Forschungsprojekte

The main objectives of this proposal are to investigate fundamental physicochemical properties of 6 local inorganic wastes, to gain the basic knowledge on the utilization prospects of the latter to be used in AAM materials. In this context, understanding the leaching behaviour of the wastes in strongly alkaline settings and to develop experimental setups to remove/stabilize potential environmental harmful elements, so far limiting industrial applications, is key. Findings of the project form the basis for future development of industrial exploitation strategies of large local waste deposits to be utilized in the construction industry, following the overall strategy for a climate neutral economy by 2050.

Development of an alternative concept for an efficient, more cost-effective storage cover - Solar Storage South project for Graz.

Fine fractions are ubiquitous in waste management. In Austria, the mechanical treatment of various waste streams (construction waste, municipal and commercial waste, waste incineration plant bottom ash, shredder residue processing plants) generates an estimated 1.9 million tons of various fine fractions annually, which corresponds to approx. 6.5 % of the total Austrian waste generation (excluding excavated soil). Despite this considerable amount, fine fractions are usually seen as an undesirable problematic fraction due to their heterogeneity, agglomeration tendency, or pollutant load, and are not reintroduced into material cycles, but are either incinerated and resulting residues are landfilled, or are directly deposited on landfills. However, fine fractions contain substantial amounts of materials that represent valuable resources and should be used as such. This poses a considerable challenge to recycling, since the dissipation of pollutants must be avoided. The motivation for the project is therefore to close material cycles of metals and mineral materials while simultaneously removing or immobilizing pollutants. The aim and innovation of the MeteoR project is to reintegrate these large quantities of currently problematic fine fractions into material cycles and to use them as a resource, thus making a significant contribution to the further development of the circular economy and in a broader sense to the reduction of CO2 emissions in Austria. Particularly, the following interdisciplinary approaches are being pursued: 1) Characterization of fine fractions and mechanical processing for the production of recyclable concentrates, secondary raw materials, cement aggregates and pollutant-depleted substitute fuels for the cement industry; 2) Testing of thermochemical treatment processes for fine fractions that cannot be further processed mechanically; 3) Research on the slags resulting from thermochemical treatment and their suitability for the production of alternative binders (AAM), supplementary cementitious materials (with hydraulic reactivity); 4) Removal/immobilization of pollutants; 5) LCA of the investigated recovery routes as well as a systemic-waste-economic evaluation. The innovation of the project is to test technology concepts to deliver all components of fine fractions (mineral, metallic, organic) to the highest quality and best possible recovery. Through the holistic, systemic approach, the project supports a number of UN Sustainable Development Goals and EU Green Deal targets. The desired results are experimentally confirmed technology concepts for the mechanical-thermochemical treatment of previously unusable fine fractions from waste treatment plants to close material cycles without pollutant spreading. The aim is to gain a fundamental understanding of the composition and utilization potential of fine fractions, the mobility of pollutants, their removability by mechanical processing and their immobilization by thermochemical processes or alkaline activation.

In the BitKOIN project, two technology concepts are being combined to develop a "granulated blast furnace slag 2.0" and the functional proof of this combination is being provided at system level. This takes into account two different market requirements: the waste management industry expects the development of a recycling path for mineral wool waste by 01.01.2027. The binder industry expects a replacement for blast furnace slag, which will no longer be produced in the future due to the decarbonization of the iron and steel industry and the associated phase-out of the blast furnace route, and requires quantities for this that exceed the annual volume of mineral wool waste (approx. 30,000 t in Austria). They can therefore only be achieved through a combination of residual materials. The project contributes to the strategic goals of the Austrian circular economy strategy in that, despite the elimination of traditional granulated blast furnace slag, larger quantities of primary raw materials do not have to be used for the future production of binders. Instead, mineral wool waste is deposited in combination with other residual materials, thus saving landfill volume. Overall, this has a positive effect on the climate and the environment, contributes to the security of supply of the Austrian binder industry even without granulated blast furnace slag, and establishes an Austrian network for closing mineral material cycles by building up knowledge and cooperation.

