On 11 September 2018, the AdMaS Center welcomed participants of the Meeting of the Building Structures Institutes and the Departments  of the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Prague – Brno – Ostrava – Bratislava – Žilina – Košice). During a meeting organized by the Building Structures Institute  at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, colleagues from other universities took round of all the pavilions of the center and during a two-hour excursion they were acquainted with its equipment and current projects.

The AdMas Center, in cooperation with ConWe, s.r.o, took part in the implementation of the urban cell module, located in Malinovské square in Brno. The cell tests how to make good use of rainwater for cultivating a cooling green city.
The prototype operator is the Public Greenery of the City of Brno and it costs the city  about half a million crowns.

On 17th July 2018, thanks to the IAESTE organization, we welcomed in our center a new trainee from Norway, Tonje Lysø.  Tonje studies at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) in Trondheim. At AdMaS, she wants  to know well  the road lab and to actively participate in the research projects.

Since July 2018, VUT in Brno / AdMaS Center is a member of the VIPA International Association for Vacuum Insulation Panels. From this year, AdMaS / TSH employees will be involved in the development and standardization of super-insulation building materials along with the world’s best teams in the field (eg FIW Munchen, Va-Q-Tec, Porextherm, Rockwool, Evonic, etc.).

More information about the association can be found at:

https://vipa-international.org/

As  part of   the accompanying program of  Building  Fairs Brno,  held on 25-28 April 2018,  the Czech Chamber of Authorized  Engineers and Construction Engineers (ČKAIT) together with the Czech Association of Civil Engineers (CSSI) organized during the  Engineering Day 2018 a Conference on Fast Rail Links Czech Republic. This conference is part of CKAIT cooperation with the  Ministry of  Transport and the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC).AdMaS Center was represented by doc. Ing. Otto Plášek, Ph.D. who delivered a lecture on the Program for Supporting the Railway Technology Platform to accelerate  the construction of fast links. During the  lecture,  doc. Plašek pointed out that the  upbringing  and  education   of engineers and  technicians  needed to prepare  and  implement these  constructions  does no  yet meet the great interest of young students and therefore there is a risk that experts will be missed in the future.

Students of the doctoral study program of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Brno University of Technology, under the guidance of a prof. Stanislav Drochytka, who actively participate in the research activities of the AdMaS Center, once again gained the first places in category 4 – Universities, in the Competition of the Ministry of Industry and Trade – “Waste conversion to resources”. This year won the first place Ing. Pavlína Šebestová with work on “Autoclaved aerated concrete on the basis of waste ash and recycled glass” and the second place Ing. Jakub Hodul with the work “Utilization of fly ash contaminated by the denitrification of flue gases into polymeric building materials”. Jakub represented tha last year’s medalist Ing. Magdaléna Michalčíková.15

In the framework of the seminar “The complete solution of hygiene and sludge disposal” organized by VODA CZ in České Skalice in June 2018, Professor Hlavínek participated in negotiation with the Ambassador of Israel, Mr. Daniel Martin Meron, on cooperation and transfer of know-how in the field of waste water treatment and treatment of sewage sludge. Professor Hlavínek introduced the research topics of the EGAR group and discussed with Meron some possible areas of cooperation with the Israeli Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV).
In 2015, total water demand in Israel amounted to about 2.2 billion cubic meters. The average amount of water every year added to Galilee Lake and the main aquifers over the last 10 years was less than 1.2 billion cubic meters. The difference between demand and natural resources should therefore be more than 1 billion m3 in 2015.
The main achievement of Israeli water management is that it has managed to fill this huge deficit and achieve sustainable demand. It is the result of a combination of (1) water conservation, (2) reuse of waste water, and (3) desalination of seawater and brackish water, increasing the supply by more than 1 m3 per year. With the use of recycled and desalted water, Israel is no longer dependent solely on renewable sources of fresh water; as a result, the consumption of renewable freshwater per capita has fallen dramatically. However, the situation remains complex. Demand for water rises year after year due to population growth (since the founding of the state, its population has increased tenfold) and raising the standard of living. At the same time, the amount of precipitation decreases on average by 10-15% as a result of climatic changes every 30 years.
According to current forecasts, demand for water will be about 3.5 billion cubic meters per year in 2050. At the same time, the average amount of naturally-sourced resources will be reduced to less than 1.1 billion m3 per year, resulting in a deficit of 2.4 billion m3 per year. That is more than twice the difference existing in 2015.
In order to cover this shortcoming even in the coming decades, Israel will continue to save water and increase the extent of water treatment, recycling and desalination. An example of systems developed in Israel is droplet irrigation, advanced methods of filtration and detection of water leakage systems for rainwater collection and treatment, water supply and technology for smart cities.
An important element that has made it possible for Israel to balance the gap between consumer demand and available water supplies has proven to be the use of municipal waste water as a new resource, especially for agriculture. Waste water is a constant source of water throughout the year, independent of climate fluctuations. They only result in population growth and living standards. Water recycling means that all waste water must be collected, secondary or tertiary, then the treated water must be transported to the reservoirs, service stations and water supply networks from where it goes to the field. The system also includes a highly sophisticated regulatory and tariff system. In 2015, Israel treated and recycled 86% of its wastewater for agricultural use, making it the world’s first water recycling facility. Over the next decade, Israel plans to increase its share of reuse to 90%. Israel is simultaneously modernizing wastewater treatment technologies to include tertiary cleaning that allows unlimited irrigation.
As far as water is concerned, in the past few decades Israel has become a miracle. By setting priorities and adopting a holistic approach to water consumption, including good governance, the development of advanced technologies, and public education, Israel has become a world superpower in the field of water management.

