Building Materials: Mechanical Construction and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The plastics market has grown significantly in recent years. Currently, these materials allow the construction industry to obtain structures that are lighter than standard, easier to install, and eliminate the need for corrosion protection and painting. This reduces labor consumption, and total construction costs are significantly reduced.

In relation to the construction industry, the main advantages of polymers are relatively simple plastics processing, above-average durability, surface smoothness, high corrosion resistance, low weight, and easy connection and assembly.

Polymers have become indispensable components of almost all products used in construction. They play the role of modifying substances or constitute the basic component of a product. With polymers, previously unattainable properties of materials, simplifications in their use, and new technological possibilities have been obtained.

The huge variety of construction chemistry products means that choosing the optimal material for specific applications is not easy. New products are constantly appearing, whose actual properties may not have been fully checked.

The development of re-dispersible polymer technology has revolutionized the production of dry plaster and adhesive mortars, as well as floor underlays. With polymers, mortars obtain the desired properties—high elasticity, adhesion, frost and water resistance, and ability to self-level. Polymers also fulfill the function of flexible expansion joints and mounting gaps and can also be used as a fastening material.

Polymers are also used as additives to modify standard concrete mixtures, masonry, or plastering mortars. In mortars, they play the role of plasticizers, improving workability and replacing the traditional addition of lime. In the case of concrete products with a high proportion of this component, material with much better properties than ordinary concretes can be obtained.

Even though the adoption of innovative polymers in the field of construction chemicals has been demonstrated to be a successful strategy in achieving enhanced performance or even new and unexpected characteristics, several issues are still not completely resolved. The use of polymers or composites that are unconventional in this field creates the need to update or develop new specifications and standards.

The construction industry is an important recipient of polymers. In Western Europe alone, this industry consumes as much as 20% of all produced plastics, and most trading companies supply plastic products for construction. Therefore, plastic production for the construction industry is a dynamically developing market and a field whose significance will grow from year to year.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for discussing open issues, challenges, and achievements related to innovative materials proposed for use in construction chemicals.

Dr. Tomasz M. Majka
Dr. Arkadiusz Rudawski
Dr. Piotr Szatkowski
Prof. Dr. José A. Orosa
Guest Editors

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