VUT will start building a new research center in Brno this year

Brno - The Czech Technical University in Brno will begin building a new center focused on research into construction materials and technologies in the Brno district of Královo Pole this year. The project has received a grant of nearly 818 million korunas. Most of the funding will come from the European Union, with 122 million constituting a contribution from the state budget. This was announced to journalists today by representatives of the university.
    The project was awarded to the Faculty of Civil Engineering. The AdMaS Center, set to be constructed, will focus on research, development, and applications of advanced construction materials, structures, and technologies. It will concern not only the construction industry but also transportation systems and the infrastructure of cities, municipalities, and landscapes.
    Preparatory work for the construction of the center has now begun, tender documentation is being finalized, and the first employees are being hired. The center is expected to be operational starting this July. In this timeframe, the university plans to initiate activities that do not require the newly constructed facilities. A total of three research buildings and one hall are expected to begin construction likely this autumn. Completion is anticipated in 2013. Trial operations will commence a year later. The project will create around 130 jobs, with nearly a hundred of these for researchers. The university aims to create job opportunities for doctoral students as well.
    According to Petr Štěpánek, the university's vice-rector for construction development, researchers will focus on two research programs. "These are advanced construction materials and advanced structures and technologies. In order for the project to be sustainable in its final phase, we need to secure contractual research orders worth 130 to 150 million korunas annually," Štěpánek stated.
    The results of the research, according to Štěpánek, should yield more efficient, cheaper, more durable, and more reliable structures for civil and engineering construction. Modern equipment will also aid researchers in their development work. A total of 300 million korunas has been allocated from the project budget for this equipment.
    The university intends to utilize, for example, a CT scanner, which is used in medicine for research purposes. "It strips a person down to their skin. We would like to examine materials using it. Thanks to the scanner, we will identify any defects and detailed structures," stated Rostislav Drochytka, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. According to him, researchers will also focus on maximizing the use of secondary waste.