Active control to improve the performance of hydraulic turbines
May 21, 2019
Smart router for energy distribution
May 23, 2019The mixed steel-concrete structures that are used to construct buildings normally develop faults due to separation or slipping between the steel and concrete. That is why a team of researchers led by Miquel Ferrer and Frederic Marimón, from the Research Group in Structures and Mechanics of Materials of the Department of Strength of Materials and Structural Engineering (RMEE), has patented a new system of connection between steel and concrete that consists of generating a repeated series of small, numerous rough projections from the steel element, produced by punching.The aim is to apply the new system, which has been marketed for mixed flagstones, to mixed pillars. The project is designed to show the efficacy and viability of mass production of the system applied to mixed cylindrical pillars to improve the load capacity and the structure’s fire resistance.
All project activities are carried out in collaboration with the project mentor and main potential client of this technology, the R&D and standardization department of ArcelorMittal, Tubular Products Europe in Luxemburg.
The project has been awarded funding in the fourth call of the Knowledge Industry Programme promoted by the Government of Catalonia’s Secretariat for Universities and Research, in the Product phase, designed to obtain prototypes and for the valorization and transfer of research results.
Related Projects
- The Group of Construction Research and Innovation (GRIC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) leads the RESILIENT project, which develops advanced models and methodologies to assess climate-resilience strategies in buildings and optimise decision-making.
- A research team from the Sustainable Construction Engineering Group (ECS) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), together with the Catalan company La Farga, a manufacturer of copper products and semi-finished copper products and a leader in copper recycling, has taken part in the development of a solution to use slag from the copper refining process as new materials and to optimise the use of natural resources in industry. Through this project, La Farga aims to valorise this slag for high added-value industrial applications, such as conductive cements used to manufacture road pavements or industrial sensing products.
- The research groups Structural and Materials Technology (ATEM) and the Construction Engineering (EC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) are working on the RE-STEEL project, which aims to develop an efficient methodology for assessing the rehabilitation of existing steel structures.
SATE-VEG: A system for energy renovation of buildings that helps reduce the urban heat island effect
Researchers from the Architecture, Energy and Environment (AiEM) group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) have developed SATE-VEG, an external thermal insulation system with a vegetal coating that offers seasonally adaptive thermal behaviour, enhances urban biodiversity and promotes positive health effects. The system is made from organic materials, requires low maintenance and consumes minimal water.
