Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sebastian Kahlert, Catharina R. Bening
Summary: Scientific analysis and media coverage have negatively impacted the reputation of plastic due to rampant pollution, leading to discussions about a plastic crisis. This paper examines the flow of PET from production to recycling in the EU and highlights the need for substantial investments and regulatory framework to achieve sustainable use of PET.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haiyan Li, Yihui Zhang, Liyuan Wu, Yi Jin, Yongwei Gong, Angzhen Li, Jinxi Li, Fei Li
Summary: This study systematically evaluated the performance of recycled aggregates and natural aggregates as substrates in VFCWs, showing that recycled aggregates performed better in terms of TP and COD removal, and can reduce the cost of wetland construction.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Leah Chibwe, Amila O. De Silva, Christine Spencer, Camilla F. Teixera, Mary Williamson, Xiaowa Wang, Derek C. G. Muir
Summary: Increased demand for recycling plastic has raised concerns about the potential introduction of hazardous chemicals. A comprehensive screening of 21 plastic flake and pellet samples from Canadian recycling companies revealed the high detection frequencies and concentrations of organophosphorus ester flame retardants and plasticizers, suggesting their incorporation into recycled goods. Although individual concentrations met European Union threshold limits for recycled granules and waste plastic flakes, further research is needed to determine their toxicological thresholds. Our study emphasizes the importance of additional screening to fully understand the presence of potentially hazardous chemicals in goods made from recycled plastics.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haishang Wu, Hamid Mehrabi, Panagiotis Karagiannidis, Nida Naveed
Summary: Materials recycling and additive manufacturing present both challenges and opportunities in the plastic industries. A collection-recycling-manufacturing model is built to evaluate the process flow and integration in order to achieve sustainable manufacturing. The study reveals the benefits of combining recycling and additive manufacturing, such as cost reduction, job creation, and CO2 emissions reduction.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Antoine Dib, Nicholas Fantuzzi, Jacopo Agnelli, Lorenzo Paleari, Mario Bragaglia, Francesca Nanni, Aldo Pierattini
Summary: This study aims to investigate the homogenization of four different types of plastics: virgin polypropylene, recycled polypropylene, recycled high-density polyethylene, and recycled low-density polyethylene. It also focuses on developing a homogenization methodology for multimaterial plastics reinforced with carbon nanotubes and studying the Melt Flow Index of various mixtures of recycled plastics. Furthermore, the research explores the incorporation of nanoparticles to enhance the mechanical properties of these novel polymers.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Finian McCann
Summary: The bending resistance of recycled glass bead sandwich panels was investigated. The study analyzed the influences of adhesive strength, polymer content, and previous damage, showing that high-strength adhesive did not improve structural performance but an increase in polymer content did. Additionally, re-testing damaged specimens indicated that residual compaction improved deformation capacity, highlighting the potential benefits of prestressing the panels.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Petar Antov, Lubos Kristak, Roman Reh, Viktor Savov, Antonios N. Papadopoulos
Summary: The study investigated the potential of using residual softwood fibers from the pulp and paper industry to produce eco-friendly, zero-formaldehyde fiberboard panels, bonded with a lignin-based, formaldehyde-free adhesive. The fiberboards produced had close-to-zero formaldehyde content but exhibited some drawbacks in moisture-related properties.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Jandre Daniel Oosthuizen, Adewumi John Babafemi, Richard Shaun Walls
Summary: This study investigates the suitability of adding recycled plastic waste, Resin8, into 3D printed concrete as fine aggregate replacement. The addition of Resin8 resulted in more flowable mixes with decreased buildability, decreased flexural and compressive strength, but improved interlayer bond strength. Replacing a portion of fine aggregates with Resin8 can effectively reduce plastic waste.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Heshan Jayawardane, Ian J. Davies, J. R. Gamage, Michele John, Wahidul K. Biswas
Summary: The study used recycled PLA material for 3D printing of a pump impeller and compared its technical performance, environmental impacts, and costs to virgin PLA material. The results showed that the recycled material performed well and offered better eco-efficiency compared to the virgin material.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Sabzoi Nizamuddin, Yeong Jia Boom, Filippo Giustozzi
Summary: The failure of bituminous pavements is mainly caused by heavy traffic loads and weather-related conditions. To enhance the material properties of bitumen, polymer modification, particularly using plastomers, has been widely adopted. The use of recycled plastics in roads is also gaining traction as a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial solution for improving road durability.