On 19 June 2018, the “5th WTA Colloquium – Remediation of Concrete Structures” took place at BUT . The colloquium was organized under the auspices of Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering – prof. Ing. Miroslav Bajera, CSc., BUT in cooperation with WTA International and the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology together with the SSBK (Association for Remediation of Concrete Structures) in cooperation with the Scientific and Technical Society for Rehabilitation of Buildings and Sustainable Care. The colloquium provided the participants with the latest knowledge in the field of remediation of concrete structures and also the possibility of establishing new contacts among important experts both from the Czech Republic and abroad.

After the 5th year, the colloquium has become a traditional international meeting of academics, companies and others to share new insights into the remediation of concrete structures. Every year, the event takes place under the leadership of “WTA International” in various countries. Previous years were held in Fulda (2013, 2015), Rapperswil (2016) and Erfurt (2017). So far, the previous years have taken place in the German-speaking countries (Germany and Switzerland), so it was a great honor to organize the 5th year of the Colloquium at the Technical University in Brno to extend the event to another European country. In Brno, the Colloquium was conducted in English with the possibility of simultaneous translation and took pride in receiving a large number of participants – experts, Ph.D. students and the professional public. The specific topics discussed at the Colloquium included new remedial materials and technologies, control, maintenance and protection of concrete and reinforced concrete structures.

The introductory speech took place at the opening of the Colloquium by the President of WTA CZ  – prof. Ing. Rostislav Drochytka, CSc., MBA, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering  – prof. Ing. Miroslav Bajer, CSc., Chairman of WTA International TC5 Concrete – prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Gieler and President of SSBK – Ing. Aleš Jakubík. In the introductory word, the participants were welcomed, acquainted with the Scientific and Technical Society for Remediation of Buildings and Land Conservation – WTA International, SSBK and the entire course of the Colloquium.

The introductory speech was followed by lectures by both Czech and foreign lecturers. The colloquium has provided the latest knowledge in the field of remediation of concrete structures to owners of listed buildings, planning and engineering staff, building firms and manufacturers, consultants, experts, architects, representatives of offices and other stakeholders. The concrete problems of the remediation of concrete structures have been the main topic in the lectures of  Ing. Josef Žák, Ph.D. – “BIM technology in the preparation and implementation of building projects”, prof. Dr. -Ing. Ralf Arndt – “Non-destructive Testing of Reinforced Concrete Structures”, prof. Dr. -Ing. Rolf Gieler – “Engineer-technical proofs of the life span of reinforced concrete structures according to future sets of rules – experiences and examples”, Dr. -Ing. Kay-Andre Bode – “Remediation of Wind Turbine Generator Foundations”, Doc. Ing. Ladislav Klusáček, CSc. – “Causes of Suspension of Suspension Bridges and Bridges”, Doc. Ing. Jiří Kolísko, Ph.D. – “Diagnostic Survey of the Liben Bridge in Prague”, Doc. Ing. Jiří Dohnálek, CSc. – “History of Concrete in the Czech Lands from the 19th Century to the Present”, JUDr. Ing. Zdeněk Dufek, Ph.D. – “Public Investors’ Approach to Financing the Repair and Maintenance of Building Structures”, Dipl.-Ing. Reinhard Martin – “Experiences with Structures of Energy Production”, prof. Ing. Rostislav Drochytka, CSc., MBA – “New Possibilities of Remediated Materials”, Prof. Ing. Dr. -Ing. Gesa Kapteina – “Application of corrosion monitoring and inclusion of upgraded data for the calculated life span” and Doc. Ing. Vít Šmilauer, Ph.D. – “Effect of hydration kinetics on long-term behavior of concrete structures”. Due to the high expertise of prominent lecturers, the action for all involved was very interesting and beneficial. Due to big significance, great interest and participation in the WTA Colloquium, we will look forward to another year.

More information about WTA International and events can be viewed at: <www.wta.cz>, <www.wta.de>.

On June 6, 2018, the AdMaS Center participated in the Traffic Engineering Days in Mikulov, organized by the Czech Road Company,RA. in cooperation with Brno Communications,JCS. and the Brno Public Transportation Company,JSC. Within the seminar, the activities of the AdMaS Center and two facilities were presented. The first was the Hawkeye 1000 laser beam, measuring equality, macro texture and surface noise. The second device is the Riegl VMX 450 laser camera with a precision digital terrain modeling model with a 3D equation, ie determining the transverse and longitudinal unevenness of road surfaces, water drainage from the road surface, water depth in unevenness, and assessment of all road degradation.

On Wednesday, 6 June 2018, members of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce visited AdMaS.

Founded in 1861, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is the oldest, yet most dynamic, business organization in Hong Kong. Our members represent a wide range of local, Mainland Chinese and international businesses. More than half of the flagship corporations listed on the  Hang Seng Index are our  members. Combined, our membership, from renowned  multinationals to thriving SMEs, employs around one third of the local workforce. The Chamber serves as the voice of business, and we help our members succeed through our core functions: advocacy, knowledge-based events, networking, and a variety of business documentation services.

A total of 11 chamber members were welcomed by the director and then introduced to the activities and plans of the center through a presentation and video clip, followed by a tour of the laboratories in the P1 and P2 buildings.