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Chile is one of the largest copper producers in the world, which implies a significant generation of waste, particularly copper slag (CS). On the other hand, the high demand for concrete mixes generates a high consumption of natural aggregates as sand. However, specialized literature indicates that the fine aggregate can be partially replaced by CS keeping (or improving) the concrete properties. Then, this paper presents a sustainability analysis of the partial replacement of fine aggregate of concrete by CS. The ...

Old buildings, in particular, those coming from the first half of 20th century often suffer with increased dampness in masonry coming from different sources. Some of them, however, have aesthetically rendered valued facades which are worth saving. For the design of new alternative mortars for renovation interventions, it is essential to obtain properties of original renders. Mechanical properties of mortars are in general assessed on standardized test samples; however, this approach cannot be always well applicabl...

Different forms and combinations of degradation attacks cause the damage of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Among the most usual belong ingress of chlorides and carbonation that influence the quality of the concrete and also affect its ability to protect reinforcement. The resistance of concrete against the mentioned attacks is given also by other surrounding conditions, like temperature, mechanical load, etc. In this paper, experimental findings are presented focused on the investigation of the effec...

The study attempts to examine the current and potential effectiveness of selected tools used in environmental planning of construction projects in Poland. Environmental planning is a complicated and demanding process, and as such it should be supported by the use of environmental management applications. At the early investment planning stage, it is necessary to verify whether a construction project to be developed, in addition to a building permit, does not require a decision on environmental conditions. This dec...

The paper presents the procedures of introducing the unsteady state numerical analysis domain for simulating the mechanical behavior of glue laminated timber (glulam) elements when subjected to high temperatures. For any analysis applied to characterize the fire resistance of wood, glue laminated timber implicitly, the unsteady state numerical analysis domain must be applied, considering the heat propagation, humidity percentage loss and the overall change of the mechanical characteristics of the components throug...

The development and testing of advanced materials for the protection and repair of concrete structures is the main objective of the presented research. Two types of synthetic resins have been developed, applied to concrete samples and their effectiveness in improving the durability of the samples investigated has been tested. Type A is an epoxy resin with non-reactive solvents, originally designed for thin-layer surface treatment to achieve a highly closed and cross-linked surface. Type 50 is a modified low-viscos...

In a view of the sustainable development principles, the development of advanced lowcarbon building materials represents one of the most important issues in the construction industry. To follow the current trends in research and development of building materials, special attention is paid to the reuse of all kinds of waste and industrial byproducts. One of the serious problems of today-s society is the huge production of sewage sludge from waste water treatment and its disposal. As one of the promising ways of sew...

Properties of building materials include many properties, the most important are mechanical, thermal, chemical, and economic. The most important thermal properties that characterize the total heat losses and thermal inertia of materials are thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. The first one describes the stationary heat transfer through the structures, but the second describes the ability to absorb and release the heat energy with temperature change dynamically, and it is related to a unit mass of the ...

Among the newest and best performing metallic materials are high-entropy alloys, which is why more than five thousand articles related to them have been published in the last decade. However, there are few articles that refer to the brazing behavior of new types of metallic materials. In this publication, the brazed joint between two biocompatible alloy components from the MoNbTaTiZrW0.2 system were performed using an ecological Cu-Ag-Zn alloy as filler material. The optical and SEM microscopy analyzes were perfor...

Europe must avoid losing manufacturing SMEs. However, presenting distinct maturity levels, these companies have a hard time fulfilling the necessary ecological sustainability level. Controversially, despite the intense debate about digital technologies, there is still a need for knowledge in the industrial world about the impact of these technologies to make manufacturing SMEs environmentally friendly. According to data made available by Stone Portuguese Federation, in 2019, the Portuguese Ornamental Stone sector ...

Increasing demands on the thermal performance of the building envelope play a crucial role in the design of buildings in order to maintain a quality indoor climate with reduced energy consumption. In case of repair mortars development, the necessary thermal insulation improvement can be effectively achieved by using lightweight aggregates. However, the application of new materials to historical buildings might be problematic due to their incompatibility with materials originally used in the past. In this paper, tw...

The article aims to design optimized synergistic structures between additive materials from the category of industrial by-products, by applying experimental modeling, in order to achieve increase of performance parameters for the final products, in line with the needs of the building materials market and challenges to develop lower-carbon alternatives for reducing the climate impacts of the built environment. The experimental applications based on the integration of industrial by-products will results in defining ...

