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Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 47492

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anibal C. Maury-Ramirez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

CHOC-IZONE Research Group, Engineering Faculty, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 111711, Colombia
Interests: green walls and roofs; photocatalytic materials; nanomaterials; recycling in concrete
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jaime A Mesa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cra. 7 No 40-62, 110231 Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Interests: life-cycle assessment, design for sustainability, environmental performance of products and systems, product durability, material selection, valorization of waste from industrial processes and design of circular products (Circular Economy perspective)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the enormous construction material demands for the rising number of buildings and urban infrastructure, the use of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) in building materials becomes a crucial issue for the sustainable development of our planet, especially in developing countries. The extraction of natural aggregates and minerals from mountains and rivers has destroyed vital ecosystems worldwide. Moreover, the manufacture of building materials releases a significant amount of greenhouse emissions. For example, only for producing a ton of Portland cement, a ton of CO₂ is approximately released to the atmosphere. Based on this, the construction industry is currently an important producer of global warming gases. Although many efforts have been done made by governments, industries, and scientists to increase the use of C&DW in construction materials, articulated efforts are required at global, regional, and local scales. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide a better comparison and assessment of the application potentials of construction and demolition waste in building materials. In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following aspects:

(a) Physical, chemical, mechanical, and durability properties of C&DW aggregates, fillers, and cementitious materials;

(b) Classification and processing techniques for C&DW;

(d) Life cycle assessment of construction materials using C&DW;

(e) Novel applications of C&DW.

References:

[1] Naranjo, A.; Colonia, A.; Mesa, J.; Maury-Ramírez, A. Evaluation of Semi-Intensive Green Roofs with Drainage Layers Made Out of Recycled and Reused Materials. Coatings 2020; 10-6: 525. Relation – use of recycled rubber and reused plastic bottles

[2] Etxeberria, M., Guo, MZ., Maury-Ramirez, A., Poon. CS. Influence of dust and oil accumulation on effectiveness of photocatalytic concrete surfaces. Journal of Environmental Engineering – ASCE; 2017; 1-10. Relation – Use of recycled glass as aggregate and filler

[3] Guo, MZ., Maury-Ramirez, A., Poon, CS. Self-cleaning ability of titanium dioxide clear paint coated architectural mortar and its potential in field application. Journal of Cleaner Production 2016; 112: 3583-3588. Relation – Use of recycled glass as aggregate and filler

[4] Guo, MZ., Maury-Ramirez A., Poon, CS. Versatile photocatalytic functions of self-compacting architectural glass mortars and their inter-relationship. Materials & Design 2015; 88: 1260–1268. Relation – Use of recycled glass as aggregate and filler

[5] Guo, MZ., Maury-Ramirez A., Poon, CS. Photocatalytic activities of titanium dioxide incorporated architectural mortars: Effects of weathering and activation light. Building and Environment 2015; 94: 395-402. Relation – Use of recycled glass as aggregate and filler

[6] Mesa J.A., Esparragoza I., Maury H. (2018) “Relative Assessment of Indicators in Sustainability Enhancement (RAISE): a first approach in the manufacturing stage of products”. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering. Published online. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2018.1491070

[7] Mesa J.A., Esparragoza I., Maury H. (2019) “Modular architecture principles – MAPs: a key factor in the development of sustainable open architecture products”. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering. Vol 13, issue 2. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2019.1634157

[8] Mesa, J.A., Esparragoza, I. & Maury, H. (2019) Trends and Perspectives of Sustainable Product Design for Open Architecture Products: Facing the Circular Economy Model. International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing - Green Technology. Vol 6, 377-391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-019-00052-1

[9] Butera, S., Christensen, TH, Astrup, TF. (2015). Life cycle assessment of construction and demolition waste management, Waste Management, Volume 44, 2015, Pages 196-205, ISSN 0956- 053X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.07.011

[10] Di Maria, A., Eyckmans, J., Van Acker, K. (2018). Downcycling versus recycling of construction and demolition waste: Combining LCA and LCC to support sustainable policy making, Waste Management, Volume 75, Pages 3-21, ISSN 0956-053X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.01.028

