EXCURSION OF STUDENTS TO THE PRODUCTION PLANT

On December 2, 2019, employees of the MBM Research Group of the AdMaS Center organized an excursion for students of the M study program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology to an autoclaved aerated concrete production plant.

Students thus had a unique opportunity to see all stages of production from the preparation of raw materials, through the creation of building elements, to their expedition. A part of the excursion was also a lecture with a presentation of the complete product offer of the producer, including variants of placing the elements in the construction.

The interconnection of theory and practice is one of the cornerstones of study at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology.

FOREIGN WORKERS VISITED ADMAS CENTER

  

In the autumn, two foreign road researchers visited the AdMaS Center.

The first was dr. Min – Chih LIAO of NTUST Taiwan University (National Taiwan University of Science and Technology). Mr. Liao is also involved in research in the field of asphalt surfaces and the use of recycled materials in roads.

The second visitor was Dr. Daumantas Židanavičius from Lithuania, who during his visit to the Institute of Roads also lectured on “Capture existing site surface for road design” and  “Quantity calculation using drone site capturing”.

During the excursions in the AdMaS center, both researchers were acquainted with the equipment of the center, especially the road laboratory. Mr Liao has been able to make a preliminary agreement on possible future cooperation, in particular concerning exchanges.

PRACTICAL TEACHING OF STUDENTS OF THE 3RD YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION STUDIES

In the autumn of 2019, practical training of students of the 3rd year of the course K within the subject Roads I (BM001) took place in the road laboratory of the AdMaS Research Center.

Students were able to see a practical demonstration of the production of asphalt mixture and were also acquainted with modern laboratory equipment of the laboratory (eg equipment for determination of anti-skid properties of pavement surfaces after smoothing or equipment for determination of stiffness and fatigue). Some of the students also had the opportunity to discuss with prof. Jan Kudrna, among others, a pioneer using asphalt modified with crushed rubber from old tires (so-called rubber-asphalt).

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RG EGAR IS SUCCESSFUL IN THE EEA GRANT PROGRAMS

 

 

 

At the end of 2019, the EGAR research group was again able to obtain support from the EEA financial mechanisms,  respectively Iceland Liechtenstein Norway grants.

At the turn of 2019 and 2020, the RG representatives will discuss current topics in urban engineering and wastewater treatment with the Norwegian partners of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, respectively, with the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo.

The aim of the project with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is to prepare a joint doctoral study program in the field of water management and water structures, the effect of which is to strengthen institutional cooperation in the field of education. Young AdMaS researchers visited the University of Trondheim in the second half of October. An important part of the visit was a tour of the research infrastructure and a presentation of the functioning and setting of the parameters of the Norwegian doctoral program.

The aim of the project with Norwegian Institute for Water Research is to strengthen research cooperation between BUT, resp. AdMaS Centre and this research institution in the preparation of joint research projects for the removal of antibiotics and the removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria in wastewater.

The cognitive journey, again with a tour of the research infrastructure, is planned for mid-December 2019.

ROAD CONFERENCE IN ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE 2019

On 23 – 24 October 2019, a Road Conference was held at the Exhibition Center in České Budějovice, which was this year attended by a record number of 1208 delegates .

At the exhibition stand, the Director of the AdMaS Center, dr. Zdenek Dufek, prof. Jan Kudrna, Ing. Petra Okřinová and Ing. Tomáš Efenberk  represented the research and activities of the AdMaS Center and FCE as a whole  and made contacts for possible future cooperation.

In the professional section, professor Kudrna presented an article on the topic “Innovation of Classification of Variable Parameters of Road Surface” on which h worked along with Dr. Jan Podrouzek, Ing. Karel Spies and Ing. Květoslav Urbanec from Consultest company.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION “URBAN WATER 2019”

Company ARDEC s.r.o., under the auspices of the expert group “Drainage of Urbanized Areas CZWA” and the AdMaS Research Center, held in Velké Bílovice on October 3 – 4, 2019 already XIX. annual international conference and exhibition called “URBAN WATER 2019”.

