Building Construction Materials Research Articles

Development of a New Method for Assessing Project Risks in Sustainable Building Construction Projects in Developing Countries: The Case of Jordan

Sustainable buildings contribute significantly to achieving sustainable development and provide many benefits. However, sustainable building construction projects are riskier than traditional construction projects. Thus, this research aimed to identify and assess the risks in sustainable construction projects in Jordan based on their probabilities of occurrence and impacts on time and cost. For this purpose, a literature review and structured interviews were performed to identify the risks. Additionally, questionnaire surveys were conducted, and the relative relevance index and analytic hierarchy process were utilized to assess the probabilities and impacts of these risks on time and cost. After that, a focus group discussion was conducted. According to the the risks’ probability and impacts on time and cost, the top-scoring risks include changes to the original design, budgeting inaccuracies owing to a lack of experience with sustainable building projects, additional costs incurred as a result of the use of sustainable building construction materials and equipment, inadequate or inaccurate sustainable design information, insufficient funds from clients, inadequate project planning for a sustainable building project, a tight project schedule for a sustainable building project, and insufficient identification of sustainable construction’s scope. This research contributes to the body of knowledge and practice by providing a novel integrated method for assessing risks in sustainable building construction projects in Jordan.

Influence of GGBFS and alkali activators on macro-mechanical performance and micro-fracture mechanisms of geopolymer concrete in split Hopkinson pressure bar tests

With superior low-carbon emission and low-resource consumption, geopolymer concrete (GPC) is receiving increasing attention as an optimal alternative to conventional building materials for cleaner and sustainable construction. However, the practical application of GPC poses great challenges since its dynamic mechanical performance remains far from well understood. In this study, via a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system, a series of dynamic compression tests at strain rates of 45 s-1 to 150 s-1are conducted on GPC specimens with different alkaline activators (AAS)-binder mass ratios (i.e., 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS)-binder mass ratios (i.e., 0%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100%). Our testing results comprehensively explored the influence of mix proportions and loading rates on the dynamic mechanical performance of GPC, including the dynamic strength and deformation characteristics, energy evolution and utilization, and progressive failure behavior. The permanent strain, energy dissipation density, and dynamic strength of GPC specimens generally increase with increasing strain rate, while the average fragment size decreases. Under higher loading rates, GPC specimens are featured by denser microcracks, shorter propagation paths, and more prominent stepwise fractures. In addition, GGBFS has a greater impact on dynamic strength, strain rate sensitivity, and energy utilization than AAS. Micro-fracture effect of GPC with different mix proportions is investigated. An appropriate content of alkaline activator (i.e., 20%) and higher GGBFS content (i.e., 100%) promotes the binder depolymerization-aggregation reaction, reduces initial defects inside concrete specimens, and facilitates a more compact block structure.

Tri-phase flame retardant system towards advanced energy-saving building materials with highly efficient fire and smoke toxicity reductions

The extensive usage of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) as an energy-saving building materials in construction has raised concerns about fire risks and toxic hazards. To address these challenges, a melamine-derived polyol (MADP) was synthesized using the Mannich reaction, resulting in inherently flame-retardant RPUF materials with the introduction of flame-retardant functional groups. Furthermore, a novel MoS2-Cu2O nanohybrid was prepared and employed to enhance flame retardancy and suppress smoke toxicity in RPUF through a cooperative effect with expandable graphite (EG). The resulting M-RPUF/EG/MoS2-Cu2O nanocomposite exhibited remarkable fire safety, as evidenced by significant reductions in peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), total smoke production (TSP), and peak carbon monoxide (CO) release, amounting to 76.9 %, 64 %, 82 %, and 99 % respectively, compared to pristine RPUF. Furthermore, the nanocomposite effectively addressed interfacial defects and significantly enhanced the mechanical property and thermal stability. The significant improvement in fire safety is mainly ascribed to the catalytic charring effect of MADP and EG, as well as the catalytic oxidation of MoS2-Cu2O nanohybrids, resulting in the formation of a thermally stable protective layer in the condensed phase. Based on these results, the integration of the tri-phase flame retardant system holds great potential for advancing the development of fire-safe polyurethane materials.

