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Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings
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Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2024 | Viewed by 5885

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elena Ferretti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Università di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, BO, Italy
Interests: material characterization; non-destructive testing; fracture mechanics; algebraic formulation; multi-scale numerical modelling; composite materials; reinforced concrete; masonry structures; earthen buildings; additive 3D printing in construction.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a venue for networking and communication between scholars in the field of sustainable buildings. This is a topical issue; the cities of the future are expected to face complex challenges, including maintenance, resilience, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. In order to avoid being caught unprepared in the management of cities of the near future, it is imperative that we develop in our materials engineering innovations that can bring significant improvements to design, planning, and environmental policies. To successfully pursue this goal, a “change of pace” is necessary, which will allow us to give innovative answers to the ancestral human need for comfortable and functional shelters. From this perspective, the exchange of skills between scholars from very different fields is strongly encouraged. Excessive sectorization, in fact, has always been the enemy of innovation.

The main topics to be covered include—but are not limited to—natural materials for structural retrofitting and strengthening, natural materials to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, additive 3D printing of natural building materials, risk management, seismic engineering, structure/subsoil interactions, experimental studies, structural modelling, and soil stabilization. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcomed.

Dr. Elena Ferretti
Guest Editor

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. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • natural building materials
  • structural retrofitting and strengthening
  • energy efficiency additive
  • 3D printing in construction risk management
  • seismic engineering
  • structure/subsoil interactions
  • experimental studies
  • structural modelling
  • soil stabilization

