Sustainable Building Materials Research Papers (original) (raw)

Natural materials are becoming a valid alternative to traditional synthetic ones for sound absorption
treatments. In particular, in recent years, natural fibers have been considered valid raw materials for
producing sound absorbing panels at a reduced cost. Moreover, these fibers often have good thermal
insulation properties, have no harmful effects on health, and are available in large quantities often as a
waste product of other production cycles. Following a literature review of previous studies about the
acoustic properties of some natural materials, this paper reports the acoustical characterization of the
following natural fibers: kenaf, wood, hemp, coconut, cork, cane, cardboard, and sheep wool. The absorption
coefficient and the flow resistance for samples of different thickness have been measured. By
using existing theoretical models, this study also compares the measured behavior with the theoretically
predicted behavior. This comparison shows the limits of theoretical models originally defined for porous
materials with homogeneous fibers, when they are applied to natural materials. Finally, some suggestions
for use of these natural fibers for sound absorption applications in buildings are reported.

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- Acoustics, Materials Science, Sustainable Building Materials, Sustainable Architecture

An increasing interest in the possibilities of converting agricultural wastes to value-added products has emerged. Annually, 200,000 tons of date palm waste are generated, which are charred or released as agricultural wastes. This work describes the efforts to fabricate low-cost sound-absorbing panels from date palm waste fibers and assess their performance for sound absorbing applications. Samples of different thicknesses (25, 35, 45, and 55 mm) and densities (125 and 175 kg/m3) were produced. The normal-incidence sound absorption coefficient was measured using the impedance tube and was modeled using both the Johnson-Champoux-Allard and the Attenborough models. The findings show that the samples with a thickness of 55 mm and a density of 175 kg/m3 have the highest sound absorbing performance. The acoustic behavior of this new material was investigated in a reverberation room. Moreover, the acoustic performance of the panels in a conference hall was modeled, assessing the improveme...

This study presents the experimental results of concrete bricks based macroencapsulated phase change material (PCM) in different capsule designs (circular, square and rectangular cross-sections). Eight concrete bricks (including a reference brick without PCM) are fabricated, and their thermal performance is tested under hot summer conditions of Al Amarah city, Iraq. The study considered several indicators such as the interior maximum temperature reduction (MTR), decrement factor (DF) and time lag (TL) to compared among tested bricks in addition to the thermal behaviour during melting and solidification of PCM. Results indicated that all PCM based bricks are performed better than the reference brick in which the maximum interior temperature is shaved and shifted. Moreover, the best thermal performance is reported for bricks of large PCM capsules number. Amongst others, the brick-based square cross-section PCM capsules showed the best thermal contribution where the average MTR of 1.88 • C, average DF of 0.901 and average TL of 42.5 min were obtained compared with the reference brick. The study concluded that PCM capsules' heat transfer area is the main parameter that controls PCM's thermal behaviour as long as all PCM capsules have the same PCM quantity and position. Therefore, excessive encapsulation area might influence the thermal performance of concrete brick and should be specified for the efficient use of PCM storage capacity.

- by Qudama Al-Yasiri and +1
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- Thermal Engineering, Sustainable Building Design, Sustainable Building Materials, Energy Efficiency in Buildings
- by Vahan Agopyan
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- Sustainable Building Materials
- by Shahzaib Khan
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- Engineering, Concrete, Materials, Sustainable Building Materials

Il saggio affronta la questione del risparmio energetico in edilizia a partire dalla valutazione energetica globale di un edificio illustrando i fondamenti delle metodologie che consentono di compiere l’analisi del sistema costruttivo in tutte le sue componenti e le relazioni, prendendo in considerazione le risorse che lo alimentano, i processi di trasformazione che avvengono nel suo intero ciclo di vita e gli output.

