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Applied Sciences
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Recycling Applications of Construction Materials
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Recycling Applications of Construction Materials

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 (15 June 2022) | Viewed by 10000

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lorena Zichella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: recycling; sustainability; sustainable development; environmental engineering; materials engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The recovery and the reuse of secondary raw materials is a current issue according to the European Commission’s strategy of End-of-Waste criteria. The strategic goal of end-of-waste is to promote recycling, helping to ensure a high level of environmental protection through the reduction of the consumption of critical raw materials and the quantities of waste destined for disposal.

This Special Issue will promote the circular economy by publishing work that explores the reuse materials that would go to landfill for construction applications. Papers are invited to investigate innovative materials to be applied in constructions, testing mechanical resistance, and paying attention to the environmental aspect. Topics may include studies on chemical and leaching tests to verify a possible release of heavy metals on the environment. Construction applications must comply with environmental directives. Case studies on the environmental and economic advantages of the application of innovative materials are also very welcome.

Dr. Lorena Zichella
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. 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 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

  • Circular economy
  • Secondary raw materials
  • End-of waste
  • Waste recovery
  • Innovative construction materials
  • Eco-materials application
  • Leaching test
  • Mechanical tests

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3162 KiB  
Article
Performance Evolution of Recycled Aggregate Concrete under the Coupled Effect of Freeze–Thaw Cycles and Sulfate Attack
by Pu Jia, Lang Li, Jin Zhou, Di Zhang, Zhongwei Guan, Jiangfeng Dong and Qingyuan Wang
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 6950; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12146950 - 08 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1269
Abstract
The high porosity of recycled coarse aggregate, which results in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) more vulnerable to freeze–thaw (FT) damage and chemical attack, is a dominant factor that limits the industrialization of recycled aggregate concrete in civil engineering. This paper presents an experimental [...] Read more.
The high porosity of recycled coarse aggregate, which results in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) more vulnerable to freeze–thaw (FT) damage and chemical attack, is a dominant factor that limits the industrialization of recycled aggregate concrete in civil engineering. This paper presents an experimental study on the combined effects of FT damage and sulfate attack on mechanical properties of high-performance RAC. The influence of the combined damage on the mass, solution-filled pore volume, dynamic elastic modulus, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and fracture energy of RAC was studied. Results showed that the water-exposed FT cycles would result in more severe deterioration in the mass loss, elastic modulus and compressive strength, while for the sulfate-exposed FT cycles, the splitting tensile strength and fracture energy have more significant degradation. Moreover, compared with compressive strength, deterioration in splitting tensile strength is more severe. The maximum losses in compressive and splitting tensile strength were 28.7% and 35%, respectively. The fracture energy showed an increasing trend to 60 FT cycles, followed by an overall decrease to 180 FT cycles. The fracture energy exhibits a maximum increment of about 45% and 39% for water- and sulfate-exposed samples, respectively, after being subjected to 60 FT cycles. The analysis of failure modes of coarse aggregate has revealed that FT damage results in a significant deterioration in the binding force of mortar. After being subjected to 180 FT cycles, the area percentage of pulled-out failure was increased from 7.3% to larger than 17.3%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Applications of Construction Materials)
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16 pages, 4842 KiB  
Article
Performances of the Synergy of Silica Fume and Waste Glass Powder in Ternary Blended Concrete
by Moruf Olalekan Yusuf, Khaled A. Alawi Al-Sodani, Ali H. AlAteah, Mohammed M. H. Al-Tholaia, Adeshina A. Adewumi, Azeez Oladipupo Bakare, Abdullahi Kilaco Usman and Ibrahim Momohjimoh
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(13), 6637; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12136637 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
The quest to enhance public health and the need for a reduction in the environmental solid wastes have prompted this study. Despite abundant studies on silica fume (SF or S) and waste glass powder (WGP or G), there is a need to understand [...] Read more.
The quest to enhance public health and the need for a reduction in the environmental solid wastes have prompted this study. Despite abundant studies on silica fume (SF or S) and waste glass powder (WGP or G), there is a need to understand the interaction of WGP with SF in the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC or C)-based concrete using the water/binder ratio of 0.42. The investigated concrete comprised 90 wt.% of OPC and 10 wt.% of WGP+SF. The samples were denoted as C90GxS10−x such that x varied from 0–10 wt.% at the interval of 2.5. The findings revealed that an increase in the WGP/SF ratio enhanced the absorption of silica/glass blended concrete due to size incompatibility and proliferations of interfacial transition zones between the glass particle, silica fume and cement matrix. The density of fresh OPC concrete was higher than that of glass/silica blended concrete due to the difference in their relative densities. Incorporating WGP and SF in synergy enhanced silicate reorganization and led to a more amorphous binder and a reduction in hydroxyl-based compounds such as portlandite but caused microstructural heterogeneity in the morphology of the binder as obtained from XRD, FTIR and SEM/EDS results. The 28-day compressive strength of 46 MPa is achievable if the WGP and SF are kept within 2.5–5 wt.% and 5–7.5 wt.%, respectively. The study will foster the production of economic, environmental, and cost-efficient concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Applications of Construction Materials)
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23 pages, 10154 KiB  
