InnovaConcrete partners participated in the XIII Conference on Conservation and Restoration organized by Asturias’ School of Art in Aviles, held the past 13, 14 and 15 of March.

The overall conference was focused in Innovative materials and Techniques for the conservation and restoration of concrete. InnovaConcrete partners addressed the students and professionals of restoration, using the mornings for presenting the different products that are being developed, explaining characterization techniques and explaining how such techniques have been used for the characterization of InnovaConcrete project case studies. The theory sessions have been completed with practical sessions, where the different partners have taught how to use the following different devices that enable in situ materials properties characterization:

Portable RAMAN (characterization of crystal concrete composition), Ultrasound meter (concrete quality and level of porosity), colorimeter (colorimetric coordinates measurement) and Karsten tubes (concrete water absorption at low pressure) explained by María Teresa Blanco and Sagrario Martínez Ramírez from IETcc-CSIC and IEM-CSIC.

SUSI (concrete humidity and salt content), Bioluminescent ATP test (surface contamination by biological activity), Contact sponge (concrete water absorption by capillarity), Peeling test (concrete surface cohesion), and Thermocamera IR (temperature changes and practical applications), explained by Piero Tiano and Cristiano Riminesi from CNR Florence.

Pachometer (rebar detection and concrete covering measuring), Schmidt hammer (Compression strength non-destructive measurement) and Phenolphthalein use (concrete carbonation identification), explained by Fernando López from Oviedo’s University.

X-Scan (rebar identification and concrete covering measuring), Concrete Moisture meter (moisture susceptibility analysis) and metals thickness gauge (measurement of metal elements thickness not accessible with regular means), explained by David López from INES Ingenieros.

Finally, simultaneously to the practical sessions oriented to material characterization techniques, Rafael Zarzuela from UCA, showed the attendants the performance of the consolidant and superhydrophobic products they are developing.

Here’s some pictures of the event: