Scientists from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), together with partners, have launched an international project to create new concrete mixtures using waste, in particular, destroyed structures, for construction using 3D printing and traditional methods, according to the KNUCA press service.
The release states that as part of the project “Development of new approaches and construction materials for the restoration of Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure with consideration for environmental sustainability,” researchers are developing a concrete mixture with the addition of materials resulting from the destruction of buildings and other industrial and agricultural waste.
The restoration of housing in Ukraine requires the introduction of universal technologies for rapid construction that allow for the construction of sustainable and affordable buildings even in conditions of limited resources. Due to the war, many buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed. The remains of concrete structures can be effectively recycled and used for the construction of new housing. Compared to traditional construction methods, 3D printing of buildings can ensure faster construction rates, significantly reduce human resource use, and save materials and energy.
The project is co-funded by the US Office of Naval Research and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The research is being conducted as part of the multilateral partnership initiative “International Multilateral Partnership for Ensuring the Sustainability of the Education and Science System in Ukraine (IMPRESS-U), launched by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) of the US National Science Foundation with the participation of researchers from Stony Brook University in the US and the Jan and Jędrzej Sniadecki University of Technology in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The project will last two years.
At KNUBA, the implementation of this project has been entrusted to lecturers, postgraduate students, and students of the Faculty of Construction and Technology, in particular, the Department of Building Materials and the Department of Building Structures and Products Technology.
Scientists from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), together with partners, have begun implementing an international project to create new concrete mixtures using waste, in particular, destroyed structures, for construction using 3D printing and traditional methods, according to the KNUCA press service.
The release states that as part of the project “Development of new approaches and construction materials for the restoration of Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure with consideration for environmental sustainability,” researchers are developing a concrete mixture with the addition of materials resulting from the destruction of buildings and other industrial and agricultural waste.
The restoration of housing in Ukraine requires the introduction of universal rapid construction technologies that allow for the construction of sustainable and affordable buildings even in conditions of limited resources. Due to the war, many buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed. The remains of concrete structures can be effectively recycled and used for the construction of new housing. Compared to traditional construction methods, 3D printing of buildings can ensure faster construction rates, significantly less use of human resources, and savings in materials and energy.
The project is co-funded by the US Office of Naval Research and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The research is being conducted as part of the multilateral partnership initiative ” International Multilateral Partnership for Ensuring the Sustainability of the Education and Science System in Ukraine (IMPRESS-U),” initiated by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) of the US National Science Foundation with the involvement of researchers from Stony Brook University in the US and the Jan and Jędrzej Śniadecki University of Technology in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The project will last two years. At KNUBA, the implementation of this project is entrusted to teachers, graduate students, and students of the Faculty of Construction and Technology, in particular, the Department of Building Materials and the Department of Building Structures and Products Technology.
Ukraine is actively creating support centers for soldiers returning from the front. “The Architecture of Resilience has become one of these places where veterans receive comprehensive assistance: from physical and psychological rehabilitation to acquiring new professional skills. Businesses play an important role in supporting these initiatives, and Grifon is one of the brands that help create comfortable conditions for the training and development of defenders.
The Ukrainian brand Grifon recently donated modern TVs for the classrooms of the Institute of Reintegration, Rehabilitation and Professional Development “Architecture of Resilience” at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUBA). The TVs were donated by the brand’s ambassador, renowned chef Alik Mkrtchyan. Thanks to the new equipment, veterans will not only be able to access online lectures, trainings and webinars, but also use it for interactive classes and presentations. This opens up new opportunities for learning, professional development and adaptation to civilian life. Supporting veterans is not just a gesture of gratitude, but a real help to those who defended the country. For Grifon, this is a natural extension of the company’s philosophy of “Protection for our own”. Investing in their education and professional growth is an investment in the stable future of Ukraine.
The challenges of adapting to civilian life are becoming more and more urgent as the number of veterans in Ukraine grows. It is important not only to support them physically, but also to help them find themselves in new professions. The Architecture of Resilience Institute provides an opportunity to acquire new skills, improve qualifications, receive legal advice and support in finding employment.
The cooperation between the Kyiv Boxing Federation and the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture opens up new opportunities for the comprehensive development of students. This partnership is a model of how the academic and sports worlds can come together to achieve a common goal. This opinion was expressed by Oleksandr Nehoda, President of the Kyiv Boxing Federation, and Petro Kulikov, Rector of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency in Kyiv on Thursday.
According to Oleksandr Nehoda, the state’s support of Ukrainian athletes at international competitions is insufficient.