ТЕХНІКО-ЕКОНОМІЧНЕ ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ДОЦІЛЬНОСТІ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ АСФАЛЬТОБЕТОННИХ ШАРІВ ІЗ ЗОЛОЮ ВИНЕСЕННЯ

Introduction. The road construction industry is currently one of the strategic industries of Ukraine, and the issue of quality and availability of basic building materials for road construction is particularly topical, which is directly related to its high material intensity. The known reserves of high-quality raw materials that could be used as asphalt concrete components are constantly decreasing, so it is necessary to look for alternative sources of raw materials for construction materials and explore the possibility of their use. In this regard, the most efficient use of local raw materials is the use of industrial waste, which can be one of the solutions to the problem of shortage of raw materials of inorganic origin. Problem statement. In road construction, when repairing or arranging road pavement layers, in particular asphalt mixtures, the need for carbonate mineral fillers, which are scarce in some regions, is constantly growing. Industrial by-products can be an alternative. One of these materials is fly ash from thermal power plants, which can be used instead of mineral fillers in asphalt mixtures. Objective. To perform a feasibility study of the use of asphalt concrete layers with fly ash. Materials and Methods. Analysis of information sources and the materials market of Ukraine and calculation of the technical and economic efficiency of fly ash application in asphalt mixtures.

A review on suitable eco-friendly earth sustainable construction building material

This paper summarizes research on environmentally friendly and low embodied energy construction materials. Embedded electricity is defined and addressed in terms of building running power, and its significance is increasing as a result the Energy Buildings Performance Directive (EBPD) adoption in the European continent, for instance. The problems of calculating Energy that is embodied through comparison of current data are examined, along with a concrete instance of a novel approach presented in different literature. The link between embodied energy and embodied CO2, also known as carbon footprint, is illustrated. The literature discusses a wide range of low-carbon materials, including concrete and cement, as well as hardwood, stones, rammed earth, and even brickwork. The study focuses on prior research efforts to create new substances with lower contained power. To conclude, the research investigates the effects of material substitution on a building’s internal energy.

New Life in the Countryside: Conservation and Sustainability of Vernacular Architectural Facade Characteristics in the Jiangnan Region, China

The facade form of vernacular architecture is an outward manifestation of the building structure, which can easily give people an intuitive impression of the building. Most of the existing studies focus on analyzing the construction process and building materials of vernacular architecture in detail, but there are few studies on the characteristic elements in the form of architectural facades. The main objective of this study is to propose a new methodology for objectively analyzing the morphological characteristics of architectural facades with complex networks to support the sustainable development of vernacular architecture. The results of the study show that the vernacular architectural facades in the Jiangnan region are characterized by the richness of details and distinctive layers and that the formal elements that can show the regional characteristics are preserved in the process of the sustainable development of vernacular architecture. The most crucial part of this is the roof shape, followed by the simplification of the detailing and how the vertical form elements are laid out horizontally. The article addresses the protection and continuity of vernacular architectural facade characteristics and proposes a strategic plan to strengthen the vernacular architectural facade characteristics in the Jiangnan region, aiming to protect the traditional characteristics and continue the traditional culture.

Investigation on chloride releasing from coral aggregates to cement paste in coral aggregate concrete

Coral aggregate concrete (CAC) is one of the most commonly used building materials in construction on marine islands, but the chlorides contained in the coral aggregates (CA) could affect the durability of CAC with steel bars embedded. In this paper, an analytical solution for the diffusion of chlorides from CA into the cement paste in CAC was derivated and the model was established. Studies on chloride releasing behaviours in CAC through an experimental setup of CAC interface specimens with five mixes were conducted. From the analytical model, the chloride diffusion coefficient DCl can be obtained and, different from other reported chloride diffusion coefficient from harden specimen, this coefficient could be the only factor that describes the chloride transport in CAC from the mixing stage. The chloride releasing rate αCl from CA was also calculated and quantified. The results show that the chloride release rate from CA decayed with time and significant chloride release occurred in the first 30 days from the mixture of raw materials, the released amount of chlorides from CA was positively correlated to the average pore size of cement pastes, and the chloride diffusion coefficient of CA in this study was 2–3 magnitudes higher than that of hardened cement paste.

