Alternative Building Materials Research Articles

Multicriteria Decision Analysis of Material Selection of High Energy Performance Residential Building

Abstract In world with limited amount of energy sources and with serious environmental pollution, interest in comparing the environmental embodied impacts of buildings using different structure systems and alternative building materials will be increased. This paper shows the significance of life cycle energy and carbon perspective and the material selection in reducing energy consumption and emissions production in the built environment. The study evaluates embodied environmental impacts of nearly zero energy residential structures. The environmental assessment uses framework of LCA within boundary: cradle to gate. Designed alternative scenarios of material compositions are also assessed in terms of energy effectiveness through selected thermal-physical parameters. This study uses multi-criteria decision analysis for making clearer selection between alternative scenarios. The results of MCDA show that alternative E from materials on nature plant base (wood, straw bales, massive wood panel) present possible way to sustainable perspective of nearly zero energy houses in Slovak republic

Promoting earth architecture as a sustainable construction technique in Egypt

The resource scarcity, energy problems, and pollution resulting from the use of conventional building materials, in addition to the rising costs of construction and transportation fuels are all factors driving many countries to consider low impact, cheap building methods that are environmentally friendly and appropriate for use in the modern context. This directs attention back to earth, one of the oldest building materials throughout history, which has successfully illustrated many technical, economic, social and environmental benefits that could fulfil the need for an alternative building material. Yet many doubts still face the use of earth, when compared to other conventional building materials that dominate the market nowadays (like concrete and steel) especially in countries like Egypt. However, the urgent call for sustainability in the building sector, as well as the rising demands for affordable housing units in Egypt, present a good opportunity to revive back the use of traditional materials like earth with their simple, cheap and quick techniques that could successfully meet these demands and apply sustainability on the long run.

BUILDING WITH BAMBOO: A REVIEW OF CULM CONNECTION TECHNOLOGY

Interest in the engineering performance of bamboo is on the rise primarily due to its rapid regenerative qualities and high strength-to-weight ratio. It has been a standard, sustainable building material for thousands of years in Asia and South America, where it grows naturally. Although there are many examples of magnificent bamboo structures, standards and documentation on safe and reliable bamboo design are scarce, particularly for connection design. Traditional connections involve friction-tight lashings (eg. ropes and cords of dried grasses) and pin-and-socket connections such as dowels and pegs, but more recent advances have involved integration with steel hardware and concrete. This paper presents bamboo as a feasible alternative building material and presents a review of past, current and emerging technologies to join hollow bamboo culms in structural applications. The paper's intent is to give an overview of the current state of bamboo connection technology and to promote developments in the emerging field of bamboo engineering. Recent technological advances and visionary architects have proven that it is possible to create safe structures that are not only sustainable but have tremendous potential for use in disaster relief and quick-build scenarios.

Modernizing Artisanal Brick Kilns: A Global Need

The city of Cusco in southeastern Peru is a World Heritage Site and a tourist attraction for those drawn by the Inca ruins nearby. But anyone who lives in or visits Cusco has to contend with its heavily polluted air. Trucks and buses belch clouds of diesel exhaust, and on the outskirts of town hundreds of family-run artisanal brick kilns send plumes of oily black smoke into the sky. Brick makers near Cusco fire their traditional kilns mainly with coal, but they also have a long history of burning plastic trash, used motor oil, and discarded tires. “They produce huge air quality problems,” says Jon Bickel, a Swiss development expert based in Lima. Most of the bricks that are made in Peru and other low-income countries are fired in artisanal kilns that pump greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere, posing a health threat to brick workers, their surrounding communities, and even farther afield. And since brick production keeps pace with population growth, its environmental health impacts are likely growing throughout the developing world, says Jie Li, an energy and environmental specialist with the World Bank’s South Asia Region in Washington, DC. Workers cut firewood to light a brick kiln in Kabul, Afghanistan. The few health studies that have been conducted on kiln workers typically reveal musculoskeletal effects and health effects similar to those seen in other smoky, dusty occupations. A number of both small-scale and multinational development groups coordinated by the World Bank, the United Nations, and other organizations are now turning their attention to this important but poorly characterized industrial sector. Leading the charge in Latin America, Bickel directs a Swiss-funded group known by its Spanish acronym, EELA (for Eficiencia Energetica en Ladrilleras Artesanales) that aims to modernize artisanal brick making in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. Bickel says EELA’s long-term goal is to reduce kiln emissions by 30–50%. But achieving that goal won’t be easy. Throughout Latin America and other countries in the developing world, artisanal kiln operators comprise an informal industry; they rarely pay taxes or obtain operating permits, and because of that, they often lack access to the financial credit and capital needed to purchase cleaner technology. Many also lack electricity (required for newer types of mechanized production) and access to roads and other infrastructure that could help in the modernization effort. Some are unwilling to change age-old manufacturing processes. Pakistani families prepare bricks at a fixed-chimney Bull’s trench kiln on the outskirts of Islamabad. Under debt bondage, an entrenched custom in South Asia, families can work at kilns for years paying off loans from the owners. Still, the associated benefits of modernization justify the effort, Li says. In addition to the environmental health impacts associated with artisanal brick kilns, these operations employ “the poorest of the poor, including, in many instances, women and children,” Li says. “So by promoting more efficient kilns and manufacturing, we can also address related development problems, such as poverty, child labor, and women’s issues.”

