Concrete matrices for high-cycle-fatigue resistant, eco-efficient infrastructure
(FATRESCON)
How to achieve durable and eco-efficient concrete infrastructure?
Concrete is the most widely used artificial material in the world, forming the backbone of our transportation and energy infrastructure, without any viable alternative. However, two seemingly disconnected problems arise. First, the essential ingredient of concrete - cement - accounts for 8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, making it crucial to develop eco-efficient alternatives. One approach is to replace part of the traditional cement with locally available supplementary cementitious materials that have a lower carbon footprint. However, this introduces new challenges, as these eco-efficient concretes will differ from traditional materials, with long-term performance still largely unknown. Second, we are witnessing the overly fast deterioration of concrete infrastructure exposed to cyclic loading, often leading to costly and potentially tragic consequences. This process is accelerated by the subversive effects of concrete fatigue, acting as a gray eminence behind the scenes.
A multidisciplinary team of experts - Thomas Matschei (cement chemistry), Bernhard Pichler (multiscale material science) Miroslav Vořechovský (probabilistic computational mechanics), Rostislav Chudoba (structural concrete)—is coming together to establish the missing link between the material science of eco-efficient concretes and the fatigue life of key transportation and energy infrastructure.
The goal of the Synergy Grant project FATRESCON is to decode the microstructural origins of concrete fatigue and to predict its impact on the structural lifespan. By formulating new theoretical concepts and combining them with innovative computer simulations and experimental protocols, the research team will underpin guidelines for designing durable structures with extended service life using the next generation of eco-efficient concretes, promoting their adoption in the construction sector.
Miroslav Vořechovský is professor at the Institute of Structural Mechanics at Brno University of Technology in Czechia. Rostislav Chudoba and Thomas Matschei, both based in Germany, are professors at RWTH Aachen University. Bernhard Pichler is professor at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) in Austria.
Project: Concrete matrices for high-cycle-fatigue resistant, eco-efficient infrastructure (FATRESCON)
Researchers:
- Miroslav Vořechovský, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
- Rostislav Chudoba, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- Thomas Matschei, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- Bernhard Pichler, TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), Austria
ERC funding: 9,993,698 € over 72 months, start date: June 1, 2025
