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Recent Developments on the Use of Sustainable Retrofitting and Construction Materials

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (4 February 2024) | Viewed by 11495

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, Viale Mattioli 39, 10125 Turin, Italy
Interests: natural textile reinforced mortar systems for the retrofitting of masonry structures

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Guest Editor
Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Centro Ecotekne Pal. O - S.P. 6, Lecce, Italy
Interests: cement-less reinforced concrete material for structural applications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Scientific research in construction industry is widely devoted to the adoption of innovative and sustainable materials for the rehabilitation of existing structures and the development of new constructions.

In this context, this Special Issue aims to collect the most recent research developments in the field of structural interventions and new constructions that use innovative sustainable materials with a low environmental impact and promote recycling and circular economy approaches.

In the field of the rehabilitation of existing structures, some suggested themes include the investigation of natural vegetable fibers and/or recycled fibers in fiber-reinforced composite matrix (FRCM) and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems for masonry and RC structures. Similarly, in the context of investigations on new materials for construction, research on innovative sustainable concrete is of interest for this Special Issue.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

- The characterization of Natural FRCM systems;

- The characterization of cement-less concrete materials;

- The mechanical performance of structural elements and buildings;

- The durability of innovative materials;

- Experimental testing, numerical and analytical modeling of materials and structures.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Alessia Monaco
Prof. Dr. Marianovella Leone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural
  • FRCM
  • green concrete
  • sustainability
  • durability
  • structural
  • strengthening
  • experimental testing
  • numerical modelling
  • analytical modelling

