Search

The use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in the construction sector is a newly emerging risk as there is limited knowledge about this topic. This paper studies the potential risk of nano-enabled construction products and how these are being addressed by Coordinators for safety and health matters. Firstly, a compendium of safety data sheets (SDSs) for these products and publications about the potential for nano-exposure were analysed. Secondly, a questionnaire was sent by email to a representative sample of Coordinators in Andalusia (Spain). The key findings were that practically none of the SDSs mentioned nano-specific data and the activities that involve nanomaterials in powder form or for spraying are the riskiest. From the survey, it seems that nano-enabled construction products are widely known about, but the use of nanomaterials is very limited. The nanorisks are unknown and rarely mentioned in work safety documents. It can be concluded that, a potential relationship between hazardous profile of the product and presence of ENMs is excluded. Although the use of nanotechnology in the construction site is at an early stage, workers have already been exposed to ENMs in critical activities and risk management is not being addressed.

The use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), understood as materials whose main constituents presentone or more external dimensions in the size range from 1 nm to 100 nm, allows to improve the propertiesof a variety of materials and products widely used in the construction sector. Nanotechnology is a keydriver for technological innovation in construction sector, where an exponential increase in its applicationis expected, with some predicting that 50% of building products will be nano-enabled by 2025. Despiteexpected growth expectations, its application has been hampered by the current degree of uncertaintyregarding the potential effects of NMMs on human health and the environment. This document shows thecurrent status of the recommendations to face this new emerging risk in construction works.

Increased use of concrete in the construction industry worldwide, along with the negative impact of the use of nonrenewable materials such as aggregates and cement for making concrete, has led to a growing production of greener concrete. Excessive use of aggregates depletes natural resources, and inconsiderate quarrying and mining activities to extract these materials could lead to environmental issues such as damage to landscapes, disruption of the ecosystem, and contamination of water, soil, and air. There are various types of ecoefficient concrete, including concrete with partial to total replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a binder, and/or concrete incorporating waste and recycled materials as aggregates. This chapter analyzes biomass used as aggregates in the manufacturing of cement based concrete. It presents an extended bibliometric analysis to highlight the importance of using biomass as a replacement for aggregates in production of cement based materials (CBM). Also included is an analysis of the incorporation of biomass residues for use in mortars and concrete.

The valorization of residue from industrial processes for their use as components of other materials is seen as a highly effective solution for environmental problems associated with the bu...

Several studies have applied recycled aggregates (RA) in road layers and demonstrated appropriate results. In general, RA can be one of two types: recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) or mixed recycled aggregates (MRA), each of which has lower density, higher water absorption, and lower mechanical strength than natural aggregates (NA). Alumina waste (AW), obtained from the process of aluminum refinement, could be mixed with RA in order to improve its properties, such as compaction and bearing capacity, for application in road construction. Few studies have investigated the use of AW with RA in civil constructions. This paper presents the results of a laboratory study of different materials based on the addition of AW to RCA and MRA. In the experiment, the mechanical behaviors and microstructural properties of RCA, MRA, and mixes of RCA or MRA with AW were compared. Different specimens of unbound recycled mixtures demonstrated increased resistance properties, and the formation of new cement hydrated particles was observed in these novel mixtures. The properties of the mixtures of RCA and MRA with AW suggest that these recycled materials can be used in unbound road layers to improve the long-term mechanical behavior.

Before being imbedded in concrete, rebars often contain rust layers. It is uncertain whether these layers may affect the stability required for the steel in reinforced concrete (RC) structures, as there is a lack of scientific consensus in the limited research dedicated to evaluating such an influence. The present paper therefore describes an experimental study aimed to clarify the consequences of rebar pre-rusting in the service life of RC structures. Samples of corroded reinforcement in construction works underway were collected and characterized, then embedded in concrete blocks. The evolution of their behavior was followed by measuring their corrosion rate. The results obtained show that the corrosion rates of the pre-rusted rebars were greater than those of the rebars that had not undergone any type of previous moisture-related corrosion. Under such circumstances the Tuutti “initiation period” would have disappeared, meaning its service life could be reduced to unacceptable values.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in building construction remains a worldwide problem in terms of workplace injury, illness and fatality statistics. Construction Safety requires care and planning throughout the project life-cycle, from the design phase to maintenance. Initial attempts to improve OHS consider the safety aspects in the design phase and the development of manual safety processes in the execution phase. The application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is currently experiencing rapid growth in construction operations, planning and management, as well as in Safety Management. Thanks to the use of this new tool, we can expect to see a change in the way that safety is addressed, as seen in the literature review, based on the large number of contributions in recent years. This study reviews the existing literature surrounding BIM and Construction Safety in order to explore both useful findings and the gaps in knowledge for future research. The main result shows that the growing implementation of BIM in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry is changing the way safety can be approached. Potential safety hazards can be automatically identified and corresponding prevention methods can be applied using an automated approach.