Experimental Investigation on Concrete with Partial Replacement of Cement by Using Ash of Agro -Waste (RHA, RSA) With Cow dung Ash

The rising cost of building construction materials is the factor of great concern. We all want that our building be strong and should build with the construction material of reasonable rates. Nowadays, most of the researches are doing the research on the material which can reduce the cost of construction as well as increase the strength which waste materials are used in concrete in the replacement of any ingredient are selected according to their properties. This project paper is written to show the effect on concrete with for partial replacement of cement with cow dung as hand agricultural waste like rice husk as hand rice straw ash. Cement is replaced in concrete with ash(RHA,RSA,CDA) in various proportion by weight (like 5%, 10% and 15%) and the compressive & tensile strength of concrete were found at different curing periods (7,14 and 28 days). Various tests are conducted on samples like determination bulk density, settling time and workability of cow dung ash in different proportion. Cow dung ash (CDA) is economical in terms of cost & this reducing the environmental risk, maintaining the ecological balance.

Radiological Assessment and Potential Health Risks of Tailings from Komu, Southwestern Nigeria

There are reports that radionuclides found in mining tailings pose significant challenges to the natural environment and cause health risks to humans. The study investigated the levels of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides, as well as radiological hazard indices in tailings sourced from Komu, a community emblematic of mining activities in the Southwest of Nigeria. Thirty (30) tailing samples were collected and analysed by a High-purity Germanium (HpGe) detector. The results revealed high activity concentrations of these radionuclides exceeding global averages and indicating potential health risks. The activity concentration of 226Ra ranged between 312.07 and 851.14 Bq/kg, with an average of 652.86 Bq/kg. Similarly, the activity concentration of 232Th ranged between 33.31 and 160.10 Bq/kg, with an average of 116.26 Bq/kg. In addition, the activity concentration of 40K ranged between 96.11 and 1184.65 Bq/kg, with an average of 717.53 Bq/kg. The radiological hazard indices considered in this study exceeded the internationally accepted safety limit for building construction materials. These findings indicate heightened exposure risks, emphasizing the need for regulatory measures to mitigate hazards associated with tailings sourced from Komu, particularly for building construction purposes.

Strength Characteristics, Ultrasonic Wave Velocity, and the Correlation between Them in Clay Bricks under Dry and Saturated Conditions.

One of the methods used to discover the development of deterioration in bricks used as a construction material in a building is the monitoring of the bricks' strength characteristics over time. However, measuring the strength characteristics of bricks used in a building requires sampling for performing laboratory tests, which is not possible in some cases. As an alternative, ultrasonic wave velocity can be a useful, nondestructive tool for the indirect assessment of the strength characteristics of the bricks. In the present study, six different samples of clay bricks before utilization as construction materials in buildings located in Khorramabad City (Lorestan Province, western Iran) were collected. The mineralogical composition of the samples was studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. As one common physical characteristic of the construction materials, the porosity (n) of the samples was measured. Next, the strength characteristics, including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), and P-wave velocity (Vp), of the samples under dry and saturated conditions were determined. It was found that after the saturation of the samples, considerable decreases in the UCS and BTS and increases in the Vp occurred, respectively. By comparing the values of the UCS, BTS, and Vp of the samples under dry and saturated conditions, we found that the integrity loss for the UCS and BTS was higher than for the Vp. Results showed that the integrity loss of the UCS, BTS, and Vp was significantly affected by the n and clay mineral (CM) content of the samples. Considering the dry or saturated condition of the samples, there are good correlations with acceptable accuracy levels between the Vp and the UCS and BTS, with coefficients of determination (R2) varying from 0.95 to 0.98. Consequently, our findings showed that establishing UCS and BTS predictive equations for bricks before their use as a construction material can be a worthy, practical tool for monitoring the deterioration of bricks over time after their utilization in a building.

