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Advanced Materials, Systems and Policies for Achieving Sustainability Goals in Construction

A topical collection in Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This collection belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

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Editor

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increased global population and the need for new civil infrastructure, the prematurely aging existing infrastructure facilities, the damage inflicted by climate change upon infrastructure assets, and the alarming need to reduce the carbon footprint of constructed facilities, there has never been such a pressing need for sustainable construction materials, systems, technologies, and novel ideas. Traditional research on the recycling and beneficiation of byproducts in construction, enhancing the life-cycle performance of civil infrastructure, and the reduction of the production energy and emissions of construction materials have brought us closer to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The advent of smart cities, 3D printing, and intelligent materials and technologies can bring further hope for the construction sector to become more sustainable. This Topical Collection of the journal Sustainability aspires to bring together innovative and forward-looking research and industry practice toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals for civil infrastructure. The submission of experimental, modeling, and policy-related research are all encouraged to address this issue in a holistic approach.

Prof. Dr. Moncef L. Nehdi
Collection 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 collection 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.

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Keywords

  • civil infrastructure
  • construction
  • concrete
  • steel
  • masonry
  • timber
  • CO2 emission
  • sustainability
  • carbon footprint
  • smart technology
  • recycling
  • energy saving

Published Papers (13 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021, 2020

22 pages, 7582 KiB  
Article
Effects of Microencapsulated Phase Change Material on the Behavior of Silty Soil Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Cycles
by Hazal Berrak Gençdal and Havvanur Kılıç
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12005; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151512005 - 04 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 815
Abstract
Freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles are one of the most important factors affecting the performance of silty soils with high kaolin content in seasonally freezing regions. This study investigates the improvement of a high-plasticity clayey silt soil (MH) with microencapsulated phase change material (mPCM) to [...] Read more.
Freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles are one of the most important factors affecting the performance of silty soils with high kaolin content in seasonally freezing regions. This study investigates the improvement of a high-plasticity clayey silt soil (MH) with microencapsulated phase change material (mPCM) to prevent changes in mechanical properties when subjected to freeze–thaw cycles. Unconfined compression, one-dimensional compression, and freeze and thaw tests were performed to evaluate the behavior of treated soil under different freeze/thaw cycles and with different mPCM ratios. It has been observed that the mPCM additive decreased the unconfined compression strength (UCS); however, the strength of the soil held constant during the increasing F-T cycles, and the increase in the mPCM additive content increased the strength of the soil. The inclusion of mPCM affected the compression of the soil and increased settlement (∆H), although the settlement remained constant with increasing freeze–thaw cycles. It has been noted that the compression behavior, which is least affected by the unconfined compressive strength and freeze/thaw cycles, is achieved with the addition of 10% mPCM. As a result of the tests, it was determined that the most suitable additive mPCM ratio is 10% for the compression and strength behaviors. Full article
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16 pages, 1564 KiB  
Article
Influence of Labour Experience in the Generation of Construction Material Waste in the Sri Lankan Construction Industry
by Gayani Karunasena, Gayan Fernando, Dilogini Ashokkumar and Chunlu Liu
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5406; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065406 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1236
Abstract
The construction industry consumes a huge quantity of raw materials, some of which ends up as waste in the construction process. Among many factors, studies suggest that the inexperience of labour is one factor that generates construction material waste. However, an in-depth analysis [...] Read more.
The construction industry consumes a huge quantity of raw materials, some of which ends up as waste in the construction process. Among many factors, studies suggest that the inexperience of labour is one factor that generates construction material waste. However, an in-depth analysis of construction material waste generation concerning the different levels of labour experience has not been undertaken. Thus, this study investigates the influence of labour experience in the generation of brick and tile material waste in the Sri Lankan construction industry and, thereby, develops a model to predict average waste generation with respect to labour experience. Bricks and tiles were considered since they are identified as the materials most wasted in the Sri Lankan construction industry. To carry out this research, nine similar commercial projects under construction using bricks and tiles were selected from three large building construction organizations in Sri Lanka. Non-participant direct observations and unstructured interviews were adopted as data collection techniques. A simple arithmetical mean method was adopted to analyse material wastage and a scatter diagram was used to identify the correlation and regression to develop a prediction model. The findings revealed that, when labour experience increased, brick and tile wastage generation decreased, although there were slight fluctuations. Full article
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15 pages, 2422 KiB  
Article
Novel Neural Network Optimized by Electrostatic Discharge Algorithm for Modification of Buildings Energy Performance
by Arash Mohammadi Fallah, Ehsan Ghafourian, Ladan Shahzamani Sichani, Hossein Ghafourian, Behdad Arandian and Moncef L. Nehdi
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 2884; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15042884 - 05 Feb 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
Proper analysis of building energy performance requires selecting appropriate models for handling complicated calculations. Machine learning has recently emerged as a promising effective solution for solving this problem. The present study proposes a novel integrative machine learning model for predicting two energy parameters [...] Read more.
Proper analysis of building energy performance requires selecting appropriate models for handling complicated calculations. Machine learning has recently emerged as a promising effective solution for solving this problem. The present study proposes a novel integrative machine learning model for predicting two energy parameters of residential buildings, namely annual thermal energy demand (DThE) and annual weighted average discomfort degree-hours (HDD). The model is a feed-forward neural network (FFNN) that is optimized via the electrostatic discharge algorithm (ESDA) for analyzing the building characteristics and finding their optimal contribution to the DThE and HDD. According to the results, the proposed algorithm is an effective double-target model that can predict the required parameters with superior accuracy. Moreover, to further verify the efficiency of the ESDA, this algorithm was compared with three similar optimization techniques, namely atom search optimization (ASO), future search algorithm (FSA), and satin bowerbird optimization (SBO). Considering the Pearson correlation indices 0.995 and 0.997 (for the DThE and HDD, respectively) obtained for the ESDA-FFNN versus 0.992 and 0.938 for ASO-FFNN, 0.926 and 0.895 for FSA-FFNN, and 0.994 and 0.995 for SBO-FFNN, the ESDA provided higher accuracy of training. Subsequently, by collecting the weights and biases of the optimized FFNN, two formulas were developed for easier computation of the DThE and HDD in new cases. It is posited that building engineers and energy experts could consider the use of ESDA-FFNN along with the proposed new formulas for investigating the energy performance in residential buildings. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021, 2020

