Buildwise

Buildwise is the independent reference center for knowledge and innovation in the Belgian construction sector.

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Introducing Buildwise

Buildwise is the independent reference center for knowledge and innovation in the Belgian construction sector. The “Structural Work” unit has a team specializing in concrete technology, which carries out research and development projects mainly focused on this field.

Additive manufacturing, in particular 3D printing of concrete, is also a major focus of our activities, with particular attention paid to the formulation and characterization of printable inks.

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Buildwise's mission

Buildwise, formerly BBRI (Belgian Building Research Institute), was founded in 1959 by the Belgian construction industry as a private research institute, in accordance with the De Groote law.

Today, as an innovation center, Buildwise's mission is to support professionals in the sector in improving the quality, productivity and sustainability of their projects, while fostering the emergence of innovation on construction sites and within construction companies

Buildwise mène des recherches scientifiques et techniques dans le but d’élaborer, pour ses membres, des directives fondées sur les meilleures pratiques à adopter. Les résultats de ces recherches et études sont valorisés à travers des formations, publications, avis techniques, webinaires, le Buildwise Magazine, et bien d’autres supports, afin d’apporter au secteur de la construction un soutien à la fois technique et organisationnel.

Activities and challenges of the sector

Its activities cover the sector's main challenges, with a particular focus on sustainability, energy performance, intelligent buildings, acoustics, construction methods, digitalization, renovation and fire prevention.

Fire prevention

Smart buildings

Construction methods

Renovation

Energy performance

Digitalization

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A specialized team

The Concrete Technology team within the Structural Work research unit focuses on the in-depth study of concretes, both in terms of their formulation (composition, properties of constituents, rheological behavior, etc.) and their mechanical strength and durability (resistance to carbonation, chlorides, freeze/thaw cycles, etc.).

Research projects

The team is involved in numerous research projects at both national and European level, focusing in particular on the development and characterization of concretes suitable for various applications, as well as the valorization of by-products in concrete (inert materials or binders) with the aim of reducing its environmental impact. The unit's expertise also extends to the study of the structural behavior of construction materials, geotechnics and the monitoring of structures.es.

Demonstration and support

For some years now, Buildwise has been offering demonstrations and support aimed at facilitating the adoption of new digital technologies within the construction sector. In this context, the laboratory has developed particular expertise in 3D concrete printing, focusing on the formulation of printable inks, their rheological behavior, and the mechanical characterization and durability of printed materials.

Buildwise's role in the project

Buildwise's contribution focuses on the formulation and characterization of low-carbon cementitious inks (mixes), in collaboration with IMT NE, INISMa and LaMé: composition optimization, rheological behavior of inks and characterization in the hardened state. The characteristics of printable inks call for antagonistic rheological properties. This calls for a thorough understanding of how to adapt formulations to the targeted properties.

Buildwise has the necessary equipment for characterization in the fresh state (workability, setting time, flow time, microstructure evolution, etc.) and in the hardened state (density/porosity, mechanical resistance/resistance to carbonation/chloride ion migration, etc.). The results will demonstrate to target companies that printable inks can be formulated from raw materials available in the programming area. Parts with simple shapes using the mini-printer and complex shapes using the robotic arm will be printed in this laboratory with the formulations developed.