Raw Material For Construction Research Articles

Recycling of Mine Wastes in the Concrete Industry: A Review

The mining industry generates a substantial amount of waste materials, including tailings and waste rocks, which, if not managed correctly, pose threats to the environment and public health due to their long-term accumulation and disposal. Simultaneously, the construction sector consumes important amounts of natural resources like water and rocks. However, research shows that inert mining waste can serve as a substitute for conventional raw materials in construction, particularly in concrete. This review focuses on using mining waste as an alternative to concrete technology to promote cleaner practices in construction and circular economy in mining. Mining waste, with its physical characteristics and chemical composition, can function as diverse components in concrete, such as sand, aggregates, and binders. This article assesses these properties and explores their incorporation into concrete production, aiming to stimulate further research and development, foster environmentally responsible approaches, and underline the direct link to reaching SDGs to achieve sustainability in the construction industry.

Evaluating the impact of wood flow management software on administrative costs and efficiency for wood suppliers in the Southeastern U.S.: a case study of Timber Resource Analytics and Contract Tracking software

The southeastern U.S. forest industry serves as a crucial source of raw materials for construction and paper production for the global economy. However, this industry faces persistent challenges in wood supply chain management, often centered around logistical inefficiencies and administrative burdens. Additionally, increased operational overhead, due to rising costs, has exerted strain on the business success of wood suppliers. Administrative procedures and record keeping have traditionally been a labor-intensive process for this sector of the wood supply chain. However, technological solutions, such as new wood flow and logistics management software, can enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these procedures. This research investigated the impact of wood flow management software on administrative costs for southeastern U.S. wood suppliers. Utilizing a case study approach, we compared administrative time and cost savings of software users and non-software users, to determine potential financial benefits of software adoption. The research design centered on gathering insight from both user groups, through individual interviews, allowing for a comparative analysis of the software’s efficiency metrics. Results indicated that wood suppliers who utilized software saved an average of 43 hours per week on administrative tasks, resulting in estimated annual savings of approximately $62,000 United States dollars (USD). The greatest reported time and cost savings were attributed to scheduling jobs and organizing information. Adoption of wood flow logistics software may result in additional monetary savings through increased efficiency in administrative procedures and communications. These research findings will be useful to wood suppliers interested in improving operational efficiency and reducing administrative costs.

Preface

Providing the national and world economy with mineral raw materials is an integral part of development and scientific and technological progress. The modern world is moving to new forms of interaction, concentrating its trends on digitalization, computerization and automation of all processes of human life. However, these trends require the use of strategically important minerals (coal, natural gas, ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, rare earth metals, construction raw materials, etc.), as well as critical raw materials, the list of which is supplemented every year in accordance with the trends of scientific and technological progress and the development of the state’s economy.About half of the industrial potential of Ukraine and up to 20% of its labor resources are related to the mining and use of minerals. Due to the export of mineral raw materials and products of their processing, Ukraine receives about 60% of the total amount of export revenues. At the same time, the subsoil of Ukraine still has a significant potential for building up the mineral and raw material base.The issue of mining and processing of minerals during the war requires special attention in Ukraine. The conference “Challenges of ensuring Ukraine’s mineral resources in the context of post-war reconstruction - 2023” is designed to contribute to solving the urgent issues of reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine after the end of the war and the country’s integration into the European Union.List of the committee members who organized the conference is available in the pdf.

Environmental performance of bamboo-based office paper production: A comparative study with eucalyptus

