Solution for quake-resistant construction
Yesterday, 10 parties presented their innovative solutions for quake-resistant construction to the jury of the New Construction Innovation Scheme after an intensive pre-selection – as many as 4,000 ideas were submitted. QuakeShield, a solution developed by Oosterhof Holman, SealteQ, TU Delft and TU Eindhoven, was also invited to pitch. And with result: together with 7 other parties, QuakeShield received an award from NAM, provided within the New Construction Innovation Scheme. With the amount of € 30,000 the innovation can be further developed.
NAM developed the New Building Innovation Scheme in close cooperation with the Municipality of Loppersum, Economic Board Groningen and the EPI Knowledge Center. The scheme focuses on entrepreneurs, designers and proponents of innovative solutions for quake-resistant housing construction in Northeast Groningen, enabling a wide variety of innovative techniques in earthquake-resistant construction. The scheme increases the perspective for the region. The Economic Board Groningen provides knowledge (business plans, financing), the EPI knowledge center can help conduct applied research and further disseminate knowledge gained, the municipality of Loppersum contributes in the form of a site for innovative building. NAM is providing funding and coordinating the implementation of this new, ongoing scheme for new construction. In addition to new construction, the challenge is to make existing buildings safer. That’s why NAM and entrepreneurs are also actively looking at whether concepts from the design consultation are applicable to both existing construction and newly built homes.
Further development of QuakeShield
The developers of QuakeShield are going to use the amount to further develop the ideas for application in new construction and to carry out the necessary tests for this purpose. This is because the concept is already at an advanced stage for existing construction and has even already been applied. But it is expected that the QuakeShield concept can be integrated directly into the conventional masonry process of new construction. As a result, homes will be built quake-resistant.