Long lasting reinforced concrete for energy infrastructure under severe operating conditions
The main goal of the LORCENIS project is to develop long reinforced concrete for energy infrastructures with lifetime extended up to a 100% under extreme operating conditions.  The concept is based on an optimal combination of novel technologies involving customized methodologies for cost-efficient operation. 4 scenarios of severe operating conditions are considered:
1. Concrete infrastructure in deep sea, arctic and subarctic zones: Offshore windmills, gravity based structures, bridge piles and harbours
2. Concrete and mortar under mechanical fatigue in offshore windmills and sea structures
3. Concrete structures in concentrated solar power plants exposed to high temperature thermal fatigue
4. Concrete cooling towers subjected to acid attack
The goal will be realized through the development of multifunctional strategies integrated in concrete formulations and advanced stable bulk concretes from optimized binder technologies.  A multi-scale show case will be realized towards service-life prediction of reinforced concretes in extreme environments to link several model approaches and launch innovation for new software tools.
The durability of sustainable advanced reinforced concrete structures developed will be proven and validated within LORCENIS under severe operating conditions based on the TRL scale, starting from a proof of concept (TRL 3) to technology validation (TRL 5).
LORCENIS is a well-balanced consortium of multidisciplinary experts from 9 universities and research institutes and 7 industries whose 2 are SMEs from 8 countries who will contribute to training by exchange of personnel and joint actions with other European projects and increase the competitiveness and sustainability of European industry by bringing innovative materials and new methods closer to the marked and permitting the establishment of energy infrastructures in areas with harsh climate and environmental conditions at acceptable costs.