The current imbalance of carbon in the atmosphere is stimulating the search for carbon sequestration opportunities and for alternative processes and products with a reduced carbon footprint. Biochar, produced from residual biomass of the bio-ethanol industry (Dry Distillers Grains), was added as filler to a standard concrete, aiming at finding potential solutions for simultaneous carbon sequestration and improved properties and performance of the concrete. The addition of biochar resulted in a linear decrease in concrete density, with a concrete density of 1454 kg/m 3 for 15 wt% biochar. The addition of biochar also considerably increased the sound absorption coefficient of concrete across the range of 200–2000 Hz, as it created pore networks within the concrete. The thermal conductivity of the concrete showed the largest reductions with 2 wt% of biochar, reaching lows of 0.192 W/(m·K). Finally, the incorporation of biochar showed a detrimental effect on the compressive strength of the concrete, which would put bio-enhanced concretes in the low-strength concrete classification category.

- by Umberto Berardi
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- Sustainable Development, Biomass, BIOCHAR, Sustainable Building Materials

Five different cell concentrations of Bacillus megaterium (10 Â 10 5 to 50 Â 10 5 cfu/ml) were introduced in structural concrete to achieve the optimum concentration of bacteria. The significant increase in the strength was obtained in the case of 30 Â 10 5 cfu/ml at different ages. The strength of highest grade of bacterial concrete had improved (24%) as compared to lowest grade (12.8%) due to calcification mechanism. Microbial calcite precipitation was quantified using X-ray diffraction analysis, visualized by scanning electron microscopy and analyzed by energy dispersive spectrometer. It was found that the optimum concentration of B. megaterium had a positive effect on high strength structural concrete.

- by Ali Keyvanfar and +1
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- Civil Engineering, Sustainable Building Materials, Environmental Sustainability
- by Anne-Marie Willis
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- Design, Architecture, Design Theory, Sustainable Building Materials

Making architecture may be considered a conscious endeavour to imagine and investigate the physical and psychological aspects of human experience. Fed by an insatiable urge to understand and explore his environment, Philip Beesley constructs exquisite thresholds that mediate between craft and manufacture, meaning and behaviour, physicality and psychology. His works Orgone Reef and Orpheus Filter invite us to imagine and touch the extraordinary.

Hempcrete is a bio-aggregate based composite material used for building envelopes which typically consists of hemp shiv (hurd), lime binder and water. Hempcrete has several distinct advantages including low thermal conductivity, effective moisture buffering, and high sound absorption, while having a high carbon sequestration " index ". This work investigates the impact of mix proportions on hempcrete properties and the hygrothermal performance of two proposed hempcrete wall assemblies for Ontario, Canada. The experimental results highlight the significant influence of the binder on the density and thermal conductivity of the final material. Thermal conductivity measurements ranged from 0.074 to 0.103 W/mK. Finally, hygrothermal analysis demonstrated that when using hempcrete in the Canadian climate a rain screen wall system is more suitable than a mass wall.

- by Umberto Berardi and +1
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- Materials Science, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Building Design, Sustainable Building Materials

At the beginning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the advent of digitalization, innovative technologies and materials, and new construction techniques have begun transforming the way that infrastructure, real estate, and other built assets can be designed, constructed, and operated in order to create a more attractive, energy-efficient, comfortable, affordable, safe, and sustainable built environment. Developments in materials and cutting-edge technologies (such as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and biotechnology) have finally started to move the construction towards a new era. Massive changes are occurring as a result of the possibilities created by big data and the Internet of Things, along with the technological advances that are driving down the cost of sensors, data storage, and computer services. Construction 4.0: Advanced Technology, Tools and Materials for the Digital Transformation of the Construction Industry presents a thorough review of developments in materials, emerging trends, cutting-edge technologies, and strategies in the fields of smart building design, construction, and operation, providing the reader with a comprehensive guideline on how to exploit the new possibilities offered by the digital revolution. It will be an essential reference resource for academic researchers, material scientists, and civil engineers, undergraduate and graduate students, and other professionals working in the fields of smart eco-efficient construction and cutting-edge technologies applied to construction.

