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Tag: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

  • Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    On March 21 at the Expo in Dubai , the Swiss pavilion brought together experts from universities in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, private companies and public actors under the motto “Smart Connected Cities”. It is about intelligent solutions for the management of water, mobility and other challenges in cities that are becoming increasingly dense. Some of these projects have already been implemented in Switzerland and could be imitated in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.

    The event was organized by the University of Applied Sciences in Western Switzerland ( HES-SO ). It is the Leading House MENA officially commissioned by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation . Its goal is to promote scientific cooperation between Switzerland and the countries of the MENA region.

    During implementation, the HES-SO worked together with Swissnex , the Swiss Embassy in the UAE and the Swiss Business Hub Middle East . “International cross-technology cooperation that offers networked solutions for the exponentially growing demand of a growing population and the associated densification of living spaces are the only way to master the challenges,” says Dante Larini, project manager of Swissnex in the Swiss pavilion, in a press release quoted. “The event showed us how much and how seamlessly technology can transform the way cities are managed and the daily lives of their residents.”

    Josef Spillner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) gave a keynote speech on the opportunities and risks of cyber-physical spaces. The cooperation between the ZHAW and the private university of the Emirate of Sharjah ( Sharjah University ) was also presented at the event.

  • Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim realizes a new concrete structure

    Holcim built the cantilever bridge called Bridge to the Future at its Hüntwangen plant. The company describes the filigree concrete platform for the acceptance of excavated material in a press release as “one of the most climate-friendly structures in the world”. This bridge was created in close cooperation with CPC AG from Andelfingen and the fiber composite materials ( FRP ) specialist group at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ).

    For this bridge, the concrete slab technology from CPC was used and further optimized. The company, founded in 2013, produces particularly filigree, stable and durable concrete slabs and components that are reinforced with pre-stressed carbon fibers (carbon prestressed concrete, CPC) instead of corrosive steel. This can save up to 75 percent of material and thus also CO2. This technology was developed and patented in a research collaboration between the ZHAW and the Silidur company from 2010. As stated in the press release, Holcim has since acquired a stake in CPC AG “as proof of its trust in CPC technology”.

    According to the information, Holcim used its clinker-free cement Locarbo for the Bridge to the Future. Compared to conventional cement, this has 63 percent fewer CO2 emissions. From this, Holcim has developed a high-strength recycled concrete. Its carbon footprint has been reduced from 210 to 138 kilograms of CO2 per cubic meter.

    FVK supported Holcim with feasibility and load-bearing tests as well as statics calculations. “This project is a highlight for us,” says FVK manager Josef Kurath. The individual material properties are “reflected in a unique way and optimally used”.

  • KREIS house in Feldbach opens

    KREIS house in Feldbach opens

    An open day will take place on September 4th to mark the opening of the KREIS House . From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Synergy Village in Feldbach, on which the research project of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) is located, is accessible to all interested parties. You can try out the construction techniques of the KREIS house yourself. There will also be a market with sustainable local products.

    Efficient resource-to build the climate and sufficiency building was in May this year started . With this project, the ZHAW Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management ( LSFM ) wants to show how circular economy can be implemented on a reduced living space of 40 square meters. As the ZHAW writes in its invitation, everything in this house is in circulation – from the building materials to the nutrients from the wastewater for fertilizing the roof garden.

    Research is constantly developing new, recyclable technologies, materials and concepts for use in buildings, according to the LSFM project description. But the path from basic research to broad application is a long one. Therefore, the KREIS house is providing a room to try out these new technologies and materials. With their feedback, visitors contribute to improving it.

    In future, the ZHAW will be offering regular visits. They can be viewed online, as can dates for regular workshops on specific cycle issues. The overnight stays in the KREIS Haus are currently fully booked. The LSFM is also available for individual and cycle-oriented construction advice.

  • Swiss cities are getting smarter

    Swiss cities are getting smarter

    Thanks to digitization, networking, participation and efficiency, a smart city should contribute to a higher quality of life and more sustainability. This is how most Swiss cities explain the concept of the Smart City, according to a study by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW).

    The ZHAW carried out the study for the first time this year and was supported by several partners. A total of 84 Swiss cities and municipalities took part. According to the results, more than half of them rate the topic of smart cities as important or very important and are actively involved in it. At the end of 2020, however, only 23 cities had a developed smart city strategy. According to the ZHAW, this number is likely to increase in the coming years. For example, a strategy is already being developed for seven cities.

    The ZHAW has examined the development of intelligent cities using nine dimensions. The cities surveyed had a total of 329 existing projects in these dimensions. Most of the projects – 98 in total – are part of the Smart Governance dimension. City apps or chatbots, for example, make it easier to access information relevant to administration. This category also includes digital building permits or the digital notification of relocation.

    There are also 76 projects in the Smart Energy and Environment dimension. Certification as an energy city was mentioned here particularly often. Many projects aim to promote renewable energies and conserve resources. But intelligent power grids and lighting systems are also in focus in several cities.

    According to the ZHAW, most smart city projects are initiated within the administration, by energy suppliers or by politics. The cities are often based on other cities at home and abroad. However, many cities would like more support overall from the federal government and the cantons.

  • ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    When building your own photovoltaic system, planning and bureaucracy costs are often more expensive than purchasing the electricity-generating modules. The researcher Franz Baumgartner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences has dealt with this problem. According to a press release , he is using modern technology to reduce planning costs. Baumgartner, head of the energy and environmental technology course at the ZHAW School of Engineering, is quoted as saying: "With small photovoltaic systems on single-family houses, only a fifth of the costs are now attributable to the modules themselves." The planning of the system and the administration are now similarly expensive necessary documentation.

    Baumgartner and the ZHAW Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering, in collaboration with the Schlierem-based innovation specialist Zühlke , started at precisely this point. According to the press release, Baumgartner got to know the use of HoloLens glasses in the medical sector and wants to use their advantages in photovoltaics.

    “Up to 15 working hours per system are required for the administrative work,” says Baumgartner. Building applications, fire protection plans and approvals help to drive up costs. It is easier to save money with more efficient processes than with cheaper modules. According to Baumgartner, part of the solution could be the HoloLens. During measurements on flat roofs, for example, the HoloLens glasses show the assembly points of planned systems with an accuracy of two centimeters and then create a virtual image of the system.

    Baumgartner: "In addition to its potential for documenting the entire process, it has a great advantage: it can measure, plan, offer and demonstrate the system to end customers from a single source." Baumgartner: "Because of the high wages, the system will first pay off in Switzerland."

    ZHAW researcher Baumgartner wants to expand its application to all types of flat roofs and covered parking spaces. "We are in the process of formulating a project application for the Federal Office of Energy and have already received positive signals from Bern."