The use of engineered nanomaterials (NMMs) in the construction sector has been steadily growing throughout this century. In contrast to the added value that NMMs offer the different materials, nowadays they are considered a newly emerging risk. The limited knowledge about this topic is due to the use of the so-called industrial hygiene “precaution principle”.

The management of different industrial by-products, such as recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste and alumina by-products, as well as the reduction of landfill deposits by incorporating these products in a second life cycle, were the focus of this work. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the technical viability of using these waste and by-product as a material for road pavement base layers. For this purpose, a real-scale application was carried out, and the behavior of three types of materials, applied on a section of an experimental road under real vehicle traffic conditions, was studied and compared. Three materials were used in these sections applied in the road sub-bases. First, a control material composed of a type of artificial gravel was used to be compared with the rest of materials; the second material was composed of recycled aggregates, and the third was composed of a mix of recycled aggregates and alumina waste. The results concluded that the effectiveness of the sections built using recycled aggregates and alumina waste was very positive and similar those constructed using natural aggregates., Isolux-Corsan Construction

The application of mixed recycled aggregates (MRA) and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) in road works has been studied intensively over the last two decades. One of the properties that has not been studied enough is the self-cementing capacity of recycled aggregates (RA), which favours improving the bearing capacity of compacted recycled aggregates. This research aims to analyse the variables that influence the self-cementing of recycled aggregates, both concrete and mixed. Elaborating recycled aggregate is carried out by crushing the material in a treatment plant which favours self-cementing. In this research part of the recycled material is crushed again in the laboratory in order to produce a better self-cementing process when the material is crushed and used in a short period of time. One of the causes for which the bearing capacity is improved is the appearance of old unhydrated cement particles, which can favour residual setting in the medium-term. In this work two series with different treatments, based on crushing and sieving part of the material, were studied to determine the influence of these changes on the bearing capacity: a series called All-in-one (AO) with a particle size of 0–20 mm, which includes coarse fraction (C) and fine fraction (F) and a second series, called Fine (F), which only include fine fraction with a particle size of 0–4 mm. In both series different samples of RA were processed by sieving, crushing and compaction in different ways. In addition, natural aggregate samples were studied to compare with recycled ones. The results show that the influence of the treatment in the material, mainly crushing and fresh compaction, as well as particle size, significantly improves the loading capacity of recycled aggregates.

Work-related-musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) cause high costs for employers and governments. In addition, they reduce quality of life for millions of workers throughout Europe, both during their working life and retirement. One of the causes of WMSDs is exposure to Whole Body Vibration (WBV), with WMSDs usually developing over long periods of time. The Donana Biological Reserve (DBR) in Huelva, Spain is one of the most important infrastructures in the country. Due to the ecosystem the staff must use vehicles with four-wheel drive (4 × 4). The European Directive 2002/44/EC lays down minimum requirements to protect workers from health and safety risks arising from exposure to mechanical vibration. This study analysed DBR workers’ exposure to WMSD in relation to WBV when they drove the most frequently-used 4 × 4 model.

Managerial accounting can play an important role in supporting safety management in enterprises, by systematically providing appropriate reports to support the decision-making process in the area of risk prevention, benefiting both internal and external stakeholders. In this paper, we first examine the weaknesses of current managerial accounting systems as regards the provision of systematic information on the cost of measures to ensure health and safety in the workplace. We then propose a model of management accounting to calculate, analyse and control these costs, with particular reference to construction companies. Finally, we implement a case study in a Spanish construction company, focusing on two construction projects carried out in 2008 in Andalusia (Spain). This study reveals that health and safety costs are substantial and remain invisible to the company to a very large degree (more than 90%), because the items that make up this cost are dispersed within other accounting entries, thus remaining unidentified on the income statement. Accordingly, construction companies need to implement a management accounting system to get appropriate information about safety costs, to guide their decisions in safety management.

The exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is a new emerging risk at work due to an increase in the number of workers potentially exposed to them and the current lack of data on their health and safety risks. This paper reports the findings of a survey designed to study the safety practices employed by workers in Spanish research facilities performing tasks involving the use of ENMs at research level. A questionnaire pretested and validated by an expert panel was sent by e-mail to the target audience. The 425 surveys completed show that most of the respondents handled up to 5 different ENMs, in suspension, in small amounts during short periods of exposure. The implementation of common hygienic practices, such as the use of protection for hands and the implementation of fume hoods, is widely indicated. The selection of the preventive and protective measures does not depend on the characteristics of ENMs handled. Also, the risks posed by ENMs are widely ignored. Besides the performance of risk assessment, hygienic monitoring and the conducting of a specific health surveillance are practically non-existent although some accidents relating to ENMs were identified. In conclusion, workers’ exposure to ENMs seems to be low. Even though the best practices and preventive and protective measures reported were employed, most of the respondents could not be correctly protected. Moreover, workers do not associate the measures implemented with the nanorisks. Finally, there is a lack of proactive action underway to protect the workers, and concerns about safety are weakly evidenced.