Article
Engineering, Geological
Yuchen Su, Heng Zhong, Yuan Wang, Yaru Lv
Summary: An enormous amount of construction and demolition waste is generated globally every year, and it increases disposal costs in landfills. Adopting crushed concrete aggregate as an alternative cushioning material provides a novel approach for reusing and recycling waste materials. However, a lack of understanding of the dynamic responses of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) inhibits their potential use. Large-scale field tests are conducted to study the impact loading on a concrete shed shielded by a 1 m-thick RCA cushioning layer. The results show that the particle size of the RCA significantly affects the load reduction performance, and the number of successive impacts also plays a role in the load distribution on structures shielded by an RCA cushioning layer.
ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yeong Jia Boom, Marie Enfrin, Stephen Grist, Filippo Giustozzi
Summary: The use of recycled plastics in asphalt mixtures is gaining attention, but concerns about the health and safety of exposing them to high temperatures exist. This study investigates the release of carcinogenic compounds from recycled plastic-modified asphalt and assesses the health risks for construction workers. The findings suggest that incorporating recycled plastics in asphalt reduces non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks compared to conventional asphalt mixes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Carel Marais, John R. Bunt, Nthabiseng T. Leokaoke, Romanus C. Uwaoma, Hein W. J. P. Neomagus
Summary: This study focuses on the extrusion of discarded coal fines together with recycled LDPE and PP as binders. The extrudates showed improved handling properties and higher mechanical strength than the coal fines. Co-extrusion of plastic with coal fines can produce solid carbonaceous fuels with high hydrophobicity, heating value, and mechanical strength.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xin Liu, Xinyu Lu, Yahui Feng, Ling Zhang, Zengwei Yuan
Summary: This study estimated the generation volumes of plastics recycled from five typical kinds of WEEEs in China and analyzed the environmental performance of WEEE plastics recycling. The results showed a rapid increase in recycled plastics, but highlighted issues such as energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycled plastics from WEEEs demonstrated better environmental performance in most aspects compared to the production of virgin plastics, except for ozone depletion.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Xiaoguang Chen, Zeger Sierens, Elke Gruyaert, Jiabin Li
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using mixed recycled aggregate (MRA) in self-consolidating concrete (SCC) for manufacturing architectural precast concrete sandwich wall panels. The results showed that the incorporation of MRA mainly affected the mechanical properties of SCC, while the water compensation degree primarily influenced the flowability and carbonation resistance. The presence of MRA did not have a considerable effect on the aesthetic characteristics. Up to 10% MRA in weight of total aggregates could be used in precast SCC.
ACI MATERIALS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Qi Jiang, Wei Liu, Shaopeng Wu, Xuanwen Gou
Summary: This study analyzes the erosion mechanisms of NaCl solution on asphalt concrete and finds that NaCl solution softens asphalt and promotes the intrusion of crystalline salt into it. Salt crystallization alters the surface roughness of aggregates, resulting in a decrease in skid resistance but an improvement in compressive strength. Additionally, the concentration of NaCl solution initially has no significant impact on the mechanical performance of asphalt concrete, but its domination gradually increases with the intensification of cyclic effects.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Lili Kan, Lan-qing Dai, Ning Kong, Bin Peng, Fei Wang
Summary: This paper investigates the effect of freezing and thawing cycles on the tensile behavior of cracked ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). The results show that long-term freezing and thawing action deteriorates the cracking strength, tensile strength, tensile strain, and strain energy of cracked UHPC. On the other hand, the action of water generally favors the development of tensile properties of UHPC. The crack distribution tends to be unsaturated under freezing and thawing environment, and the re-hydration reaction is hindered. The pore structure near the crack varies under different environments.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Xin Xiao, Jingwei Li, Qingke Meng, Xiangshan Hou, Yanhui Liu, Xujiang Wang, Wenlong Wang, Shengtao Lu, Yuzhong Li, Yanpeng Mao, Tong Li
Summary: Preparing gypsum-based self-leveling mortar (GSLM) using beta-hemihydrate gypsum and solid wastes-derived sulfoaluminate cement (WSAC) can improve the mechanical performance of the mortar, but phosphorus impurities can weaken the hydration speed and degree.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sihang Bao, Junzhen Di, Yanrong Dong, Ziqing Gao, Qing Gu, Yuanfang Zhao, Hongyu Zhai
Summary: Tailings dam break and leakage accidents pose a threat to the safety of people in mining areas and cause severe environmental pollution. This study focuses on solidifying tailing sand using microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) to improve strength and fix heavy metals. The curing time of MICP bio-cemented tailings is found to significantly impact the strength of tailings, while its effect on heavy metal fixation is minimal. The optimized MICP curing time is 10 days, resulting in improved strength and cementation of tailings particles.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Ferhat Benmahiddine, Fares Bennai, Achraf Charaka, Ameur El Amine Hamami, Abdelkader Tahakourt, Rafik Belarbi