The Suitability of Chemically and Thermally Activated Quaternary Clays of Latvia as Raw Material for Geopolymer Binders

It is now accepted that new binders are needed to replace Portland cement (PC) for enhanced environmental and durability performance. The urge to reduce emissions of carbon and the fact that PC structures having built a few decades ago are already facing disintegration problems points out the handicaps of PC binders. Research works carried out in developing of alkali-activated binders show that this new type of binder could have a huge potential to become as alternative building material. Latvian Quaternary clays were studied from the point of view of the national economy, analysing the physical properties and chemical composition of those sediments in connection with the possibilities of their utilisation in the manufacture of geopolymer materials. Quaternary clay minerals dominate by illite with admixture of chlorite. Quaternary clay typically is rich in fine, scattered carbonates. The aim of this study was to synthesize geopolymer product from illite clays of Latvia under alkaline activation. Results of the investigations showed the influence of alkalies on the transformation of clay/illite structure by curing of activated clays at different temperatures for various time. Obtained results showed that illite-based clays of Latvia could play a role of the raw material for production of geopolymer binders.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.2.3.2848

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE THERMAL COMFORT OF DIFFERENT BUILDING MATERIALS IN SANA’A

This study describes the impact of alternative building material envelope systems on the overall thermal performance of four selected materials used in Sana’a, Yemen. These systems included adobe, brick, stone and concrete block. After thorough on-site investigation and data collection, the information, along with regional weather data were input into the Ecotect energy simulation software for thermal performance evaluation. The objective was to search for affordable and energy-efficient construction techniques suitable for settlements and incorporating traditional cultural values in a arid upland region characterized by cold winters and warm, dry summers. This was pursued by analyzing temperature and measurements within buildings constructed from a variety of traditional and modern materials. The thermal behavior and comfort, the patterns of energy use and the appropriateness of the different building techniques and materials are analyzed, compared and discussed. We demonstrate how a building envelope reacts to outdoor conditions through graphic illustration and show ways in which the research can be extended by the creation of simulations using Ecotect software. This research contributes to the promotion of passive and low energy architecture towards a sustainable future.

Study the Thermal Impact of Massive Waste Material to Building Construction

This study focuses on the recycling of massive waste materials and their thermal impact to buildings, which then adapt the indoor thermal environment. It is observed that the role of construction materials modify the building interior and consequently regulates the indoor thermal environment and focus on the reduction of energy consumption at large. The rapid growth of energy consumption has raised concerns in worldwide. This has caused mainly the exhaustion of energy resources. Efficient employs of energy play a vital role in minimizing the energy usage. Having in mind the aim to seek for contextual alternative building material from waste to obtain continuing improvement in building energy performance, then this study has been designed to do experiments on locally available massive waste material (end-of-life tires, or ELTs) and investigate its thermal impact on indoor energy management strategy. For that reason, it is needed to set up an experiment to observe the role of ELT for thermal comfort in a tropical climate as compared to conventional construction materials and other waste. This contribution mainly focuses on the literature and a proposed methodology.

Investigating Factors Affecting Material Selection: The Impacts on Green Vernacular Building Materials in the Design-Decision Making Process

Material selection is a complex and delicate task determined by the immense number of building material options. Likewise, multiple factors are often considered by the architect when evaluating the various categories of building materials. As a result, these sets of factors or variables often present tradeoffs that make the decision process even more complex. To ease the material-selection process, this article examines one aspect of the research objectives: the relevant factors or variables needed to develop a systematic and efficient material-selection system. Through the analysis of frequency data and results of a pilot study, it identifies some of the potential factors that will impact architects decisions in their choice of green vernacular building materials, during the design-decision making process. The application of the criteria for the quantitative evaluation and selection of the best alternative building material, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, are discussed. The aim is to develop a multi-factorial analytical decision support toolkit to assist architects assess their consequences in terms of whether or not the material option is likely to move towards sustainability objectives. An example is included to illustrate the AHP approach. The argument is advanced that the explicit incorporation of sustainability in the material selection process requires the assessment of the social, economic, technical, sensorial and environmental consequences of potential material options.

