• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close
• civil engineering close
• 12. Responsible consumption close

One effective method to minimize the increasing cost in the construction industry is by using coal bottom ash waste as a substitute material. The high volume of coal bottom ash waste generated each year and the improper disposal methods have raised a grave pollution concern because of the harmful impact of the waste on the environment and human health. Recycling coal bottom ash is an effective way to reduce the problems associated with its disposal. This paper reviews the current physical and chemical and utilization of coal bottom ash as a substitute material in the construction industry. The main objective of this review is to highlight the potential of recycling bottom ash in the field of civil construction. This review encourages and promotes effective recycling of coal bottom ash and identifies the vast range of coal bottom ash applications in the construction industry.

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the primary binder of concrete, accounting for approximately 5% to 7% of greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with an annual production rate of more than 4 billion tons. It is critical to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete without sacrificing its performance. To this end, this study focuses on the use of water hyacinth ash (WHA) as a pozzolanic binder in the production of concrete as a partial replacement for cement. Four mixes are designed to achieve C-25-grade concrete with varying proportions of cement replacement with WHA of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of the cement weight. Extensive experiments are performed to examine the workability, strength, durability, and microstructure of concrete specimens. The test results confirm that incorporating WHA in concrete improved its workability, strength, and durability. The optimal results are obtained at the maximum OPC replacement level, with 10% WHA. The use of WHA as a partial replacement for cement greatly reduces the energy required for cement production and preserves natural resources. More research is needed to use WHA on a large scale to achieve greater sustainability in the concrete industry.

Abstract Sustainable retrofitting of existing buildings is a prerequisite for achieving climatic and energy objectives in the EU. Thus, practical tools supporting the evaluation and decision-making process when planning retrofit interventions are required. In specific areas, in addition to energy efficiency, the improvement in building resilience to natural hazards is requested; in several European regions, seismicity poses a significant hazard. This study aims to analyse the state-of-the-art of the integrated methods for the implementation of structural and energy retrofitting. The work consists of reviewing available tools, international sustainability protocols, and methods specifically developed for combined energy and seismic assessment. In the first group of methods, assessment is independently referred to specific criteria for energy performance and seismic safety, quantified according to available codes. Besides, in a second group, integrated evaluation is achieved considering ‘equivalent’ initial or life-cycle costs associated with energy consumption and seismic vulnerability. The collected methods were evaluated for qualitative requirements for optimal integration, such as multidisciplinary, life-cycle approaches, and other indicators. Finally, a critical evaluation is provided, highlighting what can be used for future developments toward a sustainable and resilient retrofitting of existing European buildings.

Nowadays, the increasing demand for concrete is causing serious environmental impact including pollution and waste generation, rapid depletion of natural resources, and increased CO2 emission. Incorporating natural fibers in concrete can contribute toward environmental sustainability. This paper is concerned with the use of natural fibers obtained from the plant species Phragmites australis (PA). The plant is invasive, and rapidly grows abundantly along rivers and waterways, causing major ecological problems. This research is part of a wide range investigation on the use of natural fibers produced from the stem of PA plants in concrete. Using a machine, plant stems were crushed into fibers measuring 40 mm in length and 2 mm in width, and treated with 4% NaOH solution for 24 h. A total of four concrete mixes were prepared with varying additions of treated fibers, ranging from 0% to 1.5% (by volume) with water to cement ratio of 0.5% (by volume). Concrete specimens were tested at 3, 7, and 28 days. Testing included compressive strength, density, total water absorption, and capillary water absorption. The results show that incorporating PA natural fibers reduces the water absorption by total immersion and capillary action by up to 45%. Moreover, there is a negligible decrease in concrete density and strength when fibers were added. It is concluded that adding up to 1.5% natural PA fibers to concrete is a feasible strategy to produce an eco-friendly material which can be used in the production of sustainable building material with adequate mechanical and durability performance.