Service Life Prediction and Life Cycle Costs of Light Weight Partitions

This study investigates the life expectancy (LE) and life cycle costs (LCC) of three alternatives of interior partitions in residential units: gypsum board, autoclaved concrete block, and hollow concrete block partitions. The aim is to examine the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of these partitions in various service and occupancy conditions. Three different service conditions were analyzed: Standard (constructed without faults), Inherent Defect Conditions (with initial, non-progressing defects), and Failure Conditions (developing defects over time). To analyze the impact of occupancy conditions, six ‘negative occupancy factors’ were identified that accelerate partition deterioration, including non-ownership, poor maintenance, high residential density, the presence of young children, the presence of domestic animals, and the density of furniture. These factors define four occupancy condition categories: light, moderate, standard, and intensive. The research found that hollow concrete block partitions are the most durable, exceeding 100 years in light or moderate conditions. Gypsum board partitions, while cost-effective, have a lower life expectancy, needing replacement in 11–27 years in intensive conditions. Autoclaved concrete blocks offer moderate durability, with similar costs to hollow blocks in normal conditions. Overall, the study highlights the influence of service and occupancy on the lifespan of interior building components, and provides recommendations for partition type selection that are based on specific conditions. These recommendations are a pivotal outcome, highlighting the study’s significant contribution to the understanding of the long-term performance and sustainability of building materials in residential construction.

Building construction materials for ionizing radiation shielding: a systematic literature review

Ionizing radiation, commonly employed in hospital environments, is characterized by its capability to displace electrons from atoms, potentially posing risks to human health. To mitigate potential harm, protective materials have been developed to serve as radiation absorbers. Typically, materials such as lead, iron, and concrete have been conventionally used for this purpose. However, the widespread adoption of new, environmentally-friendly shielding materials has yet to become a reality. In this context, this study conducted a systematic review of both national and international literature to identify emerging materials suitable for protective barriers, with a focus on publications from 2019 to 2023. The ProKnow-C methodology was employed to assemble the Total Bibliographic Portfolio, which encompassed a total of 11 scientific articles during this phase. The research findings indicated that the majority of authors integrate computer simulations with practical experiments to assess material effectiveness. Barium sulfate emerged as the preferred chemical element among most researchers. In lesser proportions, magnetite and bismuth were also utilized, alongside polymers and select metal alloys. As supplementary cementitious materials, fly ash and silica fume were the most frequently encountered. Notably, lead was conspicuously absent in the research, reflecting authors' environmental concerns.

Environmental and mechanical analysis of low‐carbon concrete with vitrified MSW incineration bottom ash as cement replacement

AbstractThe building sector is responsible for about 37% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, 6% of which result from concrete (and particularly cement) production. Using recycled and supplementary cementitious materials and adopting a whole building life cycle approach can be seen as multi‐beneficial strategies for materials' design. In this framework, this study aims to formulate a green concrete, by replacing 10, 15 and 20% of cement with a secondary raw material constituted of vitrified bottom ash derived from municipal solid waste incineration. The basic physical and mechanical properties were measured up to 365 days, so to evaluate the effects of the cement replacement both on short and long‐term behavior. Life Cycle Assessment was used as a tool to evaluate the environmental performance of the developed green concrete. An Eco‐Mechanical Analysis was also performed to match the environmental impacts with the mechanical behavior, allowing to assess that the concrete produced by replacing 20% of cement with vitrified municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (if classified as hazardous waste) is the one that leads to optimize the overall sustainability. The approach proposed in this work, which can be easily generalized, contributes to the definition of a route for the implementation of innovative green construction building materials by using waste.

Horizontal flame spread behavior of densified wood: Effect of structural characteristics