Bamboo has being used as alternative raw material for construction, reinforcing fibers, paper production, among other applications. Although its recognized potentials as raw material, there are doubts about its environmental performance compared to traditional wood-based products, including paper production, which hinders bamboo-based paper plants in large scales. This study aims to assess the environmental performance of producing office paper from bamboo. Emergy synthesis (with ‘m’) and global warming potential indicators are calculated and compared with the traditional eucalyptus paper-based production. Results highlights the importance in including the renewability fractions of each input resources into emergy calculations for production systems with high human-labor intensity such as the bamboo agricultural production. Office paper produced from bamboo has similar renewability (28%), moderate environmental load (3.23 vs. 2.49), and emergy unsustainability (0.34 vs. 0.60) compared to paper produced from eucalyptus, but bamboo showed lower performance for global efficiency (568 vs. 442 sej/tonpaper), emergy yield (1.09 vs. 1.49), and emergy investment (10.79 vs. 2.05). Focusing on global warming potential, office paper produced from bamboo releases 98 kgCO2 eq./tonpaper compared to 56–267 kgCO2 eq./tonpaper for eucalyptus. Notwithstanding, bamboo-based office paper demands four times more land area of agricultural production than eucalyptus, but it has a positive social aspect by requiring higher amount of direct human labor. This work shows the advantages of using eucalyptus rather than bamboo in producing office paper from an emergy and land demand perspectives, while global warming can still be considered inconclusive. Future efforts should consider a quantitative and qualitative analysis of human labor availability in both systems, as well an economic analysis to support discussions towards more sustainable office paper production from different raw materials.

Sustainable application of industrial side streams as alternative fine aggregates for cement mortar

Increase in industrialization has led to the production of huge volume of side-stream materials that need safe disposal solutions. The present study proposes the use of local industrial side streams such as ferrochrome slag, phyllite dust and mine tailings as secondary raw materials for construction, mainly as fine aggregates. Four different cement mortar mixtures, with a combination of selected side streams as a sole, binary, and ternary blends were investigated. Workability, strength, and durability properties of the derived mortar mixtures were compared with mortar produced using standard sand as reference. Mortar mixtures with a ternary blend of side-stream fine aggregates resulted in a compressive strength of 68–72 MPa at 28 days, which is 30–40% higher than that of control mix. The addition of industrial side streams resulted in a denser microstructure and enhanced the mechanical properties. The durability performance of the mortar with alternative fine aggregates is comparable with those of standard sand.

Construction of pavers from drilling cuttings as an alternative for environmental management of waste

The management of drilling waste represents a problem of high economic and environmental impact for operating companies. This is due to its polluting components that, besides being dangerous for the environment, must be treated with special care. The cuttings generated during drilling which are normally impregnated with water-based and oil-based muds, represent most of this solid waste. In this work, it is proposed to treat the drilling cuts to be used as raw material for construction of paving stones that can be used as construction material in platforms and facades of buildings or houses, being an alternative of innovative and high impact disposition. For the foregoing, a determined volume of drilling cuttings from a well of a Magdalena Medio field was used as a test, performing all the usual solids control treatment, passing through shakers, desander, desilter and mud cleaner. After treating the perforation cuts, they were dried in an oven between 110 and 150 °C for 24 hours. Then the sample was allowed to cool to grind it and bring it below 45 microns; where it was finally used as material for the construction of the paving stone, to which the resistance tests established in the NTC 2017 standard were carried out. Results show that the use of some drilling cuttings in the construction industry is viable. Conversely, the comparison was made with a conventional way of managing the gravel when it was reused in the production of cobblestones, obtaining a reduction of up to 34% of the associated costs and when there are greater than 12,000 barrels of waste. Additionally, it is used to generate valuable items and avoids the disposal of waste material

Evaluation of the readiness of clay bricks with partially replaced rice husk ash

Environmentally acceptable alternatives are replaced for the raw construction materials to alleviate sustainability concerns with construction materials. Rice husk ash, an agricultural byproduct, can be substituted in the production of construction materials. In this study, the effect of adding rice husk ash from organic agricultural waste on brick quality is explored. In this study, four sets of bricks are cast with various percentages of rice husk ash, ranging from 0% to 20% with a 5% increment, and then burned in a furnace for varying durations of time. This research examines the compressive strength and water absorption of bricks containing varying concentrations of rice husk ash. According to the findings, an increase in rice husk ash reduces compressive strength and increases water absorption. The present findings reveal that a brick containing 5% rice husk ash has a higher compressibility of 4.70 N/mm2 and a decreasing compressive strength as the proportion of rice husk ash increases. The results also demonstrated an 11.65 % reduction in water absorption at a rice husk ash concentration of 5 %, and the absorption rate increases consistently up to 10 % rice husk ash before decreasing with a further increase in rice husk ash. Therefore, the technology of creating bricks by casting combinations of clay, sand, and rice husk ash is not only useful for constructing walls but also for reducing environmental pressure and promoting sustainable development.