15 pages, 7169 KiB  
Article
An Optimized Machine Learning Approach for Forecasting Thermal Energy Demand of Buildings
by Samira Rastbod, Farnaz Rahimi, Yara Dehghan, Saeed Kamranfar, Omrane Benjeddou and Moncef L. Nehdi
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 231; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010231 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1473
Abstract
Recent developments in indirect predictive methods have yielded promising solutions for energy consumption modeling. The present study proposes and evaluates a novel integrated methodology for estimating the annual thermal energy demand (DAN), which is considered as an indicator of the heating [...] Read more.
Recent developments in indirect predictive methods have yielded promising solutions for energy consumption modeling. The present study proposes and evaluates a novel integrated methodology for estimating the annual thermal energy demand (DAN), which is considered as an indicator of the heating and cooling loads of buildings. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network is optimally trained by symbiotic organism search (SOS), which is among the strongest metaheuristic algorithms. Three benchmark algorithms, namely, political optimizer (PO), harmony search algorithm (HSA), and backtracking search algorithm (BSA) are likewise applied and compared with the SOS. The results indicate that (i) utilizing the properties of the building within an artificial intelligence framework gives a suitable prediction for the DAN indicator, (ii) with nearly 1% error and 99% correlation, the suggested MLP-SOS is capable of accurately learning and reproducing the nonlinear DAN pattern, and (iii) this model outperforms other models such as MLP-PO, MLP-HSA and MLP-BSA. The discovered solution is finally expressed in an explicit mathematical format for practical uses in the future. Full article
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14 pages, 2522 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Thermal Energy Demand Using Fuzzy-Based Models Synthesized with Metaheuristic Algorithms
by Hamzah Ali Alkhazaleh, Navid Nahi, Mohammad Hossein Hashemian, Zohreh Nazem, Wameed Deyah Shamsi and Moncef L. Nehdi
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14385; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142114385 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1101
Abstract
Increasing consumption of energy calls for proper approximation of demand towards a sustainable and cost-effective development. In this work, novel hybrid methodologies aim to predict the annual thermal energy demand (ATED) by analyzing the characteristics of the building, such as transmission coefficients of [...] Read more.
Increasing consumption of energy calls for proper approximation of demand towards a sustainable and cost-effective development. In this work, novel hybrid methodologies aim to predict the annual thermal energy demand (ATED) by analyzing the characteristics of the building, such as transmission coefficients of the elements, glazing, and air-change conditions. For this objective, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy-inference system (ANFIS) was optimized with equilibrium optimization (EO) and Harris hawks optimization (HHO) to provide a globally optimum training. Moreover, these algorithms were compared to two benchmark techniques, namely grey wolf optimizer (GWO) and slap swarm algorithm (SSA). The performance of the designed hybrids was evaluated using different accuracy indicators, and based on the results, ANFIS-EO and ANFIS-HHO (with respective RMSEs equal to 6.43 and 6.90 kWh·m−2·year−1 versus 9.01 kWh·m−2·year−1 for ANFIS-GWO and 11.80 kWh·m−2·year−1 for ANFIS-SSA) presented the most accurate analysis of the ATED. Hence, these models are recommended for practical usages, i.e., the early estimations of ATED, leading to a more efficient design of buildings. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