This study focuses on addressing the challenge of society’s consumer demands through sustainable production processes, as outlined by Sustainable Development Goal 12 established by the United Nations. In this context, this study aims to assess the durability of eco-friendly mortars with mineral waste as alternative raw materials, considering the alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR). For this purpose, scheelite tailing (ST) was used to partially replace Portland cement (PC), and quartzite sand (QS) was used to fully replace conventional sand. The ST was ground and sieved (<75 μm), and part of it was used in its natural form, while the other part was calcined (1000 °C for 1 h). A mixture experimental design was created to select the compositions with the best mechanical performance. All the mortar mixtures were produced with a cementitious material to QS ratio of 1:3. Three mortar compositions (0% ST, 30% natural ST, and 30% calcined ST) were selected to study the resistance to the AAR. Linear expansion measurements, compressive strength tests, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were conducted to evaluate the phases formed and the mechanical behavior of the mortars in relation to the AAR. The expansion results demonstrated that QS does not exhibit deleterious potential. Regarding the use of ST, the results indicated that it is possible to partially replace PC with calcined ST without significantly compromising the mechanical performance and durability of the mortars. However, the use of non-calcined ST is not recommended, as it presents deleterious effects on the mechanical properties of the mortars. This study highlights a new sustainable mortar alternative for use in construction without future degradation of its properties.

Accelerated pavement testing (APT) facilities has been demonstrated for years as a multi-purpose solution for pavement and non-pavement research. Even though APTs are widely known in the pavement industry, little has been publicized about their successful applications in non-pavement research. This paper provides a survey of APT applications in non-pavement research. The purpose of the survey is to review and encourage APT owners and agencies to explore the opportunities that APT facilities can present to promote non-pavement research initiatives. The survey demonstrates the ability of APTs to conduct research for bridges, transportation technology, drainage, geotechnical engineering, automobiles, environmental engineering, highway safety, among others. Non-pavement research can be incorporated into APT programs to diversify funding sources for research operations and promote cooperation with other agencies. Finally, suggestions for future and current APTs are made in this paper, including evaluating connected vehicles, work zone applications, smart infrastructure, truck platooning effects on bridge performance, sustainable drainage systems, bridges, advancement in geotechnical methods, sustainable fuels, and unmanned aerial systems.

Abstract Nowadays, the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottle, which is a post-consumer product, has generated a strong interest in the environmental consequences that surround it, and a suitable alternative is to incorporate it in mortar and concrete. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate rendering mortars based on Portland cement/hydrated lime produced with PET bottle waste, used to partially replace 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (by volume) of the fine aggregate in order to investigate the effectiveness and the improvement of these materials. The experimental program was performed in the fresh and hardened states, to determine flowability, fresh and hardened densities, air content, apparent porosity, water absorption by immersion, water retention, water absorption by capillarity, drying, water vapor permeability, ultrasonic wave velocity, and dynamic modulus of elasticity. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed. Generally, the results showed that the incorporation of PET significantly changed some properties, as verified by statistical analysis. Remarkable results from the incorporation of PET into rendering mortars based on Portland cement/hydrated lime are: close to 90% similarity of water retention between the mixtures, water absorption due to capillarity of M2.5 at 1.89 kg/(m2·min1/2), drying of the M15 specimen at 5.85 kg/m2, water vapor permeability of the M20 at 41.15 (ng/(m·s·Pa)) and the dynamic modulus of elasticity of M2.5 at 3.57 GPa. These replacements showed the possibility of mitigating the environmental impacts that the PET bottle life cycle can have and the extraction of the fine aggregate, promoting another possibility of disposal for this waste.

Reinforced concrete as a building material is the most used in most civil engineering structures. This one is exposed to several attacks (physical, chemical and mechanical). Among these attacks, we can cite the phenomenon of carbonation, which leads to corrosion of the reinforcements and consequently reduces the service life of reinforced concrete structures. In addition, this phenomenon generates additional repair costs, which can sometimes exceed the initial cost of the building. Furthermore, it depends on the type and class of cement, two main classes of cement are used for the formulation of concrete in Algeria, ordinary Portland cements and cements with additions. This paper enters in the option of sustainable development, in order to study the behavior of these two types of cements against accelerated carbonation. For this purpose, two concrete compositions (based on ordinary Portland cements and cements with additions) were formulated, from these two formulations, samples were made in order to subject them to accelerated carbonation in a chamber rich in CO2 according to the recommendations of the AFPC-AFREM. The results obtained clearly show that concretes based on ordinary Portland cements (OPC) are less sensitive to the phenomenon of carbonation compared to concretes based on blended cements.