Emission characteristics of coal gasification fine slag direct combustion and co-firing with coal

Coal gasification is an effective way to use coal cleanly and efficiently, and coal gasification fine slag is a by-product of coal gasification with high carbon content, large specific surface area, developed pore structure and large output during production. At present, combustion has become an effective way to dispose of coal gasification fine slag on a large scale, and the coal gasification fine slag after combustion treatment can be further used for construction raw materials. In this paper, the emission characteristics of gas-phase pollutants and particulate matter under different combustion temperatures (900 °C, 1100 °C, 1300 °C) and combustion atmosphere (5%, 10%, 21% O2 concentration) are studied with the drop tube furnace experimental system. By co-firing different proportions of coal gasification fine slag (10%, 20%, 30%) and raw coal, the pollutants formation law under co-firing conditions is studied. Scanning electron microscopy-energy spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) is used to characterize the apparent morphology and elemental composition of particulate samples. The measurement results of gas-phase pollutants show that the increase of furnace temperature and O2 concentration can effectively promote combustion and improve burnout characteristics, but the emission of gas-phase pollutants increases. A certain proportion (10%–30%) of coal gasification fine slag is added to the raw coal, which reduces the total emission of gas-phase pollutants (NOx and SOx). Studies on the characteristics of particulate matter formation show that co-firing with coal gasification fine slag in raw coal can effectively reduce submicron particle emission, and the lower fine particle emission is also detected at lower furnace temperature and oxygen concentration. The element analysis of particulate matter formation shows that the Fe, Si and S elements content of submicron particle generated by YL (the coal gasification fine slag generated by water slurry furnace in of Shaanxi Extended China Coal Yulin Energy Chemical Co., Ltd) sample increases significantly with the increase of furnace temperature and O2 concentration, which is the main influencing factor for the increase of submicron particle. With the increase of the mixing ratio of YL sample, the content of major elements such as Fe, K and Mg of submicron particle decreases significantly, which is an important reason why the amount of the submicron particle decreases.

Robust clay binder for earth-based concrete

The use of excavated earth is a circular and carbon neutral solution gaining growing interest. However, its high variability in properties makes it difficult to master as raw materials for construction. The objective of this paper is to highlight the key parameters allowing overcoming the influence of the variability of soil composition on the earth-based concrete properties. We show that the solid volume fraction of clay paste is the key parameter allowing predicting the fresh state properties of the clay binder, whatever the constitutive clay type, whereas the clay activity and the dry density of the material control the compressive strength of the material. These promising results, validated on sludge, pave the way to optimized mix design strategies for robust earth concrete products.

Seawater sea-sand engineered cementitious composites contribution to shear performance of beams reinforced with BFRP bars

The combination of seawater sea-sand engineered cementitious composites (SS-ECC) and fiber reinforced plastic/polymer (FRP) bars to make structural beams is promising to mitigate the shortage of raw construction materials and improve shear performance. To better understand the shear behaviors of such kind of structural form, an experimental program was conducted to figure out the effects of longitudinal reinforcement ratio, shear span ratio and stirrup ratio. A total of eleven beams reinforced by basalt FRP (BFRP) bars were tested by four-point loading. The test results showed that the stiffness and ultimate shear capacity of SS-ECC beams without stirrups are higher than that of seawater sea-sand concrete (SSC) beams with a stirrup ratio of 0.67%. SS-ECC exhibits much lower compressive strength compared with ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), but SS-ECC beam and UHPC beam have close ultimate shear capacity. The shear load contribution of fibers is above 70% in SS-ECC beams without stirrups, and it decreases significantly because of using BFRP stirrups. Furthermore, the modified deformation-based approach is proposed to characterize the ductility index of SS-ECC beams. Based on the calculation model of ultimate shear capacity in codes, the modified calculation model considering the shear load contribution of fibers is proposed and verified.

