This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 841592.
ULTRA-LIGhTCON-3D
Welcome to the official website of the EU Horizon 2020 project (No: 841592)
Ultra-Lightweight Concrete for 3D printing technologies
Ultra-Lightweight Concrete for 3D printing technologies
About Project
The construction industry still relies on centuries-old processes to manage complex projects. 3D printing with concrete could revolutionise construction. A lot of research on this has been conducted but very little attention has been paid to designing insulation for printed walls. The EU-funded Ultra-LightCon-3D project intends to bridge this gap by introducing the first insulating ultra-lightweight concrete (ULWC) material for 3D printing. This tool will enable the development of 3D ULWC models with optimised mechanical and insulating properties, leading to reduced concrete costs and waste. The project will contribute to the development of energy-saving construction in line with the EU’s Energy Efficiency Strategy.
EU Commission report on 3D printing, places the development of additive manufacturing for construction, in the top 10 future application areas [1]
According to the European Parliament resolution, AM is viewed as “one of the most prominent technologies, with regard to which Europe can play a leading role” [2]
Fact Sheet for Ultra-LightCon-3D project in the EU's CORDIS Database
EU Commission report on 3D printing, places the development of additive manufacturing for construction, in the top 10 future application areas [1]
According to the European Parliament resolution, AM is viewed as “one of the most prominent technologies, with regard to which Europe can play a leading role” [2]
Fact Sheet for Ultra-LightCon-3D project in the EU's CORDIS Database
Meet our Team
Learn about our team members and industrial partner involved in the project
Individual Fellow
Dr. Pawel Sikora is Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellow at the Chair of Building Materials and Construction Chemistry of Technische Universität Berlin. In 2017 he has received his PhD from Warsaw University of Technology (Poland). He was awarded with START scholarship (2019) for scientific excellence funded by Polish Foundation for Science (FNP) and with Scholarship of Minister of Science and Higher Education of Poland (2018) for outstanding scientists. His main research areas of interest are lightweight concretes, additive manufacturing and nanotechnology. He is a member of Polonium Foundation and Polish Union of Civil Engineers and Technicians.
Project supervisor
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Dietmar Stephan since 2011 he is a Head of the Chair of Building Materials and Construction Chemistry at the Technische Universität Berlin. His main research areas are additive manufacturing, nanotechnology, hydration of cement and alkali-activated materials/geopolymers. He has lead numerous national and international research projects, including cooperation with top industrial partners. He has co-authored more than 60 papers in the last 5 years. He has been a guest professor at Tongji University (China) and has been actively involved in the work of RILEM and ACI. He is currently supervising the work of 14 PhD students and seven Postdocs, including Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellows.
Beneficiary Institution
The Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) is one of the largest technical universities in Germany. The seven faculties of the university offer approx. 100 courses of study from the fields of engineering and natural sciences, economics and business, planning sciences, humanities and the social sciences. Enrolment at TUB is about 30,000 students. Nearly 20 per cent are foreign citizens. The TUB has a professional EC Funding Support Service that has long-standing experience in the administration of EC grants (FP 7: 211 contracts, Horizon 2020: 90 contracts ). TUB hosted over 20 MSCA Individual Fellowships and has been honoured with 10 ERC-Grants from 2014 to date.
Industrial Partner
Sika AG is one of the leaders in global construction chemical market with a highly specialized laboratories and widely extended network of partners and cooperations. Sika’s research activities are carried out at its 20 technology centers worldwide, with Switzerland as a key location.
Secondment Supervisor Dr. Didier Lootens is a Head of the Materials Physics Department and a member of the 3D Center for Automated Building Construction at Sika AG. He is an expert in the field of chemical admixtures in cement-based composites. He has been involved in many industrial and scientific projects with top scientific institutes around Europe.
Secondment Supervisor Dr. Didier Lootens is a Head of the Materials Physics Department and a member of the 3D Center for Automated Building Construction at Sika AG. He is an expert in the field of chemical admixtures in cement-based composites. He has been involved in many industrial and scientific projects with top scientific institutes around Europe.
News and Events
Updates on research project
Presentation on MSCA-IF Success Story
On 11th of August 2021 Pawel Sikora presented speech on Ultra-LightCon-3D Tips for potential MSCA fellows. The event was part of Practical Pointers for Developing Your MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship Proposal Webinar organized by Euraxess Korea together with Euraxess Japan and Euraxess ASEAN. The event has gathered more than 450 participants!
Final Ultra-LightCon-3D meeting
On 25th of June 2021 the final meeting of Ultra-LightCon-3D project was held via Zoom platform. The final meeting was organized to discuss the outcome of the project, to present the progress of final report preparation and to discuss on further research cooperation with industrial partner and host institution.
Speech on MSCA Master Class
On 15th of July 2021 Pawel Sikora participated and gave a speech for potential MSCA Postdoctoral Fellows entitled: Ultra-LightCon-3D - Advices from a successful MSCA-Fellow. The 1-day event was part of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships Master Class 2021 organized by the Berlin University Alliance. Workshop gathered 40 participants.