Prof. Dr. Anibal C. Maury-Ramirez
Dr. Jaime A Mesa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

construction and demolition waste
building materials
concrete
aggregates
filler
cement
life-cycle assessment
circular economy

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3095 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Properties of Concrete with Recycled Aggregates Giving a Second Life to Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash Concrete

by Aneeta Mary Joseph, Stijn Matthys and Nele De Belie

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4679; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084679 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1952

Abstract

Economic and environmental factors call for increased resource productivity. Partial or full replacement of Portland cement by wastes and by-products, and natural aggregates by construction and demolition wastes, are two prominent routes of achieving circular economy in construction and related industries. Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ashes have been found to be suitable to be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) after various treatments. This paper reports a brief literature review on optimum use of recycled aggregates in concrete and an experimental study using replacement of natural aggregate by demolished concrete having MSWI bottom ash as partial replacement of Portland cement, and compares its properties to that of completely natural aggregate concrete. Additional water was added as a compensation for the water absorption by the recycled aggregate during the first 30 min of water contact during concrete mixing. Also the fine fraction of crushed concrete (<250 µm) was removed to reduce the ill-effects of using recycled aggregate. The replacement of aggregates was limited to 23% by weight of natural aggregate. The results prove environmentally safe and comparable performance of concrete including recycled aggregate with bottom ash to that of natural aggregate concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 61885 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Circular Economy in the Construction Sector: A Case Study of Santiago de Cali (Colombia)

by Aníbal Maury-Ramírez, Danny Illera-Perozo and Jaime A. Mesa

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031923 - 08 Feb 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6094

Abstract

The circular economy, a new paradigm of technological and economic development, is of great importance in developing countries, particularly in the construction sector, one of the most relevant in Colombia. In the Latin American context, Colombia has one of the most important construction industries, contributing to the social and productive development of the country. However, this sector is also responsible for serious environmental problems and social conflicts. Therefore, it is imperative to work with all actors of the value chain to transform the construction sector from a linear economy to a circular economy model. Therefore, this article describes the circular economy model proposed for Santiago de Cali, which is mainly oriented to the analysis and efficient use of construction materials, mostly taking into account the recovery of ecosystems and the circular flow of rocky materials. This model includes an analysis of the production of construction materials, construction process, use and operation, and completion of the life cycle of buildings and infrastructure. In particular, the model proposes an innovative product portfolio for the use of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) supported in applied research (case studies). The portfolio consists of family products, such as recycled aggregates or eco-aggregates, eco-concretes and mortars, eco-prefabricated products and modules, and smart construction materials. In addition, this model describes the C&DW management system and some characteristics of the Technological and Environmental Park (TEP), the main strategy for C&DW valorization in the city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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24 pages, 6427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecotoxicity of Concrete Containing Fine-Recycled Aggregate: Effect on Photosynthetic Pigments, Soil Enzymatic Activity and Carbonation Process

by Diana Mariaková, Klára Anna Mocová, Jan Pešta, Kristina Fořtová, Bhavna Tripathi, Tereza Pavlů and Petr Hájek

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1732; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031732 - 02 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1787

Abstract

Recycling of materials such as masonry or concrete is one of the suitable ways to reduce amount of disposed construction and demolition waste (CDW). However, the environmental safety of products containing recycled materials must be guaranteed. To verify overall environmental benefits of recycled concrete, this work considers ecotoxicity of recycled concrete, as well as potential environmental impacts of their life cycle. Moreover, impacts related with carbonation of concrete is considered in terms of durability and influence of potential CO₂ uptake. Concrete containing fine recycled aggregate from two different sources (masonry and concrete) were examined experimentally at the biochemical level and compared with reference samples. Leaching experiments are performed in order to assess physicochemical properties and aquatic ecotoxicity using water flea, freshwater algae and duckweed. The consequences, such as effects of material on soil enzymatic activity (dehydrogenase activity), photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), and the carbonation process, are verified in the laboratory and included in the comparison with the theoretical life cycle assessment. As a conclusion, environmental safety of recycled concrete was verified, and its overall potential environmental impact was lower in comparison with reference concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 921 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Challenges and Opportunities for Circular Economy Promotion in the Building Sector

by Rafaela Tirado, Adélaïde Aublet, Sylvain Laurenceau and Guillaume Habert

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031569 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5491

