Project description
An instantaneous quality control test for cementitious materials
Concrete used in all construction and engineering projects is subject to strength testing. But by the time the test results are ready, concrete has already been poured and hardened into the construction project. There’s a need to develop a method to test cementitious materials before use. To provide immediate assurance that the concrete is fit for use, the EU-funded ConcTest project proposes a new test to replace the current 28-day test. ConcTest rapid quality control test will allow concrete users to make an instant decision about whether or not to use the concrete. This will also reduce the number of sample batches set for testing.
Objective
Cementitious materials are used in virtually all construction and engineering projects and the far reaching consequences of
poor quality control cannot be underestimated. This is illustrated by the numerous examples of structural failure in buildings
and civil engineering projects and the disastrous failure of the cement of the Maconda oil well in 2010 causing the BP
Deepwater Horizon oil spill and explosion killing 11 people and injuring 17 others, plus enormous environmental damage.
There are a large variety of tests that are applied to cements and concretes including slump tests, compactability, flow table
tests, density and air content. These tests yield results in a short period of time so a batch that does not meet the
specification can be identified quickly. However, the direct measurement of strength according to standards BS
EN197-1:2011/EN196-1 (cement) and BS EN 206:2013/ BS EN 12390-1:2012 (concrete) requires that samples are cured for
28 days. Concrete and cement manufacturers, concrete suppliers and their customers all experience long delays waiting for
confirmation of the strength of cementitious building products.
Our ConcTest technology alleviates such uncertainty. The handheld instrument rapidly and reliably predicts the ultimate
strength whilst the concrete (or cement) is in the wet state. This provides the whole value-chain with high levels of
confidence regarding the strength that will be achieved allowing better stock management. Out of specification batches can
be identified and corrected immediately, and building and construction projects can assess the quality of concrete on the day
of pouring, avoiding the need for remedial works if the product fails the 28 day tests.
This project application relates to commercialisation of a truly novel and ground-breaking device which will be used for the
rapid quality assurance of cementitious products through the whole value-chain.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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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) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
SG6 3EA LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY HERTS
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.