The Study of Red Mud Addition Influences in Metakaolinite-Based Geopolymer Characteristics

Bauxite tailing waste or commonly known as red mud is considered to be a very hazardous material. The using of red mud to make alternative building material has been widely studied for many years. Geopolymer as one of the breakthrough in the searching of ordinary portland cement/concrete substitution provides many options and possibilities of using different types of pozzolanic or alumina-silica materials. In this study, the using of red mud in metakaoline-based geopolymer paste has been studied in three different curing conditions for 7 days of sample age. Each sample then characterized both, macroscopically and microscopically including compressive strength testing, SEM photograph, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy

The Study of Red Mud Addition Influences in Metakaolinite-Based Geopolymer Characteristics

Bauxite tailing waste or commonly known as red mud is considered to be a very hazardous material. The using of red mud to make alternative building material has been widely studied for many years. Geopolymer as one of the breakthrough in the searching of ordinary portland cement/concrete substitution provides many options and possibilities of using different types of pozzolanic or alumina-silica materials. In this study, the using of red mud in metakaoline-based geopolymer paste has been studied in three different curing conditions for 7 days of sample age. Each sample then characterized both, macroscopically and microscopically including compressive strength testing, SEM photograph, XRD and FTIR spectroscopy

Earthbag housing: structural behaviour and applicability in Sri Lanka

Global awareness of environmental issues such as climate change and resource depletion has grown dramatically in recent years. As a result, there has been a surge of interest in developing alternative building techniques and materials which are capable of meeting our structural needs with lower energy and material consumption. These technologies are particularly attractive for housing. Much of the global demand for housing is currently being driven by economic growth in developing countries. Additionally, natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have destroyed houses in many countries where limited economic wealth makes reconstruction a challenge. This has resulted in shortages of permanent housing in these areas. This paper explores the structural behaviour of earthbag housing under vertical compressive loading, in an attempt to broaden our quantitative understanding of this alternative building technique. This technique is assessed, along with other alternative construction techniques, for suitability in southern Sri Lanka, an area heavily damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Physico-mechanical properties of solid cement bricks containing recycled aggregates

Recycling and reuse of solid wastes as alternative building materials present interesting possibilities for economy on waste disposal sites and conservation of natural resources. This paper investigates the physical and mechanical properties of solid cement bricks manufactured with crushed clay bricks as recycled aggregates. Four series of mixtures with cement content 100, 150, 200 and 300kg/m3 were prepared. In each series, either natural fine aggregate, coarse aggregate or both were replaced with crushed brick aggregates (CBA) at 0%, 50% and 100% by volume. Compressive strength, unit weight and water absorption were determined and compared with the relevant national and international standards for load bearing and non-load bearing units, respectively. The experimental results showed that as the replacement level of natural aggregates increased, the unit weight and compressive strength of solid cement bricks decreased and the water absorption increased regardless of cement content. Furthermore, it is possible to manufacture different grades of solid cement bricks with CBA to be used as load bearing and non-load bearing units depending on the size of the crushed bricks and the replacement percentage of natural aggregates.

PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH PATI ONGGOK DAN SEKAM PADI SEBAGAI BAHAN DASAR PANEL DINDING RINGAN YANG TANGGAP GEMPA

One cause is shortage of housing in Indonesia is caused by the high, of construction to build a shelter and to minimize the high cost of construction is one of them is to use a cheaper alternative wall panel quality. In addition, Indonesia as a country that is vulnerable to earthquake shocks require earthquake response of buildings in order to anticipate the existence of damage and casual ties, In the article the results of this research, to create a lightweight wall panel including earthquake, the main material used is waste cassava starch and rice husk as filler and resin as matrix. The purpose of this article is to provide alternative building materials solution that responds to earthquake shocks so it can be recommended as a wall panel including earthquake. The method used in the process of research is puce research method in the laboratory while the analysis method is to use comparisons with the theories of reference. In the process of material research, done by finding the exact composition of resin, fiber starch, cassava and cassava pellets to obtain good mechanical characteristics. Results of laboratory tests showed that the composite panels on specific compositions have high mechanical characteristics.Keywords: resins, waste cassava starch, rice husks, mechanical characteristics, earthquakeresponce.

