Research staff of the AdMaS Center of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Technology in Brno led by prof. Petr Hlavínek, received another one-year project financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in early 2024 entitled “Implementation of elements of blue-green infrastructure into green wall systems of buildings” from the Strengthening the capacities of public universities in developing countries program.

This project is a continuation of already implemented projects to strengthen the capacities of public schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina i) Use of biochar as materially transformed waste for extensive green roofs (solved in 2022) and ii) Innovative use of biochar in the substrate and underlying layers of green parking lots (solved in 2023). Thanks to this currently presented project, the implementation cycle of blue-green infrastructure elements will be conceptually closed, which will subsequently become a comprehensive implemented project with a demonstration of good practice in the implementation of blue-green infrastructure elements in an urbanized area in accordance with the principles of the circular economy.
The main goal of the project is to strengthen and deepen knowledge of current findings in science and research in the sense of transferring experience from the Czech Republic (University of Technology in Brno, Faculty of Civil Engineering, AdMaS Center) to Bosnia and Herzegovina (University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Agriculture) in the area implementation of selected elements of blue-green infrastructure (rainwater management for irrigation of green infrastructure) into the building system, taking into account the application of innovative growing substrates into the system of green building walls.

New research at the AdMaS center reveals the perspectives of energy and material utilization of cellulose sludge

The AdMaS research center is currently focusing on technical and legislative solutions for the use of cellulose sludge (CK) through pyrolysis, which enables obtaining biochar as a solid residue, as well as pyrolysis oil and gas. At the same time, the research deals with finding ways to effectively implement the solid carbon product from the CC into agriculture or the blue-green infrastructure of cities. This research direction opens up new possibilities in the field of energy and the production of carbonaceous materials, bringing a wider perspective for the use of pyrolysis products.

The emphasis of research is generally placed on the material transformation of waste with the aim of preparing it for further use in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The first line of research focuses on obtaining cellulose fibers from CK and the subsequent impact on cleaning processes and management of sludge products. The second direction of research deals with pyrolysis technologies for thermal treatment and utilization of CK, which can contribute to more efficient management of biodegradable waste.

The state environmental policy of the Czech Republic, linked to European legislation, will have an impact on the owners and operators of WWTPs, who will prepare to increase the efficiency of sewage treatment, but especially to use waste as a resource. As part of the material transformation of waste to

in the form of the product, it will be necessary to redesign and reconstruct not only the primary stage of treatment at the WWTP, but also the subsequent secondary biological stage of wastewater treatment and, last but not least, the sludge management.

 

You can read how the student of the doctoral program perceives involvement in these research activities here (in Czech): www.zvut.cz

On Tuesday 21.11. students of the Brno EKO Gymnasium came on an excursion to the AdMaS Center. During the morning, they had the opportunity to visit the laboratory of the THD Institute, where they could use experiments to verify the strength of concrete, the reaction of the material to fire, or to look at images of materials from an electron microscope. They also got hold of various materials that are used today in the construction of buildings.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The representatives of the VHO institute also showed them the waterworks based laboratory with examples of problematic sewage systems and the pyrolysis unit, in which sewage sludge and other waste materials from the WWTP are processed into biochar. Practical use of biochar coud be seen in the cconstruction of green parking spaces and innovative substrates used in the sowing of lawns on the open area of ​​P3.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the premises of the center, the students also looked at an outdoor installation where green roofs and facades and wall-mounted solar panels are tested, at the production space of the Plastic Guys start-up, where waste plastic is processed into practical items for interiors, or at the robotics and 3D printing laboratory.