Densified wood (DW) is a recently developed material with excellent mechanical properties, considered as an ideal construction material for high-rise timber buildings. However, its flame spread behavior has not been well understood limiting its applications. This work for the first time experimentally and analytically investigates the horizontal flame spread behavior of DW. The influences of material structural characteristics (e.g. density) on heat transfer characteristics are focused. Thermally thin DW with density ranges of 441–1025 kg/m3 and a constant thickness of 2 mm were tested. The flame spread rate, mass loss rate (MLR) and flame height decreased with the increased wood density. A power-law correlation between the dimensionless MLR and dimensionless density is proposed, which well predicts the experiments with an R2 of 0.922. The increased wood density decreases flame height and reduces flame radiation. The gas-phase heat transfer shifts from radiation-dominant to convection-dominant. The longitudinal and radial thermal conductivities of DW increased with wood density. Empirical equations are optimized to predict the thermal conductivities of DW with R2 of 0.870 (longitudinal) and 0.837 (radial). The preheating zone length and the temperature gradient per unit length don’t vary significantly with wood density. Their values are averaged to 25.62 mm and 9.312 K/mm respectively. The longitudinal heat conduction is increased with the wood density due to the increased conductivity. However, this conduction increase is lower than the radiation decrease as the wood density increases. Thus, the total heat flux is slightly decreased with the wood density. The gas phase heat transfer dominates the flame spread. However, the longitudinal heat conduction can account for more than half of the gaseous heat transfer, and thus cannot be negligible. Results of this work improve the understanding of DW flame spread, which helps to evaluate the fire behaviors of timber construction.

Detection of movement resistance and friction coefficient in the transport of building materials and construction materials

In the production of building materials and construction materials, continuously operating conveying equipment is commonly used, including roller conveyors. Roller conveyors are devices designed for horizontal, slightly ascending or descending transport of piece products moving on a system of rotating rollers of different shapes (cylindrical, conical, disc, pulley or according to the profile of the conveyed object). The rotating rollers are placed in the track frame (supporting structure), which can be either stable, relocatable or adjustable (height and length adjustable, so-called scissor conveyors). An analogue of the roller conveyor is the pulley conveyor, where instead of rollers, discs - pulleys are mounted on a non-rotating axis. Several discs are installed on the axis with gaps. The pulleys on adjacent axes overlap so that there is no continuous gap. The track is used for handling flat building parts and objects such as metal sheets, glass panes, furniture parts, etc. When transporting item building materials or bulk building materials placed in storage boxes which are transported on a powered roller track on pallets, a driving force is required depending on the angle of inclination of the roller track, the weight of the load, the number of rollers on which the load rests and the coefficient of shear friction during movement. The paper presents a laboratory device that has been designed to detect the adhesion force during the transport of piece loads by a roller conveyor. On the implemented device, it is possible to determine in laboratory conditions the amount of resistance to the movement of the load on the driven roller conveyor depending on the weight of the load. The paper presents measured values of the shear friction coefficient during the movement of a steel storage box on a driven roller track. In this paper, a driven roller track is used for laboratory tests, where the drive of the rollers is implemented by so-called short chains. In addition to horizontal tracks, this chain drive allows you to drive rising tracks with variable gradients or even rising curved tracks.

Collective Protective Equipment Using Netting Materials in Construction of Industrial Buildings

The article presents conditions for ensuring the safe performance of construction and installation works during construction/reconstruction of industrial buildings and facilities of various purposes, based on the use of fall arrest nets, which are collective protective equipment for preventing work-related injuries in case of a person’s or an object’s potential fall from height. The article specifies the basic elements of these devices where synthetic netting materials are suggested as the most pacing factor of the required protection degree. Consideration is given to governing parameters of fall arrest safety nets that make it possible to ensure the safety of works at heights. This produced net deflection values that are acceptable for conditions under which construction is carried out, with required contour-rope tension values. The value of the maximum negative acceleration that acts on a body falling from height to the net was assessed. Herewith, the performed calculations showed, based on relatively large dimensions of the fall arrest device’s net fabric, that overloads that occur when catching fallen objects are insignificant and do not require that additional equipment be used to reduce dynamic loads.