This article presents analyses of soil and environmental information for the Darro River basin (Granada-Spain) preliminary to its hydrological and forestry restoration. These analyses were carried out using a geographical information system (GIS) and employing a new procedure that adapts hydrological forest-restoration methods. The complete analysis encompasses morphological conditions, soil and climate characteristics as well as vegetation and land use. The study investigates soil erosion in the basin by using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and by mapping erosion fragility units. The results are presented in a set of maps and their analysis, providing the starting point for river basin management and the hydrological and forestry-restoration project that was approved at the end of 2015. The presence of soft substrates (e.g. gravel and sand) indicates that the area is susceptible to erosion, particularly the areas that are dominated by human activity and have little soil protection. Finally, land use and vegetation cover were identified as key factors in the soil erosion in the basin. According to the results, river authorities have included several measures in the restoration project aimed at reducing the erosion and helping to recover the environmental value of this river basin and to include it in recreation possibilities for the community of Granada. The presented analytical approach, designed by the authors, would be useful as a tool for environmental restoration in other small Mediterranean river basins.

The use of efficient design parameters in the initial stages of the life cycle of a building project helps to reduce the final energy demand. This article presents research results on the relation between the morphology of a building and its energy efficiency. Three types of residential buildings are analyzed: the single-family detached house, semidetached house and multidwelling building. The cases studied modeled in EnergyPlus to obtain building energy consumption per useful built surface. Also considered is the energy produced, thanks to the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the building roof and on 50 % of the south facade surface. The paper provides a method to obtain the curve that shows the difference between the energy demand of residential buildings for various uses (HVAC, lighting, etc.) and the energy generated by installed solar panels in the building. The results reveal that the single-family detached housing model is the less energy-efficient. In the case of multidwelling houses, the optimal building height is obtained to reduce building energy consumption depending on total useful built area. The results show that up to 25 % of multidwelling building energy demand can be satisfied by solar energy on the rooftop and the facade. The balance between the energy demand and energy production of the building highlights the dimensional parameters that define optimal building shape from an energy efficiency perspective. The results obtained can be usefully applied to estimate the optimal geometric characteristics for a building of the same total surface area, which maximally reduces the final energy demand.

This paper presents the most significant results of a study of the impact of health and safety investment on construction company costs. A questionnaire was designed and applied to a sample of a total of 40 construction works in progress in southern Spain. Analysis of the data produced reveals the interrelationships between variables relevant to the management of risk reduction, including the costs of safety measures of risk reduction, the occurrence of accidents and their cost, the material operating budget for the project and the health and safety plan budget. On the other hand, bivariate analysis of the initial hypotheses shows that the complex relation between the occurrence of accidents and their cost cannot be explained by any single variable. The predictive model that best fits the sample data is the Poisson truncated distribution. The results obtained with this distribution show that the average number of accidents varies directly with the total number of workers, the average number of subcontractors and the health and safety budget, while it varies inversely with the cost of accident prevention.

Los problemas musculo-esquelético suponen un 45% de las lesiones profesionales. Concretamente, los trabajadores que trabajan en las distintas actividades relacionadas con la producción y puesta en obra de la ferralla están expuestos a una gran cantidad de riesgos musculoesqueleticos. En este trabajo, se revisan detalladamente los riesgos ergonómicos de tipo físico de los ferrallistas. Este estudio permite comprobar que la normativa española en vigor desde 1997 (trasposición de la Directiva Europea sobre Seguridad y Salud en obras de construcción), no está corrigiendo los múltiples factores de riesgo musculoesqueléticos de estos trabajadores. Se propone para el análisis de dichos riesgos musculo-esqueléticos, la utilización de diversas metodologías ergonómicas. Una es el método Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo para el estudio de la manipulación de cargas y, por otro lado, el método ERGO/ IBV desarrollado por el Instituto de Biomecánica de Valencia para el análisis de las posturas de movimientos repetitivos. El uso de dichas herramientas, permitirán el diseño de nuevos métodos de trabajo que disminuyan los riesgos analizados. Posteriormente, tras la identificación del elevado número de riesgos muculoesqueléticos, se definen una serie de BUENAS PRÁCTICAS para estos trabajadores expuestos a unas condiciones de trabajos muy exigentes y con escasa cultura preventiva.