 

“Circular wastewater management in the context of 4 countries: concepts, approaches and technologies”
3rd workshop Brno, Velké Bílovice and Lednice, Czech Republic

The resolution of the international project Reg. No. 22220131 with the financial support of the Visegrad+ Grant of the Visegrad grant financial mechanism has shifted in time again, and on October 3-7, 2023, the third meeting of the project solvers took place. This time the meeting took place in the Czech Republic, the main part of the program and the presentation of individual topics took place in Velké Bílovice, in Brno a tour of the activities and laboratory facilities of the AdMaS regional center was arranged.
Once again, the topics dealt with by the solving team were presented and discussed. In principle, the topic of circular management of wastewater from various sources (not only wastewater from wastewater treatment plants, but also rainwater and other polluted waters from urbanized areas), was also confronted with crisis management and the relationship to adaptation measures related to climate change. During the entire meeting, the impacts and solutions in individual V4 countries were discussed. The topics suitably complemented the first two workshops.
Complete presentations and other materials from the first and second workshops are available on the website https://www.circularwastewater.eu/
As part of the discussions, the need for the preparation of a joint international project emerged, which would evaluate technical solutions for adaptation measures to climate change in urbanized areas and prepare a technical-economic-social evaluation of the impacts of the implementation of the new Municipal Wastewater Treatment Directive (e.g. in terms of energy self-sufficient sewage treatment plants water and solutions for removing organic micropollutants, microplastics and other substances from wastewater).
Representatives of the universities of 4 countries of the Eastern Partnership, i.e. the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and the university of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which represents the country of the Western Balkans, are collaborating on the project.
The project is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia from Visegrad grant No. 22220131 “Circular wastewater management in the context of 4 countries: concepts, approaches and technologies” from the international Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to promote the ideas of sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

Research staff of the AdMaS Center of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Brno University of Technology led by prof. Petr Hlavínek, received another one-year project financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in early 2023 entitled “Innovative use of biochar in substrates and underlying layers of green parking lots” from the Strengthening the capacities of public universities in developing countries program.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen and deepen knowledge of current findings in science and research in the sense of transferring experience from the Czech Republic (University of Technology in Brno, Faculty of Civil Engineering, AdMaS Center) to Bosnia and Herzegovina (University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Agriculture) in the area the use of a solid carbon product – biochar, produced from waste organic materials through pyrolysis/torrefaction technology for its subsequent use within the blue-green infrastructure of urbanized areas in accordance with the principles of the circular economy – specifically for the implementation of biochar in the substrates and cash layers of green parking lots.

The impact of project activities mainly assumes:

• preparation of the Ph.D. curriculum structure program with the University of Banja Luka,
• supplementing the education of university students and teachers in the area of the circular economy and their specific examples,
• increasing the qualifications of teaching and scientific-research workers and students in the field of blue-green infrastructure, specifically green parking lots, their innovative substrates and underlying layers including biochar,
• increasing intensive cooperation in research – implementation of biochar in the substrates and underlying layers of green parking lots in order to increase water retention, reduce surface runoff and create better microclimatic conditions in the built-up area,
• continuation of the evaluation of the findings from the testing of previously installed green roofs, solved in the framework of the previous project “Using biochar as materially transformed waste for extensive green roofs”,
• joint publication activity in the field of blue-green infrastructure.

From 28th till 31st May 2023, the first work trip of the research team took place to the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the international project solution, 3 experimental green parking lots were built, where the structural layer includes plastic grids made from waste (recycled plastic) and biochar (made from organic waste). Monitoring was installed (sensors in the body of the parking lot, Wi-Fi camera installation). Furthermore, there were meetings and partial negotiations with the management of the Institute and the University with the aim of starting work on a memorandum between the BUT in Brno and the University of Banja Luka. Expert training in circular economy and blue-green infrastructure for water management and biochar implementation took place. At the same time, the Faculty of Civil Engineering BUT was introduced and the possibilities of further cooperation were presented.

The currently resolved project follows on from the already initiated cooperation between the two educational and research institutions. The built green parking lot at the University of Banja Luka represents one of the elements of the blue-green infrastructure of cities and municipalities – its effectiveness will be monitored in the long term.

A “trunk” of three green parking spaces before installation; mounted grates made of recycled plastics

  

Completed three green parking spaces before grassing including installed monitoring system and signage

 

A snapshot of the construction and installation of the monitoring system

 

Sampling of experimental green roof modules built in 2022

Project REVOZIM for water recycling and waste management

 

In the AdMaS Center at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology (BUT), the project REVOZIM – Recycling of water and waste within the green infrastructure of cities was completed last year. The project should help with technical solutions and strategies in the field of water and organic waste management. This area is more demanding for smaller towns and villages with up to 10,000 inhabitants than in the case of large cities, as they have limited human and financial resources for creating their own concepts. This opens up space for the involvement of research institutions.

