At the RILEM Spring Convention 2024, held in Milan, Italy from April 10th to 12th, we were honored to present our latest research and promote the visibility of the Reincarnate Project. After last year’s successful presence in Morocco, this year three researchers from Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) graced the Palazzo Mezzanotte with their contributions. Ghezal Ahmad Zia, Sabine Kruschwitz and Christoph Voelker presented Reincarnate’s latest research on circular economy and construction materials.
Annually, the RILEM association (Réunion Internationale des Laboratoires et Experts des Matériaux, systèmes de construction et ouvrages) organises conventions to foster scientific collaboration in construction materials and structures. With a reach spanning 90 countries, RILEM champions open-access scientific knowledge in the construction domain, facilitating its global transfer and application.
Aligned with RILEM’s commitment to open science, Researcher and Data Scientist Ghezal Ahmad Zia presented our innovative exploration into AI-driven Adaptive Sampling integrated with Non-Destructive Testing, optimizing condition assessments in extensive construction sites.
“Our latest publication, ‘An Adaptive Upscaling Approach for Assessing Material’s Circularity Potential with Non-Destructive Testing (NDT),’ generated significant interest among the more than 200 attendees. We explored the transformative potential of AI-driven Adaptive Sampling integrated with Non-Destructive Testing for enhancing the efficiency of condition assessments in large construction areas,” expressed Zia.
Promoting innovative research and excellence in construction is a crucial objective of RILEM. Senior Researcher Sabine Kruschwitz shared Reincarnate’s digital approach aimed at shaping a sustainable industry future.
“We wanted to highlight Reincarnate’s role in promoting the circular economy in the construction and demolition sector. The pre-publication ‘Reincarnate: Shaping a Sustainable Future in Construction Through Digital Innovation’ provided a comprehensive overview – the audience was particularly impressed by the high level of collaboration between very different partners from research and industry and the increasing importance of cross-sector collaboration in the future,” said Kruschwitz.
The convention served as a platform for Data Scientist Christoph Voelker to underscore the advantages of AI-driven materials design over traditional experimental methods.
“We aimed to advance the Technology Readiness Level validation of SLAMD, one of Reincarnate’s digital innovations, through our pre-print titled ‘Beyond Theory: Pioneering AI-Driven Materials Design in the Sustainable Building Material Lab.’ Our case study showed how our design tool SLAMD is overcoming long standing cement and concrete design challenges in the lab. The response was overwhelmingly positive. It was a great pleasure to see the keen interest in AI for material design. It feels like leaps are coming,” remarked Voelker.
On the convention’s second day, the BAM team addressed a crucial topic: achieving a carbon-neutral society. They presented a study on predicting cementitious material carbonation resistance based on NMR features and SLAMD’s usage.
Wrapping up their presentations, the Reincarnate team set the stage for the use of NDT for condition assessment and projects on material optimization using SLAMD across Europe. As they prepare for next year’s conference, they look forward to sharing further R&D insights on the practical applications of this digital innovation in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
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