CIGR Newsletter No 59

CIGR NEWS

New Member of CIGR

The Inter-State Schools (EIER-ETSHER)

In 2001, CIGR was joined by 14 West-African countries when EIER (École Inter-États d'Ingénieurs de l'Équipement Rural) became a corporate member of CIGR. EIER and the inter-state School of Water and Rural Equipment Technicians (ETSHER: École Inter-États des Techniciens Supérieurs de l'Hydraulique et de l'Équipement Rural), constitute the inter-state Group of Schools.

The two bodies offer advanced and multi-focused professional trainings meeting the social and economic needs of their 14 member States. These member states are represented at the schools' Ministers' Council and the Board of Governors. In addition to their academic output, the schools carry out development activities. Both EIER and ETSHER are located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. To date, nearly 2500 higher technicians, engineers and post-graduates have been trained in this institution and 4500 students have been enrolled in continuous training programs.

The EIER-ETSHER group has numerous partnerships with African, European and international institutions (universities, institutes, networks of research centers, professional unions and consortiums). The Group is technically and financially supported by major development partners: France, Denmark, Switzerland, the Francophonie Organization, WHO, FAO, UNICEF, etc.

Training courses at EIER

The school was created in 1968 to train engineers. Later on it broadened its scope of activities. EIER's specific activities break down as follows :

  1. Agricultural hydraulics
  2. Mobilization of water resources and integrated water resources management
  3. Computing for water science
  4. Sanitary engineering
  5. Energy engineering and industrial refrigeration

Training courses offered by ETSHER

ETSHER was created in 1972 to train upper-scale technicians. It is located in Kamboinse, on the outskirts of Ouagadougou.

High-school graduates holding baccalauréats with science majors are enrolled through direct entry-level tests. Experienced hydraulics technicians are enrolled through professional admission tests. The training course lasts over a 2-year period. Enrolment is limited to 60 trainees. Fields of training are civil engineering, water supply and sanitation, soil and water management and topography.

The schools' joint activities

In addition to their certified training courses, both schools support development research, continuous training, professional engineering training, and technological information and news. These activities help in improving the quality of the schools' academic references by constantly updating the courses offered and enhancing the professionalism of the lecturers.

  1. Support to national and community structures, NGO's as well as consulting offices and businesses
  2. Promotion of novel innovative technologies
  3. Professionalism in the academic methodology and pedagogical contents
  4. Professionalism of the tutors

CFPI collaborates with tutors, research partners and young graduates from EIER and ETSHER who have a competitive edge on the technical and commercial market.

Information and contact :

Groupe des Ecoles EIER-ETSHER; 03 BP 7023 Ouagadougou 03; Burkina Faso; Tel.: (226) 30 20 53; Fax: (226) 31 74 24; E-mail: dir@eier.org / dir@etsher.org; Internet: http://www.eier.org http://www.etsher.org

Philippe Mange

Manager of the Group EIER-ESTHER

NEWS FROM SECTIONS AND WORKING GROUPS

International Conference of CIGR Section IV on "Technical Improvements in Energy Transformation in Agriculture in the
21st Century" in Alexandria
14-17 September 2003

The international cooperation between the German Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL-Braunschweig) and Alexandria University is the basis for a common Section IV Conference, which will be held from 14 to 17 September, 2003, in Alexandria, Egypt. The Conference will deal with „Technical Improvements in Energy Transformation in Agriculture in the 21st Century". This theme will be divided into two sub-topics:

  1. Technical improvements to decrease the use of fossil fuels and public grid electricity in plant and animal production systems. For example: engines with higher efficiency; control systems; energy management; weight reduction; lower energy input in irrigation systems; better heating systems in animal houses; etc.
  2. Technical improvements which can increase the use of renewable energy in husbandry. For example: biomass; animal power; solar electricity; solar heat; wind power; water power; fuel cells for biogas; stirling motor; energy storage in batteries, hydrogen, pump water, air pressure; etc.

Papers on both sub-topics of the conference will be accepted. Full papers expected only in English, German or French. Papers in German or French must have an English summary, and every text and explanation in a drawing and figure must have an English translation.

Deadlines:

Written paper abstract (English) 1 March 2003

Confirmation of paper acceptance 15 March 2003

Final registration 1 June 2003

The conference will be held at the conference hall of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the successor to the ancient library of Alexandria. Accompanying persons can participate in an interesting program in Alexandria, located at the Mediterranean coast and founded by Alexander the Great. Registration fees range from US$ 70 for students to US $ 220 for the full duration of the conference and including technical tour, lunches, etc.