The starting point for further developments in IoT4SHM are the technologies developed in the FFG project "PreMainSHM" and the EU project "SensMat", namely a wireless sensor system and, as a special feature, an intelligent software framework that has extensive analysis functions. Thus, analysis and forecasting procedures relevant for condition and risk assessment as well as service life prediction were and are being further developed, adapted and evaluated with the aim of on-site data cleansing and simultaneous data reduction and data fusion. In addition, both data models and analysis tools were prototypically developed and integrated into an interoperable software framework. The latter enables the representation of the state information in the form of a georeferenced digital twin via web user interfaces. Within IoT4SHM, a sustainable and cost-efficient overall solution (modular system) for building monitoring in the form of a wireless incl. cloud-based software framework with tools for data analysis and visualisation, preventive risk assessment, documentation and alerting will be developed to market maturity. End users will have an IoT system at their disposal with which they can not only record and seamlessly document environmental influences in a simple and clear manner, but can also use specific analysis tools for the variety of different damage mechanisms and causes of damage, which enable a simple and plausible condition assessment and damage prognosis of buildings without complex calculations. The applications range from monitoring existing structures (especially bridges) to historical structures. Software interfaces enable the use of the monitoring data or the knowledge gained from it in GIS or BIM-based systems, in tools for structural design or recalculation or in asset maintenance and management systems.

FFG collective research project "Sprayed optimized concrete” (SpOC), aimed at developing, testing and practically demonstrating durable, high-strength, climate-friendly shotcrete. The project is especially focused on establishing life-cycle guidance applications for shotcrete sustainability, using and characterising innovative cementitious materials, developing novel analysis methods for internal shotcrete structure, and practical large-scale testing of shotcrete recipes

The global annual costs of corrosion are estimated to be USD 2.5 trillion, which is an equivalent of roughly 3.4 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 15 – 35 percent of these costs could be saved by more durable (building) materials and by implementing/enhancing corrosion prevention practices, accounting for annually USD 375 – 875 billion. Besides economic considerations, corrosion influences the safety and reliability of structures, enhances environmental pollution, increases resources consumption and jeopardizes global climate goals. At the same time the construction sector represents one of the most significant sources of waste generation in the European Union and recent data indicate that 11 % of all greenhouse gas emissions generated worldwide originate from the manufacturing of construction materials. Correspondingly, mineral wastes represent the largest waste stream in Austria with an overall production of 54 Mio. t/a, corresponding to 76 % of the entire waste production. Almost 60 % of mineral wastes are landfilled and 96 % of all landfilled waste (32 Mio. t/a) is mineral waste. The aim of this research initiative is the establishment of a cutting-edge interdisciplinary competence center at the interface between waste, material, environmental, geo, and civil engineering sciences to develop a novel generation of waste-based geopolymer-based building materials with high (bio)chemical resistance following the concept of CO2-neutral circular economy. Succeeding the overall strategy for a climate-neutral economy by 2050 as presented by the European Commission, within the proposed advanced material development inorganic industrial waste and residual materials such as slags, ashes, mineral wools, clay-rich residual demolition masses and clays are further processed (as binder and activator) and complemented with carbon-rich waste compounds such as (waste)oils, organic fibers or industrial biomass residues. This combination allows to minimize environmental impact of material production and thereby presents a major step towards carbon neutral building material development. Continuative material testing based on accelerated, standards-compliant test procedures, field studies and pilot projects represents another core area of the research initiative. Therefore, advanced mineralogical, micro/nanostructural and (hydro)chemical analytics [e.g., X-ray and electron microscopy (FEG-EPMA, SEM, TEM), mass spectroscopy, X-ray microtomography, MAS-NMR etc.] will be linked with innovative monitoring tools (e.g., optical sensor systems, isotope/element tracers, fiber optic sensors) and complemented by experimental approaches, (micro)biological analyses, modeling and life cycle assessment calculations. Proposed material development and testing focus on reaction-specific processes at interfaces (liquid - solid - gas), proxy-based forensic reconstruction of physicochemical material properties and corresponding material adaptation to variable and possibly (in)favorable environmental and operational conditions. This approach forms the basis for targeted and tailored optimization and development of durable, ecologically friendly, mineral-based building materials for the respective application areas. Envisoned application areas are (i) (bio)chemically aggressive systems in (waste)water transport and treatment, (ii) transport infrastructure [e.g. tunnel drainage systems, tension elements (prestressed/non-prestressed), supporting structures], and (iii) (bio)waste disposal and stabilization.