MSCA writing workshop for civil engineers
On 25th of May 2021 Pawel Sikora and Nikola Tošić from Polytechnic University of Catalonia together with support of The International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) and Euraxess Korea organized a 1-day workshop related to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (Horizon Europe) project writing entitled: fib e-Seminar: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, A Crash Course for Civil Engineers. More than 40 participants joined an event.
Speech at SPP2021
From 7th to 8th May 2021 Pawel Sikora has participated in an online Science: Polish Perspectives conference (Zurich, Switzerland) conference and gave a speech on entitled: Ultra-LightCon-3D: Lighweight 3D printable concrete wall system
Speech at CoMS 2020/21
From 20th to 21st April 2021 Pawel Sikora has participated in an online Construction Materials for a Sustainable Future conference (Bled, Slovenia) and gave speech on Development of sustainable lightweight 3D printing mixtures for 3D printing
Presentation on MSCA-IF Success Story
On 30th of March 2021 Pawel Sikora and Nikola Tošić from Polytechnic University of Catalonia presented speech on Tips and tricks from two successful MSCA-IF Fellows. The event was part of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship Webinar organized by Euraxess Korea (Seoul, South Korea).
Link to the Presentation
Link to the Presentation
3D printing workshop - an online Event
On 22nd of March 2021 Pawel Sikora has held a 3D printing workshop for young and senior researchers from the Structural Engineering Department of Mansoura University (Egypt)
Poster at ICCCM2020
From 15th to 17th March 2021 Pawel Sikora has participated in an online 3rd International Conference on the Chemistry of the Construction Materials - ICCCM 2020 and presented his poster entitled: Effect of nanosilica on hydration, microstructure and mechanical performance of 3D printed mortar.
Link to the Poster
Link to the Poster
Poster at MCAA Annual Conference
From 5th to 7th March 2021 Pawel Sikora has participated inonline Annual Conference of the Marie Curie Alumni Association and presented his poster entitled: Development of lightweight 3D printed concrete wall system.
Link to the Poster
Link to the Book of Proceedings
Link to the Poster
Link to the Book of Proceedings
Speech at fib Symposium 2020
From 22nd to 24th November 2020 Pawel Sikora has participated in an online fib Symposium 2020 and gave speech entitled:The effects of nanosilica on hydration, microstructure and mechanical performance of 3D printed mortar.
Pawel Sikora in ICSF-2021 Committee
Pawel Sikora became a program committee member of International Conference on Sustainable Futures: Environmental, Technological, Social and Economic Matters which will be held from 19 to 21 May 2021 at the Kryvyi Rih, National University, Ukraine
Speech at NANO2020 Conference
From 26th to 28th August 2020 Pawel Sikora has participated in online 8th International Conference "Nanotechnologies and Nanomaterials"
NANO-2020 in Lviv, Ukraine and gave speech entitled: The effects of nano- and micro-particle additives on the of 3D printable cementitious materials – A review
NANO-2020 in Lviv, Ukraine and gave speech entitled: The effects of nano- and micro-particle additives on the of 3D printable cementitious materials – A review
Presentation on 3D printing at GUC
On December 3rd 2019 Pawel Sikora held a speech about 3D printing of concrete structures for researchers and students of German University in Cairo, Egypt
Meeting at the Yonsei University
Pawel Sikora has visited research team of Prof. Tong-Seok Han at the Yonsei University to consult results of micro-computed tomography studies.
Short visit in Sika AG HQs in Zurich
In the last week of July 2019 Pawel Sikora visited Sika AG Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland in order to establish a research plan as well as perform first experiments with industrial partner.
Kick-Off Meeting
On 1st of July 2019 the Ultra-LightCon-3D project officially started. The kick-off meeting has been held to develop a research plan for the first part of the project as well to discuss research cooperation with industrial partner
Photo Gallery
Press releases
3D printing - the pillar of 4.0 Industry
Publications
About Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020)
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions support researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of age and nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support cooperation between industry and academia and innovative training to enhance employability and career development.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions support researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of age and nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support cooperation between industry and academia and innovative training to enhance employability and career development.
Do you have any questions about our project?
Contact us!
Contact us!
pawel.sikora@tu-berlin.de
Dr. Pawel Sikora, Room 306
FG Baustoffe und Bauchemie
Sekr. TIB1-B4, Gebäude 13b
Technische Universität Berlin
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355, Berlin, Germany
Dr. Pawel Sikora, Room 306
FG Baustoffe und Bauchemie
Sekr. TIB1-B4, Gebäude 13b
Technische Universität Berlin
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355, Berlin, Germany
You can also find me on Twitter and LinkedIn!
Where are we?
FG Baustoffe und Bauchemie
Institut für Bauingenieurwesen
Fakultät VI, Sekr. TIB1-B4
Technische Universität Berlin
Gebäude 13b, Raum 303
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25
13355 Berlin
+49 30 314-72 101
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 841592.
