The research project of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LULST) and MB Betons “Efficiency of fibre reinforced cement composites in structural walls” is coming to an end. For two years, research has been conducted together with scientists on how to design and produce load-bearing wall structures by adding steel fibres to concrete.

The scientific cooperation representative on behalf of MB Betons, Dzelzsbetons MB R&D Project Manager Juris Jansons indicates that “the development of new products is of crucial importance in promoting the competitiveness of our group, and the short-fibre cement composite is an innovative material enabling to reduce the volume of traditional reinforcement, as well as to increase production efficiency. The fact that it also entails the transfer of knowledge from LULST experts to our design offices and production facilities is one of the main benefits of implementing the project.”

At previous stages of the project, samples were produced in order to evaluate the impact of short-fibres on strength of different prefabricated concrete products, but on the third – final – stage of the research triple-layer prefabricated concrete wall samples were produced, in which a short-fibre concrete composite will be used as the load-bearing layer. The scientific project manager, the leading researcher of the Department of Building Structures of the Faculty of Environment and Civil Engineering of LULST Ulvis Skadiņš evaluates cooperation as successful: “This research project could not be implemented without contribution of MB Betons. The significant number of samples we produced is a strong justification for credibility of the results obtained. We had a very valuable experience in the production facility, which helped to evaluate new solutions from a very practical and technological point of view.”

Extensive experimental research was implemented within the project, in which MB Betons provided support in manufacturing samples in the prefabricated concrete production facility. All the studies were conducted in the Building Structures Scientific Laboratory of the Faculty of Environment and Civil Engineering of LULST at Akadēmijas iela 19, Jelgava. The research results will be published in a freely accessible database and will be useful for other scientist in conducting research, as well as brochure with guidelines for designers of building structures will be prepared.

More information on the research project: Effectiveness of use of short-fibre cement composite in load-bearing wall structures (PD6) | LULST. The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

In parallel to cooperation with LULST, product research and development work is ongoing also in the UPB group, in particular in the Concrete Research Centre (Betona Pētījumu Centrs), where specialists develop recipes for new types of concrete, improve production technologies, etc.