Building Materials and Structures

Creating new sustainable materials and structures

BMS supports asset owners and the construction sector in becoming climate-neutral, circular, and waste-free. To meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the Dutch construction industry must reduce CO2 emissions by 30%, halve raw material consumption, achieve zero emissions in new buildings, and ensure all public tenders are circular by 2030.

Therefore, we focus on sustainable and circular materials and structures, particularly cementitious, road, and bio-based materials. Our aim is to develop and evaluate materials, products, construction methods, and innovative designs that reduce CO2 emissions, conserve natural resources, and maintain economic feasibility for sustainable growth.

Optimally using and renewing existing structures

As the economy grows, population dynamics shift, and structures age, optimal use and renewal of existing assets become essential. In the Netherlands, transport infrastructure owners face a massive maintenance operation: by the end of the century, hundreds of structures and thousands of kilometres of roads will need to be replaced or renovated. Maintenance backlogs, structural deficiencies and closed structures highlight the impact of poor maintenance on safety and availability. Extreme weather events further necessitate future-proofing existing assets and enhancing climate resilience.

BMS supports asset owners and the market chain in sustainable, future-proof renewal of existing assets, particularly transport infrastructure. Our work includes developing advanced methods for safety and serviceability assessment, cost-effective renovation, repair, service life extension, resilience enhancement, and proactive maintenance.

Four technology lines

To maximise our impact in the sustainable creation of new materials and structures and the optimal use and renewal of the existing structures, we have organised our expertise into 4 technology lines, each corresponding to a team within BMS:

1. Cementitious materials & natural stone

On the one hand, we aim to develop and evaluate low-carbon cementitious materials to enable the sustainable creation of new materials; on the other hand, we aim to understand how and why cementitious materials & natural stone wear over time in order to accurately diagnose, predict and maintain for optimal use and sustainable renewal of existing structures.

2. Concrete structures

We aim to develop innovative methods and tools to assess structural safety and extend the life of existing concrete structures. At the same time, we aim to generate knowledge for structural design with innovative (circular, climate neutral and resilient) solutions for concrete structures.

3. Road materials & pavement engineering

We aim to develop technologies to better assess and extend the life of the existing road network. At the same time, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality in the asphalt chain by reducing the use of fossil resources in asphalt production and maximising the reuse of road materials.

4. Bio-based materials & structures

We are helping the manufacturing and construction sectors to reduce their environmental impact by developing sustainable materials and products for structural and non-structural applications through the use of bio-based materials. At the same time, we are developing methods to determine their durability and performance.

Facilities

BMS leverages a longstanding research infrastructure, enhanced by TNO's Building Innovation Lab in Delft. The lab features state-of-the-art sample preparation facilities and specialised equipment essential for:

• Developing new materials and products.
• Assessing existing structures and optimising the maintenance and use of buildings, infrastructure, and mechanical structures.

BMS offers lab facilities for conditioning & accelerated ageing, plus mechanical, physiochemical and optical testing.