Application Of Building Materials Research Articles

Hazards of Radioactive Mineralization Associated with Pegmatites Used as Decorative and Building Material.

The present study aimed to assess the radiological hazards associated with applying the investigated granite in the building materials and the infrastructures applications. The investigated granites are classified into four categories: El-Urf, barren, colourful and opaque. El Urf monzogranite intrudes metagabbro diorite complex with sharp contacts. Based on the activity concentrations, the environmental parameters such as absorbed dose rate (Dair), annual effective dose (AED), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external (Hex) and internal (Hin) hazard indices were measured. The mineralized pegmatite is located in the southwestern foothill of the Gabal El Urf younger granite. It displays well-defined zonation of three zones: outer, middle and inner zones represented by potash feldspar, quartz and mica, respectively. The isorad map showed that El Urf monzogranite is barren (Up to 100 cps) surrounding an excavation of the studied pegmatite that exhibits moderate colorful mineralization (phase-I = 500–1500 cps) and anomalous opaque mineralization (phase-II = 1500–3500 cps) pegmatites. The obtained results of radionuclides activity concentrations illustrated that the Opaque granites have the highest values of 238U (561 ± 127 Bq kg−1), 232Th (4289 ± 891 Bq kg−1) and 40K (3002 ± 446 Bq kg−1) in the granites, which are higher than the recommended worldwide average. Many of the radiological hazard parameters were lesser than the international limits in the younger granites and barren pegmatites. All of these parameters were higher in the colorful and opaque mineralized pegmatites. The high activity and the elevated radiological hazard parameters in the mineralized pegmatites are revised to the presence of radioactive and radioelements bearing minerals, such as thorite, meta-autunite, kasolite, phurcalite, columbite, fergusonite, Xenotime and fluorapatite. Other instances of mineralization were also recorded as cassiterite, atacamite, galena, pyrite and iron oxide minerals. Thus, the granites with high radioactivity concentration cannot be applied in the different applications of building materials and ornamental stones.

Novel process for deep removal of chlorine and recycling of chlorinated tailings from titanium-bearing blast-furnace slag

Given the high chloride ion content in chlorinated tailings that harm the surrounding environment cannot be directly utilized, a new process for the deep removal of chloride ions from chlorinated tailings with additives was proposed. The products obtained included tailing slag, which can be used as a building material, and salt, which can be used in industry. Theoretical calculations and experiments were performed to determine the feasibility of the new process. The results showed that the chloride ions from the chlorinated tailings and sodium ions from the additives formed NaCl, which could be removed during water leaching. NaOH served as a better additive than sodium sulfate. An increase in the molar ratio and the prolongation of ball-milling was beneficial for the dechlorination of the water leaching residue. An increase in the roasting temperature leads to an increase in particle size, which worsens the kinetics of subsequent leaching and reduces the leaching rate. The developed process can obtain tailings with chloride ion content of less than 0.1%, which meets the standard for building materials applications. Meanwhile, NaCl with a purity greater than 99% could be obtained, preventing chloride ion pollution of water resources and the comprehensive utilization of chlorinated tailing.

Innovation and application of green building materials in civil engineering construction

As people' s requirements for building quality are getting higher and higher, the use of building materials in civil engineering construction should also meet the modern environmental protection requirements. Therefore, it is proposed that the innovation and application of green building materials in civil engineering construction and analysis of green The characteristics of building materials, the innovative application of green building materials in engineering construction based on the characteristics, the use of green materials in building structures, the innovative application of exterior decoration, and the innovative application of interior decoration. Realize the application of green building materials in civil engineering construction.