Today built heritage conservation should consider constantly changing needs of users. In particular, recent problems related to the economic crisis and to environmental pollution make issues related to consumption reduction and environmental impact particularly important.
Even if historical buildings have many sustainable features in terms of embodied energy and land consumption, they don’t perfectly meet current standards and impose many restraints from a constructive and typological/functional point of view.
In recent years a new approach to preservation has been derived from the theory of “care of monuments” by Ruskin: a preventive and constant maintenance, interpreted as less destructive and cheaper intervention and management of the continual becoming. Besides a lifecycle approach leads to reconsider management and to rethink the intervention putting in place a balance between positive and negative contributions in the long term.
The LCA mantra “from cradle to grave” is usually applied to new products taking into account all components, from the extraction/production of raw materials to the disposal of constructive elements. Since the main goal of historical buildings' conservation is to shift to infinity their dismissal time, this study aims to lay the foundations for an innovative approach for sustainability assessment of existing buildings that should consider the resources savings and doesn’t set a time limit for the building’s life.
The paper focuses on “minor” built heritage, the most exposed to abandonment and decay.

- by Emanuele Zamperini and +1
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- Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Historic Preservation, Sustainable Development

Environment pollution is the most concerned issue in today’s world. Construction Industries is one of the largest sectors to pollute the environment. In Bangladesh, burnt clay brick is the most commonly used building material. Which produce a significant amount of greenhouse gasses and also it destroys a huge amount of agricultural land every year. For a better environment alternative sustainable building material is a must. Sustainable Building Material can be defined as the product that uses less energy and less impact on the environment during its lifetime. The study appraises alternative building materials and technologies as a walling material. The researcher use river dredged soil and cement to produce this alternative material. Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB), Sand Cement Hollow Block, Thermal Block all the material does not produce any harmful gasses during its production. Though a small amount of cement is used where they do not affect the environment as much as firebrick does. Moreover, the use of river dredged soil in these alternative materials save the precious agricultural topsoil. Use of locally available raw material also makes the alternative material cheaper than the conventional firebrick. Transformation from a conventional method is not easy so proper initiative must be taken. Also, the new technology should thoroughly be investigated to minimize future risk when using in the field.

A research proposal reviewing every possibilities of facility management.

The onset of industrialization and the sustained urban growth of large population causes the build-up of large amount plastic wastes. Because of the non-biodegradable property of plastics, decomposition is not possible. So, they remain in the environment for a long time, pollute soil and water that creates ecological problems. If these harmful non-biodegradable materials can be substituted as a construction material by using in concrete, that will be a significant source of plastic wastes management. This paper deals with the investigation of using grinded plastic wastes as a partial replacement of fine aggregate in concrete and to find the optimum percentage of plastic that can be used in concrete without reduction of concrete strength or with a slight amount of strength reduction which are considered as negligible. Plastic wastes consist of discarded old computers, TVs, refrigerators, radios, old electrical and electronic equipment were collected at first and then grinded through using a pulverizing machine. Through ACI method, a mix design was made for concrete of grade M-28. The proportion of mixing of the grinded plastic wastes are 2 %, 4 %, 6 %, 8 % & 10 %. The specimens have been cured for 7 & 28 days. Compressive strength and Tensile strength test of concrete were conducted. As the melting temperature of the plastic is low thus it is susceptible to temperature. So, it is important to focus on the impact of heat in concrete strength when using grinded plastic. Post-heat compressive strength test was also conducted. After obtaining the data, they were analyzed by comparing with a controlled specimen. Result had showed that there was slight reduction in strength with the mix proportion of 2%, 4% and 6% of grinded plastic wastes.

