Thermal Performance, Microstructure Analysis and Strength Characterisation of Agro-Waste Reinforced Soil Materials
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Materials and Samples Preparation
2.2. Methods Used
2.2.1. Thermal Test
2.2.2. SEM and EDX Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Thermal Conductivity
3.2. Microstructural Property Analysis
4. Discussion
- -
- First setting test (T = 20 °C, HR = 30%) λ ranged between 0.654 [W/mK] and 0.705 [W/mK].
- -
- Second test condition (T = 20 °C, HR = 50%) λ ranged between 0.719 [W/mK] and 0.801 [W/mK].
- -
- Third test condition (T = 20 °C, HR = 70%) λ ranged between 0.688 [W/mK] and 0.770 [W/mK].
5. Conclusions
- Short and medium fibre samples showed the best values of thermal conductivity, around 0.705 [W/mK].
- By analysing the SEM pictures and measuring the voids around the fibres, it was concluded that samples with longer fibres had smaller voids and no bundles. This is the reason for the high thermal conductivity measured. On the contrary, samples with shorter fibres exhibit bigger voids and bundles.
- These analyses are in accordance with measured thermal conductivity since a lower value of conductivity was obtained by samples with shorter fibre lengths where the bigger voids were detected.
- Control Sample ID 0, with the higher dry density, registered higher conductivity.
- The best performance was obtained with ID 20–25. In fact, this mix obtained low thermal conductivity, good compressive strength, and acceptable flexural strength.
- The addition of fibres to the mix determines the decrease in dry density from 1960.0 [kg/m3] to 1890.00 [kg/m3].
- The effects of fibre addition on the failure mode of samples improve the ductility of the material by changing the failure mode of samples.
- SWF addition causes a decrease in tensile strength, except for longer fibres where smaller voids were detected by SEM analyses; on the contrary, compressive strength is not particularly affected by fibre length.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Material | Density [kg/m3] | Thermal Conductivity [W/mK] |
---|---|---|
NRE (natural rammed earth) | 1400–2200 | 1–1.4 |
SRE (stabilised rammed earth) | 2000–2100 | 0.8–1 |
SRL (stabilised rammed limestone) | 2100 | 1.1 |
SRL + bulk insulation | 1800–1500 | 0.8–05 |
CEBs (compressed earth blocks) + coconut fibres | 1700–1500 | 0.9–0.7 |
CEBs + Alfa fibres | 3000–2500 | 1.5–1.17 |
Physical Characteristics | [%] |
---|---|
Liquid Limit (LL) | 47.30 |
Plastic Limit (PL) | 30.68 |
Plasticity Index (PI) | 16.62 |
FSM (%) | Floridia Soil 58 % | Sand (%) | Water (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clay 42% | ||||
45 | 35 | 20 |
Number of Samples | Number of Repetitions | Test Purpose | Specimen’s Type |
---|---|---|---|
16 | 4 | Thermal Conductivity | Cube (100 × 100 × 100) |
Wool [%] | SWF Length [mm] | Mix | |
- | - | ID 0 | |
0.25 | 10 | ID 10–25 | |
0.25 | 20 | ID 20–25 | |
0.25 | 40 | ID 40–25 |
Linear Shrinkage Rate [%] | Dry Density [kg/m3] | Average Compression Strength [MPa] | Average Flexural Strength [MPa] | Wt [%] | Fibre Length [mm] | Mix | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
μ | σ | μ | σ | μ | σ | μ | σ | |||
0.25 | 6.25 | 0.05 | 1960.0 | 0.43 | 3.05 | 0.18 | 0.89 | - | - | ID 0 |
0.36 | 4.35 | 0.03 | 1904.3 | 0.29 | 3.14 | 0.16 | 0.68 | 0.25 | 10 | ID 10–25 |
0.34 | 4.75 | 0.08 | 1890.0 | 0.35 | 3.13 | 0.17 | 0.78 | 0.25 | 20 | ID 20–25 |
0.33 | 4.84 | 0.03 | 1844.5 | 0.35 | 2.97 | 0.19 | 0.88 | 0.25 | 40 | ID 40–25 |
λ[W/mK] T = 20° HR = 70% | λ[W/mK] T = 20° HR = 50% | λ[W/mK] T = 20° HR = 30% | ρ [g/cm3] | Wool [%] | Wool Length [mm] | Mix ID |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.92 | 0.801 | 0.669 | 1.94 | - | - | ID 0 |
0.90 | 0.787 | 0.705 | 1.90 | 0.25 | 10 | ID 10–25 |
0.96 | 0.719 | 0.654 | 1.93 | 0.25 | 20 | ID 20–25 |
1.00 | 0.736 | 0.670 | 1.89 | 0.25 | 40 | ID 40–25 |
Shrinkage Range (μm) | Wool Length | |
---|---|---|
1st | 0–59.90 | 10 mm |
2nd | 0–49.33 | 20 mm |
3rd | 0–41.40 | 40 mm |
Formula | Atomic % | Weight % | Element |
---|---|---|---|
CO2 | 3.21 | 1.73 | C K |
O | 56.24 | 40.43 | O K |
MgO | 1.76 | 1.93 | MgK |
Al2O3 | 11.14 | 13.51 | AlK |
SiO2 | 19.67 | 24.83 | SiK |
K2O | 1.31 | 2.29 | K K |
CaO | 1.86 | 3.36 | CaK |
TiO2 | 0.35 | 0.75 | TiK |
FeO | 4.45 | 11.18 | FeK |
Formula | Atomic % | Weight % | Element |
---|---|---|---|
CO2 | 6.10 | 3.32 | C K |
O | 54.05 | 39.21 | O K |
MgO | 0.90 | 0.99 | MgK |
Al2O3 | 11.38 | 13.93 | AlK |
SiO2 | 19.22 | 24.47 | SiK |
K2O | 1.46 | 2.59 | K K |
CaO | 2.54 | 4.62 | CaK |
TiO2 | 0.41 | 0.89 | TiK |
FeO | 3.94 | 9.98 | FeK |
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Parlato, M.C.M.; Porto, S.M.C.; Galán-Marín, C.; Rivera-Gómez, C.A.; Cuomo, M.; Nocera, F. Thermal Performance, Microstructure Analysis and Strength Characterisation of Agro-Waste Reinforced Soil Materials. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11543. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511543
Parlato MCM, Porto SMC, Galán-Marín C, Rivera-Gómez CA, Cuomo M, Nocera F. Thermal Performance, Microstructure Analysis and Strength Characterisation of Agro-Waste Reinforced Soil Materials. Sustainability. 2023; 15(15):11543. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511543
Chicago/Turabian StyleParlato, Monica C. M., Simona M. C. Porto, Carmen Galán-Marín, Carlos Alberto Rivera-Gómez, Massimo Cuomo, and Francesco Nocera. 2023. "Thermal Performance, Microstructure Analysis and Strength Characterisation of Agro-Waste Reinforced Soil Materials" Sustainability 15, no. 15: 11543. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511543