Nanocomposite Building Materials in Modern Architectural Design

Architecture is the precipitation of history, not only the embodiment of technical level but also the inheritance of history and culture. Excellent architecture contains high historical value and emotional factors, and it continues to deepen over time. Nanotechnology is a new technology that was born in the late 1980s and is emerging. It mainly refers to the study of the laws of motion and interactions of electrons, atoms, and molecules in the composition system of matter in the range of 0.1 to 100 nm. Nanomaterials have special properties and structures, and the composite materials made of them have the effect of strengthening and toughening the polymer by virtue of their high‐quality strength and toughness. Therefore, the aim of this text is to explore the application of nanocomposite building materials in modern architectural design and analyze the advantages and development trends of new building materials. The method in this paper is to use the method of experimental comparison to analyze the performance improvement effect of nanocomposite building materials on the current main building materials of concrete. By establishing a model to study the impact on the shrinkage and mechanical properties of cement‐based materials, it can also improve the environmental performance and comprehensive evaluation of building materials. Corresponding conclusions are drawn through data comparison. When the amount of nanocomposite building materials is 1.5%, the chemical shrinkage value of the cement paste will increase by 58.2%, and the shrinkage strain will increase by 15.3%. When the fly ash content is 20%, the chemical shrinkage value of cement paste is reduced by 30.5%, and the shrinkage strain of concrete is reduced by 8.8%. Therefore, adding nanocomposite building materials to cement‐based materials can promote cement hydration, optimize pore structure, and to a certain extent can make up for the shortcomings of mineral admixtures and achieve better improvement effects.

On the application of sustainable building materials in geodesy and civil engineering

The preparation stage is critical to the success of any construction project. This also applies to projects planned to be implemented in Natura 2000 areas, which cover approx. 18% of the total land area of the EU. The permit for the implementation of a project in an area included in the European ecological network should be granted after a thorough analysis of its impact on a Natura 2000 area. Such analysis should concern construction and material solutions, as well as executive and as-built solutions for objects falling within the scope of the project and take into account the concept of sustainable development. The research showed that the precautionary principle should be supplemented with the concept of sustainable development and with the assessment of material solutions in planned buildings. The article presents the results of research on the need to take into account material issues in the environmental conditions of building structures. A survey was conducted with the participation of 47 experts, and the result of the research is the development of an innovative checklist module for the qualification of a project for habitat assessment, taking into account questions about sustainable building materials. The conducted research has shown which aspects related to the use of building materials are the most important. These are material solutions that provide for the use of natural raw materials and construction materials (unprocessed), the use of materials and raw materials from local producers in order to reduce transport and conducting an energy assessment of the materials used.

Retracted] Experimental Study on Mineral Solid Waste Green Grouting Material Based on Electromagnetic Characteristic Detection

The production processes for the gypsum‐ and cement‐based materials, which are widely used in civil engineering projects, require the consumption of large amounts of energy and natural resources. At the present time, the main development directions of civil engineering material include realizing solid waste recycling and the applications of green building materials, which can be then used in the fields of disaster treatment and ecological restoration, such as grouting materials. In addition, the grouting quality is always difficult to detect. This study examined the gypsum‐ and cement‐based green grouting materials made from mineral solid waste used in disaster and cloud detection by means of electromagnetic characteristics. According to the requirements of electrical testing of grouting quality, first we designed a material made with solid waste. Then, we studied the resistivity, strength, porosity, and other physical and mechanical properties of the material. The test results of the material and its soaking solution indicate that this material is a green material meeting the environmental safety standards. The experimental results show that the rapid detection of grouting quality can be realized. The following effects on electromagnetic characteristics and mechanical properties of the green materials of gypsum‐ and cement‐based were analyzed. The results showed that the resistivity and strength were related to the ratios of the water content to the modified phosphogypsum; the percentages of cement content in the total amount of modified phosphogypsum and marble powder; the percentages of marble powder in the modified phosphogypsum; the percentages of steel fiber content in the phosphogypsum; and the fineness of the marble powder. The field test results also confirm that the green grouting material can be effectively applied in engineering repair imaging monitoring.

Bio-based polyurethane resin: An ecological binder for a novel class of building materials-composites

A novel application for mineral-filled composites with a bio-based polyurethane resin (BPR) binder was previously proposed to reduce the construction industry's carbon footprint. However, more details over the binder degradation conditions are necessary to clarify the composite usage in new sustainable building materials. Therefore, this work analyzed a castor oil-based polyurethane binder by its physical indexes (NBR 15845), mechanical properties (ASTM D 695), alterability by chemical reagents (ASTM D 543), humid atmosphere attack (NBR 8095), UV-rays exposure (ASTM G 53), thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Besides, specimens of vermiculite/BPR composite were produced to evaluate the binder performance. BPR proved to be lightweight (1.19 g.cm−3) with a near-zero apparent porosity and water absorption. BPR was resistant to weathering action, while a slight variation in elastic modulus was detected during chemical attack. A thermal-stable filler is recommended for the building material application.

