Recycling and reuse of construction and demolition waste: From the perspective of national natural science foundation-supported research and research-driven application

The lack of usable aggregates for civil construction in Rio Branco (capital of Acre, a Federal State in the Amazon region) makes the production and use of recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste (CDW) an alternative of great interest. In this study, a comprehensive characterization of CDW collected from 24 construction sites of six building types and three different construction phases (structures, masonry, and finishing) was carried out. The fine and coarse recycled aggregates were produced and evaluated in 10 different compositions. The aggregates’ performance was evaluated in four mixtures designed for laying and coating mortars with a total replacement of conventional aggregates and a mixture designed for a C25 concrete with 50% and 100% replacement of conventional aggregates. CDW mortars showed lower densities and greater water retention, initial adhesion, and mechanical strength than conventional mortars. CDW concretes presented lower densities and greater resistance to chloride penetration than conventional concrete, with a small mechanical strength reduction. The recycled CDW aggregates proved to be technologically feasible for safe application in mortars and concrete; for this reason, it is believed that the alternative and proposed methodology is of great interest to the Amazonian construction industry, considering the high costs of raw materials and the need for defining and consolidating a sustainable development model for the Amazon region.

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BIM-Based Tools for Managing Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW): A Scoping Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13158427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 8427

Author(s):

Bahareh Nikmehr ◽

M. Reza Hosseini ◽

Jun Wang ◽

Nicholas Chileshe ◽

Raufdeen Rameezdeen

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

Future Research ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

Scant Attention ◽

Intellectual Deficiencies ◽

Whole Life Cycle ◽

Point Of Reference ◽

Design And Construction

This article provides a picture of the latest developments in providing BIM-based tools for construction and demolition waste (CDW) management. The coverage and breadth of the literature on offering BIM-based tools and technologies for dealing with CDW throughout the whole life cycle of construction are investigated, and gaps are identified. Findings reveal that, although various BIM-based technologies are closely associated with CDW, much of the existing research on this area has focused on the design and construction phase; indeed, the problem of CDW in post-construction stages has received scant attention. Besides, the now available tools and technologies are lacking in cross-phase insights into project waste aspects and are weak in theoretical rigor. This article contributes to the field by identifying the intellectual deficiencies in offering BIM-based tools and technologies when dealing with CDW. So, too, it points to major priorities for future research on the topic. For practitioners, the study provides a point of reference and raises awareness in the field about the most advanced available BIM-based technologies for dealing with CDW problems.

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Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14051226 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1226

Author(s):

Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽

Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽

Olaia Eguiarte ◽

Beñat Arregi ◽

Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Insulation ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Flow Analysis ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Energy Performance ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

The European Union ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

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Estimation of resilient modulus of cement-treated construction and demolition waste with performance-related properties

Construction and Building Materials ◽

10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.122107 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 283 ◽

pp. 122107

Author(s):

Xue Luo ◽

Ganggui Liu ◽

Yao Zhang ◽

Tao Meng ◽

Liangtong Zhan

Keyword(s):

Resilient Modulus ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

Demolition Waste

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Proposal for a Methodology for Sustainable Rehabilitation Strategies of the Existing Building Stock—The Ponte Gêa Neighborhood

Designs ◽

10.3390/designs5020026 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 26

Author(s):

Michael M. Santos ◽

João C. G. Lanzinha ◽

Ana Vaz Ferreira

Keyword(s):

Urban Space ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

Expected Improvement ◽

Water Efficiency ◽

Building Stock ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

Existing Building ◽

Agenda 2030 ◽

Development Agenda ◽

The City

Having in mind the objectives of the United Nations Development Agenda 2030, which refers to the sustainable principles of a circular economy, it is urgent to improve the performance of the built environment. The existing buildings must be preserved and improved in order to reduce their environmental impact, in line with the need to revert climate change and reduce the occurrence of natural disasters. This work had as its main goal to identify and define a methodology for promoting the rehabilitation of buildings in the Ponte Gêa neighborhood, in the city of Beira, Mozambique, with an emphasis on energy efficiency, water efficiency, and construction and demolition waste management. The proposed methodology aims to create a decision support method for creating strategic measures to be implemented by considering the three specific domains—energy, water, and waste. This model allows for analyzing the expected improvement according to the action to be performed, exploring both individual and community solutions. It encompasses systems of standard supply that can reveal greater efficiency and profitability. Thus, the in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of urban space and buildings allows for establishing guidelines for the renovation process of the neighborhood.

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Statistical and Reliability Study on Shear Strength of Recycled Coarse Aggregate Reinforced Concrete Beams

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14123321 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3321

Author(s):

Hyunjin Ju ◽

Meirzhan Yerzhanov ◽

Alina Serik ◽

Deuckhang Lee ◽

Jong R. Kim

Keyword(s):

Reinforced Concrete ◽

Concrete Beams ◽

Construction Material ◽

Safety Margin ◽

Shear Capacity ◽

Reinforced Concrete Beams ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

Rc Structures ◽

Coarse Aggregates

The consumption of structural concrete in the construction industry is rapidly growing, and concrete will remain the main construction material for increasing urbanization all over the world in the near future. Meanwhile, construction and demolition waste from concrete structures is also leading to a significant environmental problem. Therefore, a proper sustainable solution is needed to address this environmental concern. One of the solutions can be using recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Extensive research has been conducted in this area in recent years. However, the usage of RCA concrete in the industry is still limited due to the absence of structural regulations appropriate to the RCA concrete. This study addresses a safety margin of RCA concrete beams in terms of shear capacity which is comparable to natural coarse aggregates (NCA) concrete beams. To this end, a database for reinforced concrete beams made of recycled coarse aggregates with and without shear reinforcement was established, collecting the shear specimens available from various works in the existing literature. The database was used to statistically identify the strength margin between RCA and NCA concrete beams and to calculate its safety margin based on reliability analysis. Moreover, a comparability study of RCA beams was conducted with its control specimens and with a database for conventional RC beams.

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