For additional information, contact the conference office: FAL-BB, CIGR.ENERGY, Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany. Alternatively, check the conference homepage www.bb.fal.de/CIGR.ENERGY/ or contact the conference office by E-mail: cigr.energy@fal.de

Report on the International Conference "Energy Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering", 4-6 April 2002, Rousse, Bulgaria

This conference, held at the University of Rousse, Bulgaria, was organised by the Bulgarian National Society of Agricultural Engineers with the support of CIGR Section IV, EurAgEng Special Interest Group 23, the Union of Scientists-Rousse, and the Federation of the Scientific Technical Unions-Rousse.

The main objectives of the Conference were, firstly, to promote the exchange of research results, scientific ideas, and experience with their practical implementation and, secondly, to strengthen personal contacts between scientists, professors and specialists, especially agricultural engineers from south-eastern Europe, as well as from developing countries.

The organizing committee accepted for printing 110 papers turned in by 117 participants from 23 countries. All these papers were printed in the two-volume Proceedings of the Conference in advance of the congress. At the conference itself, participants from 20 countries presented 48 papers in three different thematic sections. There were many guests from different organizations from Bulgaria and from other countries. Some of the participants took part in more than one of the following Sections:

Section One dealt with "Renewable Energy and Advanced Technologies." Moderated by A. Skele, D. Pavlov, M. Martinov, N. Mihailov, 50 authors reported 22 papers. V. Stoyanov acted as Scientific Secretary for this Section.

Section Two, with I. Loukanov, V. Nedeff, V. Craciun, V. Ros as Moderators and D. Bekana as Scientific Secretary, focused on "Machinery design, testing and Energy Saving." It comprised 14 papers presented by 24 authors.

In Section Three, 12 papers by 15 authors approached questions of "Appropriate machanization and technologies in agriculture". The Moderators were Ch. Vezirov, G. Papadakis, R. Ramharter, S. Popescu. Y. Neykov was the Scientific Secretary.

In the Plenary Section, which was chaired by Chavdar Vezirov, 4 papers were presented.

Organising Committee

Report on the Board meeting of CIGR SECTION IV in Rousse, Bulgaria ,
3-7 April 2002

On the occasion of the international conference on "Energy Efficiency and Agricultural Engineering", CIGR-Section IV held a board meeting in Rousse, Bulgaria. The following agenda was adopted:

1 Welcome to New Board Members

2 Adoption of Agenda

3 Information:

3.1 FAO-CIGR Network

3.2 CIGR E-Journal

3.3 XVth CIGR World Congress in Chicago, USA, 2002

3.4 24th Conference of CIGR-Section IV in 2003

3.5 Other Conferences

4 Future Work of Section IV

5 Miscellaneous

6 Next Board Meeting

After welcoming the CIGR participants of the board and some invited guests, the board decided to submit the 20 best papers of the conference to the CIGR E-journal for review. Moreover, all participants of the conference were invited to join the FAO-CIGR network and to attend the XVth CIGR World Congress in Chicago this year. The next board meetings were decided to be held in the following locations: 2003 - Alexandria, Egypt; 2004 - Budapest, Hungary; 2005 - Izmir, Turkey.

The board drafted the following conclusion and recommendations:

1. There is a rise in the importance of renewable energy resources, especially in the agriculture and in rural areas of both developed and developing countries.

2. It is deemed important to survey alternative/renewable energy sources on national and regional levels and to evaluate the possibilities of their practical use, but it will be helpful to harmonize the methods/procedures used in order to facilitate the comparison of results and the formulation of energy polices.

3. An efficient and environmentally sound introduction of renewable energy can be accelerated by establishing a technology transfer from developed to developing countries and by setting up qualified and equipped centers for renewable energy in developed countries. Guidelines and legislation on the appropriate use of renewable energy respecting local conditions and demands will also aid the process.

Prof. Abdellah Ramdani

Chair CIGR-Section IV

NEWS FROM Regional and National Societies

Report on an International Conference on "Drought Mitigation and Prevention of Land Desertification" in Bled,
21-25 April, 2002

This conference was held from 21-25 April, 2002, in Bled, Slovenia. Drought is a complex phenomenon, viewed as a sustained, regionally extensive occurrence of below average natural water availability, either in the form of precipitation, river flow, runoff or groundwater that adversely affects the economy by diminishing, or even destroying agricultural production, livestock, energy generation and domestic and industrial water supply. Drought also leads to the degradation of the environment. In areas plagued by prolonged periods of drought, the process triggers chain reactions that result in soil exposure, erosion, land degradation and, ultimately, desertification. The most significant aspect of desertification is the decline of soil fertility and soil structure and the consequent reduction of the land's carrying capacity for plants, animals and human beings. This leads to widespread poverty, overexploitation and, ultimately, destruction and abandonment of land. In combating desertification priority should be given to preventive measures in drought-prone areas, whose implementation requires the participation of civil society, from local communities to governments along with international organizations.

