Main objectives under the RESTART 2016-2020 general call and the “PhD in Industry” programme:
· Enable a local small enterprise to acquire a highly skilled employee.
· Develop a new, substantially improved product.
· Promote collaboration between the local industry and academia
· Enhance smart growth through research on technological sectors linked to energy efficient construction and built environment protection.
· Actively support RTDI by translating knowledge gained from research into societal value and by efficiently disseminating scientific results.
“EcoBuildMat”, a three year project that started in October 2023, aims to assess and improve the durability of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) produced in Cyprus with the use of locally sourced raw materials. This will eventually lead to an alternative and sustainable building material to be used by the local construction industry in contemporary architecture. Furthermore, in the context of the project, the necessary background will be developed that may be used by CEB producers worldwide for the optimization of the processes carried out for the production of their materials. It should be noted that, promoting the use of sustainable building materials produced with local raw materials is, in fact, among the priority areas of the “Smart Specialization Strategy for Cyprus” (S3CY).
The project will adopt a multi-disciplinary approach for the study of the durability of CEBs to be used in the local market. This will include raw material selection and characterization, optimization of the production process, observation of CEBs at different scales, from macroscopic to microscopic level, and study of the durability performance of the end-products, with emphasis on their water-mediated behavior. Mechanical characterization of the optimized CEBs will also be carried out to ensure that the end-products will be apt for use in load-bearing contemporary structures.
Project results will help the company produce CEBs with superior durability properties, thus introducing to the construction sector a sustainable alternative building material that will be able to withstand exposure to water-mediated weathering. This will help reduce carbon emissions caused by the use of building materials with high embodied energy, e.g., concrete blocks and fired clay bricks, and offer people a potential alternative high quality material. In addition, the low cost of the CEBs to be designed and produced will help reduce the total cost of a contemporary structure, thus enabling people with lower income to build their structure with less money
For the implementation of the project Gigantas Antaios Touvlopiio Ltd (GAT), active in the field of masonry material production, and University of Cyprus (UCY) are collaborating. The involvement of a leading RTD institution (UCY) ensures that GAT will benefit from the use of cutting-edge technology and will expand their know-how and expertise. Furthermore, the project will help the company acquire a highly skilled expert in the field of earthen architecture, who can develop new knowledge and innovation for the company, not only during the proposed project, but also in the future.
The Project PHD IN INDUSTRY/1222/0081 is funded by the Republic of Cyprus, through the Research and Innovation Foundation.