MODIFICATION OF PROPERTIES OF STRUCTURAL LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE WITH STEEL FIBRES / LENGVOJO BETONO SAVYBIŲ MODIFIKAVIMAS PLIENINĖMIS FIBROMIS

Structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC) is an alternative building material to normal-weight one, due to its ability to reach a relatively high compressive strength at still significantly lower density. Nevertheless, the application of lightweight aggregate instead of normal-weight one to concrete must result in deterioration of some characteristics of the composite. One of the methods of improving SLWAC properties is incorporation of fibers into concrete. This paper focuses on the influence of steel fibres on modification of properties of structural lightweight concrete with sintered fly ash aggregate. Two different concrete mixtures, producing various levels of matured composite density and compressive strength, were modified with three dosages of fibers: 30, 45 and 60 kg/m3. The applied amounts did not result in significant deterioration of the rheological parameters of concrete mixtures. Despite relatively low volume content of fibres, a considerable increase of flexural and tensile splitting strength was observed. Fibres also improved concrete shrinkage as well as post-peak deformability in uni-axial compression. The effect of steel addition on compressive strength proved to be dependent on specimen type. Nevertheless, it was not as crucial as in the case of the above characteristics. However, the modulus of elasticity of SLWAC was not affected by fibre addition. Santrauka Konstrukcinis su lengvaisiais užpildais betonas (SLWAC) yra normalaus svorio statybinių medžiagų alternatyva, turinti mažesnį tankį ir gebėjimą pasiekti gana didelį gniuždomąjį stiprį. Nepaisant to, lengvieji užpildai, naudojami vietoj normalaus svorio užpildų, realiai gali pabloginti kai kurias kompozito savybes. Vienas iš lengvojo betono SLWAC savybių tobulinimo būdų yra plieninių fibrų įterpimas į betono sudėtį. Šiame darbe aptariamas plieninių fibrų poveikis konstrukcinio lengvojo betono su lakiaisiais pelenais savybėms. Tikslui pasiekti buvo parinktos pagal tankį ir gniuždomąjį stiprį dvi skirtingos betono sudėtys su skirtingais (30, 45 ir 60 kg/m3) plieninių fibrų tankiais. Paruošti bandiniai buvo naudoti gniuždomajam stipriui ir kitoms savybėms nustatyti. Tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad plieninių fibrų priedas nepablogino reologinių betono mišinio rodiklių. Nepaisant palyginti mažo fibrų kiekio, labai padidėjo bandinių lenkiamasis ir tempiamasis stipris. Fibros taip pat pagerino deformacines betono savybes. Gauto kompozito gniuždomasis stipris iš dalies priklausė nuo naudojamų plieninių fibrų charakteristikų. Tačiau plieninių fibrų priedas nepakeitė SLWAC tamprumo modulio.

Drivers that help adopting stabilised earth construction to address urban low-cost housing crisis: an understanding by construction professionals

Addressing urban housing crisis is an enormous challenge for most of the countries due to the increasing cost of the building material. Therefore, affordable alternative building material can make a breakthrough to the urban housing crisis. In the light of current success of stabilised earth construction in urban low-cost housing, it is important to find out the potential drivers that can help to adopt this building material. This paper aims to identify and highlight these drivers from the method of literature review and validates through a Delphi technique.

Appraisal of Alternative Building Materials for Reduction of CO2 Emissions by Case Modeling

Global Warming is one of the major concerns in environmental issues. Its effects are being exposed faster than anticipated recently. It causes adverse ecological and socioeconomical effects. The 4th Assessment Report issued by the U. N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that it is appropriate to define Global Warming was caused by greenhouse gases due to human activities which plays a significant role by over loading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions since 1750. One of the most effective ways to prevent global warming is to replace materials which emit high level of CO2 with those of low level CO2 emission materials. Usually, CO2 emission can be presented as embodied CO2 (ECO2) and operational CO2 emissions. In this paper, appraisal of the embodied CO2 emission level of using traditional building materials (i.e.cement, steel, glass and timber) and alternative building materials (i.e. slag cement, recycle steel, cullet glass and plywood formwork) have been made by case modelling. The results show that the amount of CO2 emission is reduced after using alternative building materials by more than one-third (34.8%).