Summary: This paper studied the effects of hysteresis on the hygrothermal behavior at the building scale. Through laboratory validation and numerical simulations, it was found that hysteresis has a significant impact on the relative humidity and total heat fluxes in buildings, while it does not have a noticeable effect on temperature variations.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
You Gao, Wei He, Xiayang Zhang, De'an Sun, Pei Li
Summary: This study determined the boundary line between the swelling and compression deformation zone in lateritic clay through wetting tests, and proposed a simple bimodal SWRC model. It also found that the existing strength model underestimated the tested values in the medium to high suction range, therefore a segmented strength equation was introduced for enhanced predictions of the strength properties of lateritic clay.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Prabhath Ranjan Kumar Soda, Asheer Mogal, Kalyan Chakravarthy, Nikhil Thota, Nimish Bandaru, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, K. M. Mini
Summary: This study investigates the use of encapsulated bacteria to improve the self-healing ability of concrete. Through various tests, it is found that using 20% cement-coated alginate beads (CCAB) and 5% nanosilica (NS) can achieve optimal strength and healing. This research is significant for enhancing the durability of concrete.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shizhe Wang, Haiping Wu, Wen Yang, Wei Wang, Zhibo Zhu, Kun Nie, Luoxin Wang, Hua Wang, Jing Wu
Summary: In this study, photothermal-heat storage concrete (PHSC) was developed with excellent photothermal conversion performance and heat storage capacity. By absorbing and storing solar energy during the day and releasing it at night, PHSC can effectively reduce energy consumption in buildings.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Robin Deb, Jialuo He, Geetika Mishra, Yaghoob (Amir) Farnam
Summary: Incorporation techniques of phase change materials in cementitious composites have a significant influence on thermal properties. This study investigated the thermal behavior of low-temperature PCM when subjected to varying temperature change rates and pore confinement inside the porous network of lightweight aggregates. The results showed that ramp rates affect the nucleation and crystallization growth process during the phase transition, and the pore structure of the aggregates affects the supercooling phenomenon and confinement pressure of the PCM.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Eduardo Ferreira, Payam Sotoudeh, Dagmar Svecova
Summary: This study investigates the fatigue behavior of concrete under different stress reversal conditions. The results indicate that stress reversal generally causes more severe damage and reduces the cycles to failure compared to tensile fatigue. Additionally, adding some level of compression contributes to the energy required for failure under stress reversal fatigue. Specimens with higher concentration of fractured aggregates achieve longer fatigue lives.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Mag Raj Gehlot, Sandeep Shrivastava
Summary: This study evaluates the compatibility relationship between plaster bonds and the substrate under an accelerated aging environment, and finds that incorporating an appropriate amount of granite cutting waste can improve the strength parameters and adhesion of the cement mortar.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Min Zhang, Qirui Luo, Mingke Deng, Shixing Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the bond behavior between carbon FRCM composites with added short fibers and concrete substrates. The effects of different factors were considered and 36 specimens were tested and discussed. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of failure mode, load-slip curve, and characteristic parameters, and the contribution of weft yarns was taken into account in the developed bondslip model.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Dengkai Liu, Hongniao Chen, Ray Kai Leung Su
Summary: The susceptibility of building stones to fire and high temperature was investigated in this study by examining their physical and mechanical properties. The results show that both compressive and tensile properties of stones are affected by temperature changes. The tensile strength is particularly sensitive to temperature changes, requiring special attention to the components subjected to tensile stress in stone buildings. Principal component analysis was used to predict the mechanical properties of stones, providing a new method for calculating the residual mechanical properties after high temperature or fire.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Joso Maria Raposo, Eduardo Cavaco, Luis Costa Neves, Eduardo Julio
Summary: This paper investigates the correlation between the friction coefficient and the surface roughness of concrete-to-concrete interfaces. Experimental tests were performed on specimens with different surface treatments, and the surface roughness parameters were analyzed and correlated with the shear strength and friction coefficient. The results showed that certain roughness parameters had a strong positive correlation with the friction coefficient, while others had little or no correlation. A novel combined roughness parameter with optimized correlation was proposed.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Chiara Riccardi, Massimo Losa
Summary: The interest in using bio materials in asphalt pavements is growing due to economic reasons and environmental benefits. This study aimed to review the use of bio extenders as additives in binders, with a focus on replacements greater than 20% of fossil binder. The properties of bio-extended binders were found to vary substantially depending on the biomass source and production process.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2024)