- by Shagata Das
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- Structural Engineering, Sustainable Building Materials, Plastic waste

Thesis on the use of timber in Urban Housing Projects

In Japanese architecture tradition, the concept of multilayered building envelope with soft boundaries, allowing occupancy environmental control; constitute design strategies where the integration of micro-local ecosystems may be identifiable. The intermediate space is referred simultaneously as an inherent condition of traditional Japanese architecture and is being progressively reclaimed as an essential environmental control element to sustainable building design. However, the reference to a singular Japanese architectural tradition is an abstraction, as it encompasses several different styles and typologies. Even the adoption of vernacular models to the formulation of japan-ness in the beginning of the 20th century, collides with the variables present in the multitude of rural minka styles.
Therefore, it can be asked: which materials, motives, textures and patterns constitute the skin and structure of Japanese vernacular architecture? What boundary patterns are observed in minka typologies?
The present research aims to examine the role of intermediate spaces and the usage of different porosity material patterns in building’s envelope boundaries, in minka architecture, identifying local typologies and its responsiveness to micro-local conditions. It is intended to visualize how these patterns change in space and to clarify how its soft boundaries are subject to local adaptation, and ecosystem integration.

In Ghana, mud, which is a locally available material and can be easily re-used or recycled, has over the years seen a tremendous decline in its use for residential building construction, and is by the year becoming less popular. In 2005 for instance, the Ghana statistical service reported that 50% of houses in Ghana used mud as the main construction material for walls. In 2008, it was further indicated in the Ghana Living standards report that the predominant wall construction material used was cement/sandcrete block, taking up 75.7%. Mud and mud brick construction on the other hand was recorded at 18.5% – a very drastic reduction of mud in the construction field. This research was conducted using a combination of closed and open-ended questionnaires, group interviews with the inhabitants of the community (Kwaso Deduako), field observations, recorded literature, and interviews with building professionals, building contractors, engineers and foreign and local architects. The main aim was to explore the non-technical aspect of the use of mud in residential buildings in Ghana, focusing on the social acceptance of the building material rather than the construction techniques used in its application. The research also studied the changing trend in the preference of materials, the level of acceptability of mud as a building material within the various income classes in the community and the willingness to use it in future projects.
The study showed that the greatest barrier preventing the increased use and innovation of mud was the perception that it is a primitive material and mud architecture is ‘backward’.

Developing countries are suffering from the negative effect of accumulating local wastes and garbage, in which it increases the level of pollution, affects the public health and increases the percentage of epidemic [4]. Plastic waste often ends up in landfills or oceans for it is non-biodegradable and attempts to destroy it only result in more pollution. Repurposing of plastic waste into the construction industry is a way to decrease the amount of plastic waste, while simultaneously, limiting the over-dredging of sand and other natural materials. This research used experimental method to measure the effect of integrating plastic wastes in construction industry by reusing these plastic wastes and turning it into a useful cheap building material. The partial containment of repurposed plastics as aggregate in concrete mix is tested by experimenting the properties that arise when different percentages of plastic aggregate are used in a concrete mixture. The experimental program replaces cement with plastic at different percentages and the experiment revealed that replacing 10% of cement with plastic presents the better results as stated in this article. The specimens are tested and compared with a control specimen of 0% plastic in terms of compressive strength, unit weight and percentage of cracks. The results show that repurposed plastic aggregate in a certain percentage has no significant difference in the quality of the concrete. Therefore, polices mandating segregation and sorting of wastes for recycling and repurposing intentions should be issued so as to aid the use of these materials in more than one field, thus, saving the ecosystem.

