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Sustainable building materials

Many countries face major problems related to extended urbanization, which is very often accompanied by natural resources and environmental depletion. This growth is creating exceptional demands for additional housing and infrastructures, which will certainly require more land to build-on and further building materials production. Considering that raw materials and other natural resources are limited, it is imperative that innovative technologies are designed and implemented to introduce sustainable production cycles of building materials and semi-finished products, in order to make low-cost housing easily accessible.

The ICS High Technology and New Materials Area has promoted low-cost housing through affordable building materials involving local SMEs not only in the utilization of the materials produced, but also in the production of parts/components of plants, of the plants themselves, and in the training of personnel and local technicians.

However, it is evident that the problem of low-cost construction in developing countries is not limited to training and transferring technology for the production of building materials using local resources, but involves other complementary sectors. These sectors are metrology and testing, as well as the adaptation of available technology to local conditions with special attention to the environment and energy consumption.

Main objectives pursued

  • To assist developing countries in the valorisation of local resources and wastes to produce building materials
  • To increase human resource capacities and capabilities
  • To strengthen the decision making process at a strategy and regulatory level for sustainable construction

scientific events

28 November - 02 December 2011-Training
GIS to Map Quality Infrastructures and Services at Country Level in the ECOWAS
12 - 13 December 2011-Round Table
Implementation of Work Programme for 2012: Focus on ICS training programme in biomass technology
28 November - 06 December 2011-Other
International School on Geothermal Exploration
04 - 08 July 2011-Training
E-Biosafety: ON CAMPUS week
04 - 08 July 2011-Training
Process Simulation: a tool for resources optimization, waste reduction and energy saving at industrial plant level
26 - 27 May 2011-Workshop
Workshop on Process Simulation for a Greener Footprint and Energy Savings at Industrial Level
16 - 20 May 2011-Training
Training Course on Current Status and Perspectives of Phyto-therapeutical Product Development in Latin America
11 - 13 May 2011-Expert Group Meeting
Post Harvest Technologies Management Systems
09 - 11 May 2011-Expert Group Meeting
Expert Group Meeting on Biofuels and biobased chemicals. An opportunity for developing countries?
03 - 05 May 2011-Expert Group Meeting
Instruments and Potential for the Use of Renewable Energies for Regional Development
08 April 2011-Other
Study tour of experts from Africa and Latin America exposed to geothermal application and management in Mexico
14 - 15 March 2011-Workshop
Workshop on Network of Technology Centres for Renewable Energies Strategy and Portfolio of Selected Technological Opportunities for Developing Countries
21 - 22 February 2011-Expert Group Meeting
Expert Group Meeting on Priority needs of DCs in the field of MAPs (NFP)

related events

latest publications

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