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Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2022) | Viewed by 29820

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Auxi Barbudo

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Guest Editor

Construction Engineering Area, Universidad de Córdoba, 14240 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: sustainable construction; building technology; recycled aggregates; construction and demolition waste; recycled concrete; construction materials; building materials; civil engineering materials; construction engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Adela P. Galvín

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Guest Editor

Construction Engineering, Universidad de Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Interests: cement; construction; recycled construction materials; circular economy environmental engineering; building materials; civil engineering materials; recycled concrete; leaching tests; construction engineering; sustainable construction; reinforced recycled concretenology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Manuel Cabrera Montenegro

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Guest Editor

Area of Construction Engineering, University of Cordoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: cathode ray tube glass; recycled aggregates; civil infrastructures; cement-treated materials; stainless steel slag; treatment; self-compacting concrete; mechanical and durability properties; seaport loading platform; structural granular layers; construction and demolition waste; soil stabilization; nanomaterial; real-scale application; mechanical behavior; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural resources are essential for environmental and social sustainability. They highlight the important role played by the construction sector which still has strong associated negative environmental effects due to the high natural resource consumption for its manufacture, and the large associated production of waste. Thus, the recycling of construction materials makes it possible to maximize available resources by reducing the consumption of natural resources and favoring a circular economy. This Special Issue aims to include advances in the treatment/recycling system for these materials, as well as the possible uses of the materials obtained. Articles are invited to investigate innovative treatment options for these materials, highlighting the most recent scientific knowledge on the physical/chemical processes involved and the economic, environmental, or quality advantages that this entails. Topics can include studies on new techniques for separating materials of different nature, and improvements in crushing and/or cleaning of these. A very important aspect is also the issues related to the reuse of materials obtained after recycling, such as new applications of recycled materials, or new conditions of use, and results of implementation, maintenance, and durability of recycled materials. Publications on the life cycle, as well as economic and environmental balances of construction materials are also welcome.

Dr. Auxi Barbudo
Dr. Adela P. Galvín
Dr. Manuel Cabrera Montenegro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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

construction materials
reuse, recycling, and recovery
revalorization
waste management
sustainability
environment
circular economy
life cycle assessment
recycled materials application

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 18253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Life Cycle Assessment of Substitutive Building Materials for Landfill Capping Systems in Vietnam

by Naveedh Ahmed S., Le Hung Anh, Nguyen Trung Thanh, Pham Thi Mai Thao and Petra Schneider

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3063; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063063 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3083

Abstract

The growing population and urbanization rates in developing countries causes huge pressure on the construction sector to aid the equivalent infrastructure growth. Natural resources are essential to attain the required infrastructure needs. The demand in the construction sector for materials causes significant environmental effects due to the higher consumption rate of finite natural resources. To address such an issue, the study focuses on the landfill capping application demand in Vietnam, based on its extensive landfill presence in its current state and their need to be closed in the years ahead. The study considers utilization of secondary raw materials arising from industrial or anthropogenic waste as an alternative material as a landfill mineral sealing layer, to replace the dependence on conventional clay and bentonite. The selected alternative materials were tested to satisfy the permeability conditions for the landfill sealing layer standards, where results indicated very low permeability values for the mixtures, meeting German quality requirements which require k ≤ 5 × 10⁻⁹ m/s for landfill class I (landfills without further environmental requirements) and k ≤ 5 × 10⁻¹⁰ m/s for class II (conventional landfill for non-hazardous waste) for sealing layers of landfills. Further, the various mixes of alternative mineral layers in a life cycle analysis for a functional unit of one hectare landfill mineral sealing layer resulted in lower environmental footprints than the conventional layer. The results of the mineral sealing layer showed that the higher bentonite composition of about 20% in the mix ratio and transport distance of 65 km for the ashes increased the overall environmental footprint of the mix. In this case, mix 6 and mix 7, having 20% bentonite, tended to possess higher impacts, despite the alternative ashes holding zero allocation, along with the 65 km transportation distance associated with ashes. The avoidance factor over the alternative mixes has an effective approximate 25–50% Global Warming Potential (GWP) impact reduction. There was a significant mineral resource scarcity impact reduction on the use of secondary raw materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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17 pages, 4885 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Properties of Cement Composites Using Modified Plastics by Gamma Irradiation

by Hyeonwook Cheon, Jamshid Ruziev, Heonseok Lee, Yonghak Kang, Seungjun Roh and Woosuk Kim

