Projects

GR-MeC aims at transferring technological and innovation findings of the educational and research activities to the society at large. The gained experience is implemented in product’s development in collaboration with our industrial partners or infused into our teaching to inspire and educate the next generation of structural engineers.

Photos and videos in Gallery 

Avançon bridge

Bex, Switzerland, 2012

GFRP-balsa sandwich bridge deck adhesively bonded onto steel girders, replacing rapidly a deteriorated one-lane concrete bridge by a new two-lane bridge without increasing total load.

Ten tables and one

The architects Charlotte Truwant, Fabian Marti and Dries Rodet, in collaboration with Prof. Vassilopoulos, won a competition for a Laboratory Building Installation in Bern Switzerland. The tables are composed of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer / balsa sandwich panels.

Additively manufactured bridge deck

An additively manufactured sandwich composite bridge deck has been developed with Dr. Lucija Stepinac from University of Zagreb, utilizing gyroid building blocks discovering that integrating 3D printing into load-bearing structures through composite “sandwich beam” systems brings significant advantages. 

Composite skates

Composite skates and other sport equipment are designed and manufactured through semester projects and Master thesis showing the potential of composites for various applications and engaging the students attention

Composite meteorological tower

A five meter tall lightweight composite tower for atmospheric measurements in extreme environments, has been conceived and manufactured in the framework of the EPFL Asclepios project. The tower is operational and used every year for the Asclepios analogue missions. 

Tandem composite trike

A carbon fiber tandem trike developed as part of the CIVIL 464 course on Composites Design and Innovation. The project aimed to create an innovative, lightweight, and durable composite tandem trike implementing engineering practice and techniques tought in the class.