An International Conference was held on these themes in Bled, Slovenia on 21-25 April, 2002, organized jointly by the European Regional Working Group and the Slovenian National Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), with the scientific support and co-sponsorship, among other frameworks, of CIGR, EurAgEng and ASAE.

At the Opening Session, the Convenor Prof. Brane Maticic, highlighted the scope, goals and aims of the Conference. Six keynote lectures followed the Convenor's address, delivered by B. Schultz (ICID President), M.V.K. Sivakumar (World Meteorological Organization), D. De Wrachien (EurAgEng President Elect), D.A. Wilhite (Director U.S. Drought, Mitigation Centre), L. Vermes (Chairman ICID European Working Team on Drought), S. Szalai (Head of Hungarian Meteorological Service).

In the Topic Sessions, each introduced by a review paper, 106 papers were presented, 72 orally and 34 in poster form.

During the Closing Round Table discussion delegates agreed on the following statements:

The International Conference concluded with a field trip to the irrigation and drainage systems and flood control projects in western Slovenia.

Prof. Brane Maticic, Conference Convenor

Prof. Daniele De Wrachien, EurAgEng President

Report on the
IVth International Symposium "Concrete for a Sustainable Agriculture: Agro-, Aqua- and Community Applications"
in Ghent

The Fourth International Symposium on Concrete for a Sustainable Agriculture, under the auspices of CIGR and EurAgEng, was held in Ghent Belgium from 21-24 April 2002. Ninety participants from 16 countries attended the symposium. Six scientific sessions and a poster session were held on 22 and 23 April whereas 24 April was reserved for technical visits to the experimental farm and Bio-centre Agri-Vet and the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, both belonging to Ghent University, and to a dairy farm with different types of slatted floors and a Rhododendron nursery with prefabricated concrete floor elements.

Below is a report on some of the topics presented during the scientific sessions of the symposium.

Session A: "Concrete structures for animal husbandry, agriculture, horticulture, manure and silage storage".

Presentations illustrated that the degree of reinforcement corrosion of the concrete differs from application to application and from place to place within an application. In manure stores reinforcement is frequently found on beams, slatted floors and secondary light beams systems, but no corrosion was found on walls and rarely on pillars.

We have a good view on the construction costs for manure stores. Costs for the storage of liquid manure range between Euro 25 - 90 per m³ and for construction of a solid manure plate between Euro 40 - 130 per m³ of storage space. The discussion taught us that cost prices of steel and concrete containers differ from country to country (although the euro is now generally used).

As we all know farmers are hard workers who try to do a lot of things themselves, including renovation of their silos. A new surface finisher was presented that may help farmers in the future to renovate flat silos, courtyards and passages in animal houses by installing a second concrete layer. It seems promising and inexpensive.

Floor quality, whether it concerns slatted or solid floors, is very important. Tests on slatted floors by certification bodies provide guarantees to farmers and distinguish good from inferior concrete products. But even with a good initial quality, characteristics of the slatted floors will change with time. Gaps may become wider mainly by damage to slot edges. Referring to new EU directives (e.g. for pigs), large deviations on gap width and beam width will not be tolerated from animal welfare point of view. The development of new types of slatted floors with a longer lifetime will therefore be an important item of future research.

In Session B "Durability, sustainability and quality aspects of concrete in agriculture" 10 papers were presented. The participants were informed about failure in manure stores. In Norway, insurance companies receive about 20-30 claims per year, but in most cases damages are not covered by the insurance. A paper from The Netherlands illustrated the use of life cycle analysis and more specifically the Dutch TWIN model, recently developed by Haas. This model not only takes quantitative but also qualitative aspects (e.g. impact on landscape) into account and different aspects are considered to obtain an overall environmental impact score. The method was demonstrated for the construction of a cubicle house for dairy cows. General lifetime models are also used in Estonia for agricultural buildings. A generalised linear model theory was used for general assessment of corrosion of structures and for estimation of the residual service life. Estimation of residual life necessitates inspection of the current status of the construction elements in the field. Swiss research showed that for slatted floors visual inspection with an endoscope remains necessary. The relation between deflection of beams under low load and the residual load bearing capacity of the element was of only limited reliability.

One important aspect regarding durability of concrete structures is the rate of penetration of aggressive substances into the concrete. This depends largely on the quality of the cover concrete and the presence of cracks. Belgian research resulted in a formula for quantification of the influence of crack width and depth on carbonation and chloride penetration. Small cracks of 0.3 mm width had almost no effect on carbonation, but a large influence on chloride penetration. In barns not only chlorides but also H2S-gas and sulphates may lead to direct concrete degradation or to corrosion of the steel reinforcement. Canadian research on this type of corrosion showed that concrete with silica fume, fly ash or slag performed better than ordinary Portland cement concrete. Leaching of constituents and half-cell potential of steel bars were determined to quantify the degradation. Belgian research focussed on lactic and acetic acid as aggressive agents in agricultural facilities. It was shown that concrete made with rapid hardening blast furnace slag cement (CEM III/A 52.5) has a comparable early age mechanical strength and a much higher resistance to attack by these organic acids than the currently used concrete with Portland cements CEM I 42.5 or CEM I 52.5.

