The tallest wooden residential building in Barcelona, versatile hospital spaces built in Catalonia during the pandemic, and a sensor system that alerts about concrete corrosion have been selected in the TOP3 of Construmat.
With the aim of showcasing innovation in the construction sector, Construmat has created the TOP3 program, through which it has selected three initiatives that have stood out for their uniqueness in the fields of sustainability, industrialization, and digitization. These initiatives will be part of the Construmat congress program, where they will have the opportunity to present the details of their projects, the applied solutions, and the results achieved.
In the sustainability category, the Pallars building has been selected. It is a 7-story wooden residential block currently under construction in the Besòs i Maresme neighborhood of Barcelona. It consists of 42 social rental homes promoted by the Municipal Housing Institute, where techniques are applied to reduce environmental impact and construction time, using industrialized wood from sustainable forests and predominantly prefabricated components.
The Pandemic as a Construction Challenge
The 5 temporary hospital extensions promoted by the Catalan Health Service during the pandemic, which allowed for an increase in medical care capacity by 490 beds, have been recognized in the industrialization theme.
In just 20 weeks, between September 2020 and February 2021, using offsite and modular construction solutions, 5 new annex spaces were built adjacent to the University Hospital of Bellvitge, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili Hospital, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova in Lleida, Moisés Broggi Hospital, and Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona.
Intelligent Sensing
Lastly, the project distinguished in the field of digitization is Corrochip, an intelligent monitoring system for strategic concrete infrastructure developed by Witeklab in collaboration with partners such as SOCOTEC. It has already been installed in port facilities, waterways, highways, among others.
Through sensors embedded in the concrete, this technology acts as a sentinel, detecting the onset of corrosion and providing real-time monitoring of the state of steel reinforcements. This enables the analysis of deterioration with a high degree of reliability, allows anticipation of situations that compromise the integrity of the structure, extends its lifespan, reduces maintenance costs, and ensures its safety.
The TOP3 program is part of the activities of Construmat, which will celebrate its 22nd edition from May 23rd to 25th, with a focus on sustainability and the participation of more than 180 companies and 300 brands offering their latest products and services for a more environmentally friendly construction.
