Unlocking the potential of second life steel fibers from tire waste for the construction industry

Project Information

FlexoFibers

Grant agreement ID: 190109136

DOI

10.3030/190109136

Project closed

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 1 March 2023

End date 28 February 2025

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 561 512,50

EU contribution

€ 2 493 058,75

Coordinated by

FLEXOFIBERS EUROPA SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FlexoFibers (Unlocking the potential of second life steel fibers from tire waste for the construction industry)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-02-29

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The construction industry faces a critical challenge: it urgently needs to embrace circular economy principles to reduce reliance on foreign material supplies and mitigate its substantial environmental impact. Traditional methods and materials hinder this shift, prompting our company to pioneer FlexoFibers, a groundbreaking production process to obtain second-life steel fibers coming from end-of-life tires. These fibers offer a sustainable solution to the industry's demand for eco-friendly building materials.
A key issue lies in the industry's heavy dependence on foreign supplies and the significant carbon footprint associated with steel use, emitting approximately 1.83 tons of CO2 for every ton of virgin steel produced. Moreover, the use of 600,000 tons of steel fibers for concrete reinforcement in Europe alone results in emissions exceeding 1,000 million tons of CO2 annually. However, an opportunity arises from the 3.7 million tons of end-of-life tires discarded each year, which could potentially provide over 600,000 tons of steel fiber—nearly meeting Europe's current demand.
The successful implementation of our project has the potential impact to revolutionize the construction industry's sustainability practices. Introducing FlexoFibers aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption while promoting circular economy principles. This innovation not only addresses environmental challenges but also fosters economic growth and technological advancement in sustainable construction practices.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main achievements include: significant refinements in our operational processes. This includes meticulous adjustments aimed at optimizing every facet of our processing line, leading to notable increases in processing rates. These enhancements culminated in the successful engineering design and setup of our pre-industrial line. Progress has also been made in the development of automated control system production software to optimize the overall line function and an AI-based system for quality control. Minor adjustments are being made for final tuning.
In parallel, we have conducted a comprehensive field testing program of our product to create a range of innovative concrete-based market ready prototypes for various applications such as pavements, tunnel shotcrete, and UHPC precast elements. Collaborating closely with industrial customers, we conducted a series of field tests in their facilities to validate product performance in terms of lifetime and durability, using industrial steel fibers as a reference. Laboratory testing has rigorously assessed product specifications, including dynamic and static load-bearing, ensuring compliance with EU standards and norms.
Building upon these outcomes, technical data sheets for our steel fibers are currently being developed, and efforts are underway to secure essential product certifications, such as CE marking, LCA, and EPD.
On the other hand, we are actively working on safeguarding our technology through a patent strategy. This entails identifying and filing patents for key aspects of our innovation, aiming to protect our intellectual property and secure our competitive position in the market for the long term.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our results have surpassed the current state of the art in the field. Additionally, we are conducting further tests and demonstrations of our product across various niches within the construction industry, and potentially other industries as well. These additional tests are aimed at further validating the effectiveness of our product and solution, as well as exploring its potential applications in diverse industrial contexts. We are excited about the preliminary results we have achieved and are confident that our product will continue to stand out in the market for its innovation and ability to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

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