Campus News

UK Concrete Technology Licensed by Minova

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 5, 2012) — A technology developed at the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research and Minova’s North American headquarters in Georgetown, Ky., has been licensed by Minova for a new high-strength, ultra-quick setting concrete product.  The product, trademarked as Tekcrete Fast and Tekcrete Fast M, will be used by the mining industry and civil engineers to immediately stabilize damaged infrastructure.

The Tekcrete Fast technology is unique and allows a fiber-reinforced, high-strength, ultra-rapid setting concrete to be applied for almost immediate stabilization of damaged infrastructure,” said Peter Mills, technology leader at Minova. It uses the construction technique called shotcrete and is applied at high velocity that also facilitates adherence. A slightly different formulation, Tekcrete Fast M, is used in underground applications to almost instantly stabilize dangerous mining conditions, contributing to mine safety and potentially saving lives.

“This is a great example of bringing University of Kentucky research and transformational technology to the marketplace,” said UK President Eli Capilouto. “Collaborations with leading businesses such as Minova are very important to UK and the Commonwealth in fulfilling our Kentucky Promise as the state’s land-grant institution.”

Minova North America is a part of Minova International, a global leader offering mechanical, structural and chemical based solutions for underground mining, infrastructure, tunneling and civil engineering applications. According to Minova North America President and CEO Jim Earl, “Collaborations such as this are important platforms for translating technologies from the laboratory bench to the marketplace.”

The research and joint patent leading to the Minova license began in 2009 when the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) partnered with Minova on a project for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science & Technology Directorate (DHS). This ongoing development and deployment project for the structural stabilization of shock damaged structures is managed by the National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) in Somerset, Ky.

According to CAER associate director for Environmental & Coal Technologies, Tom Robl, it made perfect sense to bring Minova to the table for the DHS/NIHS project. “We have a long term working relationship with Minova and their technology leader Peter Mills,” Robl said. “This has been an important and productive partnership for CAER and we believe there is even more potential for collaborative R&D projects in the future.”

        

MEDIA CONTACT:  Carl Nathe, carl.nathe@uky.edu; (859) 257-3200