Virtually every important monument in the Netherlands contains a substantial amount of natural stone. Conserving those monuments is not only of national interest from both a historical and cultural perspective, but also economically. Just think about the importance of tourism to old town centres.

Conservation of monuments therefore means the conservation and replacement of natural stone. The knowledge required for this really is multidisciplinary. A task that TNO is perfectly cut out for, combining knowledge of the field (quarries and construction), microscopic assessment and testing durability (resistance to frost, salt crystallisation, etc.).

In recent years TNO has responded to requests from various restoration architects and owners for advise on the selection, durability, conservation and cleaning of natural stone. Projects involiving TNO include the restoration of the tower of the Eusebius in Arhem, the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the mausoleum of admiral Tromp in the the Old Church in Delft and the tower of the Dom in Utrecht.

But TNO does more than large-scale research into natural stone, performing expertise and damage analyses for practical problems, such as discolouration of natural stone, in new buildings.

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7 resultaten, getoond 1 t/m 5

Pioneering sustainable concrete

Informatietype:
Article

Meet MIMO: our new approach to sustainable concrete with (re)use of secondary raw materials. Read what this means for the concrete sector.

How ‘smart thermochromic glass’ saves energy in homes

Informatietype:
Insight
9 March 2021
TNO-expert Eugene Veerkamp answers 6 questions on thermochromic coatings, including how they are able to switch between blocking heat and allowing it to pass. Read more!

Making homes sustainable: knowledge breakthroughs and new opportunities thanks to AI

Informatietype:
Insight
8 March 2021
The process of making homes sustainable is taking too long. How can we accelerate that process? Using artificial data, we are able to work in a more targeted manner.

Boosting affordable housing with cementless blocks

Informatietype:
News
9 September 2020

The market demand for construction materials is tremendous in developing countries due to a growing population. To tackle the disadvantages of hollow concrete blocks and burnt bricks Oskam , LEVS and TNO are developing a new kind of cementless compressed earth block for housing. These innovative blocks only require local resources and no cement.

License agreement on innovative cool bricks in Malawi

Informatietype:
News
9 September 2020

TNO and Terrastone ltd – a major construction firm in Malawi – signed a license agreement to kick off the production of cold ceramic bricks. TNO developed these strong, red ‘cool bricks’, which can be manufactured without firing. Terrastone will launch this innovative product in Malawi. The cool bricks will decrease deforestation, boost the sustainable brick sector and will create employment for most vulnerable groups.