Project partner: Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute

About ZAG

ZAG is the leading Slovenian Institute in the field of building and civil engineering. Through high-quality work, it successfully promotes progress-orientated Slovenian applied science and technical expertise on a global scale. This year we celebrate our 75th anniversary. The organization is widely recognized both in Slovenia and in other countries by means of its experts, top-class equipment, and multi-disciplinary work, including life cycle analyses of different construction materials.

In terms of content and status, the scientific and R&D work are ZAG’s key activities. They are mainly carried out in an area which is, in economic terms, among the most important ones. The construction industry in the EU provides 18 million jobs and generates around 9% of the GDP. This number is even significantly higher if we include the associated activities In Slovenia, its share has dropped in recent years to approximately 5% of its GDP, meaning that there is plenty of room for development. ZAG mostly performs applied research and most of it involves close cooperation with R&D departments from the industry. At the same time, we maintain close contact with the latest scientific findings in many fields, which has resulted in publications in major international journals. Most of the research is part of international projects, mainly under the various mechanisms of the Horizon 2020 programme, which proves their scientific importance in the broader sense. We are currently involved in around 80 research projects, two-thirds of which are international.

Buildings and civil engineering structures must meet the prescribed requirements in accordance with the European Construction Products Directive. They must also be energy-efficient and must retain heat. Lately, construction works must also meet the requirements regarding the sustainable use of natural resources throughout their life cycle from construction to disposal. In order to meet the above conditions, we must know or develop technological solutions and calculation methods that allow to verify compliance with these requirements. As a result, our research focuses primarily on the following areas:

•      safety and stability of structures, including the prevention of the effects of aging;

·       infrastructure, extreme events such as earthquakes and climate change;

•      sustainability of construction works from the environment, circular economy;

·       LCA (life cycle assessment) and construction errors perspectives;

•      energy efficiency of buildings, considering health impacts, in particular the appropriate use of new materials and technologies.

Special attention is paid to facilities with specific requirements such as transport and energy infrastructure, landfills, including those for radioactive waste, and cultural heritage sites. We are increasingly focusing on digitalization and industry, as we are aware that without them the development of a wider field of construction is no longer possible.

The second key area, which accounts for roughly one-half of the Institute's activity, is professional activities and attestation of the conformity of construction products and executed works. When it comes to the broader area of construction, we prepare technical opinions and analyses as well as perform studies, examinations, measurements, controls, observations, investigation-supported detailed inspections and analyses of buildings and civil engineering structures, transport facilities, and traffic infrastructure. We are involved in projects related to the major national road, rail, energy, and utility infrastructure. The results of these activities are largely dependent on, and complementary to, the results of scientific research activities.

In parallel with professional activities, we certify construction products and issue technical assessments and approvals and perform external independent third-party control.

 Role of ZAG in Safety4TMF

ZAG will prepare its own partner-level reports, which will be reviewed by the national FLC. These reports will feed into the LP's project-level reports. ZAG will appoint one member to represent the organization in the project's SCOM.

In addition to project management tasks, ZAG will fulfil its partner-level responsibilities for communication and dissemination as outlined in the project's Communication Plan. It will regularly update the dedicated section on its website related to the project.

Regarding its thematic activities, in SO1 ZAG will participate in analysis on local, regional, national and macro-regional legislation, strategies and action plans in the DRB. It will also carry out stakeholder mapping and policy recommendations, sharing these tasks with the other SI partner, PP12 UNILJUB.

They will also work together to set up and operate a Stakeholder Roundtable, inviting relevant interest groups (public authorities, counties, municipalities, NGOs, etc.) into its activities. In A.1.2. ZAG will provide information for the comprehensive baseline study on TMFs, as well as the inventory database and the transboundary risk map, utilising its experience in tailings monitoring.

In SO2 ZAG will support UNILJUB to review and improve national and local training and capacity building programmes on TMF-related disaster management. ZAG will a key role in updating the national procedures for disaster management. It will also organise online baseline workshops, as well as the onsite practical exercises to test the updated Standard Operating Procedures.

ZAG will coordinate the pilot actions under SO3 A.3.2 "Improving monitoring of TMFs", and (together with UNILJUB and VIACARP) will carry out a pilot action, developing current practices of monitoring movements of the mining tailings in Slovenia and upgrading the system with state-of-the-art monitoring and analysis procedures.

It will also take part in (and organise) transnational peer-reviews linked to the pilot actions, and provide inputs for the case study on the solutions tested.

Throughout the 2,5 years of project implementation ZAG will closely cooperate with the other Slovenian PP (UNILJUB), as well as various stakeholders.