Regular dredging of sediments is essential to maintain the required depth of waterways and remove contaminants. Every year, this process generates over a billion cubic meters of dredged material (DM), constituting a major waste management challenge. These materials represent a valuable resource, potentially reusable in the civil engineering and art/design sector to meet the growing demand for raw materials, predicted to triple by 2050.

This multidisciplinary research project aims to assess the use of MD in the construction industry, including design applications, in an integrated way, taking into account the material, environmental and socio-economic implications. It aims to promote the integration of these by-products in the development of sustainable infrastructures and to develop a strategy for adding value to MD. By reusing MDs, this project aims not only to revolutionize waste management and the construction industry, but also to exert a lasting positive impact on society and the environment.