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Special Issue "Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials"

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 8730

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jose A. Sainz-Aja

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Guest Editor

LADICIM (Laboratory of Materials Science and Engineering), Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Interests: Eco-Efficient Concrete; recycled aggregate concrete; mechanical and durability properties; fatigue behavior; Finite element models; self-compacting concrete
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Carlos Thomas

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Guest Editor

LADICIM (Laboratory of Materials Science and Engineering), University of Cantabria, E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Av./Los Castros 44, 39005 Santander, Spain
Interests: cementitious materials; concrete technology; recycled aggregates concrete; durability; sustainable concrete
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Prof. Dr. Jorge de Brito

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georresources, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: CIB—International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction; durability of building elements, maintenance of buildings; rehabilitation of buildings; building life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our modern society demands both materials and construction methods that are not only efficient and economical but also environmentally friendly. The research community has been presented with the challenge to find the most eco-efficient building materials possible. The aim this community is to develop materials with mechanical and durability properties equivalent to those of current materials but with a lower carbon footprint. Nowadays, there is a significant amount of research carried out on eco-efficient building materials. However, as this is an area of knowledge that is crucially relevant to the planet's environmental evolution, it is of the utmost importance that the most recent and relevant information is compiled in a Special Issue to increase the visibility of these publications.

This Special Issue is therefore dedicated to “Eco-efficient Construction and Building Materials” and welcomes contributions on, but not limited to, the following subjects:

Eco-efficient concrete using recycled aggregates
Eco-efficient concrete using slags
Eco-efficient concrete using low-impact binders
Mechanical behaviour of eco-efficient concrete
Durability of eco-efficient concrete
Rheology of eco-efficient concrete
Permeability of eco-efficient concrete
Fatigue behaviour of eco-efficient concrete
Behaviour of eco-efficient concrete in aggressive environments
Structural design of eco-efficient concrete
Life cycle assessment of eco-efficient concrete

Dr. Jose A. Sainz-Aja
Prof. Dr. Carlos Thomas
Prof. Dr. Jorge de Brito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2300 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

eco-efficient concrete
recycled aggregates
slags
low impact binders
technical performance
environmental performance
costs

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 14341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Recycled Foundry Sand on the Workability and Mechanical Properties of Mortar

Gilberto García Del Angel

and

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 3436; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13063436 - 08 Mar 2023

Viewed by 972

Abstract

Modern society requires a large number of metal components manufactured by sand casting, which involves the generation of a waste product known as Used Foundry Sand (UFS), of which approximately 100 Mt are generated on an annual basis. Virtually all UFS is currently landfilled, despite the economic and environmental cost overruns that this entails. Here, the recovery of UFS as fine aggregates for the manufacture of concrete is proposed. Since the presence of UFS will mainly affect the mortar that binds the aggregates in the manufacture of concrete, it was decided to isolate this fraction and study only the effect of UFS in mortars. This study evaluated a total of 32 different mixes combining different W/C ratios varying between 0.5 and 0.7 with 5 replacement ratios of natural sand by UFS: 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, respectively. The combined effect was evaluated of the W/C ratio and the replacement ratio on the workability, physical properties, mechanical properties, mechanical durability, and microstructure of the mortars. The incorporation of UFS decreases the workability of the mortars due to the absorption of the residue. For the physical properties of the mortars, density decreased and porosity and absorption increased at all replacement percentages. Flexural and compressive strength decreased when the replacement percentage was higher than 25 wt.%. In terms of mechanical durability, the mortars with UFS showed abrasion marks within the limits of the EN-1338 standard. From the results obtained, it is possible to conclude that the mortars with UFS require a higher amount of water. Therefore, while small replacement levels lead to a slight improvement in the mechanical properties, this trend breaks down for high replacement levels due to the negative effect of the high W/C ratios required. The authors recommend that for replacements higher than 25 wt.% of UFS, the W/C ratio has to be taken into consideration to obtain the same workability as the control mortar, although this decreases the mechanical properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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15 pages, 5497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Behaviour of Concrete Using Siderurgical Aggregates

Pablo Tamayo

Gilberto García Del Ángel

and

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(4), 2439; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13042439 - 14 Feb 2023

Viewed by 743

Abstract

The use of concrete with aggregates with reduced environmental impact, as is the case of concrete with siderurgical aggregates (recovered slags), will inevitably increase in the future, as a result of policies promoting development of more sustainable construction materials. These concretes offer an excellent response to static loads, but their behaviour under dynamic loads has not yet been studied. The aim of this study is to characterize the fatigue behaviour, in terms of fatigue limit, of a concrete with siderurgical aggregates by comparing it with an analogous conventional limestone concrete. This characterization was carried out using the Locati method, which stands out for its convenience, speed and low cost, with the feature of being carried out at a high frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency. Performing high-frequency tests has drastically reduced test times and thus costs. Likewise, the results obtained show that, using various criteria found in the literature, concrete with siderurgical aggregates has a higher fatigue limit in absolute terms (MPa), but a lower one in relative terms (% fc). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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13 pages, 1541 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Absorption Variation with Particle Size of Recycled Fine Aggregates Determined by the Electrical Method