16 pages, 1966 KiB  
Review
Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Is Sustainable and Cost-Effective for Water-Retaining Structures
by Ciarán Ryan and Emilio Garcia-Taengua
Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11479; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132011479 - 18 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2939
Abstract
Although fibre-reinforced-concrete (FRC) is increasingly used, it has been occasionally applied to water-retaining structures (WRSs), and no comprehensive design guidelines are currently available for the design of WRSs with FRC. A design methodology for such applications based on available recommendations and research has [...] Read more.
Although fibre-reinforced-concrete (FRC) is increasingly used, it has been occasionally applied to water-retaining structures (WRSs), and no comprehensive design guidelines are currently available for the design of WRSs with FRC. A design methodology for such applications based on available recommendations and research has been applied to three reference scenarios representing a wide range of WRSs: a flood defence wall, a weir wall, and a swimming pool wall. For each of these scenarios, alternative designs using different FRC mix designs have been compared through the statistical analysis of several relevant parameters. This study confirms that the use of FRC significantly reduces reinforcement requirements when compared to conventional reinforced concrete solutions. Clear trends have been identified between the structural performance of the resulting WRS designs, the FRC mix characteristics and the fibre type and dimensions. This study has considered not only structural performance but also the total cost and environmental footprint per unit length of WRSs, and these considerations further the case for adoption of FRC in such applications. Overall, fibre dosages below 0.75% and 2% in volume for steel and synthetic fibres, respectively, can lead to WRS designs with lower cost and carbon footprint than their reinforced concrete counterparts. Full article
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13 pages, 3431 KiB  
Article
Effect of Precast Concrete Pavement Albedo on the Climate Change Mitigation in Spain
by Miguel Ángel Sanjuán, Ángel Morales and Aniceto Zaragoza
Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11448; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132011448 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2561
Abstract
The widespread use of solar-reflective concrete pavements can mitigate climatic change and urban heat islands (UHI) by cooling the pavement surfaces that are made of concrete instead of asphalt. The methodology that was followed is based on the comparison between the asphalt and [...] Read more.
The widespread use of solar-reflective concrete pavements can mitigate climatic change and urban heat islands (UHI) by cooling the pavement surfaces that are made of concrete instead of asphalt. The methodology that was followed is based on the comparison between the asphalt and concrete albedo effects in a specific application and area. In this study, we found that a reduction of temperature in the terrestrial surface, equivalent to the removal of 25–75 kgCO2/m2, could be achieved. Considering all the motorways and freeways of Spain, which is the third country in the world in km, a yearly equivalent carbon dioxide emissions reduction of 13–27 million tons could be reached. This value is quite high considering that the cement sector worldwide released about 2.9 Gigatons of carbon dioxide in 2016. Therefore, there is a positive balance in the use of concrete pavements. Furthermore, concrete is a material completely recyclable at the end of its service life and concrete pavement construction requires local resources, avoiding GHG emissions due to transport. An increase in the Spanish freeway network albedo by replacing asphalt pavements with concrete ones will improve the local climate change mitigation. Full article
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18 pages, 45349 KiB  
Article
Use of Sewage Sludge Ash in the Production of Innovative Bricks—An Example of a Circular Economy
by Andelina Bubalo, Drazen Vouk, Nina Stirmer and Karlo Nad
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9330; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13169330 - 19 Aug 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3120
Abstract
In this paper the properties of clay bricks with 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 20 wt% sewage sludge ash (SSA) were studied and compared with the properties of control bricks made of 100% clay. Sewage sludge (SS) was collected at two wastewater treatment [...] Read more.
In this paper the properties of clay bricks with 5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 20 wt% sewage sludge ash (SSA) were studied and compared with the properties of control bricks made of 100% clay. Sewage sludge (SS) was collected at two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Croatia—WWTP Zagreb and WWTP Karlovac—and incinerated at a temperature of 900 °C The bricks were produced on a laboratory scale. A total of seven types of bricks were produced—control bricks and six types of bricks as combinations of different wt% of SSA generated from SS that was collected at two different WWTPs. The physical and mechanical properties of produced bricks were tested. Compressive strengths of bricks with 5 wt% SSA (54.0–54.5 N/mm2) and 10 wt% SSA (50.2–51.0 N/mm2) were higher compared to the control bricks (50.4 N/mm2), while bricks with 20 wt% SSA (37.0–43.9) N/mm2) had noticeably lower compressive strenght. The coefficient of saturation was lower for bricks with SSA compared to control bricks. The initial absorption values were more pronounced for SSA fractions of 20 wt%. Full article