The AdMaS Center presented itself at the conference by a number of contributions. Jakub Raček presented an article by the team of authors entitled “Characteristics of solid carbonaceous product after microwave torrefaction of sewage sludge” focused on energy utilization and transformation of RC into PPL / biochar for agricultural use, as well as article “Implementation of terrestrial scanning of water management facilities for practical use”. The article presents possibilities of using photogrammetry and laser scanning technology with data evaluation for selected water management facilities such as reservoirs and drinking water pumping stations. The water management object was captured using the technology of static laser scanning with the help of so-called ground scanners. This technology also allows to capture a laser point cloud together with classic snapshots. The user output of the whole process of capturing the cloud, images and their interconnection is then a web application for the needs of the water operator with the implementation of photogrammetry including panoramic images and the publication of point clouds using ground laser scanning.

Tomáš Chorazy presented work entitled “Possibilities of gastro waste processing for material utilization by pyrolysis”. Given the new legislation in the Czech Republic related to the prohibition of the use of gastro waste for feeding livestock, as well as the prohibition of crushing the waste into drains, it is necessary to find a new way of its material transformation into a usable product, respecting the principles of circular economy. A suitable processing technology is pyrolysis with the resulting products: solid carbon product (bioch

The article “Obtaining and the utilization of thermal energy from waste water” presented by Kristýna Velikovská dealt with a summary of the latest findings in the field of waste heat recovery and presentation of goals and proposed prototypes of the project TAČR “Obtaining and the utilization of thermal energy from waste water in combination with using of purified water ‘.

Ivo Korytář, in his article “Characteristics of wastewater generated during the cleaning of roads and road tunnels” summarized the latest findings concerning such contaminated wastewater and current methods of treatment.

The contribution “Biochar as an alternative substitute for adsorption materials”, presented by Tomáš Macsek, summarized the latest findings of the use of solid pyrolysis product – biochar, as an alternative cheap substitute for granulated activated carbon for the removal of selected micropolutants.

Jan Ševčík in his paper “Energy potential of dried sewage sludge” dealt with the value of the energy potential of sewage treatment plant as a solid alternative fuel. Contribution „Removal of selected drugs from wastewater by means of advanced oxidation processes presented by Tomáš Macsek focused on removal of selected drugs (azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, metoprolol, citalopram) from treated waste water from municipal mechanical-biological wastewater treatment plant Brno-Modřice using technology of advanced oxidation processes. In the experiment, the processes of simple ozonization, ozonization combined with UV radiation and ozonation combined with hydrogen peroxide dosing were tested on a pilot scale. The last post in this section was “Removal of selected pollutants by wood decaying fungi” presented by Adéla Žižlavská. The article dealt with the utilization of the potential of the enzymatic system of wood decaying fungi, especially the so-called white rot fungus and the effectiveness of wood decaying fungi on degradation of sulfonamide antibiotics from wastewater using biological carriers created by 3D printing inoculated with mycelium Trametes versicolor. The article of Jana Majerová and Rostislav Drochytka dealt with the experience and knowledge of trenchless rehabilitation of sewer pipes.

There was an accompanying exhibition in the adjacent areas by the companies ACO Building Elements, ARKO TECHNOLOGY as, AQUA PROCON sro, AQUATIS as, ATER, sro, DHI as, ENVI-PUR sro, HUBER CS, sro, KUNST sro, Pipelife Czech sro , PREFA Brno as, REKUPER Sychrov Ltd., VAG Ltd., VODA CZ Ltd., ZEPRIS, AVK VOD-KA Inc., DISA Ltd., EUTIT Ltd., GEREX Ltd., KASI Ltd., KROHNE CZ, Nicoll Czech Republic Ltd., Environment and Fluid Technology Ltd., SAINT-GOBAIN PAM CZ Ltd., TECHNOMA Inc., Tra-Sig-Ma Ltd., WAVIN Ekoplastik Ltd. and the company ZEMSKÝ Rohatec.

The nineteenth year of the conference confirmed that the conference is in favor of participants, as evidenced by the very active participation of more than 350 delegates from research institutes and universities, design and supply companies, sewerage operators as well as representatives of municipal councils, CEI, etc. A selection of photographs illustrating the atmosphere of the conference, lecture hall, exhibition hall and social evening with a rich cultural program can be found at http://mestskevody.ardec.cz/ and facebook.

