Recovering Low-Density Polyethylene Waste for Gypsum Board Production: A Mechanical and Hygrothermal Study.

In recent decades, plastic waste management has become one of the main environmental challenges for today's society. The excessive consumption of so-called single-use plastics causes continuous damage to ecosystems, and it is necessary to find alternatives to recycle these products. In this work, a mechanical and hygrothermal characterisation of novel plaster composites incorporating LDPE waste in their interior was carried out.

Eco-Design and Characterization of Sustainable Lightweight Gypsum Composites for Panel Manufacturing including End-of-Life Tyre Wastes.

The incorporation of rubber recycled aggregates from end-of-life tyres (ELT) in the manufacturing process of sustainable building materials has gained great interest in recent decades as a result of the large volume of this waste being generated annually. In this work, the objective is to make a contribution towards the circularity of construction products by carrying out a physico-mechanical characterisation of new gypsum composites made with the incorporation of these recycled rubber aggregates. To this end, up to 30% by volume of the original raw material has been substituted, analysing the mechanical resistance to bending and compression.

Towards a more sustainable environmentally production system for the treatment of recycled aggregates in the construction industry: An experimental study.

The reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste is becoming an advisable choice to reduce the consumption of key raw materials and the environmental impact generated by the construction of new buildings. This study proposes the introduction of two new stages of recycled aggregate processing that allow redesigning the production process of recycled aggregates towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly system: sieving with secondary crushing and washing. Based on an experimental study, our findings show that the new stages reduce significantly the content of impurities and the water absorption of recycled aggregates, obtaining a better final product (i.

Characterization of Three Types of Recycled Aggregates from Different Construction and Demolition Waste: An Experimental Study for Waste Management.

Achieving sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources stands out as one of the goals included in the Goals for Sustainable Development in the 2030 Agenda. The construction sector is currently far from presenting an efficient model in terms of treating waste generated by it. Variations in the physical and chemical properties of recycled aggregates coming from construction and demolition waste are one of the main reasons of their limited use in the production of construction materials.

Characterization and under Water Action Behaviour of a New Plaster-Based Lightened Composites for Precast.

Plaster is a construction material widely used for the production of prefabricated parts in building construction due to its high capacity for hygrothermal regulation, its good mechanical performance, and its fireproof nature, among other factors. Its historical use has been linked to ornamental elements, although more recent research is oriented towards the industrialisation of plaster composites and the design of prefabricated parts for false ceilings and interior partitions. In this work, the behaviour against water of four new plaster-based composite materials is studied, using additions of two types of super absorbent polymers (sodium polyacrylate and potassium polyacrylate) and a lightening material (vermiculite) in their manufacturing process.

Recovery of End-of-Life Tyres and Mineral Wool Waste: A Case Study with Gypsum Composite Materials Applying Circular Economy Criteria.

The building sector is currently undergoing a process of change due to concerns about the sustainability of the construction industry. The application of circular economy criteria to develop new, more sustainable construction products has become one of the major challenges for the society of the future. This research advances towards the development of new lightened gypsum composites that incorporate waste from end-of-life tyres and recycled fibres from mineral wool thermal insulation in their composition.

Performance Characterisation of a New Plaster Composite Lightened with End-of-Life Tyres' Recycled Materials for False Ceiling Plates.

Plaster is one of the most used and studied materials in the building process. This paper shows the result of the characterisation of a new plaster-based material enlightened and reinforced with polymers and end-of-life tyres' recycled materials. As far as end-of-life tyres are a common waste item, this paper offers new recycling possibilities, as well as significant improvements in new building materials.

Characterization of a New Lightened Gypsum-Based Material Reinforced with Fibers.

This paper shows the characterization of a new lightened gypsum-based material for use in buildings. A plaster material has been designed with a polymeric compound based on polyvinyl acetate, bicarbonate and a boric acid solution, which reduce the density and thermal conductivity by up to 20% and 30%, respectively. In addition, tests have been carried out with the lightened plaster material reinforced with glass (GF), basalt (BF), polypropylene (PPF) and wood (WF) fibers.

Low-Cost Sensors for Determining the Variation in Interior Moisture Content in Gypsum Composite Materials.

Non-destructive testing can be used to determine some of the most relevant physical properties of building materials. In this work, two low-cost measuring devices were developed capable of determining the variation in real-time of the percentage of humidity that is produced in the construction of gypsum and plaster during the hardening process. For this, an Arduino resistive sensor and a capacitive sensor of our design were used.

New System of Shrinkage Measurement through Cement Mortars Drying.

Cement mortar is used as a conglomerate in the majority of construction work. There are multiple variants of cement according to the type of aggregate used in its fabrication. One of the major problems that occurs while working with this type of material is the excessive loss of moisture during cement hydration (setting and hardening), known as shrinkage, which provokes a great number of construction pathologies that are difficult to repair.

Mechatronic Prototype of Parabolic Solar Tracker.

In the last 30 years numerous attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of the parabolic collectors in the electric power production, although most of the studies have focused on the industrial production of thermoelectric power. This research focuses on the application of this concentrating solar thermal power in the unexplored field of building construction. To that end, a mechatronic prototype of a hybrid paraboloidal and cylindrical-parabolic tracker based on the Arduido technology has been designed.

New system for measuring impact vibration on floor decking sheets.

Currently, there is a narrow range of materials that are used as attenuators of impact noise and building vibrations. Materials used in construction, such as elastic materials, must meet the requirement of having very low elastic modulus values. For the determination of the material's elastic modulus and the acoustic insulation of the same, costly and difficult to execute testing is required.