Testing bridge waterproofing systems acc. to RVS 15.03.12 for FSV permission.

On the way to climate neutrality in the construction industry (CO neutrality by 2040 in Austria and 2050 in the EU), the greening of concrete construction represents a major challenge. Concrete is the most widely used building material worldwide and, with its emission-intensive component Portland cement clinker, contributes significantly to CO emissions (globally around 8%). On the other hand, it is indispensable for the construction of sustainable infrastructure, the expansion of renewable energies, buildings for climate change adaptation and much more, even in times of transformation to a sustainable environmentally friendly economy. In order to be able to use concrete in a climate-friendly way, a step-by-step complete decarbonization of concrete construction is necessary, which can succeed through contributions from all actors along the concrete production value chain. This project makes a significant contribution in the field of concrete production and the design of concrete structures by laying the foundations for climate-compatible, performance-oriented concrete concepts. In addition to climate compatibility and functional performance, the aspect of the greatest possible durability of concrete plays a decisive role in its sustainability. Good durability properties of concrete against the multiple impacts (exposures) and high quality during execution enable a long service life and thus reduced environmental impacts and costs over the entire life cycle. The latter is particularly important for the long-term economic viability of public buildings, for example. The existing descriptive regulations of concrete standardization (such as ÖNORM B 4710-1:2018) make it difficult to really exploit the existing potential of decarbonization of concrete. Obstacles include (i) rigid specifications for minimum cement content, (ii) limits on the allowable amount of low-emission additives in the binder, and (iii)the lack of class-forming requirements for durability characteristics of concrete types, and (iv) the lack of reduction pathways for CO emissions. The industry-wide basis for new performance-based design and verification concepts for climate-compatible and durable concrete (based on statistically validated, extensive data and testing experience) must therefore first be created.

The CO2 and energy-intensive iron and steel and building materials industries play a central role on the way to a resource-saving and efficient circular economy. The cross-sector recycling of bottom ash in a targeted combination with other secondary raw materials for the recovery of valuable metals and the development of low-CO2 binder components makes a significant contribution to decarbonization and climate neutrality. The aim of the present project is to make slag from steel production using electric arc furnaces usable through suitable treatment steps on the one hand as a metallic secondary raw material and on the other hand as a mineral cement additive. For this purpose, the necessary procedural and metallurgical basics, the recovery rates of the metals and the targeted "activation" of the mineral content are being researched.

The project PreMainSHM aims to raise the area of preventive structural health monitoring (SHM) to a new level of networked systems. This applies not only to the networking of self-sustaining sensors and their sensor data, but also to the networking and utilization of relevant information for the building condition assessment and building management. The main aim of the project is to further develop existing components in the interaction of the various systems for exemplary application scenarios and to integrate them into a cloud-based, scalable, but also highly efficient and interoperable system. The starting point for further developments is provided by the applicants’ existing technologies as well as their existing know-how in the field of wireless sensor networks and fiber optic systems. The proposed monitoring concepts are based on a separation into passive, embeddable sensor components and exchangeable measurement electronics. The aim is to provide cost-effective, robust, embeddable sensors based on electrical measurement principles that can be calibrated if necessary, for permanent installation on the building and to combine them with distributed fiber optic sensors (DFOS) in a complete monitoring solution. In order to obtain information relevant to the building management, suitable analysis and prognosis procedures are being further developed, adapted and evaluated with the aim of on-site data cleansing and simultaneous data reduction and data fusion. In addition to model-based algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) methods are used and integrated into an interoperable software framework. The latter enables the status information to be displayed in the form of a digital twin via web user interfaces, as well as the integration of the status information in building management systems via other interfaces.

Testing bridge waterproofing Systems acc. to RVS 15.03.12 for FSV permission.