More durable repairs of concrete structures

The performance of concrete repairs is currently unacceptably low, and approximately 75 % of structure owners are dissatisfied with the results within 10 years of the procedure. While the construction sector is a pillar of the EU economy, it also represents about 40 % of its total energy consumption and generates about one third of all greenhouse gases in Europe.

A new energy-efficient system for accelerated curing during repair of concrete structures is being developed with EU support of the MCURE project. It will be applicable in all environmental conditions, including harsh winters in northern climates.

MCURE promises to address all sides of the multi-faceted problem. The system will improve repair performance while decreasing energy consumption and reducing capital and maintenance costs. Overall, it will also enhance the productivity and competitive position of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) doing the repairs.

Lab-scale investigations have been carried out on cube samples of various volumes using microwave powers of varying intensities leading to definition of optimum process parameters. Preliminary results demonstrate the ability of the system to outperform current state-of-the-art concrete curing techniques. The two most important measures are temperature and moisture. Researchers are now developing selected moisture measurement techniques after a thorough literature search and in-depth discussions.

A team of scientists and engineers is designing the MCURE prototype that will exploit an optimum energy coupling mechanism and a driving system to repair materials. The finalised optimal curing system design has been determined based on process requirements and the microwave transmission system specifications supported by simulation work.

During the next reporting period, the prototype will be manufactured and tested on a variety of samples in order to optimise it for specific applications. The team predicts that conventional curing systems will require 30 % more capital investment than the MCURE system, which is also expected to slash energy consumption for considerable additional benefits. Within 5 years after project completion, MCURE plans to have created at least 215 new jobs and added revenue of more than EUR 28 million for SMEs.