Eva Sosa

Leandro Carrizo

Claudio Zega

and

Yury Villagrán Zaccardi

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031578 - 26 Jan 2023

Viewed by 862

Abstract

The scarcity of fine natural aggregates and the negative environmental impact of their extraction make it necessary to find new sources of aggregates for the construction industry. The use of recycled aggregates (RA) derived from waste concrete crushing is a viable option for reducing non-renewable raw material consumption. The quality of these aggregates is lower than that of natural aggregates. In particular, the water absorption (WA) of the fine fraction of RA is a topic of constant debate due to the limitations of the standardized practices for determining it. Several methods have previously been proposed concerning this. Among these, the electrical conductivity method has the highest potential for effective WA determination. However, the influence of particle size and shape on the measurement remains unknown. In this study, the electrical conductivity method is applied to determine the WA of different particle size ranges in both natural and recycled aggregates. The results show that the paste content is the main variable that influences the WA of RA, whereas the size and shape of particles have no discernible influence on the measurements made using the electrical conductivity method. The present work expands upon previous studies by demonstrating the universality of the method irrespective of the particle size. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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14 pages, 6177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Partial and Total Replacement of Used Foundry Sand in Self-Compacting Concrete

Gilberto García Del Angel

and

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010409 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1174

Abstract

In this work, the feasibility of partially and totally replacing natural sand with used foundry sand in self-compacting concrete was studied. Natural sand was replaced in 50% and 100% vol. by used foundry sand. The fresh state properties parameters analyzed in this study were slump flow, t₅₀₀, V-funnel, Japanese ring and L-box following EFNARC guidelines. Results indicated an improvement in the fresh state properties when used foundry sand was utilized for partial and total replacement. The mechanical properties compressive strength and splitting tensile strength were obtained and analyzed at 7 and 28 days. Regarding the compressive strength, used foundry sand enhanced compressive strength by up to 67% compared to control concrete. For splitting tensile strength, the self-compacting concrete with 50% vol. of used foundry sand displayed a slight decrease (2.8%) compared with the control concrete. SEM images showed that the concretes with used foundry sand had a less porous and more compacted matrix than the control concrete. It was concluded that the incorporation of used foundry sand in large volumes can be utilized as a sustainable alternative natural fine aggregate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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22 pages, 8430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Activation Parameters on the Mechanical and Microstructure Properties of an Alkali-Activated BOF Steel Slag

Vitor A. Nunes

Prannoy Suraneni

Augusto C. S. Bezerra

Carlos Thomas

and

Paulo H. R. Borges

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12437; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312437 - 05 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1128

Abstract

Steel slag (SS) is a secondary material from steelmaking production with little commercial value. Its volumetric expansion and low reactivity limit the use of SS in Portland cement (PC)-based materials. This study investigated the potential use of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag as a single precursor in alkali-activated matrices (AAMs). Six AAM pastes were assessed by changing the silica modulus (0.75, 1.50 and 2.22) and the sodium concentration (4% or 6% Na₂O—wt. SS). The early hydration was assessed using isothermal calorimetry (IC), followed by the assessment of the mechanical performance (compressive strength), apparent porosity, and structure and microstructure characterization (X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy). The results indicated that although the BOF slag may be considered a low-reactivity material, the alkaline environment effectively dissolved important crystalline phases to produce hydrates (reaction products). An optimized combination of activator sources was achieved with 4% Na₂O and a silica modulus of 1.50–2.22, with a compressive strength up to 20 MPa, a significant amount of reaction products (C-S-H/C-A-S-H gels), and low initial and cumulative heat release. Those properties will help to promote SS recycling use in future engineering projects that do not require high-strength materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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20 pages, 4533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization and Reactivity of Natural Pozzolans from Guatemala

and

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 11145; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122111145 - 03 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1075

Abstract

The possibility of using pozzolanic materials as a partial substitute for Portland cement (PC) to develop mortars and concretes promotes environmental and economic benefits. The present paper includes an in-depth investigation into the characterization of natural pozzolans from Guatemala for the valorization of these materials. An exhaustive physico-chemical characterization of the starting materials was first carried out. Second, an analysis of the pozzolanic reactivity of both pozzolans was performed using an evolution test of the pH and electrical conductivity measurements and a Frattini test. Finally, pastes and mortars were manufactured with pozzolans T and R as a substitute for PC. The results of the pH and electrical conductivity measurements confirmed that natural pozzolans can be classified as low-reactivity. The Frattini test and the thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the pozzolanic behavior of natural pozzolans at 28 curing days. In the cement pastes, lime fixation was positive for a long curing period, which demonstrated that these pozzolans had medium–long-term pozzolanic activity, similar to fly ash (FA). The results were confirmed by mechanical assays. The mortars with 15%, 25%, and 35% substitutions of cement for pozzolans had strength gain percentages of around 13–15% at 90 curing days. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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20 pages, 4024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Alkali-Activated Materials with Pre-Treated Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Bottom Ash

Yoleimy Avila

Rui Vasco Silva

and

Jorge de Brito

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 3535; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073535 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2048

Abstract

This study presents the results of an experimental campaign on the use of municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash (MIBA) and fly ash (FA) as precursors for the production of alkali-activated materials. MIBA was subjected to a pre-treatment stage in response to two issues: high metallic aluminum content, which reacts in a high pH solution, releasing hydrogen; and low amorphous content of silica-, aluminum- and calcium-bearing phases, which translates into a limited formation of reaction products. The proposed pre-treatment stage oxidizes most of the metallic aluminum fraction and compensates for the low reactivity of the material via the formation of additional reactants. Different combinations of MIBA and FA were tried—mass-based ratios of 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0 for MIBA/FA. Two mix designs of the alkaline activator with sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate were evaluated by varying the Na₂O/binder and SiO₂/Na₂O ratios. These mortars were tested in the fresh and hardened state. The results showed that the pre-treatment stage was effective at stabilizing the dimensional variation of MIBA. Despite the lower reactivity of MIBA, mortars with 50/50 of MIBA/FA presented a maximum 28-day compressive strength of 25.2 MPa, higher than the 5.7 MPa of mortars made with MIBA only. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials)

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