Biomimicry, a source of inspiration for concrete and the city of the future

Every year, the SNBPE (National Union of Ready-to-Use Concrete) and CIMbéton organize an ideas competition for engineering schools and IUTs in Civil Engineering. For this 7th edition, students are invited to reflect on the theme “biomimicry, a source of inspiration for concrete: conquering the cities of the future”.

Biomimicry, concrete and the urban future

The concept of biomimicry aims to be inspired by nature and living organisms by observing their operation to develop technologies towards greater sobriety, efficiency, economy of resources, respect for the environment and biodiversity. .

Biomimicry should make it possible to exploit knowledge of living things to design new construction materials and imagine new architectural and urban planning solutions, in perfect harmony with current expectations, the needs of future generations and the challenges to be met in the coming decades.

Indispensable due to its physical performance and durability, concrete is a material of choice in the construction industry, knowing how to adjust to the constraints and technical, economic and environmental requirements of designers and builders but also of end users of infrastructure. .

The city is the perfect example to exploit the concept of biomimicry. It must be managed as an ecosystem providing biological functions and offering ecosystem services. It will have to develop and become denser in harmony with nature, offer a pleasant living environment, produce its energy, recover its waste, welcome biodiversity, purify the air and water ...

A competition rewarding the thinking and inventiveness of future engineers

By renewing, for this 7th time, their competition for ideas with engineering schools and IUT Civil Engineering, the SNBPE and CIMbéton reaffirm their commitment to the valorization of concrete and the optimization of construction methods while arousing inventiveness. future professionals in the sector.

Candidates, in teams of 2 to 6 students, are invited to design their file around a double reflection, as desired:

draw up a panorama of innovations exploiting the logic of biomimicry to design concrete-based architectural and town planning projects that bring humans and nature into symbiosis;
imagine innovative, virtuous and realistic construction methods and concrete solutions based on biomimicry that could be developed over the coming decades to create the city of the future.

The projects may cover both new construction and maintenance, repair or restructuring of concrete structures.

The jury, made up of professionals who are members of SNBPE and CIMbéton, as well as representatives of civil engineering education, will endeavor to note the inventiveness of the candidates, their ability to establish a qualitative project responding to a realistic technical base, innovative and environmental, while highlighting the universal dimension of concrete in a logic of the marriage of concrete and biomimicry.

At the end of the jury's deliberations, two winning teams will be appointed, one in the IUT Civil Engineering category, the other for engineering schools. The deadline for submitting applications is September 3, 2021 for a delivery of the Trophies scheduled for the end of September during the Le Pont Colloquium, an essential meeting place for the Civil Engineering sector… subject to sanitary conditions! Beyond a bonus of 1 euros, the winners will benefit from visibility among more than 500 professionals expected at the conference and via the specialized press.

Calendar 2021 *

The 2021 edition of the SNBPE / CIMbéton competition will take place according to this schedule:

March 2021: launch and call for applications
September 3, 2021: Closure of files
September 10, 2021: results announcement
September 28/29, 2021 *: awarding of trophies to the winners during the Le Pont Colloquium (Toulouse)

* Subject to sanitary conditions