Abstract

The accelerated development of cities involves important inflows and outflows of resources. The construction sector is one of the main consumers of raw materials and producers of waste. Due to its quantity and potential for recovery, waste from the construction sector constitutes significant deposits and requires major action by bringing together different stakeholders to achieve the objectives of a circular economy. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the current knowledge of urban metabolism, deposits, and recovery practices. This article aims to investigate the role of local authorities in the planning of strategies to facilitate a circular economy; in particular, this article aims to answer how local authorities facilitate circular economy initiatives in the building sector and what opportunities and obstacles they encounter in the process. The strategy used for the study was to conduct semistructured interviews with those responsible for circular economy projects within local authorities that were pioneering circular economy projects in metropolitan France. The results highlight the importance of community involvement in the implementation of circular economy principles in the building sector. Thus, it is essential to identify the different stakeholders and their respective challenges to build an operational framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Circular Economy in Construction and Demolition Waste Management in the Western Balkans: A Sustainability Assessment Framework

by Ana Nadazdi, Zorana Naunovic and Nenad Ivanisevic

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020871 - 13 Jan 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3872

Abstract

Population growth, consumerism and linear (take-make-dispose) economy models have been piling up waste for decades. The construction industry is also based primarily on linear economy models, but the good news is that most of the waste can be re-used or recycled. So far, numerous models for managing construction and demolition waste in a sustainable way have been developed, but only a few models have included circular economy approaches. The main objective of this study is to propose an integrated framework for the sustainability assessment of CDW management. Apart from the economic, environmental and social aspects of sustainability, this model also includes circular economy principles. The proposed framework is based on the integration of existing methods: bottom-up materials stock approximation; cost–benefit analysis for criteria calculation; and scenario and multi-criteria decision-making analysis for sustainability. It is suggested that the European average recovery rates should be used for future scenario development. With higher re-use and recycling rates, the potential for the circularity of the recovered waste grows. In an effort to increase circularity in the region, particular attention was devoted to customize the framework and examine its potential for use in the Western Balkan countries. The framework may also be useful in countries with immature construction and demolition waste management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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18 pages, 6432 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Water-Washed Fine and Coarse Recycled Aggregates for Real Scale Concretes Production in Barcelona

by Miren Etxeberria, Mikhail Konoiko, Carles Garcia and Miguel Ángel Perez

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020708 - 09 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1994

Abstract

The use of recycled aggregate to reduce the over-exploitation of raw aggregates is necessary. This study analysed and categorised the properties of water-washed, fine and coarse, recycled aggregates following European Normalization (EN) specification. Because of their adequate properties, zero impurities and chemical soluble salts, plain recycled concrete was produced using 100% recycled concrete aggregates. Two experimental phases were conducted. Firstly, a laboratory phase, and secondly, an on-site work consisting of a real-scale pavement-base layer. The workability of the produced concretes was validated using two types of admixtures. In addition, the compressive and flexural strength, physical properties, drying shrinkage and depth of penetration of water under pressure validated the concrete design. The authors concluded that the worksite-produced concrete properties were similar to those obtained in the laboratory. Consequently, the laboratory results could be validated for large-scale production. An extended slump value was achieved using 2.5–3% of a multifunctional admixture plus 1–1.2% of superplasticiser in concrete production. In addition, all the produced concretes obtained the required a strength of 20 MPa. Although the pavement-base was produced using 300 kg of cement, the concrete made with 270 kg of cement per m³ and water/cement ratio of 0.53 achieved the best properties with the lowest environmental impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 7620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Properties of Concrete Using Recycled Aggregates Obtained from Old Paving Stones

by Ana María Bravo-German, Iván Daniel Bravo-Gómez, Jaime A. Mesa and Aníbal Maury-Ramírez

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063044 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4140

