São Paulo – This month, a conference in the city of Pirassununga, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, is going to wrap up an exchange program between Brazilians and Africans concerning the use of alternative materials in civil construction. The conference will be held at the unit of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Pirassununga on the 18th and 19th, and its lecturers will include an Algerian, as Algeria was part of the cooperation program. The exchange initiative was carried out under the Pro-Africa program, of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
According to the conference’s coordinator, Holmer Savastano Junior, a professor at the Food Engineering Department of the Animal Husbandry and Food Engineering School at USP Pirassununga, the conference spanned two years and in Brazil, aside from the USP, it also involved the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) in Rio, the Federal University of the State of Paraíba (Ufpb), the Minas Gerais Federal Technological Education Centre (Cetef), the University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV).
Five institutions participated on the African side. As part of the program, Brazilian universities received doctors and professors from South Africa and Tanzania. Brazilian participants in the project also went to Algeria, Senegal and Nigeria to share their experience. On these occasions, information was exchanged on research that has been carried out in each country regarding the use of agricultural and agroindustrial residue in civil construction and what is already done in the field.
At the USP Pirassununga, for instance, Savastano does research on vegetable fibre reinforcement of cement matrixes. Broadly speaking, he studies the use of sisal, coconut, bamboo, and eucalyptus pulp fibre in mortar, concrete, cement, among other products used in civil construction and industrial production. Some Brazilian companies operate in tandem with the university and use eucalyptus fibre, coupled with plastic fibre, to manufacture items for civil construction. Savastano travelled to Nigeria to discuss his work in the field.
According to the USP professor, it was possible to notice during the cooperation effort that each country is at a different stage when it comes to materials. In Algeria, for instance, professor Said Kenai, of the Blida University, does research on cement production using residue, a theme that he will discuss at the conference. At the meeting, by the way, those involved in the exchange program are going to study how they may continue with their work after the program funded by the CNPq has ended.
The conference is mostly geared towards academicians, but businessmen and the general public may also participate. The enrolment fee is 100 Brazilian reals (US$ 60 – general public) and 50 reals (US$ 30 – students) and openings are limited. According to Savastano, 100 to 120 people are expected to attend, mostly academicians.
Service:
Pro-Africa Conference:
Unconventional building materials based on agroindustrial residue
Date: October 18 and 19 (08:00 am and 09:00 pm, respectively)
Place: School of Animal Husbandry and Food Engineering at the University of São Paulo
Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Jardim Elite – Pirassununga – São Paulo – SP
Enrolment: 100 reals (US$ 60 – full ticket) and 50 reals (US$ 30 – students)
Information: pafrica@usp.br or (+55 19) 3565 4153
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
