DTU

Step into the materials laboratory at DTU – where the concrete of the future is being developed

Building 130 at DTU in Lyngby is a truly special place. There is no other building like it at DTU, because it takes a special building to house the facilities needed to manufacture and test the concrete of the future.

Building 130 houses many different projects. One of these is investigating whether, in the future, it will be possible to replace the most common type of cement in the world, Portland cement, with calcined clay, which is clay that has been fired in a kiln. Photo: Thomas Steen Sørensen.

Wednesday 17 December 2025

Linnea Lundberg

Building 130 was completed back in 2020, and five years later, it is just as impressive and functional as ever. It has high ceilings – a full 10 metres – and space for everything from concrete mixers to enormous concrete elements.

And that space is needed, because it is in these very rooms that students and researchers are investigating the concrete of the future. A material that is the core of almost all buildings in the world and, unlike clay, solidifies rather than dissolves in water.

“Testing is a very important part of developing new building materials, and in this case, concrete. The students spend a lot of time researching the concrete mixtures they produce in their courses. For example, if you want to make concrete for a bridge, it must be able to bear heavy weights, but it must also be able to withstand vibrations,” explains Ole Mejlhede Jensen, professor at DTU Sustain.

Ole Mejlhede Jensen also uses Building 130 when teaching students, as it serves not only as a materials and concrete laboratory but also houses a lecture hall.

“It's a pleasure to be able to go directly from theory to practice in the same building. Students can very quickly try their hand at the equipment and materials that await them when they graduate, and there are also outside companies that test their building elements in the building,” says Ole Mejlhede Jensen.

Facts

About Building 130

  • The building was completed in 2020.
  • It covers approximately 2,000 square metres and cost approximately DKK 130 million, including equipment. 
  • The building is mainly used by DTU Sustain and DTU Construct for research, teaching and scientific advice to ministries and agencies.
  • The building has facilities for studying all building materials, but the focus is on concrete.
The large red concrete mixers are used a lot by both researchers and students. Photo: Thomas Steen Sørensen.

A huge upgrade

Before Building 130 opened its doors, DTU had a much smaller concrete laboratory, so this is a huge upgrade, especially for the students.

“Building 130 has so much space that researchers and students can easily have many projects going on at the same time. This makes it much easier to conduct good research and create good, solid student projects. And the more projects that are underway, the more knowledge can be shared along the way,” explains Ole Mejlhede Jensen.

The inspiration for the interior design of the building was drawn from the Netherlands, specifically the technical university TU Delft, but also from the research centre of the world's largest cement manufacturer, Holcim.

“We have drawn inspiration from the very best in our field, both in terms of technical universities and industry. And that means we have a building that really delivers today. The possibilities are endless, and I would almost go so far as to say that only our imagination sets the limits for our student and research projects,” says Ole Mejlhede Jensen.

Building 130 thus provides the best possible surroundings for developing and testing the concrete of the future, a concrete that is more sustainable and more recyclable than the concrete typically used in construction today.

“Concrete is a fantastic and indispensable material in the construction industry today, and because it is used in enormous quantities, there is a great need to further develop it so that it can be used in the buildings of the future with the least possible environmental impact. And that is exactly what we can and do in Building 130,” explains Ole Mejlhede Jensen. 

Building 130 features a high ceiling and ample floor space. Photo: Thomas Steen Sørensen.

Contact

Ole Mejlhede Jensen

Ole Mejlhede Jensen Professor Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering Phone: +45 45251863