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Extraco is making progress in the “Innobiorresiduos” and “Cenicienta” projects with the construction of two experimental road sections

Extraco has gone one step further in the development of two RDI projects in which it is taking part, ‘Innobiorresiduos’ and ‘Cenicienta’, by building two experimental road sections in Allariz (Ourense), which had been included in the budget for both research initiatives. These projects have been co-financed by the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN) of the Regional Government of Galicia and by the EU-ERDF fund, awarded in the Conecta Peme 2016 competitive call.

The objective of the ‘Innobiorresiduos’ project is to assess innovative uses of agri-food waste, such as the construction of pavements, in order to develop new products that are eco-friendlier. For this purpose, Extraco has been collaborating since 2016 with the Agri-food Biotechnology Research Group of the University of Vigo and the Civil Engineering and Marine Energy Group (GICEMA) of the University of Santiago de Compostela, located in the Ourense and Lugo campuses, respectively, which reflects the project’s commitment to the promotion of peripheral university campuses of Galicia.

On the other hand, the ‘Cenicienta’ project aims to research on new uses of the bottom ash produced in thermal power stations, which could be applied to civil engineering and building works. Bottom ash is a waste product that is currently considered a major environmental issue. Research is being conducted to assess its use in the manufacturing of mortar, concrete, prefabricated concrete components and hot bituminous mixtures. To this end, Extraco has been working since 2016 with the Construction Group (GCONS) of the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineering of the University of A Coruña and the Civil Engineering and Marine Energy Group (GICEMA) of the Lugo Higher Polytechnic School, which belongs to the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).

The two experimental road sections have been built in the premises of the bituminous mixing plant that Extraco has in Allariz. These life-size sections are being used to test the properties of the new construction materials developed in both RDI projects, by assessing their use in both soil and ground stabilization as well as in the manufacturing of new types of bituminous surfaces.

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