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11982; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411982 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1652

Abstract

Recently, pollution caused by an increasing amount of worldwide plastic waste has become a global problem. However, these concerns can be alleviated by the use of gamma-ray technology. Using radiation technology, plastic wastes can be converted into a variety of useful purposes presenting powerful opportunities for environmental sustainability and material innovations. Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight, easy to mold, and recyclable. In this study, plastic aggregate modified by gamma irradiation was mixed into cement composites, and mechanical property evaluation experiments were conducted. As a result, it was confirmed that the physical performance of cement composites was improved by up to 70% in the case of using the modified plastic aggregates compared to the general plastic aggregate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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13 pages, 3136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Performance of Concrete Made with the Addition of Recycled Macro Plastic Fibres

by Pietro A. Vaccaro, Adela P. Galvín, Jesús Ayuso, Auxi Barbudo and Antonio López-Uceda

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 9862; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11219862 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2061

Abstract

For many decades, researchers have been working on finding innovative and sustainable solutions to address the enormous quantities of plastic waste that are produced every year which, after being collected, are transformed into energy, recycled, or sent to landfills. Giving a second life to plastic waste as a material to be incorporated, in the form of macro-fibres, into concrete, could be one such solution. The purpose of this study was to analyse the mechanical and physical behaviour of the hardened concrete reinforced with macro plastic fibres (RPFs) obtained from food packaging waste (FPW) discarded during the packaging phase. By varying the quantity of macro-fibres used, physical and mechanical properties such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, and toughness were evaluated. It was observed that, although the presence of macro plastic fibres reduced the mechanical resistance capacity compared to that of traditional concrete, their contribution proved to be of some importance in terms of toughness, bringing an improvement in the post-crack resistance of the composite material. This innovative mixture provides a further impulse to the circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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20 pages, 7140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility of Using Nanosilanes in a New Hybrid Stabilised Soil Solution in Rural and Low-Volume Roads

by José Luis Díaz-López, Manuel Cabrera, José Ramón Marcobal, Francisco Agrela and Julia Rosales

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 9780; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11219780 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1865

Abstract

The application of new materials for soil stabilisation is a growing field of study in recent years. In this work, the effect of two types of silica-based nanomaterials combined with binders (quicklime and cement) are studied to stabilise soils and form structural layers for rural and low volume roads. The physical and chemical properties of the materials have been determined, as well as the mechanical behaviour of the stabilised soil. Three hybrid stabilised soil sections have been designed using a multilayer elastic model, executed at full scale and measuring the evolution of their properties in the medium to short term. The results show that the application of silica-based nanomaterials and two types of binders on the tread layers provide high structural stability and good behaviour of the sections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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11 pages, 1335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Study of Recycled Aggregate Mortar for Electric Arc Furnace Dust Encapsulation

by Enrique F. Ledesma, Angélica Lozano-Lunar, Ruan L. S. Ferreira, José María Fernández-Rodríguez and José Ramón Jiménez

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9525; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209525 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1222

Abstract

This article shows the preliminary results of a study carried out to determine the technical feasibility of encapsulating a high percentage of EAFD in cement-based mortars manufactured with the fine fraction of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). Two families of mortars, with natural aggregate as a reference and with RCA, were studied. An incorporation rate by weight of two parts mortar to one part EAFD was tested. The mechanical strengths (compressive strength and tensile strength) before and after immersion in water, the rate of delitescence and the leaching behavior were studied. Mortars made with RCA showed similar mechanical strengths to the reference mortars made with natural aggregates; however, the incorporation of EAFD decreased the mechanical strengths. Encapsulation considerably reduced the leaching of heavy metals, although the Pb concentration remained above the hazardous waste limit. With this preliminary study, two wastes are managed together, and the results have shown that the use of RCA instead of natural aggregate is a viable alternative since it does not significantly impair the mechanical or leaching properties of the cement-based matrices used to encapsulate EAFD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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17 pages, 9129 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of TBM Muck for Construction Applications

by Ala Abu Taqa, Mohamed Al-Ansari, Ramzi Taha, Ahmed Senouci, Hassan A. Al-Marwani, Ghaleb M. Al-Zubi and Mohamed O. Mohsen