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17 pages, 7812 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Alkali-Silica Reactivity in Sustainable Ultrahigh Performance Concrete
by Safeer Abbas, Wasim Abbass, Moncef L. Nehdi, Ali Ahmed and Muhammad Yousaf
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5680; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105680 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2402
Abstract
Considering its superior engineering properties, ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) has emerged as a strong contender to replace normal strength concrete (NSC) in diverse construction applications. While the mechanical properties of UHPC have been thoroughly explored, there is still dearth of studies that quantify [...] Read more.
Considering its superior engineering properties, ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) has emerged as a strong contender to replace normal strength concrete (NSC) in diverse construction applications. While the mechanical properties of UHPC have been thoroughly explored, there is still dearth of studies that quantify the durability of UHPC, especially for sustainable mixtures made with local materials. Therefore, this research aims at investigating the alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) potential in sustainable UHPC in comparison with that of NSC. Sustainable UHPC mixtures were prepared using waste untreated coal ash (CA), raw slag (RS), and locally produced steel fibers. UHPC and benchmark NSC specimens were cast for assessing the compressive strength, flexural strength, and ASR expansion. Specimens were exposed to two curing regimes: accelerated ASR conditions (as per ASTM C1260) and normal water curing. UHPC specimens incorporating RS achieved higher compressive and flexural strengths in comparison with that of identical UHPC specimens made with CA. ASR expansion of control NSC specimens exceeded the ASTM C1260 limits (>0.20% at 28 days). Conversely, experimental results demonstrate that UHPC specimens incurred much less ASR expansion, well below the ASTM C1260 limits. Moreover, UHPC specimens incorporating steel fibers exhibited lower expansion compared to that of companion UHPC specimens without fibers. It was also observed that the mechanical properties of NSC specimens suffered more drastic degradation under accelerated ASR exposure compared to UHPC specimens. Interestingly, UHPC specimens exposed to accelerated ASR conditions attained higher mechanical properties compared to that of reference identical specimens cured in normal water. Therefore, it can be concluded that ASR exposure had insignificant effect on sustainable UHPC incorporating CA and RS, especially for specimens incorporating fibers. Results indicate that UHPC is a robust competitor to NSC for the construction of mega-scale projects where exposure to ASR conducive conditions prevails. Full article
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17 pages, 2950 KiB  
Article
Time-Dependent Strength Behavior, Expansion, Microstructural Properties, and Environmental Impact of Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag-Treated Marine-Dredged Clay in South Korea
by Gyeong-o Kang, Jung-goo Kang, Jin-young Kim and Young-sang Kim
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5026; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13095026 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1945
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanical characteristics, microstructural properties, and environmental impact of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag-treated clay in South Korea. Mechanical characteristics were determined via the expansion, vane shear, and unconfined compression tests according to various curing [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanical characteristics, microstructural properties, and environmental impact of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag-treated clay in South Korea. Mechanical characteristics were determined via the expansion, vane shear, and unconfined compression tests according to various curing times. Scanning electron microscopy was conducted to analyze microstructural properties. Furthermore, environmental impacts were evaluated by the leaching test and pH measurements. According to the results, at the early curing stage (within 15 h), the free lime (F-CaO) content of the BOF slag is a significant factor for developing the strength of the adopted sample. However, the particle size of the BOF slag influences the increase in the strength at subsequent curing times. It was inferred that the strength behavior of the sample exhibits three phases depending on various incremental strength ratios. The expansion magnitude of the adopted samples is influenced by the F-CaO content and also the particle size of the BOF slag. Regarding the microstructural properties, the presence of reticulation structures in the amorphous gels with intergrowths of rod-like ettringite formation was verified inside the sample. Finally, the pH values and heavy metal leachates of the samples were determined within the compatible ranges of the threshold effect levels in the marine sediments of the marine environment standard of the Republic of Korea. Full article
