RILEM WEBINAR: Biogenic attacks on concrete – progress and pending questions for more durable infrastructures

We are pleased to announce that the next ROC&TOK webinar will take place on March 2nd, 2023 at 3PM CEST/Paris Time and will be one hour long (30-minute presentation + 30-minute interaction). The registration for this webinar is free.

Speaker: Prof. Alexandra Bertron, LMDC, INSA Toulouse, France

Host:  Dr Prannoy Suraneni, University of Miami, United States and Prof. Karen Scrivener, EPFL, Switzerland

Title: Biogenic attacks on concrete – progress and pending questions for more durable infrastructures

Concrete is exposed to the action of microorganisms in many contexts (sewerage, wastewater treatment, agriculture, marine environments, etc.). Biogenic attacks reduce the durability of the structures, with significant economic, environmental and societal consequences. Developing durable and sustainable concretes in these environments is a major challenge, which faces a number of scientific and technical obstacles. On the one hand, the environments considered have complex compositions that often vary in time and space, and on the other hand, microorganisms have a major specific effect in the alteration of materials. A detailed understanding of the mechanisms of material-microorganism interaction, in particular the phenomena and parameters governing the resistance of materials to biogenic attacks, and the development of suitable test methods are necessary. The definition of the aggressiveness of biological environments for concretes is also crucial in order to propose adapted solutions for the different situations.

The presentation will therefore aim to present the phenomena and general issues associated with the biodeterioration of concrete in different environments. Then it will develop the emblematic case of the sewer networks, by explaining the last scientific and technical advances as well as the major questions that the various actors (in research, innovation in materials and products, management of networks, standardization, etc.) of this sector of the construction will have to address in the next years.

Register here for FREE!