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A novel composite matrix composed of Portland cement (PC) and municipal solid waste incineration ash (MSWIA) was developed for the simultaneous immobilization of three heavy metals - Ba, Pb and Zn. The main motivation for the research was to exploit and reuse MSWIA to design alternative composite matrix with the ability to immobilize hazardous pollutants, such as heavy metals, which might be used as filler for the cement-based construction materials. In composition of prepared composite matrix, MSWIA was used as a...

This paper is structured in two directions. The first one presents issues related to technical losses within a construction project. The second one analyzes the integration of technical losses resulting from building materials in a circular economy, as they occur from 2 projects. Each project assesses costs and specific situations for each type of material based on the profile of each presented project. Benefits of technical losses management from building materials and waste are identified as they can be engaged ...

The incorporation of natural fibres as reinforcement of concrete is attractive from a sustainable perspective. In fact, natural fibres improve the deformation capacity and increase the ductility of concrete. In addition, natural fibres are lightweight, renewable, less expensive than man-made fibres and locally abundant. However, in order to determine their use in different concrete applications, it is necessary to know the impact on the mechanical properties and the benefits that can be obtained by incorporating t...

This paper focuses on the experimental testing of hydrated lime-, natural hydraulic lime-, and lime-cement-based mortars with improved salt accumulation capacity. Moreover, the effect of varying content of non-hydrophobised expanded perlite (EP) in the mortars on their durability was investigated. The substation of silica sand by expanded perlite was 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by volume. A modified method based on the adsorption of free salt ions from solution was used to measure the chloride binding isotherms. The sa...

Environmental pollution from polymer waste is one of the severe ecological problems. As of today, each day, approximately eight million pieces of plastic waste reach the ocean, where they are transformed into microplastics (small particles). Organisms in the sea are eating microplastics. The harmful effects of garbage ultimately affect humans. Due to the magnitude of the problem, the demand for biodegradable, eco-friendly materials, which will decompose after the operational period and will not pollute the environ...

Green building materials are gaining attention for achieving carbon neutrality in civil engineering. To reduce CO2 emissions from cement, using low-cement or cement-free materials with local supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) is promising. Blended cements with SCMs enhance long-term strength, but low-clinker blends often have low early strength. To address this, understanding the hydration of ordinary Portland cement is crucial. While C3S has been studied, the role of C3A, the most reactive component of c...

In this study, magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) mortars reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene were prepared and analyzed. The lower CO2 footprint of MOC in comparison with the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) predestines MOC-based materials to be an environmentally sustainable alternative to OPC. However, the wider spread of MOC is hindered by its low water resistance. The combined influence of MWCNT and graphene as 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials on properties of MOC morta...

With the development of concrete technology, the polypropylene fibers have been extensively used in concrete structures for property and durability enhancement. The polypropylene fibers have significantly low cost compared to steel, the use of macro polypropylene fiber could achieve a similar level of reinforcement in concrete at a half price of using steel. The article focuses on the influence of polypropylene fibres of concrete properities. The aim is to compare the basic material properties of concretes with th...

Perlite is a naturally occurring siliceous rock of volcanic origins. When heated to more than 1000-C it expands up to several times its original volume and thus creating the premises of light weightiness and thermal insulating properties. The indoor comfortable climate of modern lifestyle requires large amounts of energy to be created and sustained. This, in turn, leads to large amounts of CO2 being released in the atmosphere. Continuous research efforts are invested in creating materials with good insulation prop...

It is well known that at a European level, a large building fund must be retrofitted by 2050 to meet the climate and energy targets defined by a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions up to 80 - 95% compared to 1990 levels. In this regard, the proposed recast of the energy performance directive defines a new path: going from nearly Zero Energy Buildings to Zero Emission Buildings for residential and non-residential buildings. Thus, practitioners need more adequate instruments to perform reliable field measurements ...

In the frame of latest requirements to improve the renewable energy harvesting, the wind turbines get more and more used. Due to the propeller sizes, the blades- materials must comply with high resistance and weight requirements. As consequence, composite materials with dedicated structures are used. These materials are designed for long life and, as consequence, are potential pollution factors for the environment, after turbine working life is ended. Beside the methods to destroy the blades and give other use to ...

As natural resources are rapidly depleting and the demand of cement based products in construction industry is continuously increasing, there is a pressing need for finding alternatives without large penalties in terms of mechanical properties. Another issue to be resolved is related to current design guidelines developed for traditional cement based materials (e.g. mortar and concrete). Zeolites, either natural or synthetic, are crystalline alumina silicates with pozzolanic activity in cement based materials that...

