Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Reuse of Waste Materials for Fire-Spalling-Proof and Crack-Resistant Sustainable Concrete

Objective

Fire-induced explosive spalling (violent peeling-off of concrete cover) and plastic shrinkage cracking are major issues for concrete infrastructure. Tunnels and buildings can experience catastrophic failure due to fire spalling, as well as premature deterioration due to cracking, leading to huge economic costs and loss of life. In any new project, EU directives and codes of practice require adequate solutions for the spalling/cracking problems whilst all major existing road tunnels need to be upgraded. However, the mechanisms of fire spalling and shrinkage cracking are not well understood, and there are no guaranteed spalling/cracking prevention measures.

This fellowship aims to develop: (1) a better understanding of the complex mechanism behind fire spalling and shrinkage cracking in concrete, and (2) novel sustainable cracking/spalling-mitigation solutions by using waste polymer fibres and greener cementitious binders produced from industrial by-products. If successful, this will enable the replacement of the currently used manufactured polypropylene fibres with waste materials of equal or better performance, thereby providing a possible annual reduction of 0.5 million tonnes of CO2 in an EU market worth about £50 million per annum.

The microstructural changes of concrete during the fire attack/shrinkage cracking will be monitored using multi-advanced techniques (e.g. X-ray Computed Tomography) and the revealed mechanisms will help develop predictive models and design recommendations. The host organisation has world-leading expertise in the fields of fire and concrete engineering and it is currently coordinating an EU project (ANAGENNISI) on the reuse of tyre components in concrete. This project, along with training schemes available at the host organization, will provide a unique opportunity for the fellow to develop his career as an independent researcher.

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.

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)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

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.

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.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2016

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 195 454,80
Address
FIRTH COURT WESTERN BANK
S10 2TN SHEFFIELD
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
Yorkshire and the Humber South Yorkshire Sheffield
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 195 454,80
My booklet 0 0