Bulding structures and materials

A high-quality and healthy living and working environment, the rational use of natural resources and an efficient infrastructure are among the most important conditions for a sustainable society. The general field of construction as the designer of the built environment and infrastructure is therefore one of the most important areas in the development of society. The goals of our research work follow all the orientations of sustainable construction, addressing both new methodologies and technologies, as well as the sociological aspects of living. Among the key areas of our research are, and will continue to be, the stability and security of facilities (including fire protection engineer and protective measures against natural disasters); the development and use of advanced nanomaterials/nanotechnologies in construction products and systems; sustainability and sustainable building components and systems; the re-use (recycling) of industrial and municipal waste; the immobilization of hazardous waste (including environmental remediation); the modelling of buildings, parts of buildings and building systems in order to determine their thermal response for energy optimization; life-time analysis; methods and technologies for the use of different types and forms of wood with an emphasis on a healthy living environment; the protection and restoration of cultural heritage; the development of measurement methods (including calibration procedures); and the implementation of digitalisation in the design, implementation and control of construction/technological processes. Of course, it is very important that close cooperation is established between these areas, since individual activities and results are interconnected in terms of both content and time. By combining different groups of researchers, we also achieve a synergistic effect on the research in individual targeted areas. The relevance and topicality of the research fields are confirmed by numerous scientific publications and patents, as well as highly successful roles in international (EU H2020, EIT KIC Raw Materials, CEDR) and national projects. In many scientific fields we are involved with the latest international researchThe technological conditions and the needs of society and the environment are changing rapidly, and therefore, research needs to be adapted, with a multidisciplinary team of researchers providing the necessary flexibility and a comprehensive approach. In our research we work with many partners from abroad, particularly the European Network of Building Research Institutes (ENBRI), the Federation of European National Road Research Centers (FEHRL) and NanoCem (The Industrial-Academic Nanoscience Research Network for Sustainable Cement and Concrete). Together with the partners we create common research orientations into which we position research projects with concrete short-term goals.

A high-quality and healthy living and working environment, the rational use of natural resources and an efficient infrastructure are among the most important conditions for a sustainable society. The general field of construction as the designer of the built environment and infrastructure is therefore one of the most important areas in the development of society. The goals of our research work follow all the orientations of sustainable construction, addressing both new methodologies and technologies, as well as the sociological aspects of living. Among the key areas of our research are, and will continue to be: the stability and security of facilities (including fire protection engineer and protective measures against natural disasters); the development and use of advanced nanomaterials/nanotechnologies in construction products and systems; characterization of corrosion processes and development of corrosion monitoring systems; sustainability and sustainable building components and systems; the re-use (recycling) of industrial and municipal waste; the immobilization of hazardous waste (including environmental remediation); the modelling of buildings, parts of buildings and building systems in order to determine their thermal response for energy optimization; various types of life cycle analysis (LCA, LCC, S-LCA); methods and technologies for the use of different types and forms of wood with an emphasis on a healthy living environment; methods and technologies for the renovation of buildings and civil engineering structures; the protection and restoration of cultural heritage; the development of measurement methods (including calibration procedures); the implementation of digitalisation in the design, implementation and control of construction/technological processes (BIM); the development/implementation of new processes in production: additive technologies (3D printing), robotisation. Of course, it is very important that close cooperation is established between these areas, since individual activities and results are interconnected in terms of both content and time. By combining different groups of researchers, we also achieve a synergistic effect on the research in individual targeted areas. The relevance and topicality of the research fields are confirmed by numerous scientific publications and patents, as well as highly successful roles in international (EU H2020, EIT KIC Raw Materials, CEDR) and national projects (including projects as part of the Smart Specialization Strategy). In many scientific fields we are involved with the latest international research, while in many other areas we are world leaders. The technological conditions and the needs of society and the environment are changing rapidly, and therefore, research needs to be adapted, with a multidisciplinary team of researchers providing the necessary flexibility and a comprehensive approach. In our research we work with many partners from abroad, particularly the European Network of Building Research Institutes (ENBRI), the Federation of European National Road Research Centers (FEHRL) and NanoCem (The Industrial-Academic Nanoscience Research Network for Sustainable Cement and Concrete). Together with the partners we create common research orientations into which we position research projects with concrete short-term goals. Our research activities are also linked to Teaming InnoRenew CoE: Center of Excellence for Research and Innovation in the Field of Renewable Materials and a Healthy Living Environment.

In many technological areas we are in close contact with industry, which enables us to directly transfer research results into practice, or to cooperate in the development of new technologies and products. It should be emphasized that, in particular, our activities in determining the functional characteristics of individual products were the basis for maintaining market share or entering new markets, and thus for the very existence of certain companies. At the same time, our international activities provide individual companies with links to global technology leaders. A large part of the joint technological research is carried out in international projects (H2020, EIT KIC Raw Materials), where Slovenian industry partners are also involved. Upgrading the obtained results into a prototype product or a new technological process is the subject of more focused research, including 4 RRI projects within the SPS (Strategy of Smart Specialization), which include: TIGR4Smart (Sustainable and Innovative Civil Engineering for Smart Buildings), NMP - CEL.KROG (Exploitation of biomass potential for the development of advanced materials and bio-based products), EVA4GREEN (Environmentally Friendly Car for Green Mobility) and MARTINA (Materials and Technologies for New Applications). In addition to the human casualties, the damage or even destruction of infrastructure facilities relating to transport, energy and community activities could also lead to the disruption of some of the country's subsystems. In such cases, the likelihood of pollution or ecological catastrophe is relatively high. Therefore, research in the area of seismic and fire prevention, as well as the protection against floods and landslides is of great importance for the social development of Slovenia. Within the framework of the POTROG 1, 2 and 3 projects (Seismic threat in Slovenia), we developed and subsequently expanded the database, calculation models and applications for the comprehensive preparedness for an earthquake are based on. We were also actively involved in the VODPREG 1 and 2 projects (Land and Concrete Water Barriers of Strategic Importance in the RS, financed by the URSZR), where we prepared the appropriate basis for the establishment of a comprehensive management system, as well as ensuring the safety of bulkheads and the population. Due to the numerous renovations carried out without the assistance of the supporting structure, we prepared a technical publication and a leaflet for the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning for building owners and managers. In the framework of the international association PIARC (World Road Association) we prepared a road-infrastructure management manual. By researching methodologies for assessing integrated environmental impacts and the use of secondary raw materials, we are working intensively at reducing the impact on the environment, protecting natural resources and energy. Many of our results are already being successfully applied in practice, and current trends in the world and Slovenia show that we will be further intensifying our activities in this area. Together with the Geological Survey of Slovenia and the University of Zagreb, we have been sponsored by EIT Raw Materials to establish a hub of the Regional Center Adria, which connects stakeholders in the field of primary and secondary raw materials in the countries of the Western Balkans. For the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning we participated in the preparation of the concept of sustainable construction and guidelines for the sustainable construction of public buildings. We have analyzed comparable European systems for the sustainable evaluation of buildings and their criteria, including Sustainable Building Certification Systems (DGNB, BREEAM, LEED) and Core Indicators for the Evaluation of Environmental Properties of Buildings Level(s). The preservation and restoration of cultural heritage is also an important area of our research. In this, w