 

Sewage sludge produced by wastewater treatment plants (WTP) is one of their essential waste streams. Following the conditions set by the new waste legislation, it is clear that some of the existing ways of using and removing CK will no longer be possible, and technologies for its efficient processing are still being sought and verified – optimally in the form of its material use in the sense of its useful properties, i.e. the content of nutrients and organic substances, but possibly also from the point of view of its energy potential.

One of the potential solutions is the thermal processing of sewage sludge into a solid carbonaceous residue/product intended for further use – biochar/biochar. The obtained product then appropriately combines the preservation of the original useful properties and adds a new one – stable carbon with an increased specific/specific surface area.

In the AdMaS Center, a proven technology for the production of a solid carbonaceous product, i.e. biochar/biochar, was processed by the process of microwave torrefaction, i.e. weak microwave pyrolysis, with regard to its material transformation.

 

In cooperation between the research teams of the BUT in Brno and the Czech Technical University in Prague, two useful samples were developed: Substrate for green roofs and Substrate for laying gravel carpets. The technical solutions of both useful samples are based on the use of recycled aggregate and biochar, i.e. pyrolyzed stabilized sewage sludge. The specific recycled material of both types of substrates is biochar. It can be produced in different ways from different organic wastes. In biochar, organic substances are stabilized and when they are added to the soil or substrate, their decomposition is significantly slower than in the case of organic matter that has not been stabilized.

 

You can read the entire article in Energie21 magazine issue 02/2023.

 

 

The addressed sub-project REVOZIM – “Recycling of water and waste within the green infrastructure of cities” aimed to address the needs of smaller cities with up to 10,000 inhabitants. residents and municipalities to comprehensively solve water and waste management and improve the quality of life in accordance with the principles of Smart City and the principles of the circular economy.

Tomáš Chorazy, Michal Novotný, Tomáš Macsek, Petr Hlavínek, Jakub Raček, Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, AdMaS center, e-mail: chorazy.t@fce.vutbr.cz

 

The AdMaS Centre is been participating in the processing of partial parts of the visionary conceptual project internally called the Green Highway.

The Directorate of Roads and Motorways of the Czech Republic assigned the solution team consisting of the innovative company SATTURN HOLEŠOV spol. s.r.o., the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies and the Faculty of Civil Engineering – AdMaS Centre the preparation of an initial technical-economic study of a selected section of the planned D55 highway entitled “Highway gallery with integrated photovoltaics and use of rainwater from the gallery in the landscape”.

The subject of the preliminary technical-economic study will be the effective use of solar radiation and rainwater during the implementation of the construction “D55 – section of the bird area Bzenec – Bzenec, Přívoz – Rohatec – solution with a gallery”. The aim of the study is to prepare a comprehensive qualified basis for the subsequent assignment of the implementation project.

On 15/11/2022, a training session was held on how to proceed in the event of a real fire. The practice fire alarm training took place under the supervision of Bc. Zdeňky Jandové (OZO for BOZP and PO). The obligation to organize these drills is mandated by law for every building in which an increased fire risk can be assumed. In the case of the AdMaS Center, these were objects P2 and H.

Practice alarms are intended to alert everyone who uses the building in any way to the risk of fire and how to protect their own life and the lives of others. In the event of a fire, it is necessary to evacuate the building before the arrival of the Fire and Rescue Service units.

In addition to practicing the evacuation of all people from buildings, practice alarms also provide a practical test for fire patrols. Alarms, thanks to the simulation of a real situation, help to detect any deficiencies in fire protection.

The technicians verified the functionality of the evacuation system in full operation and were able to identify any deficiencies in the escape routes, which should be permanently passable and free. One of the frequent problems is the accessibility of firefighting equipment directly to buildings, which can be complicated by badly parked vehicles or test samples, placed outside the designated places, which then prevent the passage of firefighting vehicles.

