Project description
Turning waste into self-healing concrete
The construction industry struggles to reuse municipal solid waste (MSW) bottom ashes in alkali-activated concrete (AAC) without compromising strength and durability, thereby limiting its environmental benefits. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AdBiCon project seeks to address this challenge by using biomineralisation. This is a natural process by which bacteria produce calcium carbonate to heal microcracks. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Pantheon dome, AdBiCon will develop methods to immobilise bacteria within MSW ashes, turning waste into a protective, self-healing component of concrete. The aim is to create greener, longer-lasting infrastructure via new approaches for circular construction and carbon-footprint reduction.
Objective
The AdBiCon project will develop innovative techniques to immobilise bacteria in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) bottom ashes for
their effective reuse as precursors in alkali activated concrete (AAC). The incorporation of MSW in AAC enables the reuse of locally
generated landfill waste in construction materials, offering a path to decarbonisation of the construction sector. Presently, replacing
>10% Portland cement with MSW bottom ashes affords concrete with higher water demand, air content and porosity compared to
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete, leading to strength loss and frequent cracks. This concrete also exhibits fast pH decline,
which facilitates corrosion. This warrants for the development of new approaches to exploit bottom ashes for improved MSW-based
concrete. Inspired on the Pantheon dome, biomineralisation is a nature-inspired method to strengthen, repair and protect
construction materials, leveraging on bacteria-induced calcium carbonate precipitation to heal microcracks. Biomineralisation lends
itself to the use of waste-derived materials as carrier and substrates for bacteria because fractional impurities and material
inhomogeneity are not detrimental for the intended application. This creates a huge opportunity for waste reuse and will expand
AAC’s enormous potential use for greener infrastructures. AdBiCon will study (1) the bacterial carrier capacity of MSW bottom ashes to
protect the bacteria from a harsh environment; (2) the potential of MSW bottom ashes as bacterial nutrient medium & substrate; (3)
the mechanisms of bacteria-mediated inhibition of MSW-containing concrete corrosion in comparison to reinforced OPC concrete; (4)
the potential of self-healing bio-enhanced MSW concrete to prolong the service life of infrastructure, by demonstration and
validation, benefitting the concrete industry. This interdisciplinary engagement with experts and stakeholders will significantly
broaden the fellow's scientific skills and research portfolio.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry inorganic compounds
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
L3 5AH LIVERPOOL
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.