Valorization of Dredged Sediments and Recycled Concrete Aggregates in Road Subgrade Construction

Large quantities of dredged sediments and recycled concrete materials are generated every year all over the world. The disposal of these large quantities in landfills represents serious environmental problems. Furthermore, high-quality raw materials for construction are depleting, and their use cannot be sustained. The valorization of dredged sediments and recycled concrete materials as alternative construction materials has the potential to reduce the impact of these two issues. In this context, this study aims at investigating the feasibility of using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates as alternative raw material for road subgrade construction. Various mix designs were prepared using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates. The mixes were then treated with quicklime and road binder as specified in the French soil treatment guide. Their physical, mechanical, and geotechnical properties confirmed the feasibility of using recycled concrete aggregates and dredged sediments up to a certain percentage in road subgrade construction. Moreover, they showed that the mixes containing 20% of dredged sediments met road subgrade minimum physical and mechanical properties, such as immediate bearing capacity, unconfined compression strength, indirect tensile strength greater, and UCSI/UCS60 ratio. Finally, leaching tests were conducted to ensure the environmental safety of the various mixes. The results showed that the mixes met the thresholds for their use in road subgrade construction. The feasibility of using dredged sediments and recycled concrete aggregates in foundations and base layers will be studied in future projects.

Problems of waste rock formation during mining of Western Donbass coal reserves: state-of-the-art and solutions

Purpose. The research purpose is to analyze and generalize the problems of waste rock accumulation, as well as to determine the directions for their possible solution in order to improve the ecological-economic conditions for mining coal reserves in the Western Donbass. Methods. A comprehensive scientific-methodological approach is used, which consists in studying regional accounts on the state of the environment, data from the register of waste disposal sites in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, peculiarities of placement of dumps according to the Google Earth program and collected mine data. To study the feasibility of processing dumps, a SWOT-analysis is used, as well as the analysis of existing technologies for processing the rock mass from waste dumps, based on foreign and domestic experience. Findings. Nine rock dumps have been identified, formed as a result of the functioning of the Western Donbass coal mines, where almost 130 million tons of waste rocks have been accumulated on an area of about 190 hectares. It is noted that the reclamation of disturbed lands as the main means of rock utilization is insufficient. Based on a thorough analysis of the SWOT-analysis results, a strategic direction for processing has been determined – the use of rock mass as a raw material for construction (materials and roads) with accompanying extraction of coal, aluminum and iron. The existing technologies for the processing of waste rocks have been systematized. It has been determined that the largest scaling of waste dump processing in the Western Donbass mines can be achieved with a combination of mechanical-chemical methods, among which gravity and magnetic beneficiation methods, mechanical grinding and chemical leaching are priority. Originality. The mechanisms for handling coal waste from coal mines in the Western Donbass have been determined to solve ecological-economic problems associated with their accumulation. Practical implications. The research results reveal possible ways of solving the problems of waste rock accumulation in the Western Donbass mines, which makes ecological and economic sense.

Comparative study of fly ash and rice husk ash as cement replacement in pervious concrete: mechanical characteristics and sustainability analysis

ABSTRACT Pervious concrete is a special type of concrete consisting of cement, coarse aggregate and water. Cement is a widely used raw material for construction including pervious concrete and had led to the release of huge amounts of CO2 to the environment. Therefore, there is lot of research interest in finding supplementary cementitious materials. The present study examined and compared the feasibility of using industrial waste fly ash (FA) and agricultural waste rice husk ash (RHA) for sustainable pervious concrete production. An experimental program was performed with substitution of FA and RHA contents of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% as cement replacement and water to binder ratio of 0.3, 0.35, 0.4 and 0.45. The characteristics of pervious concrete and sustainability analysis were compared for both FA and RHA replacement with control concrete mortar. The results showed that both FA and RHA have a negative effect on permeability. The compressive strength was optimum for FA content lies between 10% and 15% replacement level and RHA content of 5% replacement level. Furthermore, the utilisation of FA and RHA decreased production cost, the total embodied energy and carbon emission, resulting in cost-effective and eco-friendly pervious concrete.