Traditional building materials based on primary natural resources can be used for green housing concepts with energy eco-efficiency and the health of the living space, representing a special group of innovative materials for the construction industry. They are developed by using and improving the local, traditional technologies and concepts applied on basic, natural raw materials (clay and sand, wood, straw, wool, etc.), for the general purpose of creating the living space in a sustainable, environmentally friendl...

Asphalt mixtures are the most commonly used material in road construction. It is necessary to know the properties of the mixtures and their constituents, as well as the changes in properties that occur during their service life. The demands on road durability are constantly increasing. The main problem with asphalt mixtures is degradation. Due to the effects during asphalt pavement production and service, there is a gradual degradation of properties. One of the degradation factors is the impact of traffic, climate...

In order to protect the structural steel sheet from the impact of the blast wave, the steel sheet was covered with a composite material consisting of aramid fabrics with a surface density of 200 g/m2 (3 layers) and 350 g/m2 (3 layers). The total thickness of these layers was 2.4 mm. Turkish produced BRE 450 polyester resin was used to connect the layers. The composite was coated on top with the same resin filled with crumb rubber 1.5 mm in size. The thickness of this coating is 2.2 mm. The protective agent thus ob...

The decarbonization strategies for the built environment that policy-makers face today from the EU mandate risk being made with incomplete or insufficient information. The consequence of this could be ineffective choices, thus slowing down the ongoing ecological transition, or their high cost, whether borne by the state or citizens. The progressive and unstoppable digitization of the built environment offers information collection and previously unthinkable management opportunities. The construction sector, tradit...

Magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) is a non-hydraulic binder produced in a more eco-efficient way than Portland cement and due to its favorable properties represents its promising alternative in the production of construction materials for specific applications. The specific advantage of MOC is the fact that it can accommodate organic as well as inorganic substances in the form of fillers, aggregates, additives, reinforcement, etc. which enables enriching properties and performance of the final composite material....

Zeolites can either occur naturally, in volcanic rock formations, or can be synthesized in the laboratory. When ground to a fine powder, they can be successfully used as supplementary cementitious material because of their chemical composition consisting in large amounts of SiO2 and Al2O3 that react with Ca(OH)2 to produce C-S-H gels. The composition of synthetic zeolites can be tailored to suit the purpose of their use in cementbased mortar and concrete and they can be produced from a variety of sources and at mu...

This study is focused on influence of graphene nanoplatelets as additive in magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) paste. This material composed of light-burned magnesia, prepared at lower temperatures than ordinary Portland cement (PC), is considered as its eco-efficient low-carbon alternative with properties comparable to high-performance concrete such as high mechanical resistance, stiffness., and low porosity. Two composite pastes were prepared, reference paste and paste enhanced with graphene, and subjected to se...

The construction sector generates more than a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, which contributes to the deterioration of the environmental situation in the world. This article describes one of the ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from construction by changing the type of concrete components. In this research, a comparison analysis of various criteria of Portland cement and Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) was carried out. The main method for solving the problem of this study is the Multic...

Global climate changes, sea level rising, storm activity intensification, and increasing anthropogenic pressure are causing the activation of destructive processes along the coasts of the World Ocean. The corresponding processes are appeared at the most dangerous rates within the coastal barriers. Within the Black Sea, the total length of coastal barriers is 990 km, 703 km of which are within Ukraine. Corresponding barriers develop in conditions of active wave action and a general deficit of sediments. The maximum...

In contemporary architecture, glass is one of the most popular materials and considered a fundamental source for natural lighting. However, the advantage of high light transmittance has shortcomings: Intense solar radiation affects the energy balance and the well-being in indoor spaces with inadequate cooling. Vertical greenery systems (VGS) can contribute to an improvement of indoor climatic conditions behind glazed facades through natural shading and cooling of the surroundings. Natural light input is only parti...

The cabin of a civil aviation aircraft needs adequate sound and thermal insulation to guarantee passenger-s comfort. Among this scenario, the purpose of the following paper is to mark a path that leads to the use of natural fibers to ensure compliance with the requirements together with a mitigated environmental impact. The characteristic parameters to be examined for proper insulation are first described, including insulation and sound absorption characteristics, thermal insulation and the necessary flame resista...

The novel lightweight repair mortar was designed and tested in respect to its resistance against salt crystallization and salinization. Natural hydraulic lime was used as the only binder, and the expanded glass granules were applied as lightweight aggregate. As reference, control mortar with silica sand aggregate was examined as well. The performed tests and analyses were aimed at the assessment of the structural, mechanical, hygric, and thermal properties of the 28-days and 90-days hardened mortars. Specific atte...

Lately, there is a growing need for humanity to get closer to nature and to a way of life so that the negative impact on it to be as small as possible. One cannot talk about durable development without taking into account the sustainability criterion which is essential in all areas of activity. Traditional constructions made of masonry elements from unburned clay or other vernacular materials, using sheep wool mattresses for thermal insulation, successfully meet the conditions imposed by this criterion. Constructi...