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21 pages, 1382 KiB  
Review
Conversion of End-of-Life Household Materials into Building Insulating Low-Cost Solutions for the Development of Vulnerable Contexts: Review and Outlook towards a Circular and Sustainable Economy
by Manuela Neri, Mariagrazia Pilotelli, Marco Traversi, Elisa Levi, Edoardo Alessio Piana, Mariasole Bannó, Eva Cuerva, Pablo Pujadas and Alfredo Guardo
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4397; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084397 - 15 Apr 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3347
Abstract
In a world increasingly aware of the environmental cost of the current production/ consumption model, the use of sustainable practices to reduce our environmental impact as a society becomes imperative. One way to reduce this impact is to increase the reuse of materials [...] Read more.
In a world increasingly aware of the environmental cost of the current production/ consumption model, the use of sustainable practices to reduce our environmental impact as a society becomes imperative. One way to reduce this impact is to increase the reuse of materials that are considered, by current definitions of ”waste”, at their end of life. End-of-Life Household Materials (EoLHM) can be defined as household waste materials that still possess exploitable properties, thus making them suitable for reuse. There are several studies in the literature that address the recycling of these materials. When it comes to their reuse, unfortunately, only a limited number of studies are available. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the possibility to convert EoLHM, such as clothes or packaging, into low-cost thermal insulating materials for the improvement of the indoor thermal comfort in buildings, especially for households at risk of suffering from energy poverty. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review and a qualitative analysis of both commercial and EoLHM are proposed. Commercial thermal insulating materials analysis is used as a reference to measure the performance of EoLHM. Important aspects to be considered when choosing suitable EoLHM for a smart conversion and reuse are also investigated. The most important outcome of this investigation is the comprehension that the conversion of EoLHM into insulating material is possible, and it implies a direct reduction in waste production, with environmental benefits and positive social implications. However, some aspects such as adaptability, life expectancy, collection and storage are, at present, in need of further thinking and development to make the EoLHM reuse and re-conversion processes viable on a large (neighborhood/city) scale. Full article
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17 pages, 2766 KiB  
Review
Pathways to Commercialisation for Brown Coal Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Concrete in Australia
by Ezzatollah Shamsaei, Owen Bolt, Felipe Basquiroto de Souza, Emad Benhelal, Kwesi Sagoe-Crentsil and Jay Sanjayan
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4350; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13084350 - 14 Apr 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4684
Abstract
Utilising geopolymer as a construction material has gained institutional and commercial interest over the past decade, due to its favourable emissions profile as an alternative to carbon-intensive Ordinary Portland Cement-based concrete, which currently accounts for around 7% of global carbon emissions. While significant [...] Read more.
Utilising geopolymer as a construction material has gained institutional and commercial interest over the past decade, due to its favourable emissions profile as an alternative to carbon-intensive Ordinary Portland Cement-based concrete, which currently accounts for around 7% of global carbon emissions. While significant research has been performed into the material properties of geopolymer, the commercialisation of the technology is still in its infancy, and several key barriers require rectification to facilitate more widespread adoption. This article analyses the current state of geopolymer commercialisation, paying particular attention to its commercial application in Australia, and it suggests key research areas, in particular relating to the utilisation of abundant and cheap low-quality fly ash sources such as brown coal-based fly ash, to promote its adoption and build on the momentum gained from the small scale in situ pours of geopolymer concrete. Our analysis indicated that in addition to the barriers relating to material properties, economic, social, and regulatory issues also require further inquiry. Our review also indicated that it is critical to update and improve economic analysis of geopolymer utilisation to forecast future costs of both geopolymer and concrete mixes, which are especially critical in determining any potential financial incentives for the construction industry. Moreover, it is essential to study the social attitudes affecting future geopolymer consumption and to update the regulatory standards governing geopolymer utilisation in Australia, such as the initial steps undertaken by the Low Carbon Living Cooperative Research Centre. Based on this review, it is suggested that solving these key issues would help proliferate geopolymer technology and further aid efforts to create a more environmentally sustainable construction industry. Full article
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2020