Analytical and Laboratory Investigation on the Use of RAP and Waste Plastic for Conservative Planning of Road Construction Raw Materials

Abstract The current work emphasizes improving the procedure for analysis and design of flexible pavement by considering a variety of materials to be used in different layers of pavement. Field investigation and laboratory analysis were carried out to classify the subgrade soil based on their strength parameter. It is observed that most of the flexible pavement near Satara is getting deteriorated earlier than its design life. In the present study, the effect of waste materials individually and in combination on the physical properties, rutting, and fatigue behavior of pavement by laboratory and analytical investigation is evaluated. The various important input parameters like traffic characteristics, moduli of paving materials, etc. are used in structural models. The output of structural models in the form of strains, stresses, and deflection are used in distress models while the output of these distress models is examined against fatigue and rutting criteria recommended by the Guidelines for the Design of Flexible Pavements (IRC:37-2012). The computed strains at the critical locations are compared with allowable limits to decide the thicknesses of hypothetical conditions formed under different combinations of varying materials and thicknesses. The design charts proposed by consideration of multiple factors of varying nature are more realistic and optimum design charts, which can be considered to replace existing pavement sections with an eco-friendly and economic approach.

Evaluation of radioactivity concentration of some selected mineral rocks from Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Radiation from natural sources is constantly present around people and their surroundings. Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) present in rock, soil and underground water are the major sources of this radiation. In this study, radioactivity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K from Ten (10) different Granite (GN), Gneiss (GS), and Migmatite (MG) rocks samples obtained from Mayo Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State were evaluated using a well calibrated and shielded Canberra 3 x 3 inch NaI(Tl) detector at the National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research (NIRPR), University of Ibadan. Rock samples were cleaned, pulverised and placed in the detector for counting, and based on standard expressions, the radionuclide content of the granite rock samples were evaluated. The result shows that the activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in GN samples varies from 62.44 – 117.67 Bq/kg, 76.59 – 165.58 Bq/kg, and 688.03 – 1472.42 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 74.59 ± 3.12, 104.41 ± 3.12, and 950.16 ± 3.12 Bq/kg. Activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in GS samples ranges from 19.23 – 36.49 Bq/kg, 29.06 – 49.42 Bq/kg, and 310 – 924.21 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 28.1 ± 5.36Bq/kg, 38.92 ± 6.38 Bq/kg, and 664.21 ±178.14 Bq/kg. Activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in MG samples ranges from 32.11 – 74.73 Bq/kg, 40.79 – 105.87 Bq/kg, and 453.34 – 1040.77 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 50.19 ± 14.35 Bq/kg, 60.50 ± 19.96 Bq/kg, and 714.88 ± 200.37 Bq/kg. The mean activity from this study are higher than the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) global mean of 238U (32 Bq/kg), 232Th (45 Bq/kg), and 40K (420 Bq/kg) in soil and rock samples except for 238U and 232Th in GS samples which are lower than the recommended standards. The results signifies that usage of such rocks as building construction raw materials might pose radiological hazards in the long run. Therefore, mineral content of the rock responsible for the high radionuclide concentration should be investigated.

Basic properties of foamconcrete on quartzcement binder

Subject of research: the article considers foamconcrete on quartz cement binder, the mass introduction of quartz raw materials in construction can be considered practically achievable and economically profitable.
 Purpose of research: the technology of foam concrete on quartz-cement binder is proposed by introducing an ultrafine filler (nanomodifier) from activated quartz waste into the binder, reduces cement consumption by 10 % and improves its physical and mechanical properties.
 Methods and objects of research: the nanomodifier was obtained with mechanical and mechanohydraulic activation, the proposed filler activation technologies will improve the structure of cement stone forming foamconcrete pore-forming partitions by increasing the packing density and chemical activity of nanoscale particles in the processes of hydrate compounds phase formation.
 Main results of research: the proposed technology of heat-insulating foamconcrete on quartzcement binder allows you to create a pore structure with a diameter of 52 microns at a density of 500 kg/m3 foamconcrete samples and a total porosity of 6575 %, and will also increase the strength characteristics of foamconcrete to 7.713.8 % due to discrete reinforcement with quartz waste (nanomodifier) of pore-forming partitions.

