimal training, making it ideal for addressing construction needs, particularly in the Global South - such as in #India, #Africa and #LATAM regions where the bulk of new #construction will happen in the next 20 years. Ongoing efforts aim to expand the reach of this innovation to areas where it's needed most.