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

24 pages, 8831 KiB  
Article
Recycling Untreated Coal Bottom Ash with Added Value for Mitigating Alkali–Silica Reaction in Concrete: A Sustainable Approach
by Safeer Abbas, Uzair Arshad, Wasim Abbass, Moncef L. Nehdi and Ali Ahmed
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10631; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122410631 - 19 Dec 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3549
Abstract
Each year, about 730 million tons of bottom ash is generated in coal fired power plants worldwide. This by-product can be used as partial replacement for Portland cement, favoring resource conservation and sustainability. Substantial research has explored treated and processed coal bottom ash [...] Read more.
Each year, about 730 million tons of bottom ash is generated in coal fired power plants worldwide. This by-product can be used as partial replacement for Portland cement, favoring resource conservation and sustainability. Substantial research has explored treated and processed coal bottom ash (CBA) for possible use in the construction industry. The present research explores using local untreated and raw CBA in mitigating the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) of reactive aggregates in concrete. Mortar bar specimens incorporating various proportions of untreated CBA were tested in accordance with ASTM C1260 up to 150 days. Strength activity index (SAI) and thermal analysis were used to assess the pozzolanic activity of CBA. Specimens incorporating 20% CBA achieved SAI greater than 75%, indicating pozzolanic activity. Mixtures incorporating CBA had decreased ASR expansion. Incorporating 20% CBA in mixtures yielded 28-day ASR expansion of less than the ASTM C1260 limit value of 0.20%. Scanning electron microscopy depicted ASR induced microcracks in control specimens, while specimens incorporating CBA exhibited no microcracking. Moreover, low calcium-to-silica ratio and reduced alkali content were observed in specimens incorporating CBA owing to alkali dilution and absorption, consequently decreasing ASR expansion. The toxicity characteristics of CBA indicated the presence of heavy metals below the US-EPA limits. Therefore, using local untreated CBA in concrete as partial replacement for Portland cement can be a non-hazardous alternative for reducing the environmental overburden of cement production and CBA disposal, with the added benefit of mitigating ASR expansion and its associated costly damage, leading to sustainable infrastructure. Full article
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