We look forward to meeting you in Velké Bílovice at the conference “URBAN WATER 2020” on October 1. – 2., 2020.

NCC CAMEB GENERAL MEETING

On October 1, 2019, the General Meeting of NCC CAMEB was held at the CTU in Prague.

The meeting was opened by the Chairman of the Board, Assoc. prof. Ing. Lukáš Ferkl, Ph.D., who welcomed the present and the chairman of TA CR, prof. Ing. Petr Konvalinka, CSc., FEng.

Representative of individual projects presented the state of solution and then prof. Konvalinka took the floor. He informed about the TA CR plans for the continuation of the NCC II program, which will be announced in May 2020 and should last for 6 years. Companies will be supported as in other TA CR projects, funding is expected to be 80%.

The General Meeting agreed on the preparation of the project for the NCK II call, including the involvement of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Ostrava, which expressed interest to cooperate.

The preparation of the application for the extension of the existing NCC for another two years was also approved.

The plan also includes an informal external meeting of Council members, deputy members and representatives of subprojects for the horizontal integration of research topics and investigators in the month of February, 2020.

HYDRAULIC ASSESSMENT OF THE CITY OF ZNOJMO SEWER NETWORK, HYDRAULIC MODEL PROCESSING

 

Staff of the EGAR Research Group from AdMaS Center, led by doc. Ing. Jaroslav Raclavský, Ph.D., carried out a hydraulic assessment of the sewerage network of the city of Znojmo this year in the area of contract research for the WATERWARE STOCK COMPANY, a.s. In 2018, measurements of selected hydraulic parameters (pict. 1) were performed on the sewer network and this year the hydraulic model of the sewer network was created (pict. 2). The model was calibrated and verified according to the measured values and technical measures were proposed to improve the operation of the sewer network in Znojmo.

Basic information about the sewer network:
• there is a single sewer system in the city. The waste water is treated at the WWTP Znojmo-Dobšice. Sewer construction began around 1905;
• length of sewers in Znojmo – 130 km;
• 11 municipalities are currently connected to the WWTP Znojmo-Dobšice.

IVIS 2019

 

From 19 to 20 September 2019, staff of the AdMaS Research Group Technology o Building Materials attended an international conference IVIS 2019 (14 th International Vacuum Insulation Symposium; http://ivis2019.jp/) in Kyoto, Japan. There they presented new research team findings in in the field of vacuum insulation development (VIP). The event also included the annual meeting of the Association for Vacuum Insulation Panels VIPA International, of which BUT in Brno and AdMaS Center has been a member since2018.

Photo:https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOXXXTwWwcHcCG_D27hGE1wLp1WKoisGIrpOWy1inXyjUJS0eXY8Qhv41s3bQlGow/photo/AF1QipNP9a2TqEfpJ6QVV_4Emyhhvvn_4EmyhhvSnpdzpvdzzbgbg

The whole galery: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOXXXTwWwcHcCG_D27hGE1wLp1WKoisGIrpOWy1inXyjUJS0eXY8Qhv41s3bQlGow?key=S0pXbktwb2hpcktOdnNzMMltTHVTvS82

 

MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC BOARD

On 24 – 27 September 2019, the last International Scientific Board of the AdMaS Center was held. The scientists, led by the director, welcomed the board members who came to us from all over Europe: Dr. Andrea Giuseppe Capodaglio from the Italian University of Pavia, Prof. Dr. Ing. Harald Garrecht from the University of Stuttgart, Ass. Prof. Dr. Alfred Strauss from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and Prof. Dr. Humberto Salazar Amorium Varum from Universidade do Porto.

During their stay, the professors took part in the celebrations of the 120th anniversary of the foundation of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the evening performance Night at Karlštejn in the Brno City Theater.

Both the AdMaS Center and the Faculty held meetings with individual research groups for two days, whose representatives presented their achievements and ideas for 2019.

Towards the end of the week, the staff of the Center said goodbye to the professors and thanked them for their support, motivation and very friendly yet professional relationships.