Be prepared for earthquakes

He was already particularly interested in one question during his time in China: "Earthquake resistance is one of the biggest challenges for modern building materials. As seismic events become more frequent, he says, "we also need to analyze all the aspects of autoclaved aerated concrete that potentially can cause problems in our buildings and our building materials and find appropriate solutions. But they must also be up to date in terms of circularity and sustainability."

Miccoli's personal ambition is clear: "I want to contribute to the development of a product that not only meets the financial and environmental requirements, but also offers the best technical solution on the market".

Sharing knowledge

In addition to his passion for good food, Miccoli took something else away from his years abroad.  "I had the opportunity to work with people from different cultures," he says. "I learned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to working life. A kind of multicultural thinking is essential for the best results," he says. His latest project is also based on this approach.

Together with scientists from the Italian universities of Parma and Naples „Federico II“,, he published the article "Autoclaved aerated concrete masonry for energy efficient buildings: state of the art and future developments" in the international journal "Construction and Building Materials" in October 2023. "It was a challenging job," says Miccoli, describing the research, "we collected all the available data and research results on the mechanical and thermal properties of AAC masonry". The effort paid off: "It is a key publication that provides a complete, up-to-date overview of this material."
In the meantime, Lorenzo Miccoli has been assigned to a new task. He takes over responsibility for the fire testing centre in Emstal. He is carring out his research as part of a team to expand the advantages of our non-combustible building materials in the area of fire protection. The results flow directly into national and European standardisation work.

Finally arrived

Despite all the interesting research in Berlin, does he ever suffer from wanderlust? "No," Miccoli answers immediately, "I like traveling abroad but I also look forward to coming home and spending time with my family. Berlin has another ace up its sleeve for me: the beautiful lake landscapes in the surrounding area. "I love sailing," says the Italian.