Retrofitting Solutions and Services for the enhancement of Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings (RESSEEPE) is an EU funded project which aims to bring together design and decision making tools, innovative building fabric manufacturers and a programme to demonstrate the improved building performance achievable through the retrofit of existing buildings at a district level. The RESSEEPE framework is being validated by a strong demonstration programme, envisaging the renovation of 102,000 square metres of public buildings. The core idea of the project is to technologically advance, adapt, demonstrate and assess a number of innovative retrofit technologies implemented on several pilot cases with different climate conditions across Europe (Coventry-UK, Barcelona-Spain and Skellefteå-Sweden) to ensure a high potential replication of the retrofit solutions. The three demonstration sites are involved as the main promoters of a very ambitious district level renovation, demonstrating a systemic approach to technology installation and evaluation, taking into account the benefits of a set of technologies, which properly combined in terms of cost effectiveness and energy performance could achieve reductions around 50% in terms of energy consumption. Coventry University is acting as a Living Lab in order to test some advanced technologies already in the market and others developed specifically within the RESSEEPE project. Those innovative technologies implemented in the pilot case are: Vacuum Insulated Panels, PCM tubes, Ventilated façade with Photovoltaic Panels, Electrochromic windows and Aerogel Mortar. The main feature of this installation is that it acts as a testing bed for where to install different advanced technologies covering specific areas of the building, rather than refurbishing it as a whole. This paper documents the testing of prototype technologies in a pilot case in Coventry University, analysing the process of selection of the different technologies and showing all the challenges faced during installation and coordination of installation activities. The installation 1 This research was supported by the RESSEEPE project, which has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, Project ID: 609377 The article reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. The information in this document is provided as is and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose. The user thereof uses the information at its sole risk and liability. 257 The International Journal ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES ISSN 2345-0282 (online) http://jssidoi.org/jesi/ 2017 Volume 4 Number 3 (March) process is shown and discussed, highlighting the difficulties, setbacks and challenges faced during the low carbon refurbishment. The key issues are related to technical and health and safety risks. Also, to financial, coordination, planning and legislation barriers etc. It will also show ways forward and solutions adopted. The study also analyses the process of monitoring the energy performance of the spaces retrofitted and the data obtained through the monitoring of the building before and after the installation of the different technologies. The idea behind the Living Lab pilot case is to monitor the performance of those installations in isolation in order to obtain results which allow us to make conclusions about the replicability of the technologies selected in other locations. Ultimately, what is discussed is the overall process followed. This discussion seeks to show the lessons learnt throughout the process and to obtain conclusions from the barriers and engagement issues faced during the installation when retrofitting a public building.

- by Dr Abdullahi Ahmed and +1
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- Building Information Modeling, Sustainable Building Materials, Building Performance Evaluation, Building Refurbishment

Waste glass is not just waste, but it can be seen as new resource. The glass items can sustain in the landfills for up to 4000 years. Mainly, beer, wine bottles and food jars etc., are among the few normal glass items put into landfills every day. Glass is amorphous and contain large amount of silicon and calcium, it has pozzolonic or cementitious properties when the size of the particle is finer than 75 micron. The beauty of glass is that it is one of the few materials that can be recycled endlessly, but only 22% of the glass produced today comes from recycled materials. Recent work has shown that glass waste can be used effectively as a partial replacement for cement or fine or coarse aggregates. This position paper provides an overview of the progress and current state of glass waste recycling and indicates how to effectively use glass waste in the construction industry. This not only allows reuse of glass waste, but also creates an improved environment.

The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the current understanding of the concepts of Zero Energy Building (ZEB) and Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB). The chapter discusses the current definitions of these concepts as well their design and assessment methodologies. The chapter is based on a literature review of national action plans as well as international policies and standards. While a broad global overview of the concepts of ZEB and nZEB is targeted, a significant portion of this chapter deals specifically with documents produced in Europe where the challenges about the goals set by the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) recast are leading to discuss topics such as the energy balance methodologies, boundaries of ZEB and nZEB, type and energy sources to consider, homogenization techniques for different energy carriers and energy balance indicators. This chapter shows that an agreement towards common definitions of ZEB and nZEB is progressive, but differences among the several interpretations given worldwide still exist.

This paper analyzes two Auditoria at the Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. Based on the clarity of speech for educational facilities. This research was carried out on adapting the field survey to determine the architectural and acoustic measurements, followed by a digital simulation using CATT for both rooms. Sustainable treatments were provided to improve the sound environment of the learning process and were again tested using CATT. Analysis and simulation indicate that both rooms suffer from poor acoustics due to the surrounding area and the finishing materials selection. One possible solution to this problem is to use a new sustainable absorbent to maximize uptake, reducing excessive reverberation time to acceptable values, increasing early reflections and eliminating shadow areas that improve speech clarity for all receivers.

