University of Tartu and Bauroc cooperate to develop innovative aerated concrete blocks

Researchers of the University of Tartu Institute of Technology in cooperation with Bauroc AS start to develop novel aerated concrete, hoping to take its weight and strength ratio to a new level. A breakthrough is expected from the introduction of new binding agents.

“It is not easy to find suitable binders, because the production of aerated concrete involves high pressure and temperature, as well as an alkaline environment and saturated steam in the system, which pose high demands to the binder,” explains senior researcher in materials science Tarmo Tamm.

In the course of the one-year development project, among other things a laboratory model system is designed, which should give results comparable to the Bauroc factory installation, primarily processes taking place in the autoclave, otherwise the obtained results are not applicable in the factory in future. In the last stage of the project, experiments are performed in the Bauroc factory to test whether results attained in the laboratory are feasible in real production.

Director of the factory and member of the board Karmo Kapstas is hopeful, “As a result of the cooperation, Bauroc hopes to ensure that our materials continue to have unrivalled thermal insulation properties compared to other stone materials, and that the company’s flagship products, the ECOTERM+ blocks for building single-layer external walls, continue to be competitive with other multi-layer, thermally insulated solutions.”

The researchers and entrepreneurs’ joint project got a boost with the help of the Adapter cooperation network and is one of the first requests to have reached actual contract. Adapter is a web-based environment for entrepreneurs looking for the most suitable cooperaton partners for their research and development activities. Through Adapter, companies get comparative price offers from all public universities.
 

Additional information:
Karmo Kapstas, member of the board of Bauroc, 52 82 826, Karmo.Kapstas@bauroc.ee
Tarmo Tamm, senior research fellow in materials science, Institute of Technology of the University of Tartu, 737 4833, tarmo.tamm@ut.ee