The cooperation of individual AdMaS institutes with various workplaces in our state often very far from the construction industry, is very extensive. Archaeologists turned to the Center for Radiation Defectoscopy,a part of the Institute of Building testing with a very interesting problem. Thanks to fair treasure hunters, armed with suitable detectors, a sword was discovered near Znojmo, the origin of which is approximately estimated for the Iron Age, resp. for the Roman period. The sword was professionally picked up, but the high degree of corrosion does not allow its thorough cleaning, which could damage it or to remove important details. The sword was therefore imported to AdMaS and in the following period will be a subject to an X-ray inspection under the lead of Prof. Leonard Hobst,which should reveal the exact shape of the sword, details of production and possible decoration and the extent of corrosion damage. On the basis of this radiographic survey, archaeologists will subsequently decide on the further procedure and possible remediation of this important archaeological find.

On 10 June 2020, employees of the project department of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth visited the AdMaS Center to evaluate the now completed five-year project AdMaS UP – Advanced Building Materials, Structures and Technologies, lasting from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019 and whose solver was prof. Ing. Drahomir Novak, DrSc.

The Board of Opponents stated that the individual research groups and divisions of the AdMaS Up project met and significantly exceeded the Threshold Conditions of the NPU I program. Furthermore, I quote: “ The project mobilized human resources in both basic and applied research. During its solution, there was a significant increase in the volume of contract research. The number of publications in journals with an impact factor increased significantly and the trend of publishing in quality journals (Q1, Q2) was also started. During the solution of the project, the submission and implementation of research projects, mobile activities and projects of cooperation with industry was very successfully stimulated. ”

The Board also praised the drawing of funds: “The recognized costs were used efficiently and effectively. The approved budget was adhered to within the limits set by the provider. Transfers within budget chapters were not significant, the only significant difference was the increase in co-financing from non-public funds, to the level of 130% compared to the originally approved project proposal. The change demonstrates the economic health of the beneficiary and is also reflected in a significant excess of most indicators of individual types of results. ”

In conclusion, the Council praised in particular the number of cooperation projects with the application sphere and the number of mobilities, as well as international projects, and overall assessed the project as excellent.

In addition to other activities, young scientists specializing in water management have a lot of work to do with several scientific research projects funded by the TACR – Zeta program.

Also thanks to the extraordinary technological background offered by the AdMaS center and the support of the above-mentioned program, a number of testing and verification of technologies focused on the use of wastewater potential (energy or technological) are now underway, as well as selected accompanying laboratory analyzes.

In connection with the urgent verification of possibilities and measures that respond to the current dry season, the area of ​​using the potential of so-called gray waters is very promising. This is also due to the fact that the use of gray waters has not yet been regulated in the Czech Republic.

AdMaSe is currently testing a technological unit for obtaining thermal energy from gray wastewater in combination with their treatment for further use – in buildings, for technological purposes, watering green roofs and facades, etc. This technology for recycling gray wastewater, which is solved in the project TJ02000190 (Collection and use of thermal energy from wastewater in combination with the use of treated water), is a highly topical issue, due to the prevailing dry climatic conditions and the need for careful water management.

Another tested technology is a functional sample of a thermal pyrolysis unit, within the project TJ02000262 (Processing of gastro waste into a solid carbonaceous product for material use). After processing the dried gastro waste by thermal pyrolysis technology, the resulting product is the so-called biochar – a solid carbonaceous product, which will first be subjected to characterization with the assumption of its subsequent certification for use as a fertilizer, possibly auxiliaries. This pyrolysis unit is placed in a container, thanks to which it is possible in the future to place it near the source of gastro waste and process it directly at the source.

 

The current pandemic has brought together fans of 3D printing worldwide, who immediately responded to the demand for equipment, especially for healthcare professionals. However, the most commonly available 3D printing using FDM technology has its limitations, for example in terms of the possibility of disinfection. The solution could be a unique metal coating in this area, on which is working Assoc. Prof. Jan Podrouzek from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, BUT  in cooperation with the St. Anne’s  Hospital.

Currently, experts from the Faculty of Civil Engineering are testing the application of antimicrobial coatings on the outside of a face mask adapter made by 3D printing in the LAB machine at FME BUT and on door handles in cooperation with an industrial partner.

“Prints with the most available FDM or FFF technology are characterized by articulation and porosity, which is created by layering the material,” points out the specific properties of this type of 3D printing Jan Podrouzek. According to him, the technology is great at a time when it is necessary to respond quickly to specific requirements. It was then, he said, that coating technology could be used to improve the properties of the prints. Considered materials include, for example, oxides of copper, silver or alpaca. These technologies cost tens of millions, but the treatment of one component, for example, costs ten crowns due to the amount.