Abstract

Nowadays, construction, maintenance, reparation, rehabilitation, retrofitting, and demolition from infrastructure and buildings generate large amounts of urban waste, which usually are inadequately disposed due to high costs and technical limitations. On the other hand, the increasing demand for natural aggregates for concrete production seriously affects mountains and rivers as they are the source of these nonrenewable goods. Consequently, the recycling of aggregates for concrete is gaining attention worldwide as an alternative to reduce the environmental impacts caused by the extraction of nonrenewable goods and disposal of construction and demolition waste (C&DW). Therefore, this article describes the effect on the mechanical properties of new concrete using recycled aggregates obtained from old paving stones. Results show that replacing 50% by weight of the fine and coarse aggregate fractions in concrete with recycled aggregate does not meaningfully affect its mechanical behavior, making the use of recycled aggregates in new precast paving stones possible. Therefore, the latter can reduce environmental impacts and costs for developing infrastructure and building projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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18 pages, 6089 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) Recycling—As Both Binder and Aggregates—In Alkali-Activated Materials: A Novel Re-Use Concept

by Rafael A. Robayo-Salazar, William Valencia-Saavedra and Ruby Mejía de Gutiérrez

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5775; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145775 - 17 Jul 2020

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 9135

Abstract

This article demonstrates the possibility of producing alkali-activated materials (AAM) from a mixture of mechanically processed concrete, ceramic, masonry, and mortar wastes, as a sustainable alternative for recycling construction and demolition wastes (CDWs) under real conditions. The addition of 10% Portland cement allowed the materials to cure at room temperature (25 °C). CDW binder achieved a compressive strength of up to 43.9 MPa and it was classified as a general use and low heat of hydration cement according to ASTM C1157. The concrete produced with this cement and the crushed aggregates also from CDW reported a compressive strength of 33.9 MPa at 28 days of curing and it was possible to produce a high-class structural block with 26.1 MPa according to ASTM C90. These results are considered one option in making full use of CDWs as binder and aggregates, using alkaline activation technology thereby meeting the zero-waste objective within the concept of the circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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19 pages, 2941 KiB

Open AccessReview

Some Remarks towards a Better Understanding of the Use of Concrete Recycled Aggregate: A Review

by Anna M. Grabiec, Jeonghyun Kim, Andrzej Ubysz and Pilar Bilbao

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13336; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313336 - 02 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2127

Abstract

Research on recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) has been progressively advanced. Beyond replacing natural aggregates with RCA, discussions have been held on the effect of the parent concrete and repeatedly recycled aggregate concrete. Although it has been reported that RCA can be technically used for structural concrete, due to several other factors, RCA is mainly used for sub-bases. Therefore, identifying these factors is the key to promoting the use of RCA. Therefore, this review study first briefly summarizes the physical and chemical characteristics of RCA compared to natural aggregate, and reviews the effects of parent concrete and repeatedly recycled aggregate on next generation concrete. This study also briefly discusses the RCA standards of various countries and the factors that hinder the widespread use of RCA. The results show that there is a correlation in properties between parent concrete and the next generation concrete, and the properties of concrete decrease when RCA is used repeatedly. In addition, on the basis of the literature review, factors hindering the use of RCA were found to be unstable supply and demand, economic feasibility, and negative perceptions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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22 pages, 3659 KiB

Open AccessReview

Life Cycle Assessment on Construction and Demolition Waste: A Systematic Literature Review

by Jaime A. Mesa, Carlos Fúquene-Retamoso and Aníbal Maury-Ramírez

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7676; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147676 - 09 Jul 2021

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 8240

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is considered an innovative tool to analyze environmental impacts to make decisions aimed at improving the environmental performance of building materials and construction processes throughout different life cycle stages, including design, construction, use, operation, and end-of-life (EOL). Therefore, during the last two decades, interest in applying this tool in the construction field has increased, and the number of articles and studies has risen exponentially. However, there is a lack of consolidated studies that provide insights into the implementation of LCA on construction and demolition waste (C&DW). To fill this research gap, this study presents a literature review analysis to consolidate the most relevant topics and issues in the research field of C&DW materials and how LCA has been implemented during the last two decades. A systematic literature search was performed following the PRISMA method: analysis of selected works is based on bibliometric and content-based approaches. As a result, the study characterized 150 selected works in terms of the evolution of articles per year, geographical distribution, most relevant research centers, and featured sources. In addition, this study highlights research gaps in terms of methodological and design tools to improve LCA analysis, indicators, and connection to new trending concepts, such as circular economy and industry 4.0. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Construction and Demolition Waste: Challenges and Opportunities)

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