Vacuum insulation panels (VIP) represent a group of super-insulation materials that make it possible to significantly reduce the energy consumption of building structures even in places where it is not possible to build in a greater thickness of insulation. Considering that the consumption of these insulators worldwide is increasing every year, it is necessary to look for long-term sustainable raw material sources, such as easy renewable raw sources. The contribution is devoted to the possibilities of using easy r...

Recently, nanotechnology has attracted a considerable scientific interest due the potential new uses of non-particles, which can improve the properties of cement mortars or concretes, such as Nanosilica. Nanoparticles, like those of nanosilica, have been shown to have unique physical and chemical properties different from those of conventional cement additions. Nanosilica was used either to replace part of the cements or as an addition to improve the performance of the cement such as accelerating the hydration of ...

The use of secondary waste from municipal solid waste incineration plant in concrete has been studied for its potential to reduce the carbon footprint and abiotic depletion associated with traditional concrete production. Fly ash is a hazardous waste and it can be used as a substitute for cement in the production of concrete. Bottom ash can be used as a substitute for light natural aggregate, which was previously soaked in water for internal treatment of concrete. The composition of concrete includes: CEM I 42.5R,...

This research aims to contribute to the development of eco-friendly car seats using hanji yarn by examining the flame-retardant treatment effect of two types of hanji yarn fabrics woven with polyester warp yarn and two different types of weft yarn: hanji- polyester blended yarn (76:24) and 100-percent hanji yarn, respectively. In terms of the flame-retardant treatment, NICCA FI-NONE PD-38 was used as the flame retardant with the concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 percent, and a flame resistance test was conducted in...

In view of the growing population and urbanization, it is necessary to ensure the development of advanced building materials capable of ensuring the quality of living conditions with as low energy consumption as possible. A proven way to achieve this is to create a composite material with a lightweight aggregate. However, the use of lightweight aggregate could also affect other material properties, such as mechanical strength or water absorption. In this study, the silica sand aggregate was partially and completel...

A case study for a public library which aim to become nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) is presented. Due to building-s location in the city center of a medium sized municipality from Romania, important site limits have to be considered, as well as other pre-existent conditions. These conditions significantly limit the technological options that can be implemented to ensure nZEB compliance. Also, the destination itself of the building (library with free access to the shelves), imposes a specific energy profile (c...

With the rapid growth of the population and urbanization, the demand for industrial production has continued to increase, and industrial solid waste has become more and more abundant. Industrial solid waste mainly includes fly ashes, slags, tailings, red mud, bottom ashes and other wastes, which account for approximately 80% of the total waste produced on Earth. Industrial wastes generally contain various heavy metal components such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, As, Ba and Mn. The low recycling rate of solid waste result...

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 process of selecting and prioritizing investment project proposals in construction is characterized by multiple objectives and uncertainties due to incomplete information and the multitude and dynamics of factors that can intervene. Knowing their significance and influence on the final investment decision, it is a complex problem that requires a multi-critical analysis with both quantitative and qualitative factors, necessary for a good quantification and evaluation. In recent years, the increase in the comple...

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...

The paper contains the results of experimental research on the elaboration of the composition and optimization of the properties of the self-levelling screed based on cement and sand, intended for the fulfilment of the intermediate layer of floors, including industrial enterprises with the aggressive environment; sedentary parts of tanks, basins; bunkers; different containers, etc. The reinforced self-levelling screed has an absolutely horizontal surface. It allows the application of finished layers of composite p...

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...

Requirements relating to the quality of the flue gases produced have become more and more stringent in recent years. This is why the electricity producers, especially those using coal-fired units, have been forced to introduce additional environmental technologies. However, most of the coal-fired power plants and waste incineration plants in the Czech and Slovak Republics are following the same path, in particular for economic reasons. They are introducing the selective non-catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (...

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...

Avoiding thermal bridges in the building envelope is one of the key elements for the reduction of energy consumption in buildings. Numerical calculations of heat flux through the joints of building structures are becoming very relevant in the past years due to the EU requirements for nearly zero energy buildings. The most problematic typically is windows installation perimeter, where thanks to fastenings of the frame to the loadbearing structure, linear thermal bridge forms. The use of numerical calculation of tem...

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...