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 13844 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties and Microscopic Mechanism of Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) Slag-Treated Clay Subgrades
by Arailym Mustafayeva, Aidana Bimykova, Sakiru Olarewaju Olagunju, Jong Kim, Alfrendo Satyanaga and Sung-Woo Moon
Buildings 2023, 13(12), 2962; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13122962 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Civil engineering faces a substantial challenge when dealing with soft and compressible clayey soils. Conventional soil stabilization techniques involving ordinary Portland cement (OPC) result in notable CO2 emissions. This study explores the utilization of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag, a by-product of [...] Read more.
Civil engineering faces a substantial challenge when dealing with soft and compressible clayey soils. Conventional soil stabilization techniques involving ordinary Portland cement (OPC) result in notable CO2 emissions. This study explores the utilization of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag, a by-product of steel production, for strengthening kaolin clay. This research investigates the influence of BOF slag particle size, BOF slag content, and the use of activators such as lime and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) on the stabilization of kaolin clay. The strength development is assessed through unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, bender element (BE) test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The findings reveal that higher BOF content and extended curing periods enhance soil strength, and lime and GGBFS effectively augment the stabilizing properties of BOF slag. Stabilizing kaolin clay with a 30% BOF/GGBFS mixture in a 50/50 ratio with 1% lime and curing for 7 days yielded a compressive strength of 753 kPa, meeting the Federal Highway Administration’s requirement for lime-treated soil. These combined measures contribute to developing a more robust and stable material with enhanced geotechnical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings)
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16 pages, 4944 KiB  
Article
Strategy for the Mix Design of Building Earthen Materials Made of Quarry By-Products
by Mathieu Audren, Simon Guihéneuf, Tangi Le Borgne, Damien Rangeard and Arnaud Perrot
Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2531; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102531 - 06 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 831
Abstract
The use of quarry by-products can enable the commercialization of a clay building material (reconstituted earth) thanks to minimal valorized and perennial stocks of materials. This study shows that quarry by-products can be used to mix design a clay-based building material for the [...] Read more.
The use of quarry by-products can enable the commercialization of a clay building material (reconstituted earth) thanks to minimal valorized and perennial stocks of materials. This study shows that quarry by-products can be used to mix design a clay-based building material for the manufacture of CEB. These soils are composed of quarry tailing and clayey muds. Proctor and dry compressive strength tests have shown that the proportion of mud that achieves the highest possible compressive strength is a balance between increasing density through the aggregate arrangement, increasing clay activity, and decreasing density through the increase in water content. These tests resulted in the formulation of materials with compressive strengths of 5.8 MPa and 8.4 MPa at densities of 2135 kg/m3 and 2178 kg/m3. The influence of mud incorporation on the material granulometry and on its characteristics was also studied. Moreover, a model allowing us to link the compressive strength, the clay activity, and the dry density is proposed for the materials composed of quarry by-products. This model enables us to facilitate the mix design and the standardization of the earth material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings)
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21 pages, 7715 KiB  
Article
Feasibility of Using Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash in Partial Replacement of Portland Cement Clinker
by Sâmara França, Leila Nóbrega Sousa, Sérgio Luiz Costa Saraiva, Maria Cecília Novaes Firmo Ferreira, Marcos Vinicio de Moura Solar Silva, Romero César Gomes, Conrado de Souza Rodrigues, Maria Teresa Paulino Aguilar and Augusto Cesar da Silva Bezerra
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040843 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2228
Abstract
This work presents a technical and economic study using sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) to partially replace Portland cement clinker. To evaluate the technical viability, the replacement rates of 10, 20, and 30% of Portland cement were used in the experiments. The ashes [...] Read more.
This work presents a technical and economic study using sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) to partially replace Portland cement clinker. To evaluate the technical viability, the replacement rates of 10, 20, and 30% of Portland cement were used in the experiments. The ashes used were in the following conditions: (i) as collected (AC), (ii) ground (G), and (iii) re-burnt and ground (RG). Three composition parameters were used in the mortar mix procedures: (i) mix with water factor/fixed binder in volume, (ii) mix with water factor/fixed binder in weight, and (iii) mix with the fixed flow. After the technical feasibility analysis, the benefit of the substitutions and an analysis of the relationship between cement consumption and the acquired compressive strength, correlating with possible economic costs, were discussed. SCBA AC was not suitable for the partial replacement of Portland cement clinker. SCBA G presented a satisfactory performance and SCBA RG was the ash that presented the best performance in the partial replacement of Portland cement clinker. For the same levels of compressive strength, the consumption of Portland cement per cubic meter of concrete reduced; from this, the cost of concrete and mortar could be reduced by 8%, with the ash having the same value as cement. Furthermore, the use of SCBA RG at 30% inhibited the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) in concretes with a reactive basalt and quartzite aggregate. SCBA G (20 and 30%) and SCBA RG (10 and 20%) inhibited the ASR in concretes with a reactive basalt aggregate and reduced the expandability in concretes with a reactive quartzite aggregate. Another point to highlight was the durability shown by the cements with SCBA, which, 900 days after the accelerated test of expansion by the alkali–aggregate reaction, maintained high levels of flexural strength when compared to the results obtained before the accelerated test of expansion. The present work concluded that using sugar cane bagasse ash to replace Portland cement is feasible from a technical, environmental, and economic perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings)
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19 pages, 3722 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Reactivity Test for Precursors of Alkali-Activated Materials
by Sâmara França, Leila Nóbrega Sousa, Marcos Vinicio de Moura Solar Silva, Paulo Henrique Ribeiro Borges and Augusto Cesar da Silva Bezerra
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 693; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030693 - 06 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1498
Abstract
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) result from the dissolution process and polycondensation of precursors in high pH solutions. This material is considered alternative cement with similar properties and lower environmental impact than Portland cement. However, AAMs are subjected to the same standardization applied to cement-based [...] Read more.
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) result from the dissolution process and polycondensation of precursors in high pH solutions. This material is considered alternative cement with similar properties and lower environmental impact than Portland cement. However, AAMs are subjected to the same standardization applied to cement-based materials since no formal methods exist to characterize this material and/or the precursor reactivity. Therefore, this work aims to develop a method to characterize the reactivity of the main precursors used to produce AAMs. Hence, the precursors were assessed in two steps after chemical, physical, and mineralogical characterization. The first step evaluated the crystallinity change of the material after the acid attack by mixing 1 g of each material in 100 mL of 1% HF solution for 6 h at ambient temperature. The crystallinity change was evaluated by comparing the X-ray diffraction of the materials before and after the acid attack. The second step involved evaluating the formation of geopolymerization products in the pastes of studied precursors through FTIR test. The pastes were produced with Na2SiO3 and NaOH as activators. After 28 days of curing, the pastes were submitted to a FTIR test for structural analysis. This method was tested evaluating the reactivity of traditional precursors for alkali activation (i.e., silica fume (SF), blast furnace slag (BFS), and metakaolin (MK)), in addition sugarcane bagasse ash mechanically treated (SCBAM) and sugarcane bagasse ash mechanically and heat treated (SCBAMH) since SCBA is a promising precursor for alkali activation. Considering the crystallinity change of precursors (step 01), the formation of geopolymerization products (step 02), and the chemical composition of precursors (preliminary characterization), it could be concluded that: (i) surface area is not relevant to materials with small particle size (<23 µm); (ii) amorphous area is only relevant if the material exhibits the optimal chemical composition; and (iii) the chemical composition is a crucial parameter for alkali activation. In addition, the potential precursors for alkali activation should have a significant amorphous halo and a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 2 to 5. Also, it could be concluded that SF and SCBAMH do not exhibit adequate reactivity while BFS, MK, and SCBAM can be classified as reactive precursors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Sustainable Buildings)
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