Damping of rubberized recycled aggregate concrete and damping estimation of its elements by finite element analysis

Concrete structures inevitably suffer from dynamic loadings, causing damage and uncomfortable vibration. Improving the damping of concrete to passively absorb the vibration energy is beneficial to mitigate the hazards and improve comfort. However, at least two challenges must be completed before applying this strategy, namely, preparing effective energy dissipating concrete and estimating the damping parameter of its elements and structures. In this study, rubberized recycled aggregate concrete (RRAC), prepared with coarse recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and recycled rubber aggregate (RRA) instead of natural aggregate, is experimentally validated to show higher damping. Besides, a universal function of energy dissipation over strain amplitude is established for concrete containing natural aggregate, RCA, and RRA. Based on the found strain–energy dissipation function and finite element analysis, an iterative method of estimating the inner damping ratio of RRAC elements from the material damping is proposed and validated. Through the proposed method, the effects of loading amplitude, loading frequency, and stress history on the nonlinear damping behaviors of RRAC beams are numerically analyzed. The experiment result and the proposed damping determination method can encourage the application of recycled building materials in structural engineering, especially in projects with requirements of vibration control.

Towards sustainable construction through the application of low carbon footprint products

The production of cement generates a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions; in addition, the scarcity of natural resources used in the development of building materials and products has propelled many governments, non-government organizations, construction and cement industries, and researchers around the globe to invest their time and energy towards reducing the dependency of the natural materials; one possible way of achieving sustainability is through the utilization of the locally available waste or industrial by-products as a partial or whole replacement for the conventional materials. University of Malaya (UM) has made a meaningful contribution in the development of sustainable building materials and demonstration projects. UM is the first university in Malaysia to build a cement-free house on its campus. Two single-storey houses, namely Low-Cost Model House (LCMH) and Geopolymer Concrete House (GPCH) have been built using environmentally friendly materials within the university campus. Locally available agricultural and industrial waste and by-products such as palm oil fuel ash (POFA), palm oil clinker (POC), manufactured sand (M-sand), and steel slag aggregate (SSA), were used in the development and construction of these houses. Apart from the materials, environmentally friendly methods of construction were also adopted. This article mainly evaluates the system of construction and the application of sustainable building materials used in the LCMH & GPCH along with its advantages in terms of environment, economy and the social aspects. Overall, it can be concluded that adopting green technology and incorporating waste by-products in concrete has numerous advantages. The revision in the concrete mixes by using alternative substitute materials from waste products would pave the way for reducing environmental problems, harmful effects of waste due to improper disposal methods, reliance on non-renewable substances and promotion of sustainable construction. The prime idea of building the LCMH and GPCH in University of Malaya campus is to raise awareness on the utilization of waste and industrial by-product materials; further, the dissemination of the information is to expand the use of these materials and construction practice not only in Malaysia, but also in other countries.

Advanced 3D-printed phase change materials

Advanced 3D-printed phase change materials

A Study of Sandwich Reinforced Concrete – Foamed Concrete Floor Slabs

The development of housing construction demands an application of building materials which ensure necessary functional performance of structures, have high heat-insulating properties, are environmentally friendly and their use is economically appropriate. Simultaneous ensuring of mentioned indices is possible because of complex combined joining of building materials with different physical-mechanical properties. This article presents experimental determination of useful load for sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs. Sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs are the floor slabs which are composed of normal concrete, non-autoclaved foamed concrete and spatial reinforcement frame. Experimental determination of useful load was carried out on series that compose of four sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs. Experimental test of sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs was carried out under condition of pure bending that was achieved by applying to floor slab in one third of its span two concentrated forces equal in magnitude. Useful load for sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs was 33.23÷77.87 kN/m2. Sandwich reinforced concrete – foamed concrete floor slabs are proposed to be used in construction of housing and social structures.

