Abstract
Nowadays, nobody can deny that climate change is a reality and that the life cycle of buildings contributes greatly to that reality. Therefore, proposals such as the circular economy must be integrated into the construction sector. This article shows part of the results of a research project whose objective is to introduce circular economy criteria in building materials, seeking new uses for construction and demolition waste from buildings. In particular, this article analyses the possibility of replacing fibres currently used to reinforce cement mortars with recycled fibres. After consulting the bibliography, we can conclude that some studies analyse the behaviour of cement mortars reinforced with different types of fibres, but none has been found that analyses the behaviour of these mortars for the application of continuous coatings. For this purpose, a two-stage experimental plan is designed to test cement mortar samples with different types of fibres, recycled fibres and commercial fibres, taking into consideration the characteristics that these mortars have to comply to be applied as continuous coatings. Moreover, a detailed study about the porosity of these mortars and its influence on how the mortars behave with regard to compression, water vapour permeability and impermeability has been conducted. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the mortars containing recycled fibres have very similar resistance, absorption and permeability values to those containing commercial fibres, so that they might be suitable for application as external coatings.
Highlights
It is true that the climate has always been changing, but the problem is that currently the pace is faster than humans have ever seen
As specific conclusions: All the mortars studied show that fibres from recycling do not affect the setting of the mortar, nor do they produce significant changes in the microscopic structure of the compound, as their behaviour is very similar to that of the mortars reinforced with commercial fibres
These can be considered lightweight mortars, since their density is lower than 1300 Kg/m3 according to UNE EN 1015-6 [35]
Summary
It is true that the climate has always been changing, but the problem is that currently the pace is faster than humans have ever seen. The composition of coating mortars depends on the rendering properties required but, in general, they are based on cement (white or grey), rarely lime, and contain carbonate/silica aggregates [18] They can incorporate lightweight aggregates such as perlite, vermiculite, etc., and other additives such as pigments, water retainers, water repellents, aerators, accelerators, retardants, synthetic resins, fibres, etc. These include the use of additions to improve mortar plasticity [32], the incorporation of different types of fibres in their preparation [33], or the insertion of meshes or reinforcements between coating layers These techniques can be used together to reduce the possibility of cracks but do not always eliminate them completely. This leads to a reduction in its durability, since once the crack has occurred the properties of the material change drastically, and it cannot be assumed that the estimated durability for an uncracked surface can be maintained [28]
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