Research project NM/C/05 (Research action NM)
CONTEXT
Agriculture and horticulture are sectors in which constructions have various important functions to fulfil, either for housing people or animals, or for the storage and conservation of raw materials and products. In practice, errors are often made through lack of information and guidance in the field of the application of existing standards, through lack of certification or certified products and guidelines and through lack of supervision. Within the agricultural sector, there is a need to make scientific, industrial, public and private circles aware of the need for standardisation and certification of agricultural building products.
THE PROJECT
One of the major goals in this project is to establish a number of working groups centred on various agricultural building elements with the aim of drawing up practical and useful guidelines for constructing certain agricultural constructions, normative documents, BENOR-certificates for concrete products and aTg-certificates for agricultural building systems.
Promotion of these standards and certificates in the agricultural sector will be realised through a number of activities:
- inventory of the application of standards and certified building products in agriculture and horticulture;
- sensitising manufacturers and building companies in the agricultural sector of the need to apply normative documents and standards and to use certified products;
- publication of the magazine ‘AgriCONSTRUCT’ specially intended for agriculture and horticulture;
- maintenance and expansion of an electronic network on the Internet;
- various promotional activities like the organisation of courses and workshops and participation in agricultural and horticultural shows.
Within the project a service is established acting as a platform to discuss problems related to normalisation and certification of building products intended for the agricultural sector. This platform includes farmers, farmers’ associations, agricultural research, extension services, the agricultural contractors and the Belgian Institute for Normalisation (BIN).
EXPECTED PRODUCTS AND RESULTS
A first normative document for the agricultural sector has been approved by the BIN viz. PTV203 (Technical Directives) for non-traffic bearing slats. Based on this document a standard slatted floor has been designed for pigs and cattle. At the beginning of 2002, the technical directives for wall panels (PTV212) were approved.
The promotion for normalisation is effected by means of concrete actions such as the publication of the quarterly magazine AgriCONSTRUCT, workshops, publications, presentations and lectures, by the presence at agricultural fairs and building shows (Agriflora, Agribex, Concrete Days) and by the website www.clo.fgov.be/agriconstruct. Farmers and growers, contractors and manufacturers of building materials can obtain advice and information from this service about the correct use of construction materials. There is a great demand from the building industry for support and advice in relation to the application and actualisation of the quality label BENOR. On the other hand, many questions are received from agricultural and horticultural circles concerning new constructions and the maintenance and repair of concrete constructions on existing enterprises. We are also aware of the fact that there are still many construction materials (mainly concrete, but also wood, steel and plastics) that are eligible for certification and perhaps normalisation.
SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS
Based on the experience and expertise acquired by the cooperation between research establishments such as the Department of Mechanisation, Labour, Buildings, Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection (CLO-Gent-DVL), the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research of the University of Ghent, the CRIC-FEBELCEM Laboratory in Brussels, the Scientific and Technological Institute of the Building Industry, the Department of Agricultural Engineering and the Faculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences of the University of Leuven this service is ready to realise its goals.
USERS COMMITTEE
- F. Almey (Probeton Brussels)
- D. Thyrion (Agris – Synergie “Le futur aujourd’hui”, sprl – bvba)
- C. Ployaert (Febelcem)
- N. De Belie and J. Monteny (Laboratory Magnel for Concrete Research, University of Ghent)
- E. Dano (Federation of the Belgian Concrete Industry)
- M. Christiaens (Fedagrim)
- B. De Blaere (SECO, Technical control organism for the building industry)
- H. Hautekiet (Fedagrim, Professional Association Group 3: livestock)
- J. Flaba (Federal Ministry of Small Enterprises, Traders and Agriculture)
- R. Vanden Berghen (Febelhout)
- F. Van Eyken (Agoria)
- F. Henderieckx (WTCB)
- P. Coigné (Steel info centre)
- J. Van der Velden (FEBE, Federation of the Belgian Concrete Industry)
PROMOTER
Bart SONCK
Centrum voor Landbouwkundig Onderzoek-Gent
Dpt. Mechanisatie, arbeid, gebouwen, dierenwelzijn en milieubeveiliging
Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115
B-9820 MERELBEKE
Tel: +32 9 272.27.50
Fax: +32 9 272.28.01
E-mail: b.sonck@clo.fgov.be
Promotie van normalisatie en certificatie van bouwproducten in de agrarische sector : eindrapport
Brussel : Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, 2005 (SP1491)
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