- by Ebtehal Galal
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- Acoustics, Sustainable Building Materials, Sustainable Architecture, Clarity

Mass timber is a promising building material that has been used in Europe for a long time. Structural rigidity, renewable characteristics, and low-carbon footprint have made this material a major structural component in the European construction market. While the concept of mass timber building has been successful in Europe, the US construction practitioners are still dubious to adopt this material on a greater scale. In the US construction industry, mass timber has received very little consideration from the stakeholders. Lack of case study projects, awareness, and work experience in mass timber materials have created an industrywide knowledge gap that is hindering the progress of this innovative building material in the US construction market. This study evaluates the feasibility of mass timber products in the US construction industry by analyzing its level of awareness, existing challenges and difficulties, and recommendations to improve the existing perceptions to help solve the knowledge gap and increase the current acceptability of mass timber products among the US construction practitioners. The research method includes three different sets of semistructured questionnaire surveys, distributed among 1,200 construction companies, 300 architectural firms, and 55 mass timber manufacturers in the US. Data analysis of the surveys suggested that the US construction practitioners have significantly low involvement level and work experience in timber building design and construction. The main perceived benefits of using mass timber material are the requirement of a small workforce during construction, aesthetic appeal, and prefabricated characteristics of timber panels. Major perceived downsides are lack of work experience, insufficient timber manufacturing plants, high cost of engineered wood products, and code limitations. Several recommendations were provided on the survey including from the study such as increasing awareness among the stakeholders by undertaking more timber building projects, establishing more manufacturing facilities, developing codes and standards, and developing a skilled workforce experienced in timber construction. The outcomes of the study will be a helpful reference source for US construction practitioners to evaluate the actual feasibility of mass timber as a building material. It will further help increase the acceptability of mass timber products in the US.

يوجد العديد من مواد البناء الخضراء والتي تعد أفضل من حيث استخدامها في عملية البناء عن الخرسانة. تستخدم الخرسانة کمادة بناء أساسية في تشييد العديد من المنشآت مثل الکباري والمباني الإدارية والمباني السکنية ...إلخ. ينتج عن استخدام الخرسانة کمادة بناء العديد من الغازات السامة مثل غاز ثاني أکسيد الکربون والتي تضر بالبيئة کل عام مما يساهم في حدوث التغيرات المناخية. لذا يوجد حاجة ماسة للبحث عن مواد بناء جديدة لا تؤدي إلى تلوث الهواء وتکون بديلة للخرسانة ولديها أقل ما يمکن من التأثير السلبي على البيئة المحيطة.
ومن هذا المنطلق وطبقاً لبناء مباني جديدة بالصحراء يسلط هذا البحث الضوء على مواد البناء الخضراء کحل بديل لبناء منشآت صديقة للبيئة في الصحراء.
المشکلة البحثية: الضرر البالغ الواقع على البيئة المحيطة بشکل عام وفي البيئات الصحراوية بشکل خاص نتيجة التأثير السلبي للعديد من الغازات السامة مثل ثاني أکيد الکربون والتي تنبعث عند استخدام بعض مواد البناء مثل الخرسانة المسلحة.
أهمية البحث: تکمن أهمية البحث في الحاجة الماسة اليوم للبحث عن مواد بناء خضراء مستدامة والتي تعد أفضل من حيث استخدامها في عمليات البناء عن الخرسانة لا تؤدي إلى تلوث الهواء وتکون بديلة للخرسانة ولديها أقل ما يمکن من التأثير السلبي على البيئة المحيطة.
أهداف البحث: يهدف البحث إلى تسليط الضوء على استخدام مواد البناء الخضراء کحل بديل لمواد البناء التقليدية کالخرسانة للحد من آثارها السلبية على البيئة المحيطة ولبناء منشأت صديقة للبيئة الصحراوية.
منهجية البحث: تتضمن منهجية البحث:
- الجزء النظري: يشتمل على بعض المفاهيم الهامة لمواد البناء الخضراء، الإستدامة، المباني الصحراوية، مباديء ومميزات وعيوب مواد البناء الخضراء.
- الجزء التحليلي: يوضح البحث دراسة تحليلية لمواد البناء البيئية المستدامو والخضراء الصديقة للبيئة وکيف يمکن استخدامها کحلول بديلة لمثيلتها من مواد البناء التقليدية ويوضح بعض الأمثلة المحلية واالعالمية والتي تستخدم مواد بناء صديقة للبيئة ولا تضر بها للاسترشاد بها عند بناء أي منشا في الصحراء، ويخلص البحث الى نقطة هامة وإيجابية وهي أن استخدام مواد البناء الخضراء في تشييد المباني يعد طريقة يمکن تطبيقها لبناء مباني جديدة في الصحراء دون الإضرار بالبيئة المحيطة ويؤدي إلى إيجاد مدن مستدامة صديقة للبيئة في البيئات الصحراوية.الكلمات الرئيسيةمواد البناء الخضراء؛ الإستدامة؛ المبانی الصحراویة؛ المصادر الطبیعیة؛ المبانی البیئیة

