Concrete Innovation Centre - COIN
Contact person
COncrete innovation centre - coin (2007-2014)
COIN was established in 2007 as a Centre for Research-based Innovation (CRI), which is a program by The Research Council of Norway to build up and strengthen Norwegian research groups that work in close collaboration with partners from innovative industry and innovative public enterprises. Out of the 59 applications, 14 were approved, COIN being the only topic within materials and construction.
The total cost was approximately NOK 250 million. The Research Council contributed with NOK 76 million, and the rest was financed by the partners, mainly through in-kind work. COIN financed 16 PhDs.
The partners were: Borregaard Industries Ltd (until 2009), Kværner Concrete Solutions AS, Mapei AS, Norcem AS, NTNU, Saint-Gobain Byggevarer AS, SINTEF Building and Infrastructure (host), Skanska Norge AS (from 2008), Spenncon AS (from 2007 until 2011), Statens Vegvesen, Unicon AS and Veidekke Entreprenør ASA.
The basis for the work was the industrial and social challenges that the concrete industry, represented by the partners, face. The challenges were split into three research areas:
- Environmental friendliness
- Competitive construction
- Technical performance
Results
The research work has been documented in more than 200 publications; COIN-reports, international journals, conference proceedings and 16 doctoral thesis
The work in COIN has led to new products, a patent, guidlines, simulation tools and test methods. In addition to the technical developments, the center has given benefits through:
- Enhanced research activities and stronger innovation strategy among the partners
- Shorter communication lines between industry and academia
- New liaisons and expanded networks
- Closer collaboration between industry and the research institutes (SINTEF/NTNU)
- Short distance between industrial research and education
- Extended international collaboration
Focus areas
Environmentally friendly concrete structures
The objective was to improve the sustainability of concrete by developing all round environmentally friendly binder systems. Also, we aimed to develop and document concrete to be an insulating and energy preserving material. The focus area was split into two projects:
FA 1.1 Binders with low emission and reduced resource consumption
FA 1.2. Utilisation of concrete in low energy building consepts
Competitive constructions
The objective was substantially improved productivity by creating robust and highly flowable all round concretes with controlled surface quality and high tensile strength. Furthermore, developing production methods for manufactured sand with optimal properties. The focus area was devided into three projects:
FA 2.1 Robust and highly flowable concrete with controlled surface quality
FA 2.2 High tensile strength concrete
FA 2.3 Production of high quality manufactured aggregate for concrete
Technical performance
To create attractive concrete buildings, we wanted to improve the concrete performance. We wanted to establish the basis for mix design and production processes to improve the prediction of performance and service life. The focus area was devided into three projects:
FA 3.1 Crack free concrete structures