Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, UAEU accelerate efforts to develop innovative, ecofriendly, and sustainable concrete
ABU DHABI, 6th September, 2021 Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is expanding its research area in engineering infrastructure and buildings of concrete, with the signing of two agreements with
United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) to develop economical and sustainable structural engineering solutions that are aligned with UAE Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.Eng.hassanalmansoori,undersecretary for Infrastructure and Transport Affairs, and Prof. Ghaleb Alhadrami Albreiki, Acting Vice Chancellor of the UAEU, signed the cooperation agreements and funding for two research projects between the two sides. The collaboration aims to develop and produce innovative, sustainable,andenvironment-friendly concrete for structural applications. Civil engineering infrastructure development in the UAE and the Gulf region represents substantial investments, worth billions of dollars. Engineering solutions to protect such investments are explored in the form of innovative research in structures and materials. The first innovative research project aims to develop concrete capable of self-healing with limited to no external interventions to protect the substantial investment in concrete infrastructure in the UAE and the world. Self-healing concrete is considered an innovative, green, and cost-effective solution that would minimise the maintenance cost and prolong the service life of civil engineering infrastructure. The second research project aims to investigate the potential replacement of natural aggregates by recycled concrete aggregates obtained from construction and demolition waste to produce innovative and sustainable basalt fibre-reinforced recycled aggregates concrete for structural applications. The inclusion of basalt fibres in recycled aggregates concrete would prolong the service life and reduce the maintenance cost. The development of such concrete would contribute to the advancement of the concept of circular economy through the recycling of construction and demolition waste and reduction in the consumption of natural resources. The period for completing these two projects and issuing the corresponding recommendations is two years, therefore, by 2023 outcomes of these projects would