The aim of the presented work was to develop and evaluate the novel thermal insulation plaster intended for repair and renovation application. The thermal parameters of the reference lime plaster were enhanced with the substitution of 50 vol. % of silica sand with expanded perlite. The hardened plasters were characterized by their specific density, bulk density, total open porosity, compressive strength, flexural strength, and dynamic modulus of elasticity. The thermal conductivity and the volumetric heat capacity...

Current challenges in the building industry are related mostly to the preservation of virgin/natural materials, decreasing the environmental footprint, and increasing the reuse rate of disposed materials. This paper reflects current trends in the use of secondary raw materials of various industrial processes as sources for the production of alternative materials, for example, alkali-activated materials (AAM). Specifically, the paper deals with the description of the basic physical and mechanical properties of fine...

Thermal conductivity plays a crucial role in the design of external walls of buildings. This paper is focused on measuring the thermal conductivity coefficient of blocks made of structural lightweight waste aggregate concrete. The concrete mixture contained waste red ceramics fine aggregate and artificial expanded clay coarse aggregate. Replacing conventional aggregates with waste aggregates is one of the possibilities for the sustainable design of concrete construction today. A nondestructive method using the ISO...

In response to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, many countries adopted control and mitigation measures (e.g., lockdown, social distancing, intermittent attendance, etc.) that significantly increase the amount of time people spend inside the built environment. Nevertheless, the need to resume activities in attendance and ensure the continuity of businesses that cannot be stopped has led to the adoption of measures to reduce the risk of contagion, mainly involving increased ventilation of indoor environmen...

Buildings, including public sector buildings, are the largest consumers of energy re-sources. The aim of the work was to assess the energy saving potential of state consum-ers of the municipal territory in order to determine the efficiency of energy consumption in individual buildings and to determine the directions of the most profitable investment to improve energy efficiency. An analysis of the specific consumption of 23 buildings managed by the municipality of Yakovlevsky district of the Belgorod region (Russi...

Nowadays, along with creating materials with enhanced mechanical characteristics, it became important in the light of ecological problems, to design eco-friendly materials capable to disappear with time after fulfilling functions, in other words to develop biodegradable mechanically strong materials. The chemistry and technology of biodegradable polymers is one of the most important and rapidly developing fields of modern polymer science. A lot of biodegradibel polymers (BPs) were created mostly for medical applic...

Walking is the oldest way of transporting a person from place to place. Nevertheless, in the last decades, insufficient emphasis has been placed on it when planning the development and renewal of settlements in the Czech Republic. In recent decades, public space has been purposefully adapted to car traffic, which degrades it aesthetically, functionally, and air quality. This approach has been gradually changing in recent years. Large cities are once again turning to walk as a basic way of transporting people and a...

One of the circular economy’s principals is to «keep products and materials in use». Geopolymerization technology is promising enough to support this principle as it exploits wastes and by-products as alternative raw materials streams. However, the challenge that must be overcome to commercialize geopolymers is the substitution of the caustic alkaline solution that activates the aluminosilicate raw material. The introduction of solid activators in the process has given great results. This paper deals with the synt...

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), a cheap carbon-based material with large surface-to-volume ratio, are currently broadly investigated as a promising reinforcement for composite materials in building industry to enhance particularly their mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, the uniform dispersion of GNPs in composite material is a crucial factor to fully manifest their superior properties. This study is aimed at the design of environmentally friendly composite material based on magnesium oxychlor...

Investigation object: The paper describes the influence of the use of highly effective superplasticizer on the conductivity of cement paste. The paper shows the possibility of improvement the electrical and technological properties of electrically conductive concrete by modifying them with polycarboxylate superplasticizers. Electrically conductive concretes can be used to obtain resistive heaters for snow and ice melting, which are more ecological, then the use of chemical reagents, traditionally used for deicing....

Rice production is highly important for economy of Brazil. The residual husk of rice production is usually burned and causes a worthless ash for agriculture. Rice husk ash has high silica content. As silica is one of the most used pozzolanas in construction industry, rice husk ash is expected to develop pozzolanic activity in concrete. Considering the specific case of Montes Claros region in Brazil, an exploratory study with the goal to check the effect in the concrete properties when cement is partially replaced ...

Magnesia based cement is known for over 150 years. Compared to Portland cement (PC), magnesium potassium cement (MPC) is more environmentally friendly material, because of its high carbonation capability and a lower environmental impact on the overall ecosystem quality and resources than PC. Fast setting connected with high early strength leads to the satisfying parameters achieved after a few hours. Therefore, MPC finds use as the concrete repair material for buildings, roads or concreting runways, etc. In the pr...