Manufacturing of Brick from Medical Waste (MW)

The environmental concern of Medical Waste (MW) generation has escalated to an alarming level due to the versatility and high demand in various applications due to COVID 19. Reusing MW to make construction material looks to be an environmentally acceptable solution to finding an effective way to use them. This is also because traditional building materials take a lot of energy to manufacture, which has numerous negative environmental consequences. This paper summarises prior investigations on repurposing various MW as a construction raw material and aggregate, as well as their quality, with a focus on bricks and paving blocks. This research begins by demonstrating the characteristics of plastics and the environmental effects of MW. After that, there will be a talk of MW reuse and how it influences total construction material quality. According to this study, only a few investigations on the use of MW in the production of paving blocks have been conducted. Furthermore, the majority of studies used compressive strength and water absorption as the principal criteria for evaluating brick and paving block quality. The compressive strength is found to be 12-13 N/mm2 and water absorption is found to be less than 1% for the prepared sample.

Sustainable Sourcing of Raw Materials for Construction: From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond

Each year, nearly 40 billion tonnes of raw materials extracted from the Earth’s crust feed into the construction industry. The associated material flows dramatically contribute to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Therefore, more sustainable supply chains must be envisaged based on the use of locally available resources and the principles of circular economy. Drawing inspiration from vernacular architecture, innovative solutions for green construction based on sustainable exploitation of local resources can be posited. This strategy has also inspired the proposed practice of in situ resource utilization on planetary bodies such as the Moon and Mars.

Waste utilization of sewage sludge and red mud based on chemical looping catalytic oxidation

Sewage sludge and red mud are industrial wastes that are potentially harmful to the environment. Their environmentally friendly treatment has been a global challenge due to their huge production and limited disposal capacity. Red mud, which contains Fe2O3 and Al2O3, can be used as an oxygen carrier. The organic matter contained in the sludge can be used as fuel. Based on the above characteristics, we propose a comprehensive waste reuse method: red mud was used as an oxygen carrier, sewage sludge was used as fuel and ultra-low concentration methane was used as an oxidizing gas. The method employs waste's heat and mass transfer properties to achieve comprehensive treatment and reuse of gas–solid phase waste. The factors influencing waste treatment efficiency as well as the mechanism of the reaction process have been thoroughly investigated. By adjusting the O/C ratio and water vapor percentage at 950℃, the carbon conversion and CO2 selectivity could reach 94.34 %, 76.50 %, respectively. The methane conversion was close to 99.80 %, and the H2 and CO yields were up to 37.98 × 10−4 mol and 21.67 × 10−4 mol, respectively. The microscopic morphology and properties of used OC particles remained stable. The migration characteristics of heavy metal elements indicated that bed material composed of sludge and red mud has the potential to be used as a raw material for construction after sieving. This study proposes a new comprehensive method for reusing sewage sludge, red mud, and low-concentration methane that would be efficiently recycled in one process.

Experimental Studies on Ternary Blended Concrete using GGBS and Calcined Clay

Abstract: Concrete is the most widely used and versatile building material in all kinds of civil engineering structures.A little more than 5% of global CO2 emissions are attributable to cement, the primary component of concrete.Concrete is strengthened using suitable alternative materials to make it more environmentally friendly.Making the concrete industry sustainable is essential in the current climate in order to reduce its detrimental environmental effects.When choosing raw materials for construction, environmentally friendly products must be employed.The concrete industry is constantly looking for supplemental cementitious materials (SCMs) to address the problem of solid waste disposal.Cement can be substituted with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), a solid waste made by the iron and steel industry. Cement alternatives can also be made from other resources, such as calcined clay, which is commonly found in oil sand tailings.This study's objective is to experimentally investigate the effects of GGBS in structural concrete by partially substituting calcined clay for cement (5, 10, and 15 percent) and cement for the remaining cement volume.Numerous tests, such as compressive,tensile,and flexural tests,will be used