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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 17307

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ana Bras

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Interests: self-healing; bio-based materials; durability; performance-based design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infrastructures are essential assets for the functioning of a society and economy. It is crucial the development of infrastructure resilience combined with the creation of circular economy in terms of re-use and reduction in carbon consumption. Meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals on infrastructure innovation and climate action requires tailor construction solutions, reducing material consumption, and fighting against the scarcity of resources while ensuring their security.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the analysis of current situations and how to innovate towards risk mitigation, with new design and construction solutions at the material and technology levels, with/without self-healing and multifunctionality behaviors. The ultimate objective is to achieve more durable and sustainable structures and buildings. Researchers from the academic and industrial sphere are invited to publish the results of their research and the latest achievements in this field.

Research works that focus on infrastructure resilience with novel, sustainable and bio-based solutions, self-healing behaviour, multifunctional materials, durability, energy savings and blue economy, including experimental data, onsite data or with numerical simulation studies are especially encouraged.

Dr. Ana Brás, CEng, FICE
Guest Editor

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Keywords

infrastructure resilience and sustainability
extreme weather disasters
self-healing behavior
composites
bio-based solutions
multifunctionality
durability
LCA
UN SDG
structures
buildings
energy savings

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 31483 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mixture Optimization of Concrete Paving Blocks Containing Waste Silt

by Abbas Solouki, Piergiorgio Tataranni and Cesare Sangiorgi

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 451; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010451 - 01 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2411

Abstract

Most of the waste materials recycled for the production of new construction materials are by-products of various manufacturing processes, such as the aggregate washing process. Recycling such materials is of paramount importance since it could reduce the adverse environmental impacts resulting from landfilling. Various studies have attempted to recycle different types of waste materials and by-products into concrete paving blocks. However, the availability of literature on concrete paving blocks containing waste silt is quite scarce. Thus, the current paper focuses on mix design optimization and production of concrete paving blocks containing high amounts of waste silt resulting from the aggregate production process. Using the mixture Design of Experiments (DOE), 12 sets of concrete paving blocks with different aggregate blends were produced to optimize the mix design. Once the final mix design was achieved, the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete paving blocks were investigated following the EN 1338 standard. Shape and dimension measurements and various tests, including water absorption, tensile splitting strength, abrasion resistance, and slip/skid resistance were conducted on the experimental concrete paving samples. Overall, the produced concrete paving blocks showed promising properties for future applications in pedestrian walking paths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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22 pages, 3618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stacking Ensemble Tree Models to Predict Energy Performance in Residential Buildings

by Ahmed Salih Mohammed, Panagiotis G. Asteris, Mohammadreza Koopialipoor, Dimitrios E. Alexakis, Minas E. Lemonis and Danial Jahed Armaghani

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8298; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158298 - 25 Jul 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

In this research, a new machine-learning approach was proposed to evaluate the effects of eight input parameters (surface area, relative compactness, wall area, overall height, roof area, orientation, glazing area distribution, and glazing area) on two output parameters, namely, heating load (HL) and cooling load (CL), of the residential buildings. The association strength of each input parameter with each output was systematically investigated using a variety of basic statistical analysis tools to identify the most effective and important input variables. Then, different combinations of data were designed using the intelligent systems, and the best combination was selected, which included the most optimal input data for the development of stacking models. After that, various machine learning models, i.e., XGBoost, random forest, classification and regression tree, and M5 tree model, were applied and developed to predict HL and CL values of the energy performance of buildings. The mentioned techniques were also used as base techniques in the forms of stacking models. As a result, the XGboost-based model achieved a higher accuracy level (HL: coefficient of determination, R² = 0.998; CL: R² = 0.971) with a lower system error (HL: root mean square error, RMSE = 0.461; CL: RMSE = 1.607) than the other developed models in predicting both HL and CL values. Using new stacking-based techniques, this research was able to provide alternative solutions for predicting HL and CL parameters with appropriate accuracy and runtime. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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17 pages, 24726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Microbially Induced Healing Solutions for Crack Repairs of Cement-Based Infrastructure

by John Milan van der Bergh, Bojan Miljević, Snežana Vučetić, Olja Šovljanski, Siniša Markov, Mike Riley, Jonjaua Ranogajec and Ana Bras

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4287; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084287 - 12 Apr 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2763

Abstract

Reinforced concrete crack repair and maintenance costs are around 84% to 125% higher than construction costs, which emphasises the need to increase the infrastructure service life. Prolongation of the designed service life of concrete structures can have significant economic and ecological benefits by minimising the maintenance actions and related increase of carbon and energy expenditure, making it more sustainable. Different mechanisms such as diffusion, permeation and capillary action are responsible for the transport of fluids inside the concrete, which can impact on the structure service life. This paper presents data on microbially induced repair and self-healing solutions for cementitious materials available in the contemporary literature and compares results of compressive strength test and capillary water absorption test, which are relevant to their sealing and mechanical characteristics. The results of the repair and self-healing solutions (relative to unassisted recovery processes) were “normalized.” Externally applied bacteria-based solutions can improve the compressive strength of cementitious materials from 13% to 27%. The internal solution based solely on bacterial suspension had 19% improvement efficacy. Results also show that “hybrid” solutions, based on both bio-based and non-bio-based components, whether externally or internally applied, have the potential for best repair results, synergistically combining their benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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19 pages, 3869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Co-Fired Blended Ash and Chopped Basalt Fiber in the Development of Sustainable Mortar

by Kunal M. Shelote, Hindavi R. Gavali, Ana Bras and Rahul V. Ralegaonkar

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1247; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13031247 - 25 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2051

