Project description
Concrete solutions for carbon and construction waste
Around 10 % of the world’s CO2 emissions are a result of the construction industry. Construction and demolition waste are a serious concern. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SUSTAIN project strives to minimise this waste by recycling concrete. More specifically, it combines microbially induced calcite precipitation with accelerated carbonation to create a new type of self-healing concrete that is carbon negative and fossil CO2 negative. This material not only sequesters CO2, but also heals its cracks with the passage of time. Overall, SUSTAIN supports the European Green Deal and strives towards sustainable construction.
Objective
Excessive carbon emissions and management of construction and demolition waste (CDW) are critical challenges that the EU seeks to overcome to achieve climate neutrality. Portland cement (PC), an indispensable material for modern infrastructure construction, is responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while CDW represents the largest waste stream in the EU, accounting for more than a third of all waste. The SUSTAIN project addresses these issues by absorbing carbon emissions through integrated bio-mineralisation and accelerated carbonation of CDW materials and utilising it to develop novel self-healing carbon-negative concrete. The project is interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in nature, aiming to carbonate recycled concrete powder (RCP) and recycled aggregates (RA) through a synergistic process that combines CO2 absorption with microbial-induced enhancement. This process aims to meet the cement demand in the construction sector by repurposing RCP as supplementary cementitious material and improving the quality of RA to enable their full replacement of natural aggregates. Additionally, this treatment will give self-healable properties to concrete, allowing it to autonomously repair cracks through microbial-induced carbonate precipitation during its service life. This project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and the European Green Deal, thus enhancing EU scientific excellence. The researcher will receive extensive training to advance his career by learning new analytical and experimental skills, effective management, advanced training, supervision skills, publishing papers, writing EU patents, and funding proposals. The project will play a vital role in achieving net-zero CO2 emissions, offering climate-neutral construction materials, and equipping the researcher with cutting-edge skills to catalyse future leadership roles in academia and industry.
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.
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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.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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
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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
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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.
BD7 1DP Bradford
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.