Application of New Building Materials in Civil Engineering

Application of New Building Materials in Civil Engineering

Preparation and characterization of low-cost wollastonite and gehlenite ceramics based on industrial wastes

Eight ceramic samples were prepared from bypass cement dust and ceramic sludge. Bypass cement dust was generated during cement industries, and ceramic sludge is produced through ceramic glaze preparation. The prepared ceramic samples contained 10-80 wt% of bypass cement dust and 90–20 wt% ceramic sludge, respectively. The samples were formed in disk-shaped specimens using the uniaxial pressing (20 MPa) and sintering temperature at 1100 °C for one hour. Various techniques were used in the present work, including X-ray diffraction, FTIR, porosity, density, SEM, and dielectric determination. The obtained ceramic materials were mainly composed of wollastonite and gehlenite phases with fine coarse-grained crystals, as shown in SEM photographs. The final product possessed density values ranging from 1.280 to 1.574 g/cm3, open porosity ranging from 43.2 to 58.1% making them suitable for building materials applications. The dielectric properties, the relative dielectric constant (ε'), and dielectric loss (ε“) were measured at 200 measuring points at the range of frequency from 50 Hz to 8 MHz. The dielectric loss and dielectric constant values are relatively low (0.595 to 0.714) and (9.141–12.125) at 50 Hz, respectively, while the electric conductivity (σ) values were indicative for insulator materials (σ ≤ 10−2 µS/cm for samples CS1–Cs5) at low electric frequencies at 50 Hz, whereas referring to semiconductor materials (σ < 109 µS/cm) at the higher electric frequencies. The materials obtained from the bypass cement dust and the ceramic sludge mixtures are characterized by low dielectric constant and dielectric loss values, making them suitable for electrical and electronic industrial applications.

Comparative mechanical and microstructural properties of high calcium fly ash one-part geopolymers activated with Na2SiO3-anhydrous and NaAlO2

This paper investigates the effect of varying solid alkali activators on the fresh and hardened properties and microstructural changes of one-part geopolymers (OPGs). Single and binary solid alkali activators were used to activate high calcium fly ash. The alkali activators were either solely sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) or a combination of sodium aluminate (NaAlO2) and sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3). The OPG activated with anhydrous Na2SiO3 achieved an excellent 28-day compressive strength of 83.6 MPa while OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 attained a compressive strength of 45.1 MPa. The Na2SiO3-activated OPG demonstrated better fluidity than the OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 due to the thixotropic behaviour caused by the NaAlO2. The Na2SiO3-activated OPG consisted of sodium-calcium aluminium silicate hydrate ((N,C)-A-S-H) gel phase, while the OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 comprised of the coexistence of sodium aluminium silicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) and calcium aluminium silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) gel phases. Regardless of the distinctive properties, the OPGs are adequate for building materials applications.

Hygrothermal properties of advanced bio-based insulation materials

Hygrothermal performance of buildings is one key element to the sustainable design, health, and comfort of the indoor environment. Building sustainability depends on all associated lifespan stages, from building design and material production to demounting and waste management. Many building materials are unsustainable in terms of their environmental impacts. One approach to reduce environmental impacts associated with buildings is the development and application of bio-based building materials. The aim of this study was to determine the hygrothermal properties of bio-based thermal insulators that promote energy efficiency and contribute in decreasing environmental impacts of buildings. Here, the hygrothermal properties of eight new peat-, recycled paper-, wood shaving-, and feather-based insulation materials were assessed. Measurements of these material properties will improve understanding of the energy efficiency, permeability, and sustainability of new buildings, building retrofits, or both. Data on these new materials will provide the necessary parameters to develop a hygrothermal dynamic numerical model. The studied bio-based materials appear to provide sufficient hygrothermal performance, which is comparable with conventional insulation materials with minimum embodied energy.

Applications and Advances in TiO2 Based Photocatalytic Building Materials

TiO2 is currently the most widely used photocatalytic material. Compared with traditional building materials, TiO2-based photocatalytic building materials have unique and significant advantages, which endows them with great potential in application. By summarizing the current application and research status of photocatalytic building materials, the existing problems of photocatalytic building materials and corresponding solutions were pointed out, and current research progress of photocatalytic building materials in terms of carbon emission reduction in buildings was introduced. Finally, some prospects were made on photocatalytic building materials, which would provide a reference for the study on the next generation of photocatalytic building materials.