Wood materials have been in use from prehistoric time until today with different types of timber under application in various structures even multi storied buildings. Wood is an environment friendly from the time it is planted to when it is processed into timber and used as a construction material. In Rwanda, while the plantation of trees has been promoted, their application in construction was still limited to simple houses in rural areas or in some cities where attention was made to touristic expression. The main objective was to investigate on timber application in local construction and make proposals for its promotion. The methodology consisted of relevant interviews, assessment of some timber strength characteristics and its affordability. It was established that such species as Eucalyptus, Grevillea, Red Wood and Pinus were the most used in local construction while the conducted tensile test showed that Eucalyptus had the best strength estimated at 47.37N/mm2. The cost analysis showed that timber material was still at 21% more affordable than conventional materials such as steel. Therefore timber can be used in construction and the wood manufacturing industry needed to be promoted, and all species strength characteristics to be established.

- by Leopold Mbereyaho
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- Civil Engineering, Sustainable Building Materials

With increase in the population day by day, consumption of the resources also increases. With this, the waste material production also increases. Manufacturing process of copper production produces enormous amount of the copper slag which contains required chemical properties, so it can be used as construction material. This paper contains information regarding survey of copper slag manufacturing process and different uses of copper slag. This paper reviews the use of industrial waste material 'copper slag' in the construction work as a replacement of cement, sand and aggregate to reduce the cost of construction and simultaneously to reduce environmental effect due to the landfilling of copper slag. As well as construction is the only industry where the waste materials can be utilized successfully.

In this review, steel slag usage in the cement and concrete industry and its environmental effects were examined. Also, its physical and chemical structure, its effect on the characteristics of concrete, and its applications in different usage areas were specified. Within the scope of the study, literature was examined by reviewing investigations of steel slag usage in the cement and concrete industry. The content and results of these studies were assessed, and the intended effects of these by-products were presented. These factory by-products, whose storage and release into nature are quite inconvenient, are assessed at different sites around the world and regained to the sector. Thus the benefits of both economic and ecological balance were examined. As a result, opinions and recommendations were presented.

