Mechanical Properties of Concrete with Different Carya Cathayensis Peel Biochar Additions
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
1. Kindly mention the clear aim and objective of the work presented.
2. If the notions of sustainability and green composites are being addressed, kindly explain how the proposed waste will qualify to be a sustainable product. Because pyrolysis may require energy. Kindly add such points wherever applicable.
3. Kindly investigate intermolecular bonding, water absorption, and intinter-transitionne structure in more detail, as there are points indicating the strength reduction in the mixture.
4. How the workability will get affected? discuss the same in detail along with the results indicated.
5. Kindly rework conclusions with scientific claims and details rather than just focusing on the observations and test results.
6. If the mixture produces cracks on drying kindly suggest some remedies also.
7. How the water-absorbing nature of the product will be overcome?
8. Kindly work on the environmental aspects of real applications of the proposed mix in terms of user safety against long-term durability.
9. Conduct some durability tests namely chemical attacks and chloride and water penetration tests.
10. It is important to include environmental impact, material flow, or life cycle analyses.
Author Response
Thank you very much for the kind and constructive comments for the manuscript of “Mechanical Properties of Concerete with different Carya Cathayensis Peels Biochar additions”.
According to the review reports, we’d like to explain and response to the comments in details.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is interesting and important. Some comments can be found below:
-Reduce the size of the abstract focusing on the most important aspects of the paper
-We live now in a climate emergency so its most strange that the authors have not start the paper by mentioning exactly that. It seems that they are not aware about the words of a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford authored a paper where one can read the following:
“Let’s get this on the table right away, without mincing words. With regard to the climate crisis, yes, it’s time to panic”
Pierrehumbert, R., 2019. There is no Plan B for dealing with the climate crisis. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, pp.1-7.
So please start the introduction by draw a connection between environmental degradation and resource efficiency.
-Cite the paper: Zhong, X., Deetman, S., Tukker, A., & Behrens, P. (2022). Increasing material efficiencies of buildings to address the global sand crisis. Nature Sustainability, 5(5), 389-392.
- The literature review is not very clear in highligth the research gaps
- Why using such a high content of OPC ?
Author Response
Dear reviewers,
Thank you very much for the kind and constructive comments for the manuscript of “Mechanical Properties of Concerete with different Carya Cathayensis Peels Biochar additions”.
According to the review reports, we’d like to explain and response to the comments in details.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
I have completed a detailed review of your article and your article is remarkable and original content, therefore it is important for the main topics of the journal. In this study, the relationship between concrete mixture applications of biochar additions was tried to be explained. In my opinion, this scientific work was designed effectively. Different biochar doses and cement concentrations were tried in the study. Actually, I can suggest this paper for the publication after incorporate minor corrections.
If possible, reduce abstract section.
I think, this sentences needed to support with references. Because I do not see any supported references here;
"Supplementary materials which were made from solid wastes were gradually widely used to replace aggregates or reduce consumption of cement in concrete, meanwhile to improve concrete basic properties. Most of these wastes-made resources were derived from construction or industrial fields and were with proven application techniques."
In recent years, biochar has been used in many fields. If possible, it would be nice to support these parts with international studies carried out in recent years. You can benefit from this article or from other international articles to improve; https://doi.org/10.1080/15226514.2021.1929826 Please incorporate in the introduction.
Discussion could be improved with this paper regarding biochar and its application. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125611. In addition to this, give more statistical results carefully.
Statistical results could be more detailed. Give lettering in the table and figures.
Best Regards
Author Response
Dear reviewers,
Thank you very much for the kind and constructive comments for the manuscript of “Mechanical Properties of Concrete with different Carya Cathayensis Peels Biochar additions”.
According to the review reports, we’d like to explain and response to the comments in details.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