The evacuation of all persons from buildings P2 and H took only 5 minutes.

Regular fire alarm training is important because it prevents injury to health and the occurrence of greater damage to the property of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Technology in Brno.

 

 

 

KICK-OFF MEETING

 

International project reg. no. 22220131 with the financial support of the Visegrad+ Grant of the Visegrad Grant Fund was launched in the form of a video conference with the participation of all partners on 3^rd November 2022. Representatives of the universities of 4 countries of the Eastern Partnership, i.e. the Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, and the university of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which represents the country of the Western Balkans, are collaborating on the project.

Dr. Raček, who represented the applicant and the project coordinator, presented the solution team and the activities of the AdMaS research centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology in the form of a presentation, and then invited the other partners, which are Technical university of Košice (Slovakia), Rzeszow University of Technology (Poland), University of Miskolc (Hungary), University of Banja Luka (Bosna and Hercegovina), to make a short presentation.

Further, Dr. Raček in the presentation listed the goals of the project. A total of 3 workshops will gradually be organized in Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and finally in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the topic of the project, which is the circular management of wastewater, will be presented and discussed in the form of 5 impact articles. Another joint output of the project will be a website. After the presentation, a discussion took place, the places and times of the workshops were agreed upon. The next video conference of the project partners will take place on December 8, 2022.

The above-mentioned platform will connect the solution teams and other persons and thus a multidisciplinary network will be created, which will spread the current knowledge and technical knowledge of the challenges of wastewater treatment and utilization, the utilization of organic wastes from wastewater treatment (so-called biosolids) and, finally, the utilization of energy potential from wastewater. In addition to the technological perspective, the impact on public health and the environment will also be considered, from the point of view of cross-border cooperation, experiences and approaches.

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grant No. 22220131 „Circular Waste Water Management in conditions of 4 countries: concepts, approaches and technologies“ from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

 

In accordance with the sub-tasks of the international project “Use of biochar as materially transformed waste for extensive green roofs”, Reg. No. 22-PKVV-1, financed from the program Strengthening the capacities of public universities in developing countries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic between the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 5^th – 7^th,2022, a training aimed at increasing the qualifications of the teaching staff of the University of Banja Luka was implemented.

On the first day of the training, an informal meeting was held. There was discussed the education system in the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of students in various study programs, employment of graduates on the labor market, etc.

On the second day, the research team of the AdMaS centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology led by prof. Hlavínek, prepared an educational program for selected teaching staff of the University of Banja Luka. The theoretical part took place in the AdMaS centre, where current trends in municipal wastewater treatment and the use of treated water (including greywater) in blue-green infrastructure applications – green parking lots, green roofs and facades, etc. were presented and discussed in the form of presentations. Furthermore, still at AdMaS centre, an excursion of the installed wastewater treatment technologies (membrane technologies), the use of energy from wastewater (vertical and horizontal heat exchangers), as well as waste (including sewage sludge) heat treatment technologies (medium-temperature and microwave pyrolysis) and its output in the form of biochar took place. After that, the excursion focused on pilot experiment installations (again at AdMaS centre), where biochar, which represents materially transformed sewage sludge, is already applied – green parking lots and extensive green roofs.

Next, the training participants went on an excursion to the Faculty of Civil Engineering and visited the municipal wastewater treatment plants – the large WWTP Brno – Modřice (including a tour of the installed paddle dryer of sewage sludge or tertiary wastewater treatment systems) and the smaller WWTP Lednice.

On the third, final day of the training, the pedagogical staff of the University of Banja Luka completed the so-called research part of the training. A program was prepared in Velké Bílovice where the results of Czech and international research projects in the fields of waste water management, the use of sewage sludge, and the removal of micropollutants from waste water were presented. Dr. Milan Šipka also presented one international research project implemented at the University of Banja Luka called SMARTWATER. The training program was subsequently concluded with a discussion on possible research topics where both educational and research institutions could be involved.