It is a great pleasure for me to be at the kick-off
meeting of the Anagennisis project, entitled "Innovative Reuse of All Tyre
Components in Concrete". The project aims to develop innovative solutions
to reuse all by-products of tyre recycling, for example, rubber, steel and
textile fibres, in high added value innovative concrete applications.
This, without a doubt, will also have a high positive impact to the
environment, especially for Cyprus, where currently there are limited
applications for End-of-Life tyres.
The Ministry of
Communications and Works supports the Anagennisis
project, since it is expected to provide:
- Breakthrough
innovation in novel technologies and products with high potential to achieve a
greener economy;
- Reduced waste
production and pressure on raw materials from the construction industry;
- Improved
resource efficiency and reduced environmental impacts;
- More
sustainable consumption;
- Substantial
contribution towards the sustainable supply of raw materials of economic
importance, and;
- Improved
communication and transfer of knowledge to policy making, business and to the
general public.
The project, with total budget of around €4,5 million,
is funded by the last environment call of the Framework Programme (FP7) and
will last for 42 months (from 1/1/14). The consortium of the project includes
17 academic and industrial partners from eight countries, which includes the
European Tyre Recycling Association as well as two Cypriot partners (Cyprus
University of Technology (TEPAK) and Zebra General Constructions Ltd).
The Republic of Cyprus
– as most of you may remember - has also participated in “EcoLanes”, a three
year FP6 STREP project (completed in September 2009), which could be considered
as Anagennisis’ predecessor project. The Public Works Department of the Ministry
of Communications and Works was engaged in the project consortium amongst other
Universities, Industrial Partners, End-users and the European Tyre Recycling
Association, from five EU member states and one EU candidate country.
Ecolanes’ main
aim was to develop infrastructure for surface transport using cost-effective
and sustainable long lasting rigid road pavement (LLRP), made with steel fibre
reinforced concrete (SFRC), rather than flexible (asphalt) pavements. The steel reinforcement was developed from
fibre reinforcement obtained from waste (end user’s) tyres.
The Public Works
Department was actively involved in exploring the potential of long lasting
rigid road pavement (LLRP’s) future construction and use in Cyprus. A demonstration
project was constructed in Galataria village (Paphos), in order to tackle
specific problems of rural roads, such as problems associated with asphalt
cracking and differential settlements due to ground movements in a rural hot
climate and subsequently convince the road owner (central government, local
authorities) and road engineers to be open minded and innovative.
I would like,
therefore, to reiterate the Communications and Works Ministry’s support on the
project and express my sincere thanks to Professor Kypros Pilakoutas (the
coordinator of Anagennisis) who has made a valuable contribution to promoting
academic research and excellence in Cyprus, despite his hectic and numerous
activities at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Professor Pilakoutas’ alumni
include many Cypriot engineers and some of them are working also at Sheffield
University.
Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to
Professor Diofantos Hadjimitsis, the Chair of the Department of Civil
Engineering and Geomatics at the Cyprus University of Technology who has
already made significant contribution to research in Cyprus by securing several
funded projects. The Ministry of Communication and Works supports such
initiatives and is looking forward to further collaborations with the Cyprus
University of Technology.
I hope for a very successful meeting.
-------------------