The European mining industry is an active sector. Mining operations disturb large volumes of land and produce huge quantities of waste. The tailings dams of the mining industry occupy large areas representing a huge cost in terms of operation/maintenance, health, safety, environment and economy. This paper is an overview of the possible sustainable waste management strategies that are targeted on the reuse of residues as secondary resources. Therefore, it is focused on restoring mine tailings as inert materials to...

The European mining industry is an active sector. Mining operations disturb large volumes of land and produce huge quantities of waste. The tailings dams of the mining industry occupy large areas representing a huge cost in terms of operation/maintenance, health, safety, environment and economy. This paper is an overview of the possible sustainable waste management strategies that are targeted on the reuse of residues as secondary resources. Therefore, it is focused on restoring mine tailings as inert materials to...

In the area of transport infrastructures, spontaneous vegetation is exposed to a considerable safety risk and combated by chemical or mechanical means [1]. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used agents worldwide. Glyphosate is harmful to the environment and to health; As a result, alternative and environmentally friendly solutions are being researched in many places [2]. As part of the research project Green Logix of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, an analysis of the plant growth with different ro...

The magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) as an alternative to commonly used Portland cement (PC) has been intensively studied in the past decade. Compared to PC it is more environmentally sustainable and it can be considered as CO2-neutral due to the low calcination temperature of the raw materials and its ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The objective of this paper was to develop a composite material based on MOC, containing partially oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (partially oxidized MWCNTs) in o...

The diagnosis of existing structures determines the current state of the selected object. In order to diagnose structures as accurately as possible, it is necessary to choose reliable and effective survey methods, which are used to achieve objective and reliable results. When choosing destructive physical analysis, which includes, for example, concrete cores, accurate and appropriate results are obtained. However, the disadvantage of these methods is that they result in irreversible damage to the structure. For th...

The stone industry is one of the most essential industries in the Alpine region. This research aims to evaluate the possibility of reusing secondary waste materials produced by the quarry sector as aggregates in Ultra-High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC). The secondary materials involved were Diabase Sand, Diabase Powder, Dolomite Sand and Dolomite Gravel from crushed stone quarries from the regions of Carinthia and Tyrol in Austria, as well as Limestone Powder from the preparation and production of...

Natural zeolites having a structure with a large number of cavities allow design lightweight plasters with improved thermal insulation parameters. Focusing on the assessment of plasters’ durability, their resistance to salt damage should to be taken into consideration, especially in case of their application in repair of salt laden masonry. Although the crystallization of salts in plasters presents a serious problem, there is as yet no standard procedure for its evaluation. To predict salt damage of lime-based pla...

One of the significant problems in terms of the mining impact on environment is abandoned (due to various factors) deposits and tailings accumulated on landfills. In addition, one of the most important resources for the development of mining is the inclusion of raw materials (as non-industrial stocks) in the economy. There are two ways to solve these problems: a) to achieve economic profitability of the deposit by improving the technologies of extraction and processing of basic raw materials, and b) to develop inn...

The paper presents some aspects of an experimental research in which basic recipes have been designed in order to obtain innovative products to be used in construction as finishing coatings. Starting from sunflower seed shells, considered a waste rather a by-product resulting from the industry of edible sunflower oil, and also from rough sheep wool, an animal waste from the zootechnical field, and also from the specific thermal insulating characteristics of theese two waste materials, a serie of basic recipes was ...

Among its activities, the construction industry has a significant impact on the environment. In recent years, therefore, emphasis has been placed on the sustainability of building structures and materials, and ways and means are being sought to achieve this. Specifically, it is about reducing emissions and using the waste produced by recycling materials, e.g. aggregate. The motivation for using recycled aggregates is also to reduce dependence on natural resources, which are declining. The article deals with the as...

The use of information and communication technologies has many benefits. Based on many studies, their level is not sufficient. This can be caused by several factors and obstacles. Communication and ICT competencies are one of the key factors for the active use of advanced technologies for the management of sustainable construction projects. This digital age requirements systematic communication and project management. In this pandemic time, it can be considered an even more important requirement. It is the level o...

Samples of biodegradable composite material obtained by mixing a biodegradable polymer (PLA) as a matrix and chopped fine wood as a filler were developed. The filler in the samples was preliminary thermally modified at various temperatures. Composites were studied for biodegradation in alkaline solutions of NaOH and KOH. It was found that the biodegradability of pure PLA was significantly lower than that of composites based on PLA and a wood filler. In addition, the experiments revealed that by adjusting the degre...

In recent years, the European Commission (EC) has increased interest in environmental issues, focusing its attention on the green economy concept. Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a voluntary tool that integrates environmental criteria with all steps of the process of purchasing goods and services. With the first Public Procurement directives, the EC introduces a useful framework to define guidelines for the adoption of GPP. In Italy, the definition of the GPP National Action Plan (GPP NAP) for the environmental ...