Inhibitors of adopting stabilised earth construction to address urban low cost housing crisis: An understanding by construction professionals

Stabilised earth is an alternative building material which is comparatively cheaper than conventional building material in the construction of urban low cost housing. In addition, stabilised earth construction reduces CO2 emission and is environmentally sustainable. Despite all the benefits of this building material there are potential inhibitors which make stabilised earth construction unpopular among the construction professionals. This article aims to identify and highlight these inhibitors from the literature in the light of its use on site, performance, image in the societies and cultures and validates through a structured research method. First, a critical literature review method is adopted in this article to investigate and identify the inhibitors influencing the adoption of this building material to address urban low cost housing crisis and second, the identified inhibitors is validated through a Delphi technique.

Development of Laminated Bamboo Lumber: Review of Processing, Performance, and Economical Considerations

As focus is drawn toward more sustainable construction practices, use of bamboo as a structural building material is growing as a topic of interest. It is highly renewable, has low-embodied energy, and has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of steel, concrete, and timber. Composite lumber made from bamboo, termed laminated bamboo lumber (LBL), has gained the particular interest of researchers and practitioners of late, since it has bamboo’s mechanical properties but can be manufactured in well-defined dimensions, similar to commercially available wood products. Its primary drawbacks are that it is difficult to connect and is more costly than competing, locally available materials. This paper presents the advantages and challenges of embracing LBL as an alternative building material. Experimental and analytical data on production, performance, economics, and environmental impact of bamboo and LBL are reviewed, synthesized, and further analyzed to present an overview of the viability of using bamboo as a ...

Leaching standards for mineral recycling materials – A harmonized regulatory concept for the upcoming German Recycling Decree

In this contribution we give a first general overview of results of recent studies in Germany which focused on contaminant leaching from various materials and reactive solute transport in the unsaturated soil zone to identify the key factors for groundwater risk assessment. Based on these results we developed new and improved existing methods for groundwater risk assessment which are used to derive a new regulatory concept for the upcoming “Decree for the Requirements of the Use of Alternative Mineral Building Materials in Technical Constructions and for the Amendment of the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance” of the German Federal Ministry of Environment. The new concept aims at a holistic and scientifically sound assessment of the use of mineral recycling materials (e.g., mineral waste, excavated soils, slag and ashes, recycling products, etc.) in technical constructions (e.g., road dams) and permanent applications (e.g., backfilling and landscaping) which is based on a mechanistic understanding of leaching and transport processes. Fundamental for risk assessment are leaching standards for the mineral recycling materials. For each application of mineral recycling materials specific maximum concentrations of a substance in the seepage water at the bottom of an application were calculated. Technical boundary conditions and policy conventions derived from the “German precautionary groundwater and soil protection policy” were accounted to prevent adverse environmental effects on the media soil and groundwater. This includes the concentration decline of highly soluble substances (e.g., chloride and sulphate), retardation or attenuation of solutes, accumulation of contaminants in sub-soils and the hydraulic properties of recycling materials used for specific applications. To decide whether the use of a mineral recycling material is possible in a specific application, the leaching qualities were evaluated based on column percolation tests with various samples and compared with application-specific maximum concentrations. In the upcoming federal decree this simplified concept is realized using detailed tables which classify the leaching quality of mineral recycling materials and demonstrate potential application. A quality assurance system will be mandatory which defines specific testing programs (material properties and limit concentrations to be tested, number and schedule of testing) for the different mineral recycling materials using standardized methods (column percolation test).

Development of a Strength Prediction Model for “Green” Compressed Stabilised Earthbricks

Traditional fired clay bricks are widely used as a fundamental building material in most countries. Availability, low costs and low-skilled labour are main factors that have made the bricks a popular choice. However with rising awareness to reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable development, earth-making has taken a different path to minimize the environmental impact. Compressed stabilised earthbrick is an example of the alternative building material. Various efforts have been directed to develop these bricks, including the use of different binding agents, raw materials and technology. In conjunction with these progresses, and considering that strength is the primary concern in brick-making, it was conceived that a strength prediction model ought to be established to assist in the bricks’ production, especially in the mix design stage. In collaboration with a local property developer, the Research Centre for Soft Soils (RECESS) has embarked on an industrial research project to develop “green” sustainable compressed stabilised earthbricks in situ for a large scale mixed development site. As part of the joint research effort, a series of trial specimens were prepared at different mix ratios using soil samples retrieved from the site. The specimens were next examined with the conventional compressive strength test, coupled with the novel non-destructive S-wave velocity measurement. The test results were then analysed and cross-correlated to establish a strength prediction model for the bricks produced. The charts relating the relevant parameters serve not only as a quick guide to the expected strength, but also provide insights to the behaviour of compressed stabilised material under loading.