Article
Experimental Research on Mechanical and Permeability Properties of Nylon Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete with Mineral Admixture
by Jawad Ahmad, Osama Zaid, Carlos López-Colina Pérez, Rebeca Martínez-García and Fernando López-Gayarre
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 554; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12020554 - 06 Jan 2022
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2243
Abstract
Plain concrete’s major two drawbacks are its low tensile strength and high carbon footprint. Joint adding of fibers and recycled/waste materials in concrete might assist to resolve these problems. In the present study, a novel technique is planned to improve the recycled aggregate [...] Read more.
Plain concrete’s major two drawbacks are its low tensile strength and high carbon footprint. Joint adding of fibers and recycled/waste materials in concrete might assist to resolve these problems. In the present study, a novel technique is planned to improve the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) mechanical behavior and durability performance by joint incorporation of silica fume (SF) and nylon fibers (NF). In this research paper, different properties of concrete samples are examined for example flexural strength, compressive strength, split tensile strength, penetration of chloride ions, acid resistance, and water absorption. It was noted that adding nylon fibers as individual components enhances the recycled aggregate concrete mechanical characteristics and resistance to acid exposure. The inclusion of nylon fibers improved the behavior of the recycled aggregate concrete; however, it also increased the chloride penetration and water absorption by only 18% and 8% respectively. Up to 26% of mechanical strength of concrete was improved when silica fume was added in comparison to reference concrete, silica fume also assisted in controlling the loss of durability because of adding recycled aggregate concrete and nylon fibers. Silica fume improved the bond between binder matrix and nylon fibers. The study revealed that the combination of 50% RCA, 0.5% nylon fibers and 20% silica fume are optimum for the joint incorporation into concrete that can assist in developing sustainable, durable, and ductile recycled aggregate fiber reinforced concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Applications of Construction Materials)
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14 pages, 2789 KiB  
Article
Use of Waste from Granite Gang Saws to Manufacture Ultra-High Performance Concrete Reinforced with Steel Fibers
by Fernando López Gayarre, Jesús Suárez González, Iñigo Lopez Boadella, Carlos López-Colina Pérez and Miguel Serrano López
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1764; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11041764 - 17 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2477
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the feasibility of using the ultra-fine waste coming from the granite cutting waste gang saws (GCW-GS) to manufacture ultra-high performance, steel-fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). These machines cut granite blocks by abrasion using a steel blade [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the feasibility of using the ultra-fine waste coming from the granite cutting waste gang saws (GCW-GS) to manufacture ultra-high performance, steel-fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). These machines cut granite blocks by abrasion using a steel blade and slurry containing fine steel grit. The waste generated by gang saws (GCW-GS) contains up to 15% Fe2O3 and up to 5% CaO. This is the main difference from the waste produced by diamond saws (GCW-D). Although this waste is available in large quantities, there are very few studies focused on recycling it to manufacture any kind of concrete. In this study, the replaced material was the micronized quartz powder of natural origin used in the manufacture of UHPRFC. The properties tested include workability, density, compressive strength, elasticity modulus, flexural strength, and tensile strength. The final conclusion is that this waste can be used to manufacture UHPFRC with a better performance than that from diamond saws given that there is an improvement of their mechanical properties up to a replacement of 35%. Even for higher percentages, the mechanical properties are within values close to those of control concrete with small decreases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Applications of Construction Materials)
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14 pages, 1209 KiB  
Article
Performance-Related Assessment of the Potential Use of Sawing Sludge in Cementitious Fluidized Thermal Backfills
by Lorena Zichella, Eldho Choorackal, Michela Airoldi, Pier Paolo Riviera, Rossana Bellopede and Ezio Santagata
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(22), 8243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10228243 - 20 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1514
Abstract
The management of sawing sludge originated from cutting operations of ornamental stones represents a challenging task as a consequence of its peculiar composition that includes non-negligible amounts of heavy metals resulting from the wear and tear of cutting tools. The aim of the [...] Read more.
The management of sawing sludge originated from cutting operations of ornamental stones represents a challenging task as a consequence of its peculiar composition that includes non-negligible amounts of heavy metals resulting from the wear and tear of cutting tools. The aim of the research work presented in this paper was to investigate the feasibility of using these by-products as supplementary constituents of cementitious mixtures employed for the formation of Fluidized Thermal Backfills (FTB). These mixtures are designed and produced for filling operations in pavement subgrades in which high-voltage electrical transmission cables are buried for protection purposes. Two different types of sawing sludge were thoroughly analyzed from a physical and chemical point of view and thereafter employed for the laboratory production of four FTB mixtures. Then, these were subjected to thermal, mechanical, and environmental tests in order to verify their suitability for their intended use. All investigated FTB mixtures exhibited a satisfactory and stable thermal conductivity, and they also displayed enhanced stiffness properties in comparison to standard subgrade and sub-base materials. Controversial results were obtained with respect to environmental properties resulting from leaching tests, thus suggesting that further investigations are needed before any full-scale application can take place. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling Applications of Construction Materials)
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