Analysis on the Application of Green Building Materials in Civil Engineering Construction

Analysis on the Application of Green Building Materials in Civil Engineering Construction

EMPD-based moisture buffering quantification with moisture-dependent properties (І): Modelling and simulations

Materials with excellent moisture buffering performances have considerable application potential in the future developments of building moisture design. The appropriate application of building materials is determined via the effective assessment of their hygroscopic performance, however, currently available test methods (e.g., moisture buffer value test) can evaluate only the moisture buffering abilities of materials under limited circumstances. Advanced numerical prediction methods (e.g., heat, air and moisture transfer (HAM) models) are not practical because of unavailable hygrothermal properties and excessive computation times. Integrating the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model with an inverse approach allows both identifying and predicting the effect of moisture buffering on room conditions effectively and efficiently. This paper reports that the existing EMPD models have limited application conditions, and hence proposes a modified two-layer EMPD model considering both the moisture-dependent hygric properties of materials and reasonable moisture transfer resistance distributions. A novel dynamic moisture test is presented in terms of typical moisture fluctuations in office buildings. Compared to standard hygric property tests, the combination of the inverse approach and the dynamic moisture test can extract key parameters of EMPD models efficiently and effectively. Thus, the actual performance of materials can be accurately predicted for wider spectrum of conditions. The precision of the modified EMPD model and proposed approach is validated by comparing the numerical predictions with both the measured results and HAM results. This method, with the advantages of a simple test procedure, low experimental cost, high test efficiency, and wide applicable range, is advisable for practical applications.

Crack evolution in the Brazilian disks of the mine tailings-based geopolymers measured from digital image correlations: An experimental investigation considering the effects of class F fly ash additions

Mine tailings-based geopolymer was proved to be successfully created with enhanced strength for potentially construction and building materials applications. Through geopolymerization, the mining wastes can be reused and the storage, economic, and environmental issues can be mitigated. However, the geopolymerization effect was relatively limited comparing to the ordinary Portland concrete. Therefore, the additions of amorphous supplementary fly ash were considered in the paper. In this study, class F fly ash was utilized as an amorphous additive and the additional aluminum source to adjust the Si: Al ratio for better geopolymerization effects. To better understand the mechanical and fracture behavior of the geopolymer after adding fly ash, the Brazilian indirect tensile tests were then conducted to evaluate the influence of different fly ash additions, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, on the tensile strength of the geopolymer. Meanwhile, besides the load-displacement relationships, the digital image correlation was used to investigate the crack initiation and propagation in the geopolymer disks with respect to different fly ash additions. The crack evolution was evaluated from the full-field strain field from digital image correlation. Crack opening displacements, failure patterns, and strain evolutions for the geopolymer disks with different fly ash additions were examined. Results showed that, under the presented sample curing condition, the geopolymer with 15% fly ash addition had the largest tensile strength. Geopolymer disks without and with lower fly ash additions had plastic deformation prior to the peak load that can obviously be classified into three different stages. The geopolymer made without and with lower fly ash additions had both tensile and shear crack modes.

Mechanical Characterization And Water Resistance Of Raw Earth Materials Made According To Malagasy Traditional Technique

This study aims to contribute to a more responsible world, by stimulating the applications of natural building materials and the enhancement of the prestige of the Malagasy traditional building technique, more respectful of the environment. To this end, preliminary investigations were carried out to formulate the tested samples and to study the preparation processes of the earthen pastes. Three different lateritic soils were studied and stabilized with cow dung and rice straw. The results show that the soils used are rich in SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 . Introducing cow dung and rice straw with fermentation improves sample characteristics. Consequently, the sample density increases from 1728 to 1913 Kg/m 3 . It also increases the dry and wet compressive strengths of our samples. From the 2nd week of the paste maturation time, the dry compressive strength increases from 0.64 MPa to 1.2 MPa and at the 24th week, it is 9 times higher than that of the beginning of the tests (5.4 to 6.5 MPa). Regarding water resistance, the results show that from the 4th week of the maturation time, the samples withstand more than 24 hours of immersion in water and this resistance increases until the 24th week, becoming comparable to that of the Malagasy ancestral walls aged more than 100 years, which is equivalent to 7 days.