en.Wedoany.com Reported - The European Rebar Council (ERC) — an industry alliance of the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium) — has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NEx, An ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials (headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA). The agreement formally recognizes the ERC as an alliance organization of NEx, establishing a framework for both parties to integrate resources and expertise to support the broader application of non-metallic materials in the built environment.

Under the MOU, the ERC and NEx will jointly work to advance the codes, standards, and technical knowledge required for the application of composite reinforcement, while also helping to ensure the manufacturing quality of non-metallic products as well as professional installation, testing, and inspection. Corrosion remains one of the primary threats to the durability of traditional building materials, directly impacting the lifecycle cost, sustainability, and safety of infrastructure. As an alliance organization of NEx, the ERC can guide the development of composite reinforcement standards and codes at the European regional and national levels, and promote cross-regional cooperation between North America, Europe, India, and Asia. This partnership will support the promotion of non-metallic reinforcement solutions in the European construction and infrastructure industry, including through the provision of tools such as modeling solutions applicable to European and other markets.

Envisioned activities under the agreement include: identifying and advancing consensus-based building code development to permit the use of non-metallic materials; providing designers, contractors, and owners with the necessary knowledge to confidently specify composite reinforcement products; identifying technical knowledge gaps and submitting them to relevant standards development organizations. Both parties will also collaborate on research and development of new non-metallic technologies, as well as professional development and course content needed for design and construction professionals to apply proven non-metallic solutions.