Green Instruct: Month 37 Project Meeting Review

From October 22nd – 24th, members of the GREEN INSTRUCT consortium met in Naples, Italy for the month 37 project progress review.

Beginning on October 22nd, project partners evaluated the project review report, deliverable and financial updates, future work required between work packages and a list of actions for each partner for specific work package progression. As the final report submission lies 6 months from now (May 2020), it was therefore vital for the project coordinator to address all issues previously identified and verify that all actions have been accomplished.

Demo site visit and workshop

On October 23rd, after the project meeting, a demo site visit to Benevento was organise d together with the project RE4 (Reuse and Recycling of CDW materials and structures in energy efficient pREfabricated elements for building Refurbishment and construction). On site, panel features were checked, monitoring sensors were examined and differences with the demo site in Seville were discussed. Both projects were explained to all partners and the commonalities and differences between both were analysed.

On October 24th, both RE4 and Green Instruct projects were part of a workshop called “Sustainable Constructions: Solutions from Circular Economy” – part of the SAIE Bari Event. University of Brunel, NTUA, Cool Haven and Exergy all presented their contributions, comments and results from the Green Instruct panel.

Demo site panel

BIM in circular construction

Nina Turull, from Exergy, was part of a panel discussion on, “The benefits of BIM in a circular construction process”. Nina presented the innovative Stacker Mobile App and highlighted its innovative process in the Green Instruct panel. Digital tools such as Stacker will allow sustainable panels such as Green Instruct to enhance their efficiency, applicability and replicability along the construction process. Stacker is a digital tool that aims to improve management and communication during the installation of products in construction projects, to ultimately reduce reworks, time, associated costs and thus, waste. 

Nina Turull explaining the benefits of BIM in circular construction

The Mobile App has been tested through the Green Instruct panel, which allowed Exergy to identify and analyse the main potentialities and limitations. The use of digital manufacturing such as Stacker will allow Green Instruct members to improve resource planning, optimise operational efficiency and the interface with ‘upstream’ clients. We thank all Green Instruct partners for their attendance to an exciting update on Green Instruct project progress.

Green INSTRUCT project at the UK-India Workshop on Valorisation of Construction and Industry Waste for Resilient Infrastructure

Green Instruct UK-India workshop

On Friday 18th October 2019, Brunel University London hosted a joint workshop on the Valorisation of Construction and Industry Waste for Resilient Infrastructure as part of their UKIERI-DST project with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) entitled ‘A New Framework of High-value Added Zero-waste Recycling of Concrete from Construction and Demolition Waste’. Over the course of one day, researchers from Brunel University London and IIT Madras presented and discussed their research experience, recent findings and the key challenges associated with construction and industry waste recycling to an audience of academics and students.

Green Instruct UK-India workshop

Prof Xiangming Zhou giving a presentation

green Instruct UK-India workshop

Dr Shaoqin Ruan from Brunel University London giving a talk

During the workshop, Prof Xiangming Zhou, co-ordinator of the Green INSTRUCT project, gave a presentation entitled “Valorisation of Construction & Demolition Waste into Energy Efficient Buildings – A Review of Green INSTRUCT project”, which summarised the latest research outputs of the Green INSTRUCT project. Dr Shaoqin Ruan, a Research Fellow with the Green INSTRUCT project from Brunel University London, also gave a talk about Sustainable Alkali Activation of Calcined Clay with Quicklime and Reactive Magnesia as a New Type of Concrete”. The talk was related with the use of additives such as reactive magnesia or quicklime to improve the mechanical performance of calcined clay.

The researchers from IIT Madras also gave compelling presentations on the current climate of construction and demolition waste recycling in India and their most recent research findings regarding the valorisation of recycled aggregates from waste concrete and its potential uses in road and pavement construction.

A round-table discussion was held following the presentations, initiating an excellent dialogue between the two institutions and providing an excellent platform to disseminate the knowledge of Green INSTRUCT project. The IIT Madras team have expressed strong interests of Green INSTRUCT project.

Mr Ram Venkataraman Guru from IIT Madras giving a talk