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(18), 8623; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188623 - 16 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2662

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential utilization of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) muck generated from Doha’s Metro Gold Line in different construction applications. The properties of the raw TBM muck were studied, and the results were compared to the specifications of Qatari Construction Standards (QCS 2014) of concrete aggregates, fill material under buildings and road subgrades. Compared to the requirements of concrete aggregates, the results indicated that the gradation of the raw TBM muck does not comply with the QCS 2014 requirements, and hence, sieving and screening may be essential. Moreover, the tests’ results showed that the properties of the muck meet the requirements of the concrete coarse aggregates, except for the water absorption, loss by magnesium sulphate soundness, loss by Los Angeles abrasion and the acid-soluble sulphate. As fill material under buildings or road subgrades, the gradation of the TBM muck complies with the QCS 2014 requirements, while the liquid limit and plasticity index are higher than the QCS 2014 permissible limits. Additionally, the morphological structure and the elemental composition of the raw TBM muck were determined by employing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), respectively. Digital images were also taken at larger scale to draw a full picture of the TBM muck morphology. A mixture of rough-rounded to angular-elongated shaped particles with relatively large voids could be observed. The EDX analysis demonstrated the presence of silicon (Si) as the predominant component of the muck, which may alter the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) values for mixtures prepared using TBM muck. Hence, further investigations should be performed on the mechanical and thermal properties of mixtures containing TBM muck as aggregates’ replacement, and further work should be directed toward this end. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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17 pages, 19796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollutant Potential of Reinforced Concrete Made with Recycled Plastic Fibres from Food Packaging Waste

by Pietro Antonio Vaccaro, Adela P. Galvín, Jesús Ayuso, Angélica Lozano-Lunar and Antonio López-Uceda

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 8102; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11178102 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2639

Abstract

In our modern, fast-paced life, plastic is a versatile material essential to our economy; daily life is unthinkable without it. However, there are serious downsides for the environment and health, which are becoming more and more stark in our society, and the recycling of plastic offers a partial solution to these widespread problems. The present work delves into the environmental assessment of fibre-reinforced concrete specimens, made with recycled plastic fibres from food packaging waste. Leaching tank tests for the evaluation of the long-term release of pollutant elements, identification of leaching mechanisms, and the diffusion process of contaminants into the environment were conducted on fibre reinforced concrete. The results showed that the incorporation of the recycled plastic fibres, classified as non-hazardous, did not release relevant levels of any potential harmful element incorporated in concrete. Moreover, low mobility was detected in the studied elements and different release mechanisms were identified through long-term diffusion leaching tests. Hence, the environmental feasibility of the incorporation of recycled plastic fibre in concrete was proven. This study strengthens the objectives set out by the Circular Economy Action Plan, which includes the European Strategy for Plastics and aims to, among other things, boost the market for recycled plastics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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22 pages, 3263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of Recycled Aggregates Properties by Means of CO₂ Uptake

by Marie Sereng, Assia Djerbi, Othman Omikrine Metalssi, Patrick Dangla and Jean-Michel Torrenti

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6571; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146571 - 16 Jul 2021

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2797

Abstract

Concrete from deconstruction can have a second life in the form of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs). They unfortunately have poor properties (high porosity and water absorption coefficient (WAC)) with respect to natural aggregates. Accelerated carbonation was implemented to improve the RCA properties and to increase their use by storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the cement matrix and thereby reduce their environmental impact. This paper aims to perform a parametric study of a process for accelerated carbonation of RCAs to store the largest possible amount of CO₂ and improve their properties. This study highlights the fact that each of these parameters affects CO₂ storage, with an optimum water content for the maximum CO₂ uptake depending on the nature and the source of the RCAs. This optimum is related to the RCA water absorption coefficient by a linear relationship. The results show that accelerated carbonation reduces the water absorption coefficient by as much as 67%. Finally, carbonation also decreases porosity, as observed by mercury intrusion porosimetry, by filling the capillary pores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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18 pages, 3113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leaching Behaviour of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates: Statistical Analysis Applied to the Release of Contaminants

by Alessandra Diotti, Giovanni Plizzari and Sabrina Sorlini

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6265; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146265 - 6 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

