Awards

Nomination for the research project “Zero Debris Concrete”, 4th finalist out of over 90 nominees!

Here is the jury statement for the nomination: After all, this project is about designing a concrete wall, against which a 38-ton semi-trailer truck can crash, so that it does not come into the opposite lane and at the same time the concrete does not break into a thousand pieces then cause even more damage on their part. This project takes care of that tough concrete and the right partners work together here: the academic research by the Vienna University of Technology, applied Research by CEST, the competence center for electrochemical surface technology in Vienna Neustadt, not least DELTA BLOC International Sollenau, a truly international company that specializes in protective walls of all kinds, with employees and staff who speak 16 languages ​​and operate on three continents.

The Austrian Sustainability Award is a joint initiative of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) and the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW) and has been launched to raise awareness about the ongoing sustainability activities at the Austrian universities.

Dr. Ildiko Merta has been intensively researching a new generation of energy-efficient cement-based building materials with increased environmental compatibility and good recyclability rate at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at TU Wien. Her research and development work on novel natural fiber reinforced concretes was awarded in the category for research with this prize.
These types of concretes are usually made with expensive and environmentally harmful steel or plastic reinforcement. Her work proves that substituting those with organic and locally available fibers such as hemp, cellulose, flax or nettle is not only possible, but also enhances the performance of the material. Natural fibre concretes show excellent mechanical properties such as energy absorption capacity and crack resistance and can be used in various application areas in construction.

As part of the Genderfair project at TU Wien, BAWAG P.S.K. conferred for the first time the BAWAG P.S.K. Award for women. The award was given to Dr. ldiko Merta.

This award pays tribute to women who have become role models due to their achievements and contributions in their professional environment. It also aims to inspire other women especially from the fields of science, journalism and art and to raise awareness about the importance of social commitment, intercultural understanding and the creation of equal opportunities for women and men.

„It is a great honor and pleasure for me to receive this award! It is of great importance to me, because it is a public appreciation and recognition of my scientific work and commitment. I warmly welcome this initiative and am delighted that the first BAWAG PSK Women’s Prize in the field of technical sciences has been conferred. In this area in particular, the proportion of women is still severely underrepresented and gender clichés are unfortunately still relevant. This award gives a strong impulse to recognizing female role models and to changing the stereotypical image of the engineering profession as a mostly male domain„, says Dr. Merta.

With the “Hertha Firnberg”, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) supports excellently qualified female scientists in the beginning of their academic careers. Dr. Ildiko Merta is the first female scientist at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at TU Wien to receive this fellowship.

Even the toughest concrete samples break when tested in Dr. Merta’s laboratory. At the Institute of Structural Engineering at TU Wien, she devotes her research work to new types of concrete reinforced with plant-fibers. Her work was fully funded by the FWF’s Hertha Firnberg program between 2012 and 2017. „It has already been shown in the past that women can make a big career jump through the FWF programs,“ she says.