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Bioinspired Approaches to Produce and Repair Greener Concrete

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2022) | Viewed by 4170

Special Issue Editors

Department of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
Interests: concrete production with recycled aggregates; construction and demolition waste. eco-efficient construction materials; bioinspired approaches to repair mortars and concretes; bioformulations of concrete
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Sciencies, University of Leon, 24071 Leon, Spain
Interests: recycled aggregates; construction and demolition waste; recycled concrete; construction materials; bioinspired approaches; bacterial calcium carbonate precipitation; polyhydroxyalkanoates as surface biotreatment; bioformulation of concrete and mortar
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable construction is one of the main strategies to ensure that the limited resources of the planet can support the growing population in the future, and in view of the fact that concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth after water, along with consideration of its large carbon footprint, a solution that would guarantee greener concrete manufacture and maintenance seems vital. Bioinspired technologies can serve to improve the production of construction material (concrete, mortar, and others) by replacement of less ecological compounds or the enhancement of durability properties, and to extend the service life of construction elements by using biological agents able to repair them. The aim of this Special Issue is to publish innovative and original studies and developments in this field.

Dr. Manuel I. Guerra-Romero
Dr. Julia García-González
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 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

  • bioinspired solutions
  • healing products
  • bacteria
  • PHA
  • algae
  • self-healing
  • repair
  • concrete
  • mortar
  • characterization methods

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5190 KiB  
Article
Biotreatments Using Microbial Mixed Cultures with Crude Glycerol and Waste Pinewood as Carbon Sources: Influence of Application on the Durability of Recycled Concrete
by Lorena Serrano-González, Daniel Merino-Maldonado, Andrea Antolín-Rodríguez, Paulo C. Lemos, Alice S. Pereira, Paulina Faria, Andrés Juan-Valdés, Julia García-González and Julia Mª Morán-del Pozo
Materials 2022, 15(3), 1181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15031181 - 03 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2189
Abstract
Two eco-friendly healing bioproducts generated from microbial mixed cultures (MMC) for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were used as surface treatments, with two residual materials used as the substrates, namely crude glycerol and pinewood bio-oil. Their ability to improve the durability of concrete [...] Read more.
Two eco-friendly healing bioproducts generated from microbial mixed cultures (MMC) for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were used as surface treatments, with two residual materials used as the substrates, namely crude glycerol and pinewood bio-oil. Their ability to improve the durability of concrete samples containing recycled aggregates was assessed. To determine this protective capacity, 180 samples were analyzed using different tests, such as water penetration under pressure, capillary absorption, freeze–thaw and water droplet absorption test. Three types of conditions were used: outdoor–indoor exposure, re-application of biopolymers and application in vertical exposure conditions. The results showed reductions of up to 50% in the water penetration test and a delay in the water droplet absorption test of up to 150 times relative to the reference. The surface application of these bioproducts significantly reduced the degree of water penetration in recycled concrete, increasing its useful lifespan and proving to be a promising treatment for protecting concrete surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Approaches to Produce and Repair Greener Concrete)
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11 pages, 5517 KiB  
Article
Use of Mixed Microbial Cultures to Protect Recycled Concrete Surfaces: A Preliminary Study
by Lorena Serrano-González, Daniel Merino-Maldonado, Manuel Ignacio Guerra-Romero, Julia María Morán-Del Pozo, Paulo Costa Lemos, Alice Santos Pereira, Paulina Faria, Julia García-González and Andrés Juan-Valdés
Materials 2021, 14(21), 6545; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14216545 - 01 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1444
Abstract
One approach to tackle the problems created by the vast amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) generated worldwide while at the same time lengthening concrete durability and service life is to foster the use of recycled aggregate (RA) rather than natural aggregate [...] Read more.
One approach to tackle the problems created by the vast amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) generated worldwide while at the same time lengthening concrete durability and service life is to foster the use of recycled aggregate (RA) rather than natural aggregate (NA). This article discusses the use of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)-producing mixed microbial cultures (MMCs) to treat the surface of recycled concrete with a view to increase its resistance to water-mediated deterioration. The microorganisms were cultured in a minimal medium using waste pinewood bio-oil as a carbon source. Post-application variations in substrate permeability were determined with the water drop absorption and penetration by water under pressure tests. The significant reduction in water absorption recorded reveals that this bioproduct is a promising surface treatment for recycled concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioinspired Approaches to Produce and Repair Greener Concrete)
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