Abstract

Excessive consumption of cement in construction materials has resulted in a negative impact on the environment. This leads to the need of finding an alternative binder as a sustainable construction material. Different wastes that are rich in aluminosilicates have proved to be a valuable material for alkali-activated product development, which contains zero cement. Alkali-activated products are claimed to be sustainable and cost-effective. In the present study, alkali-activated reinforced masonry mortar was developed using locally available industrial waste (co-fired blended ash—CBA). Appropriate mortar design is one of the key challenges as connections between two structural elements play a significant role in building construction. The mortar designed with suitable fiber reinforcement shall significantly help to enhance the fresh, mechanical, durability, and dynamic properties. Chopped basalt fibers (CBFs) obtained from basalt rock are one of the eco-efficient fibers applied as a reinforcing material. The present study checked the feasibility of novel industrial waste-co-fired blended ash (CBA) in the development of alkali-activated masonry mortar and reinforced alkali-activated mortar. In view of sustainable construction material design, the study elaborated the application of chopped basalt fibers (CBFs) in alkali-activated mortar design. The mortar cubes were cast and tested for various properties with varying percentages of chopped basalt fibers (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%). The results suggest that developed mortars were able to achieve higher compressive strength (10–18 MPa) and flexural strength (3–3.5 MPa). Further, based on the properties of developed alkali-activated reinforced mortar, masonry prisms were cast and evaluated for the bond strengths (flexural and shear) of masonry. The optimum properties of alkali-activated mortar were found for the mix design of alkali activator to solid ratio of 0.40 and 0.5% CBF percentage. Application of CBF in CBA alkali-activated reinforced masonry mortar proved to be an efficient construction material with no cement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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12 pages, 1676 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Sustainable Prefabricated Wall Technology for Energy Efficient Social Housing

by Ravijanya Chippagiri, Hindavi R. Gavali, Rahul V. Ralegaonkar, Mike Riley, Andy Shaw and Ana Bras

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1195; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13031195 - 23 Jan 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4195

Abstract

Under the India “Housing for all” scheme, 20 million urban houses have to be constructed by 2022, which requires the rate of construction to be around 8000 houses/day. Previous results by the team show that present design methods for affordable buildings and structures in India need improvement. The challenges are the disposal of solid waste generated from agro-industrial activities and the energy peak demand in extremely hot and cold seasons. The development of bio-based urban infrastructure which can adapt to the climatic conditions has been proposed. Inclusion of sustainable materials such as agro-industrial by-products and insulation materials has resulted in effective environmental sustainability and climate change adaptability. Precast components are highlighted as a suitable solution for this purpose as well as to fulfil the need of mass housing. India has a lesser record in implementing this prefab technology when compared to a global view. For the first time, a novel and sustainable prefab housing solution is tested for scale-up using industrial waste of co-fired blended ash (CBA) and the results are presented here. A model house of real scale measuring 3 × 3 × 3 m³ was considered as a base case and is compared with 17 other combinations of model house with varying alignment of prefab panels. Comparison was made with commercially available fly ash brick and CBA brick with a conventional roof slab. A simulation study was conducted regarding cost and energy analysis for all the 18 cases. Various brick and panel compositions with CBA for housing were tried and the superior composition was selected. Similarly, 18 model houses of real scale were simulated, with different combinations of walls made of bricks or panels and different building orientations, to check the impact on energy peak cooling and cost. Results show that peak cooling load can be reduced by six times with bio-based prefab panels. Prefab construction can be considered for mass housing ranging above 100 housing units, each consisting of an area of 25 m². Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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Review

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24 pages, 3083 KiB

Open AccessReview

Damage Management of Concrete Structures with Engineered Cementitious Materials and Natural Fibers: A Review of Potential Uses

by Mehran Dadkhah and Jean-Marc Tulliani

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3917; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14073917 - 25 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2281

Abstract

The importance of the safety and sustainability of structures has attracted more attention to the development of smart materials. The presence of small cracks (<300 µm in width) in concrete is approximately inevitable. These cracks surely damage the functionality of structures, increase their degradation, and decrease their sustainability and service life. Self-sensing cement-based materials have been widely assessed in recent decades. Engineers can apply piezoresistivity for structural health monitoring that provides timely monitoring of structures, such as damage detection and reliability analysis, which consequently guarantees the service life with low maintenance costs. However, concrete piezoresistivity is limited to compressive stress sensing due to the brittleness of concrete. In contrast, engineered cementitious composites (ECC) present excellent tensile ductility and deformation capabilities, making them able to sense tensile stress/strain. Therefore, in this paper, first, the ability of ECC to partly replace transverse reinforcements and enhance the joint shear resistance, the energy absorption capacity, and the cracking response of concrete structures in seismic areas is reviewed. Then, the potential use of natural fibers and cellulose nanofibers in cementitious materials is investigated. Moreover, steel and carbon fibers and carbon black, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, all added as conductive fillers, are also presented. Finally, among the conductive carbonaceous materials, biochar, the solid residue of biomass waste pyrolysis, was recently investigated to improve the mechanical properties, internal curing, and CO₂ capture of concrete and for the preparation of self-sensing ECC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure Resilience and Climate Action)

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