Some microorganisms can stay out of the host for a relatively long time (up to several days) and this is an important parameter when considering the rate of spread of the disease. From the point of view of spread control, therefore, apart from droplet transfer, the fundamental question of the ability of microorganisms to remain in a viable state on exposed surfaces is crucial. In the case of viruses, it is probably a matter of the interaction of material with proteins on the surface of the virus particle, but in general it is a question of controlling the surface roughness and the associated ability of microbes to survive and the effectiveness of disinfection. This is essential, for example, for the now mass-printed reductions in diving masks, which are mainly worn by paramedics, even for several hours a day. “These coatings can form a protective layer on objects that are exposed to direct, even accidental, contact with the human hand. Applying a thin protective layer cannot only reduce the risk of contamination and subsequent spread of microorganisms such as COVID-19, but also improve a number of useful properties in general, whether it is 3D printer prints or conventional injection molded plastics, “names the common use of coating Podrouzek, among others researcher of the AdMaS Center.

However, due to the possible toxicity of the materials used, it is necessary to carefully examine the possible negative effects on human health. In addition to the research of antimicrobial abilities, which will take place at the St. Anne’s Hospital, the samples will also be examined by experts in the laboratory of the Department of Physical Electronics at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University under the leadership of Petr Vasina. There, they will focus on the durability of antimicrobial surfaces and will observe the extent to which the metal wears under mechanical and chemical stress, for example by disinfection in a hospital environment.

 

The team of BUT employees and students has developed a protective half mask that can also be printed on a standard 3D printer without the use of special materials. The original half mask is intended for the general public and can be easily printed on standard 3D printers with FDM (thermoplastic modeling) technology.

Problematic possibilities of sealing the entire surface of the print due to its porosity were solved in an original way. Commonly available equipment is enough to produce this half mask. More information at: https://www.vutbr.cz/…/polomaska-but-h1-proti-covid-19-d197…

Student of Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, César Viapana, who has been in internship at the AdMaS Center for the 3rd month under the UNIGOU 2020 program organized by INCBAC, has prepared an information poster on laboratory work examining asphalt layers at a pumped storage power plant Long Hills (see below).

 

UNIGOU – Presentation Poster 2020 Mar – César Viapiana.Final

 

On 28 and 29 January 2020, the TDS – Concrete Seminar was held in the AdMaS Center.

It was attended by 38 employees of the Railway Infrastructure Administration.

The subject of the seminar was lectures and practical demonstrations on Fundamentals of concrete technology, required properties, requirements for raw materials and special concretes, transport and concrete treatment. The lecturer was prof. Ing. Rudolf Hela, PhD.

Ing. Adam Hubacek, Ph.D. acquainted the railway workers with the basic concrete regulations and tested properties, TKP SŽDC and site inspections were the topic of the lecture by doc. Ing. Jiří Brožovský, CSc.

Ing. Martin Ťažký showed guests a practical demonstration of testing fresh and hardened concrete in laboratories.

 

 

 

In early January, the Department of Roads welcomed a new trainee – a Brazilian student, César Viapian, who is studying Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

César’s training in Brno is organized by INCBAC  within the UNIGOU 2020 program. Within the two-month internship, he will also be involved in research projects in the AdMaS road laboratory. It can be said that César quickly adapted in the laboratory of the center and participated in a number of practical tasks during the first days.

In one of the photographs he is captured with his supervisor, Ing. Pavel Šperka, and with prof. Kudrnou during the production of two-layer test samples simulating asphalt layers at the pumped storage power plant Dlouhé Stráně.

 

Scientists from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic together with experts from the Brno University of Technology have developed a new way to repair potholes and holes in roads. The new road technology introduced by FUTTEC company is similar to a microwave oven – the device heats the mixture to heal the road and the pothole itself. It enables ideal interconnection of materials. The technology can be used in any weather.

The disadvantage of the standard repair of potholes in the roads is that they are usually repaired with the mix that is currently available to road builders. “It is mostly a cold mix, which is an aggregate mixed with an asphalt emulsion that is not well adhered to the road. Such a repair usually does not have long durability. The patch sometimes doesn’t last until spring. However, when using equipment with microwave technology, the base and the supplementary material are permanently joined together, ”explained asphalt surface expert Jan Kudrna from FAST VUT, who cooperated with scientists from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic on the new equipment.

The development of FT3 equipment, which is used to repair roads faster and more efficiently, took several years. It is suitable for all types of asphalt pavements, including highways, airport runways and cycle paths. “The three-piece system includes a microwave that heats the asphalt material of the road to 120 ° C. The surface of the road softens and connects beautifully with the refilled mixture, which is heated to a higher temperature in another microwave oven. As a result, there are no cracks or dangerous inequalities on the road, ”added Kudrna. In addition to very good repair quality, time savings are a great advantage – cracks, potholes and potholes can be repaired within one hour. Once the road has been repaired, it is possible to drive immediately after cooling down.

Unlike standard procedures, the device can also be used in winter when the temperature is below freezing. “For example, at the Dlouhé Stráně Dam, which is 1,350 meters above sea level, there are up to two hundred frost cycles in the winter season. Due to the filling and discharging of water for the hydroelectric power plant, there will be approximately five thousand holes, which we could effectively and mainly durably repair, ”Kudrna explained. In addition, the device is less demanding to operate, only two people can operate it.

FT3 facilities have already been tested in Kopřivnice and the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic would like to use the technology for motorway repairs. Now FUTTEC experts are working on a new prototype device that will be smaller and easier to handle. It should also be able to more easily direct the microwaves to the pothole to be repaired, allowing more targeted repair of the damaged roadway.