immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt

  • Empa has a share in the German Civil Engineering Award 2022

    Empa has a share in the German Civil Engineering Award 2022

    Experts from Empa and its spin-off Carbo-Link AG have developed a global innovation that was used for the first time in the construction of a new network arch bridge in the Degerloch district of Stuttgart. The jury has now awarded it the German Engineering Prize 2022 . She justified her decision with the fact that "the network arch bridge with carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic cables with carbon hangers as an innovation is an extremely successful example of the art of engineering worldwide and provides formative answers to current questions in the construction industry".

    The well-known German State Prize, endowed with 30,000 euros, honors "outstanding innovative engineering structures" that "combine building culture, climate protection and sustainability". This year it goes to the international engineering office schlaich bergerman partner ( sbp ) with headquarters in Stuttgart. It implemented the "delicate light rail bridge" from the first draft to the finished structure – "with the active support of experts from Empa and the company Carbo-Link AG in Fehraltorf", according to an Empa statement .

    The idea of replacing the originally planned steel hangers with prestressed carbon fiber reinforced (CFRP) hangers that had never been used before came from the sbp team. A team from Empa's Structural Engineering department headed by Masoud Motavalli began experiments with this new material for the Stuttgart bridge in 2016. Empa expert Urs Meier, a pioneer in CFRP research, and Peter Richner, today Empa's deputy director, handed her over to her in 2017 final report to Stuttgart. In 2018, the responsible approval authority gave the green light for the pioneering project.

  • Swisspor is building in Reiden

    Swisspor is building in Reiden

    Swisspor wants to set up a production plant for mineral insulating materials and a service center in Reiden Mehlsecken. The internationally active company based in Stans has secured the area of 200,000 square meters designated by the canton of Lucerne as a strategic work area, according to the Lucerne State Chancellery in a press release . The establishment of a building and environmental technology cluster planned by swisspor is supported by the canton of Lucerne and the municipality of Reiden .

    swisspor will use 145,000 square meters of the total area of the site for its own facilities. The remaining area is reserved for research institutions and other companies active in the field of building and environmental technology. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts wants to expand its existing cooperation with swisspor in Reiden Mehlsecken.

    In addition, other industry-related companies and research partners are to be recruited. The coordination for this was taken over by the Switzerland Innovation Park Central , according to the statement. The Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) was also addressed.

    “We support the creation of a building and environmental technology cluster with swisspor and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts,” government councilor Fabian Peter is quoted as saying in the statement. The head of the construction, environment and economic department sees a double opportunity for the region and canton: “On the one hand, jobs, innovation and value creation are created and on the other hand, the cluster makes a contribution to achieving our climate goals”.

  • NEST data center helps with heating

    NEST data center helps with heating

    The ECO-Qube project examines how the electrical and thermal worlds can be brought together with IT infrastructure. For this purpose, the waste heat potential of micro data centers for building heating is to be examined. The field tests are taking place in the newly installed data center in Empa ‘s NEST research building and at two other locations in Turkey and the Netherlands.

    ECO-Qube is designed for three years. After that, the team wants to provide guidelines for planners and operators of buildings. The project is supported by the EU funding program Horizon 2020. It brings together research and industry partners from Switzerland, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. “Our goal is to reduce both the energy requirements and the CO2 emissions of small data centers by a fifth,” says Çağatay Yılmaz, Innovation Manager at the Turkish IT solution provider Lande and project manager of ECO-Qube, in an Empa press release quoted.

    With the help of big data structures and artificial intelligence, sensor data from the individual IT components is accumulated and combined with air flow simulations for precise cooling. At the same time, the computing loads would be distributed in such a way that the systems work as energy-efficiently as possible.

    The three data centers will also be integrated into the energy systems of the surrounding districts. If possible, they should be powered by renewable energy. “It is interesting for us to consider the micro data center not just as an electrical consumer, but as a dynamic component in the overall system,” explains Philipp Heer, head of the Energy Hub energy research platform at Empa.

  • Empa awards the use of airgel

    Empa awards the use of airgel

    The Airgel Architecture Award enters the second round. Since January 19th and until June 30th, Empa has been accepting examples of the use of aerogel in architecture, construction, renovation and monument preservation, the research institute informs in a press release . Architects, civil engineers and employees in design offices can apply for the prize. Architecture and civil engineering students are also invited to participate.

    The exact conditions of participation can be found in the announcement or on the Airgel Architecture Awards website. “The prize recognizes the best examples of energy efficiency, unconventional solutions, translucent daylight lighting and high-performance building solutions using super-insulating airgel materials,” writes Empa. This year’s winners are to be announced on August 5th in Empa’s NEST building in Dübendorf.

    The Airgel Architecture Award was launched in 2020 by Empa and the industrial partners Fixit , Agitec , Haga AG Naturbaustoffe and Hasit as well as the AdvaPor association. It should help to publicize the possibilities of airgel insulation materials in monument protection and in the renovation of buildings among architects and civil engineers. Five offices applied last year.

  • Empa concrete project receives funding

    Empa concrete project receives funding

    The Ernst Göhner Foundation , based in Zug, is funding a research project for high-performance concrete at the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ). She has now made an unspecified amount available to the Empa Future Fund as start- up funding, according to a media release .

    This supports a research project for more environmentally friendly concrete. This has a lower CO2 footprint than conventional reinforced concrete because it is more durable and stable. In addition, the self-tensioning concrete can be used more sparingly.

    The project is a so-called high-risk-high-gain project. "The risk of failure is high, but there is also a lot to be won," Masoud Motavalli, head of the research department for engineering structures at Empa in Dübendorf, is quoted in the media release. Since 2008 he had approached potential sponsors with the idea of prestressed high-performance concrete.

  • Empa is researching underground storage

    Empa is researching underground storage

    Empa is setting up an experimental, seasonal energy storage facility under its new research campus in Dübendorf, the research institute informs in a message . The waste heat from ventilation and laboratory equipment is to be stored in the ground below the area. The aim is to supply the entire Empa area with energy, writes Empa.

    A geothermal probe field with a temperature gradient serves as a heat store, in which 144 geothermal probes anchored up to 100 meters deep in the ground are installed. With their help, the Empa researchers want to set an optimal mix between temperature, efficiency and energy storage. The temperatures in the underground storage can fluctuate by up to 50 degrees in the center and 10 degrees in the peripheral areas. At a depth of 100 meters, the storage system works particularly effectively and loses very little heat to the environment, explains Empa.

    The research institute can use the heat storage system for ten years, primarily for its own research purposes. On the one hand, an underground storage facility is very effective, but due to its large mass it is also sluggish, according to the press release. The researchers assume that it will take about three to four years to set the final operating temperature.