Based in France, the ESITC Caen laboratory develops relationships with companies, professionals and academic bodies in the construction sector, particularly in the field of sustainable construction and eco-materials.
Through its themes (Materials Engineering, Environmental Geotechnics, Energy and Environment, and Marine Infrastructures), the laboratory meets the needs of companies and professional collaborations throughout their project with materials and eco-materials of construction: characterization of materials (mechanical, geotechnical, microstructural), formulation of concrete and materials based on hydraulic binders, recovery and recycling of industrial and agricultural co-products, geotechnical engineering, and environmental impact (LCA). A thesis is underway on earth-fiber materials to develop sustainable materials with optimized mechanical, thermal and acoustic performance and their implementation in the field.
http://www.esitc-caen.fr
The University of Southampton, UK, has consistently ranked in the top 30 universities of the UK university league table. Their dedicated Ocean and Earth Science campus, the National Oceanography Centre on the Southampton shore front, is a world leader in its field of research and teaching. The Marine Biology and Environment Research Group (GRBME) has extensive expertise in natural habitats and artificial, fishing and the physiology of shellfish.
The University of Southampton is the Marineff project lead for work package T1, focusing on the development of concrete-based oyster restoration units.
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/
https://www.noc.ac.uk/
Ports of Normandy, based in France, owns and manages the ports of Caen-Ouistreham-Dieppe and Cherbourg to serve the economic development of their territory. Its role is to manage and develop the port area, to guarantee the safety of nautical access and to define a sustainable development policy.
PNA represent the maritime industry and will be instrumental in providing the Marineff project with professional support and advice regarding the development of the ecological enhancement units. They will also be providing access to deployment sites within their territory.
http://www.pna-ports.fr/web/home.html
UK based Bournemouth University’s Life and Environmental Science department has considerable experience in marine biology, including biodiversity, ecology and ecological improvement of marine and coastal infrastructure. Bournemouth University is also involved in many regional and national initiatives that highlight the coastal environment, particularly in Dorset, on the Isle of Wight, and the Solent Estuary.
BU will be facilitating the artificial rockpools of work package T2 with subcontractors Artecology, and the creation of a stakeholder network and quarterly Marineff newsletter with work package T3.
https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/
https://www.artecology.space/
The Falmouth based College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at the University of Exeter, UK, has expertise in the characterization of the microstructure and mineralogy of building materials, as well as the changes they undergo when interacting with seawater and biological organisms. The academic staff included in this project are also experts in mineralogy and geochemistry, the marine environment and the geotechnical stability of materials. The team at the University of Exeter will make full use of their modern laboratory, including scanning electron microscopes and state-of-the-art QEMSCAN facility.
UE will be assisting with work packages T1 and T2,analysing the evolution of concrete prototypes following immersion in the sea and optimising the ecological enhancement units.
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/
University of Caen-Normandy, France, is a higher education institute and a member of the regional Normandy University group.
The 3 research units involved in the project (UMR BOREA, UMR M2C, EA LUSAC) have complementary expertise in different fields such as marine biology, marine ecophysiology, marine ecology, and materials science. BOREA and M2C researchers have a great deal of experience in the study of native ecosystems within the Channel area.
These expertise will inform the design of the ecological enhancement units to ensure their use by marine species. Their team will also be responsible for monitoring the ecological enhancement units deployed off the coast of France.
The National Museum of Natural History’s Coastal Systems Research and Education Centre (CRESCO) based in Dinard, France, has over a century of marine research experience. It has an extensive history in biodiversity monitoring and marine ecology of coastal areas, particularly on the French coast. The scientific team is composed of specialists in fish biodiversity, biology and ecology and sessile benthic assemblages. Their well equipped research station has use of 2 vessels, benthic chambers and qualified divers.
MNHN CRESCO will facilitate the deployment of ecologically enhanced boat moorings, and develop monitoring protocol for them for the duration of the project.
https://www.mnhn.fr/fr/recherche-expertise/stations-marines/station-biologie-marine-dinard-cresco
TPC, a subsidiary of VINCI Construction France, is a major player in construction in the Manche department. Based in Tourlaville, TPC is active in civil engineering, building and networks, as well as in marine and port works and earthworks. TPC is also specialized in the field of asbestos removal, demolition and project management on nuclear sites. Thanks to the skills of its employees and the diversity of its know-how, TPC accompanies its customers from the design to the maintenance, through the assembly and the realization of all types of projects.
Within VINCI Construction, VINCI Construction Maritime et Fluvial is the French leader in maritime and river works. The know-how of its 600 employees enables it to provide innovative and high-performance solutions for all types of works on and under water or on land. With its own fleet of equipment, VINCI Construction Maritime et Fluvial operates in France and abroad in the fields of dredging, ramming, river and marine civil engineering, underwater works and environmental engineering.
https://www.vinci-construction-maritime-fluvial.fr/en/home.html