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 8929 KiB  
Article
Short Jute Fiber Reinforced Cement Mortar for Out-of-Plane Strengthening of Masonry Prisms
by Lidianne do Nascimento Farias, Paulo Roberto Lopes Lima and Romildo Dias Toledo Filho
Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5675; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135675 - 3 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1029
Abstract
The retrofitting process contributes to the sustainability of the construction sector, since adopting measures to increase the lifespan of buildings reduces the need for new constructions. However, many of the materials used in this process come from nonrenewable sources and require significant water [...] Read more.
The retrofitting process contributes to the sustainability of the construction sector, since adopting measures to increase the lifespan of buildings reduces the need for new constructions. However, many of the materials used in this process come from nonrenewable sources and require significant water and energy consumption for production. The aim of this study is to assess the viability of using a more environmentally friendly mortar coating reinforced with short jute fibers (SJFRM) to reinforce ceramic brick masonry walls. Both coated and uncoated prisms were subjected to compression and flexural tests under two-point (line) out-of-plane loading. The reinforcement layer comprised mortar without fibers and mortars reinforced with jute fibers at levels of 2% and 4%, with lengths of 20 mm and 40 mm. Physical and mechanical tests were conducted to evaluate the properties of SJFRM in both fresh and hardened states. Results indicate that the compressive and flexural strengths were enhanced with SJFRM reinforcement due to alterations in the failure mode of the prisms. The fibers impede crack propagation in the reinforcement layer, enabling better redistribution of internal stresses in the prisms. This results in an increase of 6 to 9 times in stiffness under direct compression and up to 42 times in toughness under flexion in the prisms reinforced with SJFRM when compared to uncoated prisms. Full article
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20 pages, 4716 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Study on Flexural Behavior of Concrete Beams Using Notches and Repair Materials
by Waseem Khan, Saleem Akhtar, Aruna Rawat and Anindya Basu
Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2723; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072723 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1066
Abstract
In a concrete beam, cracking is generated on the tension side under the effect of flexure, shear, and torsional loadings. Accordingly, these weak concrete members require repair and/or strengthening to increase or restore their internal load capacity. In the current experimental and numerical [...] Read more.
In a concrete beam, cracking is generated on the tension side under the effect of flexure, shear, and torsional loadings. Accordingly, these weak concrete members require repair and/or strengthening to increase or restore their internal load capacity. In the current experimental and numerical investigations on concrete beams, the impact of using notches with different width to depth ratios on the ultimate flexural load under a three-point test was considered. Further, the flexural behavior performance of a notched concrete beam repaired using the three repair materials—cement mortar, bacterial mortar, and adhesive—was also examined. Consequently, a comparative study was implemented between the experimental and numerical results. A concrete damage plasticity (CDP) model was used for the finite element numerical analysis of the beams. The differences in numerical and experimental measured results ranged from 0.65 to 22.20% for the ultimate load carrying capacity. As the notch size increased, the ultimate load carrying capacity of the beam reduced. Additionally, a linear regression model was used to predict the ultimate load values at a notch width interval of 5 mm up to a maximum notch width of 100 mm. It was observed that the ultimate load capacity for a repaired beam increased as compared to the notched beam for all three repair materials under consideration. And the maximum ultimate load increased in the case of notched beams repaired using adhesive. Furthermore, in comparison to the cement mortar, the performance of the bacterial mortar in terms of the ultimate load was more. The bacterial mortar was found to be more sustainable and more durable as a repair material for concrete structures. Full article
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29 pages, 6799 KiB  
Article
Rheological, Mechanical, and Micro-Structural Property Assessment of Eco-Friendly Concrete Reinforced with Waste Areca Nut Husk Fiber
by Noor Md. Sadiqul Hasan, Nur Mohammad Nazmus Shaurdho, Md. Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Md. Montaseer Meraz, Md. Abdul Basit, Suvash Chandra Paul and Md Jihad Miah
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14131; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914131 - 24 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2575
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has become one of the most promising construction techniques and repairing materials in recent times for the construction industry. Generally, plain concrete has a very low tensile strength and limited resistance to cracking prior to the ultimate load, which can [...] Read more.
Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has become one of the most promising construction techniques and repairing materials in recent times for the construction industry. Generally, plain concrete has a very low tensile strength and limited resistance to cracking prior to the ultimate load, which can be mitigated by the incorporation of fiber. Natural fibers have emerged as an appealing sustainable option in the last few decades due to their lower cost, energy savings, and minimized greenhouse effects. Areca fiber is one of the natural fibers that can be sourced from the waste-producing areca nut industry. Hence, this study aims to assess the mechanical, rheological, and micro-structural properties of areca fiber-reinforced concrete (AFRC). For this purpose, areca fiber was used in the concrete mix as a weight percentage of cement. In this regard, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% by weight of cement substitutions were investigated. As key findings, 2% areca fiber enhanced the compressive strength of concrete by 2.89% compared to the control specimen (fiber-free concrete). On the other hand, splitting tensile strength increased by 18.16%. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the cement matrix and fibers are adequately connected at the interfacial level. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) test results showed more biodegradable carbon elements in the areca fiber-mixed concrete as well as an effective pozzolanic reaction. The study also exhibited that adding natural areca fiber lowered the fabrication cost by almost 1.5% and eCO2 emissions by 3%. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that AFRC can be used as a possible building material from the standpoint of sustainable construction purposes. Full article
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26 pages, 3811 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Waste Glass Cullet as Partial Substitutions of Coarse Aggregate to Produce Eco-Friendly Concrete: Role of Metakaolin as Cement Replacement
by Noor Md. Sadiqul Hasan, Nur Mohammad Nazmus Shaurdho, Md. Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Md. Montaseer Meraz, Md. Saidul Islam and Md Jihad Miah
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11254; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411254 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2884
Abstract
The utilization of waste products is becoming a vital aspect of the construction industry to safeguard environmental assets and mitigate pollution, all of which lead to long-term sustainable development. From this perspective, this experimental investigation was carried out to determine the cumulative influence [...] Read more.
The utilization of waste products is becoming a vital aspect of the construction industry to safeguard environmental assets and mitigate pollution, all of which lead to long-term sustainable development. From this perspective, this experimental investigation was carried out to determine the cumulative influence of waste glass cullet and metakaolin (MK) as partial replacements for coarse aggregates and cement in an isolated and combined manner. This research demonstrated the influence of integrating glass aggregate and metakaolin wherein coarse aggregate was substituted by 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% glass cullet (by weight), and cement was supplemented with 10% metakaolin. The substitution of waste glass with coarse aggregate significantly declines the compressive strength correspondingly; however, the integration of 10% metakaolin powder enhanced the strength slightly for all specimens up to 25%. On the other hand, for flexural strength, the inclusion of glass waste in concrete reduced the performance, whereas the incorporation of metakaolin boosted the strength but did not achieve greater strength compared to the control mixture. The sustainability analysis revealed that the production cost and eCO2 emission could be reduced by 15% and 7% by incorporating glass cullet and metakaolin in the concrete mix, which satisfied sustainability. Based on the experimental results, the ideal proportion substitution would be 25% glass aggregate with 10% metakaolin, which could satisfactorily be used to generate sustainable concrete. Full article
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Review