“The state and the Ministry (of Youth and Sports – ed.) allocate funds, and there is also support for young athletes through universities, but this is usually not enough. When we were preparing to participate in the European Games, the funding for meals per day per athlete was 410 hryvnias. With such funds, it is impossible to follow a specialized sports diet. Therefore, we (Kyiv Boxing Federation – ed.) had to purchase a significant part of the food on our own. The same applies to other supplies for the athletes,” Nehoda emphasized.
According to the KFB President, the problem of financing high-quality training of athletes requires a systematic approach from both the state and private sponsors and patrons.
In his turn, the rector of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Petro Kulikov, emphasized that his university has created a unique system of support for youth sports and healthy lifestyles, and is improving its sports infrastructure.
“In recent years, KNUBA has hosted several major boxing tournaments among youth and juniors. In addition, we have developed a unique system of cooperation with the Kyiv Boxing Federation and provide premises and training facilities for both accommodation and training of young athletes. To this end, when we opened the stadium, we also opened a hotel with 50 beds to accommodate athletes from different regions of Ukraine,” he said.
Mr. Kulikov also emphasized that cooperation with sports federations should be one of the main areas of development for Ukrainian universities. This is due to both the need to popularize sports and healthy lifestyles among young people and the need to create a strong training base for Ukrainian athletes to participate in international competitions.
“Thanks to our cooperation with federations, sports such as football, basketball and boxing have begun to reach students on a large scale. My fellow rectors and I are doing our best to develop sports in our educational institutions, hold competitions and build sports facilities even in this difficult time,” the rector summarized.
Oleksandr Nehoda added that thanks to Kulikov’s initiative and the existing infrastructure, KNUBA managed to keep many promising boxers in Ukraine, including the Ukrainian youth champion Bohdan Gorgol, who won all his fights ahead of schedule.
“During all of our recent tournaments, we have been proving to both juniors and their parents that the educational and sports facilities created at KNUBA allow not only boxing, but also high-quality higher education, as KNUBA provides preferential admission to students of our boxing school. So, this year 15 of our boys and girls became students. In addition, it is interesting that the leaders of the Kyiv team today are largely from other regions of Ukraine, who, thanks to the KNUBA facilities, can both study and develop in boxing,” Nehoda emphasized.
In his opinion, the development of student boxing is of utmost importance, as this sport is the foundation of both Olympic and professional boxing.
BOXING, KNUBA, KYIV BOXING FEDERATION, SPORTS, ОЛЕКСАНДР_НЕГОДА, ПЕТРО_КУЛІКОВ
Ukraine’s recovery should be based on the development of territorial communities, innovations and the involvement of a professional domestic community, President of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine Artem Honcharenko has said, commenting on the results of the Effective Solutions of Ukraine’s Rebuild (ESUR) forum held in Kyiv.
“The plan for Ukraine’s recovery should include not only the restoration of destroyed facilities, but also the development of united territorial communities, the development of infrastructure. Today, according to estimates, more than $235 billion is already needed for recovery. And this is without taking into account the elimination of the consequences caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. One of the options how to quickly rebuild everything that has been destroyed is to attract investments to Ukraine from international corporations. It is high financial performance that can accelerate our victory and lead to the defeat of the enemy,” Honcharenko said.
As part of the ESUR Forum, panel discussions, master classes and practical trainings were held, where experts from various industries shared their knowledge and experience. The theme of the event included a wide range of issues, including economic recovery, education and healthcare reform, sustainable and green development, technological innovation and much more. Working groups have been established to work on developing specific strategies and recommendations in different areas.
During the forum, the latest domestic developments were demonstrated to speed up the recovery. For example, Reynaers Aluminum CEO Andriy Dudar presented a new Ukrainian-Belgian SUNRISE system solution, developed by graduates of the Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture and Belgian engineers. According to Dudar, more than 1,000 square meters have already been restored thanks to various Reynaers windows and doors systems in public and social infrastructure.
“Reynaers Aluminum resumed its work in Ukraine from April 5, 2022 to continue providing a full range of its services to everyone. The company has developed special system solutions for the renovation and restoration of Ukraine, namely for windows, doors and facades. The main advantages of Reynaers Aluminum include a local warehouse that allows you to have a stock of everything you need to start fulfilling an order, quality control ensures compliance with all standards and a long warranty period – up to 10 years,” said Rodion Losev, head of the Reynaers Aluminum department.
For the active and large-scale implementation of Sunrise during ESUR, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between KNUBA and Reynaers Aluminum in Ukraine.
KNUBA Vice-Rector for Research on Innovative Development Oleksandr Kovalchuk supplemented the example of synergy between a university and a manufacturer with a story about other KNUBA opportunities for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
Another representative of KNUBA, Head of the Department of Environmental Protection and Labor Protection Technologies Tetiana Tkachenko, in her report paid maximum attention to the damage and consequences caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP.