Consciousness and Prospects of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks for Wall Construction: Comparative Study Nigeria and South Africa

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Block (AACB) is a viable, sustainable walling material for building projects but has not been given the attention it deserves in developing countries. To increase the usage of AACB on building projects, this study examines the consciousness and prospects for its use in Nigeria and South Africa. The objectives are (i) to evaluate the degree of knowledge about AACB, (ii) the variants in Nigeria and South Africa, and to assess the likelihood of adopting AACB in Nigeria—the study centres on Lagos and five provinces in South Africa. Lagos was chosen in Nigeria because the State is the only place in Nigeria where AAC blocks have been used. A total of 145 questionnaires were administered to professionals who had been involved in AAC projects. In contrast, 17 South African respondents familiar with AACB in construction projects were polled online using Google Forms. Convenience and snowball sampling procedures were used for construction professionals in both countries. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Statistics such as percentages and mean scores were explored using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings indicate that construction professionals in Nigeria know very little about 19 of the 20 documented AACBs. However, the South African professionals are very knowledgeable about AACB grade 42.5 OPC and AACB of AP/RHA and fully aware of AACB with grade 52.5 OPC, though they know nothing about the Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) AACB. This means that Nigerian professionals have a moderate stance on using AACB. The study concludes that South African Builders are more aware of AACB and its variants than Nigeria. This implies that AACB manufacturing in Nigeria would not thrive in the construction market due to poor patronage since patronage is directly related to product awareness. The study, therefore, suggests that building construction professionals should increase their understanding of AACB through continuous development training, workshops, and seminars on environmentally friendly building materials. Another suggestion is for consultants, clients, developers, contractors, governments, and research institutions to continuously conduct research and embrace findings on the AACB and new building construction materials regarding usage, wear, tears and durability.

Architectural Characterization of Hongjialou Catholic Church in Jinan

This paper focuses on the Hongjialou Catholic Church in Jinan, China. Hongjialou Catholic Church was designed by Italian Brother Poncieri. It is one of the larger Catholic churches in Jinan. It occupies an important position in modern Chinese religious architecture. This paper will use the field research method, literature analysis method, comparative analysis method, and chart enumeration method to analyze the Hongjialou Catholic Church in terms of its construction background, plan layout, facade style, decorative decoration and building materials, structure, etc. in terms of culture, art, and other aspects. To further demonstrate the rules of decorative construction of typical Western Gothic church buildings, compare Hongjialou Catholic Church with Western churches, and study the influence of localization on the facade and interior space decoration and ornamentation of Western churches. And through the comparison with other Chinese modern Catholic churches, it is concluded that the localization influence of Hongjialou Catholic Church is not significant, which will help the subsequent in-depth study of Hongjialou Catholic Church in terms of artistic achievement and historical and cultural value.

The impacts of future sectoral change on the greenhouse gas emissions of construction materials for Swiss residential buildings

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive method for evaluating building sustainability. However, most studies have relied on generic or national LCA databases, overlooking the systematic consideration of future scenarios and sectoral developments due to data and tool constraints. Moreover, there's a gap in providing a standardized workflow for such evaluations and understanding their impact on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of buildings on a national level. Addressing these gaps, our study incorporates scenarios from two Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), considering the future developments of the electricity, cement, and steel sectors, to assess embodied GHG emissions of Swiss residential buildings from 2015 to 2055. Our findings reveal that incorporating these future considerations can lead up to a 25% GHG emissions reduction by 2055 compared to 2015, primarily due to GHG emission reductions in concrete and brick as a result of these considerations. This is much less than the emissions reduction potential of some specific construction materials and far from the goal of net zero. It also underscores the importance of exploring alternative strategies for net-zero GHG emissions at the building stock level. Consequently, we present reproducible workflows using open-source tools and future versions of the Swiss national building LCA databases, offering a blueprint for similar future studies in other countries.

RADON RISK ASSESSMENT IN THE SOUTH DAYI DISTRICT OF THE VOLTA REGION, GHANA: A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION

This study presents a comprehensive investigation into radon risk assessment in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region, Ghana. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, poses potential health risks when present in high concentrations, particularly in indoor environments. The research methodology involves measuring radon levels in various residential and commercial buildings across the district using state-of-the-art detection techniques. Additionally, factors such as geological characteristics, building construction materials, and indoor ventilation systems are analyzed to assess their influence on radon concentrations. The findings provide valuable insights into the extent of radon exposure in the South Dayi District and contribute to the development of mitigation strategies to safeguard public health. This study underscores the importance of proactive measures to mitigate radon risks and protect residents in radon-prone regions such as the Volta Region of Ghana.