Hydro built the infrastructure for the Construction Technology Laboratory (LABTEC, in Portuguese) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), which carries out research for the production of low carbon cement. This is the first laboratory of its kind in the state. The investment in construction is part of the company's technical and scientific cooperation agreement with UFPA. With this new structure, LABTEC aims to become a reference in the development of sustainable building materials in the region. The construction of the LABTEC facilities involved an investment of approximately BRL 460,000 and took approximately seven months. The laboratory has already been used for six master's dissertations and four doctoral and six other master's dissertations are in progress at the site.

“Today, LABTEC has an appropriate laboratory infrastructure for teaching Architecture and Civil Engineering, professional qualification and training and the development of research activities. The work of LABTEC brings in its essence the training of human resources from the perspective of a construction with a lower carbon footprint and energy efficiency, making optimal use of natural resources and the search for the use of waste generated from the inherent mining activity in the State. LABTEC integrates research associated with Incorporated Energy (materials) and Operational Energy (thermoenergetic performance of the building), which will allow for a faster, more consistent and more complete response to the productive sector and society", says Professor Márcio Barata, coordinator of the LABTEC.

LABTEC has 60 pieces of equipment for studies on cement, concrete, mortar, soil and environmental tests. Among them are an isothermal calorimeter, Blaine permeabilimeter and Vicat apparatus automated in the laboratory. These materials are used in research and development of low carbon cement from bauxite residue. In addition, there is a controlled servo-hydraulic press, which is used for studies on mortars and cements; a climatic chamber, used in studies that require controlled conditions of temperature and humidity; carbonation chamber to evaluate the durability of concrete and mortar; set of Permeameters for environmental analysis of soil contamination, in addition to ovens and mills. The laboratory also has equipment that assesses the Potential of Corrosion and of Alkali-aggregate Reactivity and Shrinkage, which are used to test the durability of concrete and mortar.

“The projects that are part of the agreement with UFPA to carry out different lines of research are also a way of promoting sustainable development in the state. This laboratory is a pioneer in Pará and can contribute to the adoption of more sustainable construction methods in the region. It is a source of pride and satisfaction to support another successful UFPA initiative”, says Marcelo Montini, senior chemical consultant at Hydro.

LABTEC was created in 2018, from the initiative of a multidisciplinary body of professionals in engineering, architecture and exact and natural sciences, with the objective of being a center of excellence in teaching, research and extension, aimed at the sustainable technological development of the Environment. Built in the Amazon. The laboratory is part of the Faculty and the Graduate Program of Architecture and Urbanism. The site is available for researchers from other universities to visit.