“Green structures represent an energy-efficient biotechnology that can (partially) compensate for the damage from the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and contribute to the stable development of the country by increasing energy efficiency, achieving energy independence, as well as improving the environment and improving health,” Tkachenko said.
Oleksandr Pavlov, Chairman of the Ukraine-Israel Business Council, spoke about the realities of recovery, analyzed the sources of investment and reports on the funds spent. “Ukraine should already be working on improving the investment climate,” Pavlov said.
The ESUR Forum aimed to bring together experts from various industries to jointly develop realistic and feasible strategies for the country’s recovery. The event was a unique opportunity to meet and exchange ideas, as well as build valuable partnerships for further joint work.
This is the first forum in Ukraine on this topic, it opens a series of forums and events in this area, which will be held throughout Ukraine, as well as beyond its borders. The ESUR Forum is open to partnerships with media, bloggers and journalists.
The results and all materials of the forum are presented on the website https://events.org.ua/rezultaty-forumu-esur-15-chervnya-2023/
Club of Experts and open4business – media partner
In March, the University of Łódź hosted an international scientific conference “Between the Reality of War and the Rhetoric of Peace”. The event was held under the patronage of the Voivode of Lodz and the Rector of the University of Lodz. This conference is a part of the Polish-Ukrainian art project aimed at popularizing the works of war artists, holding exhibitions of their works abroad, and publishing books about them as a way of their adaptation in peaceful life after the victory and overcoming the consequences of PTSD.
Aneta Pavlovska, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and History of the University of Lodz, Doctor of Science, Professor, who chaired the conference, emphasized the relevance of the project and spoke about the first such experience, the organization of 7 exhibitions of photographs by Captain Serhiy Belinsky, a press officer of the 28th separate mechanized brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign, a famous musician and art photographer. Two catalogs of his works were published, scientific articles were written, and a monograph on Serhiy’s work in peacetime and wartime is currently being published at the Institute of Art History of the University of Lodz.
The following report was made by Yulia Ivashko, Doctor of Architecture, Professor at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, and press officer Serhiy Belinsky by phone from the Bakhmut direction.
The reports by Anastasia Urakina, a graduate student at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, and Agnieszka Gralinskey-Toborek, a doctoral student and professor at the University of Lodz, were directly related to the events of the war in Ukraine.
Anastasia Urakina presented a program of psychological rehabilitation and art therapy for people affected by the war, developed jointly with the Kyiv think tank “Experts Club“. The program primarily involves group work, which will be led by professional psychologists. Classes will be held at the “Experts Club“.
Anastasia Urakina’s theses on art therapy methods were a continuation of Ms. Agnieszka Gralinskay-Toborek’s discussion on which works of war survivors can be exhibited without harming the person, and which are only part of PTSD treatment.
It is worth noting that for the first time, Polish scholars had the opportunity to ask a Ukrainian artist at war questions live. Aneta Pavlovska asked how it is possible to remain an artist in the face of danger even in war. Serhiy answered that he has been in the army since 2021, he is used to it, his camera is always with him, and it is no less important for him than an information war with the enemy.
Yulia Ivashko showed a presentation of Serhii’s photographs and spoke about future plans to expand the circle of artists at war. The same point was emphasized by the Director of the Institute of Art History, Doctor of Science, Professor Piotr Gryglewski.
There were 18 presentations aimed at highlighting the work of military artists who experienced their own experiences, and the topic of war in art was also covered. Lukasz Sadowski, PhD, from the W. Strzemiński Academy of Arts in Lodz, highlighted the evolution of propaganda in Russian military painting.
Justyna Kobylarczyk and Dominika Kusznierz-Krupa, PhDs, professors at the T. Klczyuszko University of Technology in Krakow, who organized an exhibition Old-New Town at their university, showing Ukrainian cities before and during the war, said that such projects are needed.
Andriy Dmytrenko, PhD in Engineering, Associate Professor of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, highlighted the evolution of artistic messages during the war in Ukraine.
The conference ended with the presentation of the book “And the Light in the Darkness Shines” by Serhiy Belinsky and Yulia Ivashko about the war in Ukraine, published by the Krakow-based Impuls Publishing House.
ANASTASIA_URAKINA, ART, ART THERAPY, CLUB_OF_EXPERTS, CONFERENCE, KNUBA, LODZ_UNIVERSITY, PTSD, SERHIY_BELINSKY, YULIA_IVASHKO, АНЕТА_ПАВЛОВСЬКА