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17 pages, 277 KiB  
Review
A Review of Smart Materials in 4D Printing for Hygrothermal Rehabilitation: Innovative Insights for Sustainable Building Stock Management
by Babak Farham and Luis Baltazar
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4067; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104067 - 13 May 2024
Viewed by 1154
Abstract
There is an issue in the building stock, especially in Europe, concerning energy efficiency and climate change adaptation. Due to insufficient thermal insulation and passive solutions, the majority of the existing buildings are not only ill-prepared for the negative effects of climate change, [...] Read more.
There is an issue in the building stock, especially in Europe, concerning energy efficiency and climate change adaptation. Due to insufficient thermal insulation and passive solutions, the majority of the existing buildings are not only ill-prepared for the negative effects of climate change, but they also contribute to higher energy consumption. The combination of smart materials and 4D printing for hygrothermal rehabilitation of building facades is the main topic of this review paper. The paper examines the application of smart materials in construction to overcome problems with moisture and heat transfer and other issues in the building envelope. It discusses numerous instances of this printing technology’s applications, such as particular responsive elements, identifies trends and draws attention to knowledge gaps in the field, and assesses environmental and economic impacts. The objective is to offer comparable data to aid in upcoming studies concerning the creation of 4D-printed building façade solutions. Additionally, the paper can be interpreted as a collaborative attempt to influence the direction of future hygrothermal building rehabilitation practices. It also aims to assist designers and other relevant parties in understanding the advantages, restrictions, and difficulties related to 4D printing and smart materials for the sustainable management of buildings. Full article
25 pages, 2714 KiB  
Review
The Challenge of Integrating Seismic and Energy Retrofitting of Buildings: An Opportunity for Sustainable Materials?
by Luca Penazzato, Rogiros Illampas and Daniel V. Oliveira
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3465; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083465 - 21 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2106
Abstract
Recent earthquakes and escalating energy demands are exposing building stock deficiencies, particularly in terms of seismic resilience and energy efficiency. Many aged constructions do not fulfil current regulations both in terms of seismic and thermal design principles, thus requiring suitable retrofitting solutions. Integrated [...] Read more.
Recent earthquakes and escalating energy demands are exposing building stock deficiencies, particularly in terms of seismic resilience and energy efficiency. Many aged constructions do not fulfil current regulations both in terms of seismic and thermal design principles, thus requiring suitable retrofitting solutions. Integrated approaches for concurrent seismic and energy renovation have emerged as promising strategies in recent years, offering holistic solutions that optimize interventions and maximize benefits. While these combined methods hold significant potential for practical applications, there remain opportunities for further research to enhance their advantages. Furthermore, addressing climate concerns requires concentrated effort within the construction sector, where synergetic refurbishments can serve a dual purpose by reducing emissions and promoting the use of more sustainable materials. This study discusses strategies proposed in the literature for integrated retrofitting, considering their environmental impact, both in terms of energy performance and embodied carbon. The overview shows the innovation potential for the development of materials and systems combining acceptable performance with eco-friendly attributes. Yet, their application in integrated retrofitting systems, either as structural components or insulators, is still limited, underscoring the need for continued investigation and advancement. This paper concludes with recommendations to inspire further research and advancements in this critical field. Full article
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