Construction and demolition wastes represent a primary source of new alternative materials which, if properly recovered, can be used to replace virgin raw materials partially or totally. The distrust of end-users in the use of recycled aggregates is mainly due to the environmental performance of these materials. In particular, the release of pollutants into the surrounding environment appears to be the aspect of greatest concern. This is because these materials are characterized by a strong heterogeneity which can sometimes lead to contaminant releases above the legal limits for recovery. In this context, an analysis of the leaching behaviour of both CDWs and RAs was conducted by applying a statistical analysis methodology. Subsequently, to evaluate the influence of the particle size and the volumetric reduction of the material on the release of contaminants, several experimental leaching tests were carried out according to the UNI EN 12457-2 and UNI EN 12457-4 standards. The results obtained show that chromium, mercury, and COD are the most critical parameters for both CDWs and RAs. Moreover, the material particle size generally affects the release of contaminants (i.e., finer particles showed higher releases), while the crushing process does not always involve higher releases than the sieving process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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14 pages, 3076 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties of Green Mortar Containing Granite Sawmill

by Santiago Yagüe, Víctor Rosales-Prieto, Alberto Sánchez-Lite and Cristina González-Gaya

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(5), 2136; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052136 - 28 Feb 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2119

Abstract

The cement industry is one of the world’s largest CO₂ emitters. The need to minimize these emissions, and assimilate by substitution and different types of waste, are challenges faced in the European Union. The use of granite sawmill from the ornamental stone industry allows for the manufacturing of pozzolanic cements, in which 10% and 20% of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has been replaced by waste. In the present paper, properties of cements and mortars have been tested (when fresh and once set), such as workability, setting, retraction, mechanical resistance to bending and compression, elastic modulus to compression, creep, retraction, and durability. In all cases and substitution proportions, the results have been as satisfactory as those achieved with OPC, even better, allowing a second life to the waste, and participating in the principles of the circular economy. Bot substitutions are very resistant and have great durability for the gelifraction processes from the new green cements. Using this waste—granite sawmill—its volume is minimized and transfer to a landfill is avoided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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13 pages, 2525 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Siderurgical Aggregate Cement-Treated Bases and Concrete Using Foundry Sand

by Gilberto Garcia Del Angel, Ali Aghajanian, Pablo Tamayo, Jokin Rico and Carlos Thomas

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010435 - 4 Jan 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2416

Abstract

Cement-treated bases are soils, gravels or manufactured aggregates mixed with certain quantities of cement and water in order to improve the characteristics of a base or sub-base layer. Due to the exploitation of natural aggregates, it is a matter of importance to avoid shortage of natural resources, which is why the use of recycled aggregates is a practical solution. In this paper we studied the feasibility of the use of untreated electric arc furnace slags and foundry sand in the development of cement-treated bases and slag aggregate concrete with a lower quantity of cement. We analyzed the physical, mechanical and durability characteristics of the aggregates, followed by the design of mixes to fabricate test specimens. With cement-treated bases, results showed an optimal moisture content of 5% and a dry density of 2.47 g/cm³. Cement-treated bases made with untreated slag aggregate, foundry sand and 4% of cement content showed an unconfined compression strength at seven days of 3.73 MPa. For siderurgical aggregate concrete mixes, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and flexural strength tests were made. The results showed that the mixes had good mechanical properties but durability properties could be an issue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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Review

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25 pages, 589 KiB

Open AccessReview

Limitations on the Use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement in Structural Concrete

by Salma Jaawani, Annalisa Franco, Giuseppina De Luca, Orsola Coppola and Antonio Bonati

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 10901; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112210901 - 18 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3134

Abstract

Recycled materials from construction and demolition waste, such as recycled concrete aggregate, recycled brick aggregate, or recycled asphalt coming from the milling of road/motorway surfaces, are the key for a sustainable production of concrete. This paper reviews in particular the use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates in the production of concrete for structural uses. An overview is initially presented to describe the different areas of use of RAP, its definition and the limitations imposed by codes and standards. Relatively to the experimental data provided by the literature, a comparison with the Italian minimum requirements is also provided. Lastly, the influence of RAP on the characteristics of concrete such as compressive strength, flexural strength, Young’s Modulus and a study of durability are presented to define the possible applications of RAP in structural concrete in relation to the current allowable percentage of substitution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Recycling of Construction Materials)

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