If a change in mix formulation does not suffice to reduce concrete deterioration, coating with synthetic resins may provide a solution. Different products, such as epoxy resin, polyurethane, polymethylmethacrylate and polyester, and their characteristics were discussed by a Belgian company. Another way to protect concrete from degradation by organic acids (e.g. in bunker silos) is the application of a hot rolled asphalt (HRA) screed. Tests performed in the UK showed that bitumen enrichment and the use of a higher percentage of coarse aggregate, result in a better HRA screed. Chemical analysis showed that silage was not affected by a possible leaching of polyaromatic hydrocarbons from the asphalt.

Session C treated "Concrete in relation to general animal welfare and energy savings". In the search for more animal-friendly floors, the assessment of the slip resistance and the mechanical influence of the floor on the animal hoof will be of great importance. The first laboratory experiments using I-scan tactile sensors are already executed in Belgium and Sweden. The method looks very promising, but the results under static as well as under different dynamic situations and different conditions of the floor (wet or dry) still need to be validated. German research showed that the hardness of the claws increased more on improved drier solid floors compared to conventional solid floors.

Not only new and improved designs of floors will prevent claw and leg disorders. We will have to look also into new layouts (concepts) of animal houses. And there, perhaps, we should not start from existing layouts of animal houses, but define the basic behavioural requirements of the animals and create different functional areas (with different types of floors whether or not covered with litter or soft materials. Some examples of floor interface improvements were presented, e.g. soft plastic covered, like those used for slatted floors in beef cattle houses in Ireland.

The keynote paper "Concrete and microorganisms: friend or enemy" highlighted the omnipresence of microorganisms: they are everywhere and the environment decides whether or not they will grow. However, microorganisms are not only responsible for biodeterioration of building materials, they may also be applied for biological repair, because some species are able to form a calcareous coating on the degraded structure. From a Belgian research paper, however, it was clear that microorganisms are still to be considered as enemies in the case of biogenic sulphuric acid degradation in concrete sewer pipes. This paper was presented in session D "Concrete for water and wastewater management". New chemical and microbiological test procedures for investigation of concrete resistance against this type of degradation were presented. It was demonstrated that addition of specific polymers to the concrete mix increased the resistance. Also the optimum polymer concentration was determined. Silica fume addition did not enhance the resistance in this case.

In session E "New developments in material and design" a model was presented, based on the Dutch building codes, for the calculation of precast concrete slatted floor elements designed for traffic loads. A German researcher discussed the design of slatted floors without shear reinforcement. Through design by testing, followed by theoretical calculations, German certificates could be granted for slats without shear reinforcement, provided that welded cross bars are inserted to avoid anchorage failure. However, shear reinforcement is still necessary for slats subjected to traffic loads. A completely different development is the recycling of agricultural and industrial residues in cement-based building materials. Brazilian research proved that vegetable fibres and alternative binders with blast furnace slag and incineration ashes from agricultural residues could be used successfully in cement-based elements for rural construction. A Belgian researcher discussed the durability of a different type of fibres, namely polyvinyl alcohol or PVA fibres, as a replacement for asbestos in fibre-cement products for roofing and cladding. These fibres did not show any substantial degradation in accelerated experiments simulating mid-European climate conditions, or under natural weathering conditions. Another new development was the construction of a Watershell for storage of rainwater under greenhouse floors. Watershell is based on an Italian system of IGLU's, made from recycled polypropylene as formwork, over which concrete is poured. In this way voids are created below ground level, for storing water or for pipes and cables. The IGLU's can also be used for infiltration of rainwater into the soil or for protection of tree roots.

Session F: "Concrete and environment" treated the tightness of concrete and the effects of concrete type on odour emissions and sanitation.

The designer of new floors or new animal house concepts will have to look into environmental protection too. For pigs, there are already a series of Best Available Techniques. For dairy cows and beef cattle, there is still a lot of work to do. The grooved floor is at the moment the only available technique to reduce ammonia emission with 50 %. So, there are still many challenges for researchers as well as for manufacturers of cement and concrete products, to design, to investigate and to improve animal housing equipment.

The contributions to the symposium have given food for new research ideas and the opportunity to share knowledge and to work out new projects together.

The organisers wish to thank the speakers for their presentations and of course all participants for their presence and active participation in the discussions.

De Belie Nele, Dept. of Structural Eng., Ghent University

Sonck Bart, Agricultural Research Centre Ghent, Burgs

 

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