Reducing waste, implementing efficient practices and improving operations are established parts of lean manufacturing ideology. As part of our future materials & processes stand at Ecobuild 2017, we take this one step further and focus on sustainable practices of the future that could become the norm.
Thursday 9 March
14:40–15:40 BRE Academy, Ecobuild
Drones for inspection and repair in smart cities
Dr Mirko Kovac, Imperial College London
Mirko Kovac is Director of the Aerial Robotics Laboratory at Imperial College London. His particular specialism is in robot design and mobility, particularly novel, biologically inspired flying robots for distributed sensing in air and water and autonomous robotic construction for future cities. He has previously held research posts internationally in the USA, Asia and Europe and he’s a founding member of a number of initiatives including the London Robotics Network.
Testing building lifetime robustness, whatever the weather – University of Bath’s Building Research Park
Professor David Coley, University of Bath
Professor David Coley is Head of the Energy and the Design of Environments research group at the University of Bath. He is also Director of the Building Research Park, a research and testing facility which enables industry and academic researchers to test their ideas and products at near full scale. David’s research focus is on minimising energy use through building design and building-occupant interactions, Passivhaus, and future weather data for the construction industry. He has recently also become involved in the design of shelters for refugee camps, particularly in Jordan.
Old birds new tricks – rethinking waste feathers for construction
Elena Dieckmann, Imperial College London
Elena Dieckmann studied Innovation Design Engineering, during which time she came up with the concept of using waste feathers in sustainable materials. Following her studies, she founded AEROPOWDER, a new startup looking to turn her initial idea into commercial products. Elena has also secured a PhD project funded by the James Dyson Foundation at Imperial College London to study to potential of feathers in more detail. Elena features on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2016 list for Social Entrepreneurs, and is the recipient of an InnovateUK INFOCUS Women in Innovation Award.
Innovative use of recycled aggregate concrete in reinforced concrete beams
Professor Yong Wang, University of Manchester
Professor Wang leads structural and fire engineering research at the University of Manchester. Within his current research portfolio he is devising innovations and tests for standard construction materials to facilitate a more circular economy approach within the sector. For instance, welded sheer studs in composite structures that allow easy separation of steel from concrete at the end of a structure’s lifetime, and the use of recycled concrete in primary loading members. He has previously worked for the Building Research Establishment,is a member of a few British Standards and Eurocode Committees, is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Cleaning up the past to enable the future – lower carbon, more accurate approaches to brownfield redevelopment
Stephen Lowe, University of Reading
Stephen Lowe is an Engineering Doctorate student in the Technology for Sustainable Built Environments Centre at the University of Reading, working in collaboration with the British Geological Survey. He has a geography, urban development and planning background and has an understanding of how climate variability moulds our current and future environments. His research focus is on developing a bioaccessibility assessment method to improve the assessment of risk from industrial sites contaminated with Persistent Organic Pollutants, opening new possibilities for low carbon, brownfield redevelopment.
Emerging markets and software innovations in adaptive façade materials
Dr Fabio Favoino, University of Cambridge
Fabio Favoino conducted his PhD research within the Glass & Façade Technology Research Group at the University of Cambridge. He now works as Project Engineer of Facades at Eckersley O’Callaghan. He is also the European Adaptive Façades Network Leader of the Simulation of adaptive facade systems workstream.
