Institute of Technology of Building Materials and Components

In terms of research, the work is focused on the following areas:

• Microstructure and durability of building materials. This is mainly research in the field of silicate and polymeric building materials using innovative physicochemical methods. This involves monitoring the degradation of building materials due to chemically aggressive environments, especially liquid and gaseous. Various methods are used to monitor the behaviour of materials in aggressive environments and long-term durability, while microstructure is also monitored in a very comprehensive manner. The monitoring of microstructure is carried out because of its close relationship to the durability of the material. For this purpose, advanced laboratory methods such as differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), computed tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDX support are used. These methods can be used to investigate the microstructure of materials in detail and subsequently to evaluate their resistance to, for example, carbonation and sulphation, where it is also possible to describe neoplasms caused by chemical reactions between the aggressive medium and the building material.
• Polymer materials. This involves research and development of new types of building materials from polymers with a high content of secondary raw materials, including pre-treated hazardous waste. This is mainly entirely innovative research, and some properties of selected polymeric materials have also been shown to improve after the addition of waste products as fillers to the polymer matrix. Polymer coatings, polymer mortars, polymer concretes, grouts, remediation compounds, adhesives, hydrophobization, CIPP and SIPP are the major areas. In all these areas a number of new progressive materials have been developed.
• Lightweight building materials. This involves research in a wide range of lightweight construction materials both directly and indirectly lightweighted. The dominant area is autoclaved aerated concrete, where a number of significant research results have been achieved, particularly in conjunction with the use of secondary raw materials, by-products of production and industrial wastes. This included the development of new energy-efficient porous concrete of lower grades, but also the development of grades with a bulk density of 600 kg/m3. Another important area is lightweight artificial aggregates based on various types of fly ash. These include aggregates produced by sintering on agglomeration grids as well as cold hardened aggregates.
• Modern concretes and mortars. This involves the development of new types of structural concretes using brick or concrete recyclates in fractions of 4 to 22 mm as partial or complete substitutes for natural aggregates. This research focus includes the use of finely ground brick and concrete recyclates that can be used as Type II active admixtures. This type of admixture can partially replace cements in concrete production. This can significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint that is significantly generated in the production of cements. At the same time, it can also be used in special high-value concretes. Another focus is the development of cement fine-grained composites for 3D printing of precast concrete or monolithic structures. This involves not only the development of new mix recipes, but also a comprehensive 3D printing technology with regard to printing conditions, shapes of printed elements and optimal control of the dosage of superplasticizing and accelerating additives during printing.
• Materials for the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures. This is mainly in the area of development of new materials for the rehabilitation of concrete and reinforced concrete structures, in particular behavioural mortars, screeds and surface treatments (coatings) in the sense of EN 1504-2 and EN 1504-3. It also involves testing these materials both in the laboratory and on site as control tests during the rehabilitation of the structure. And last but not least, it involves the design of rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures, the design of inspection and testing plans, and other related activities.
• Building physics and insulation materials. This involves the development of new thermal and acoustic insulation materials based on secondary and readily renewable raw materials. The group is also involved in the development of new types of advanced insulation materials and super-insulating materials (vacuum insulation panels – VIP). The group is also involved in the study of (mainly) the physical properties of building materials from the perspective of building physics and heat and moisture transport mechanisms. Furthermore, the group is interested in issues related to the reduction of energy consumption of building structures, including the design, development and testing of thermal insulation and remediation plasters and insulation systems. In the theoretical field, key studies, assessment of thermal and acoustic properties of building structures.
• Binders classical and modern. It is research and development of modern types of inorganic binders. Research focuses on high value sulphate binders on hemihydrate and anhydrite bases, lime-based binders and new types of hydraulic binders derived from Portland cement. The analysis and characterization of the microstructure of binders using a wide range of methods, research on high temperature processes and the study of hydration processes are an integral part of the work. Current work is focused on LC3 cements, belitic-based cements and CSA cements.
• Ceramics and refractories. The main focus is on the development and research of anorthite sintered shards, forsterite with the possibility of using more readily available and possibly secondary raw materials. An important point of research is also the study of the sol-gel method for possible application in the production of primarily non-formable refractories (refractory concrete). The research work is based on a detailed study of the microstructure of the materials under consideration (mineralogical and chemical composition, porosity, etc.) depending on the different conditions of shard formation (composition of the raw material mixture, firing conditions, etc.) and in the context of the material’s utility properties (strength, conductivity, refractoriness, etc.).
• Ecological aspects of building materials. The research work is focused on circular economy and the development of eco-friendly materials and technologies using recycled materials, secondary raw materials, renewable raw materials and other alternative, originally waste materials. Current projects include, for example, the development of an advanced cement composite for 3D printing with a lower carbon footprint that also meets demanding technical requirements.
• Materials based on renewable raw materials. This involves research into the study of the properties of renewable raw materials, particularly lignocellulose-based materials. This includes wood, wood-based materials, and the use of wood or other plant particles/fibres. Within the developed board materials, the research focuses on the identification of the fibre/matrix interfacial interface using advanced imaging methods or physicochemical analyses. The durability of the materials under development is also being investigated, both in relation to biotic resistance (resistance to fungi) and in relation to possible external influences (climatic chambers with the possibility of synergistic interaction of moisture, temperature and aggressive parameters, or UV chambers).