Facilitating innovation implementation of sustainable construction materials.
HISTORY.
After the build environment itself, the production and transport have a high impact on the environment and CO2 emission is estimated to be around 25%. The production of concrete alone is already estimated by Prof. Koji Sakai to be > 7.1 billion tons of CO2/year and is still increasing.
Realizing the dependence of the concrete economy on its cement suppliers, the European Eco-Innovation project SUSTCON EPV (Sustainable Concrete, Environmental Performance Verification) was started in November 2010 for a 2year period. The Pantheon Performance Foundation is the Intellectual Property owner of the outcome of the project. It licenses companies such as SustCon vof in the Netherlands.
PANTHEON.
The name Pantheon Performance was chosen for several reasons.
First the concrete dome of the almost 2000year old building in Rome has both an intelligent structural and concrete mix design, especially compared with today’s concrete.
Second the name PERFORMANCE hints on present concrete regulations that are prescriptive and not performance based to suit dominant suppliers.
While we could probably build it today, we would not be permitted to do so if present standards would be applied.
RE-ORIENTATION.
Realizing the healthy rivalry between several construction materials, the scope has been expanded from its origin concrete to embrace all SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION materials, mainly structural. In the near future the name may also be applied to SUSTAINABLE & CONSTRUCTIVE social enterprising in the construction economy, of which the first samples are being developed in Africa. Both for the Pantheon Performance Foundation and its licensee SustCon vof all environmental and social activities can be related to ALL sustainable construction materials.
VERIFICATION
The Pantheon Performance Verification methodology is the backbone of the SUSTCON EPV project and the IP. It is based on the North American Environmental Technologies Verification (EPV) applied for other than construction economies. It enables the application of innovative sustainable construction materials. See diagram.
FLAGSHIP ACTIVITIES
EVENTS; SustCon vof has organized for Pantheon Performance Foundation several so called “Accelerating Sustainable Construction Materials Application Events”.
ASCMAE I. 15-4-2016 in Vianen Nl. “Transitions and the Build Environment” with Prof. Derk Loorbach from DRIFT (Erasmus University). Concrete meets Bio Based.
ASCMAE II 23-2-2018 in Delft, NL. “Alkali Activated/Geopolymer Materials”. This event has been repeated by “BouwCirculair” in Dutch at several places. It has resulted in numerous applications in the Netherlands of “cement free” concrete and hybrid binders, including several structural applications.
ASCMAE III 18-6-2019 in Arnhem.(in Dutch) with Prof. Jacqueline Cramer. “Performance Based concrete”. This event has not been finished yet though it resulted in some significant innovation implementations with “geopolymers”.
ASCMAE IV Webinars “Reducing CO2 by half, in concrete”. With Jacqueline Cramer plus RILEM and GLOBE officials. 15-12 Green Procurement, 16-12 Technology, 17-12 Practice. A significant contribution to the concrete section of the “MANUAL of sustainable materials for CO2 neutral constructions”, delivering practical tools for green procurement and technological and practice actions.
ASCMAE V Webinars “Knowledge Transfer for sustainable infra constructions”. 16-3-2021 Knowledge Structures, 17-3 Technologies & Practices, 18-3 Education. In preparation, with promising input for the MANUAL.
VERIFICATION; The concept of verification instead of the long process of establishing a standard is getting broader acceptance, also by strongly established certification organisations. Many innovation implementations, mainly in the field of concrete outside the standards, have resulted in valuable lessons on how to improve the “Sustainable Construction Eco-system.”
PROJECT ASSISTANCE; SustCon was requested to assist PONTIFLEX in delivering the first modular bicycle bridge made in geopolymer precast concrete for the city of Wageningen. SustCon has provided the concrete producers.
It is expected that more innovative projects will involve SustCon in the core business of innovation implementations based on the life long experience of its partners, Martin Damman and Boudewijn Piscaer.
PRESENTATIONS; The founding member of the Pantheon Performance Foundation and partner in SustCon vof, Boudewijn M. Piscaer, has delivered internationally many papers related to sustainable materials, in particular concrete. (Belgium, Canada, Cech Republic, China, Greece, Japan, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Tanzania, USA, UK.)
Papers exist in Dutch, English, German and Chinese.
PARTICIPATIONS; SustCon can participate at “Start-Ups with Grown Ups” concept. It would use the experience of Boudewijn Piscaer as an international “Intrapeneur” and Martin Damman as a marketing man in the Dutch construction material economy. A minority partnership for a limited amount of time could help a start-up of dynamic younger people to overcome the normally rocky start-up period in the complex construction economy.
(Communications en Français, in Deutsch, in het Nederlands and in English are possible)