In manufacturing industries, there is a constant need to maintain a desired safety level and to improve upon the present safety level in order to safeguard lives, property, investments and the environment (Bjorge and Bratseth, 1996; Khan and Amyotte, 2002; Mearns, and Flin, 1995; Rundmo, Hestad & Ulleberg 1998; Vanderperre and Makhanov, 2002). The importance of safety in the manufacturing industry cannot be overemphasized. To make a workplace safe, management must know what employees are thinking. Employees’ opinions and perceptions of health and safety play a key role in any organization's success and may differ across different groups of workers. As a result of this, the aim of this paper is to investigate managerial and non-managerial employees’ perception of health and safety in selected Manufacturing Industries in Jamaica as well as their current practices. The study attempted to determine if there is a difference in the perception of managerial and non-managerial employees. The target population in this study consists of two groups; managerial and non-managerial workers. The principles of Convenience sampling and Non-proportional quota sampling were used to select each participant in the study. Questionnaire surveys were distributed to managers and non-managers on a voluntary basis with the sincere hopes of obtaining at least 50% participation. The data was analyzed using the Univariate descriptive statistics principle. The Univariate descriptive statistics analysis was used, because it explores each variable in a data set separately and also all the potential variables which is integral in testing if there are relationships between management and employees perception of health and safety. The study has revealed that there is a significant difference between managers and non-managerial perceptions of health and safety in the workplace. In addition, the data showed that 42% of the managers and 54% of non-managers indicated that incidents and/or near misses are not adequately investigated. . This implies that organizations need to focus on managing employees perceptions in an effort to guarantee that the reporting of minor incidents and/or near misses are recorded and captured in a profound manner. Keywords: Perceptions; Risk; Near Misses; Safety Culture; Health and Safety;

A quarry can be defined as a place from which stone, rock, construction aggregate, sand, gravel, or slate has been excavated from the ground (Wikipedia, 2017). Quarrying is the activity carried out at the quarry. Having learnt a lot about stone in class, it was only logical to grasp a practical knowledge of this material so we visited the nearest and available stone quarry.

This thesis studied the influence of the method and duration of applying direct or indirect sonication energy to disperse Nano silica as well as the influence of the method and duration of applying direct or indirect sonication energy and/or homogenizer to carbon Nanotubes to explain the inconsistency in the previous researches about the behavior of these Nano materials. Secondly, the effect of superplasticizer on the dispersion of Nano silica and carbon Nanotubes by optimizing the compressive strength of cement pastes was studied. Finally, a study was investigated in order to examine the coupled effect of Nano silica and carbon Nanotubes on the mechanical properties of cement mortars.

- by Passant Youssef
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- Materials Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Concrete
- by Gaurav Goel
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- Sustainable Building Materials, Solid Waste Management, Bricks

In recent years, timber has been considered as an alternative source of building material because of its sustainability and design efficiency. However, the cost competitiveness of timber buildings is still under study due to the lack of available cost information. This paper presents a comprehensive cost comparative analysis of a mass timber building mainly developed with cross-laminated timber (CLT). The actual construction cost of the project is compared with the modeled cost of the same building designed as a concrete option. The result shows that the construction cost of timber building is 6.43% higher than the modeled concrete building. The study further investigated the change orders associated with the project and found that the total cost of change orders contributed 5.62% to the final construction cost of mass timber building. The study is helpful to provide insight into the construction cost of typical mass timber buildings. It also can be used as a guide for the project owners to make decisions regarding their initial investments on a mass timber project.

The effectiveness of various materials as soil stabilizers has been investigated. While some are causing hazardous effects on the environment and are harmful to human health, others have no significant effect on the strength and durability on the affected soil. Out of several
techniques available for improving the soil strength, our project aims at probing the efficacy of a low calcium geopolymer fly ash and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as a new ecofriendly binder material in enhancing the strength characteristics of high and low plastic soil.
In the study, a geopolymer synthetized from low calcium fly ash and an alkaline solution made from sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide was used to stabilize these two soils from Louisiana. The soil samples were stabilized with fly ash and RCA at 5%, 15% and 25%, and their mechanical properties, shrinkage and durability were determined through unconfined compression test, indirect tensile test, drying shrinkage test and durability tests respectively.
It was observed that unconfined compressive strength of soil–geopolymer system increases with the source material contents. Molar concentration of alkali activator, alkali-to-source material ratio and percent content of source material altogether affect the unconfined
compressive strength of stabilized soil. The shrinkage for geopolymer was less than the soil cement mixture while the former was found to be more durable than later as well.
Apparently, geopolymer with its high strength, low cost, low energy consumption and CO2 emissions during synthesis offers a better substitute to soil cement stabilized soil.