ReSHEALience · Project

Super-Durable Concrete That Cuts Coastal Infrastructure Maintenance Costs by Half

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Imagine concrete that can shrug off saltwater and harsh chemicals the way a raincoat sheds water. Right now, marine structures like harbors, sea walls, and energy plants near the coast crumble fast because salt and chemicals eat through regular concrete — costing billions in repairs every year. This team created a new type of ultra-tough concrete reinforced with tiny fibers that lasts dramatically longer, even in the nastiest conditions. They tested it on six real structures, including a water tower in Malta, proving it works outside the lab.

By the numbers

100%

targeted enhancement in material durability

50%

targeted long-term reduction in maintenance costs

30%

targeted increase in service life

30%

validated enhancement in durability in real conditions

95%

confidence level in Life Cycle Analysis and durability assessment

75%

accuracy target for ageing and degradation prediction model

full-scale proofs-of-concept in real conditions

consortium partners across 8 countries

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Coastal and marine concrete structures — ports, sea walls, energy plant foundations — deteriorate fast under constant exposure to saltwater and aggressive chemicals. This leads to billions of euros spent annually on repairs, shortened infrastructure lifespans, and unexpected downtime. Operators face a painful cycle of patch-and-repair that never ends, because standard concrete simply was not built to survive these extreme conditions long-term.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) with fiber reinforcement, a Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology for predicting long-term structural performance, and validated both through six full-scale proofs-of-concept including a water tower retrofit in Malta with integrated monitoring systems. They also produced 25 deliverables including business plans for each industrial partner.

Audience

Who needs this

Port authorities and harbor operators managing saltwater-exposed infrastructureGeothermal and biomass energy plant operators with chemically aggressive environmentsMarine and coastal construction contractors bidding on durability-critical projectsInfrastructure asset managers responsible for bridges, sea walls, and coastal defensesConcrete producers and ready-mix companies looking to offer premium durability products

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Port and coastal infrastructure

enterprise

Target: Port authorities and marine construction firms

If you are a port authority or coastal construction company dealing with constant repair bills from saltwater corrosion eating through your concrete structures — this project developed Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) that targets a 30% increase in service life and a 50% reduction in long-term maintenance costs. They validated performance through six full-scale proofs-of-concept in real marine conditions, including a retrofitted water tower in Malta.

Renewable energy infrastructure

mid-size

Target: Geothermal and biomass energy plant operators

If you are an energy company running geothermal or biomass plants where aggressive chemical exposure destroys concrete components faster than planned — this project built concrete with 100% enhanced material durability designed specifically for extremely aggressive exposures like chemical attack. The Durability Assessment-based Design methodology lets you predict long-term structure performance with 95% confidence before you pour a single cubic meter.

Civil engineering and repair services

SME

Target: Structural repair and retrofitting contractors

If you are a construction firm specializing in structural repair and see growing demand for coastal retrofitting — this project delivered a proven UHDC retrofitting method tested on a real reinforced concrete water tower in Malta, with integrated monitoring for short-term and long-term performance tracking. The material showed at least 30% enhancement in durability for both repaired and new elements in real conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to switch to this ultra-durable concrete?

The project data does not include specific material pricing. However, the objective states a target of 50% reduction in long-term maintenance costs, which means higher upfront material cost is designed to be offset by dramatically lower repair spending over the structure's lifetime. Each industrial partner developed a business plan analyzing market niches for exploitation.

Can this be produced at industrial scale, or is it still a lab material?

This has moved well beyond the lab. The consortium tested UHDC in six full-scale proofs-of-concept in real service conditions. The Malta water tower retrofitting pilot included actual construction, monitoring, and validation phases. With 11 industrial partners (61% of the consortium), scale-up capability is built into the team.

Who owns the IP, and can I license this technology?

The consortium of 18 partners across 8 countries jointly developed this under an EU Research and Innovation Action. IP arrangements would be governed by the consortium agreement. The coordinator is Politecnico di Milano (Italy). Each industrial partner created a business plan for exploiting the results in their market segments.

Does this meet current building codes and standards?

The project developed a specific Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology and targeted Life Cycle Analysis with 95% confidence level. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned, but the DAD methodology was designed to support structural design decisions for real infrastructure projects.

How long has this been tested in real conditions?

The project ran from January 2018 to March 2022 — over four years. Six full-scale proofs-of-concept were monitored in real service conditions. The Malta water tower pilot included both short-term and long-term monitoring with integrated data collection and processing systems.

Can this concrete be used with existing construction equipment and methods?

The Malta pilot deliverable describes standard construction and implementation processes for retrofitting existing reinforced concrete structures. The UHDC is an upgrade of Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete, which means it builds on established fiber-reinforced concrete practices rather than requiring entirely new construction methods.

What aggressive environments was this specifically tested against?

The UHDC was designed and tested for what the project calls Extremely Aggressive Exposures: XS (chloride-induced corrosion, typical of marine environments) and XA (chemical attack, typical of energy plants). These are the harshest exposure classes in concrete engineering, covering saltwater, de-icing salts, and industrial chemicals.

Consortium

Who built it

The ReSHEALience consortium is unusually industry-heavy for a research project: 11 out of 18 partners (61%) are from industry, including 8 SMEs. This signals serious commercialization intent. The team spans 8 countries (Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta), with Politecnico di Milano coordinating alongside 5 universities and 2 research organizations providing the scientific backbone. The mix of construction SMEs and large industrial players means the technology was developed with real-world manufacturing and application constraints in mind from the start, and each industrial partner created their own business plan for bringing results to market.

POLITECNICO DI MILANOCoordinator · IT
OSAUHING ANF DEVELOPMENTparticipant · EE
API EUROPE MONOPROSOPI ETAIREIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHINIS YPIRESION EREVNAS KAI MELETIS STIN VIOTECHNOLOGIAparticipant · EL
BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEVparticipant · IL
RINA CONSULTING SPAthirdparty · IT
ENEL GREEN POWER SPAparticipant · IT
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
SVILUPPO TECNOLOGIE E RICERCA PER L'EDILIZIA SISMICAMENTE SICURA ED ECOSOSTENIBILE SCARLparticipant · IT
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CONCRETES SOCIEDAD LIMITADAparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA TA MALTAparticipant · MT
ENEROCEAN SLthirdparty · ES
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIAparticipant · ES
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Politecnico di Milano (Italy). SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See POLITECNICO DI MILANO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how UHDC could cut your coastal infrastructure maintenance costs? Contact SciTransfer for a tailored briefing connecting you with the right consortium partners.

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