Project description
A new way to reinforce concrete
Efforts to reinforce and rehabilitate Europe’s aging concrete structures is a tough job. In fact, more than half of all construction work each year involves the refurbishment and remediation of existing buildings to prolong their service life. Prestressing and post-tensioning are the most common techniques used to strengthen concrete but they have several limitations (tension corrosion, scarce performance on seismic loads and low fire resistance). The EU-funded IMPRESS project is developing a technology coined Pressure Activated Tendon (PAT) for existing structures and buildings that can increase resistance to seismic and fire loads, and also enhance the environmental performances of buildings.
Objective
Over 50% of the annual construction budget in Europe is spent on refurbishment and remediation of the existing structures in order to prolong their service life . Concrete, although strong in compression, is weak in tension: for this reason it needs help in resisting tensile stresses. Currently used systems that are generating compressing concrete are prestressing and post-tensioning. The limit of both techniques are tendons corrosion, scarce performance on seisminc loads and low fire resistance.
Gemini Impianti has developed a technology (PAT / Pressure Activated Tendon) that remove all the downsides of the currently know prestressing / post tensioning methods making also possible generate multiaxial simultaneous prestressing that can actually generate full prestressed nodes. The PAT, can be used in any size of concrete structure and it can be actually used on in situ construction and as well for improve the behaviour to seismic and fire loads of existing structures and building and can also contribute in improving environmental performances of buildings. The PAT techniques has been initially validated in lab test and against market requirements, receiving Letter of Interest from main Tendon producers in targeted markets (namely Laterlite SpA, Dayton Superior Inc, HG Group). Gemini is then fully committed in bringing this innovative solution on the market (that is valued USD 4.2 billion by 2025) and a preliminary investigation on overall investment needed has been carried out: the innovation project budget is assessed in €2,4M€, that will allow to reach 50M€ turnover at Y4 after project completion.
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Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
43040 Rubbiano
Italy
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.