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Concrete and ceramic products are among the most widely used materials in the construction sector. The production of ceramic materials has significantly grown in recent years. Concrete is one of the most widely used materials worldwide and most of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are attributed to Portland cement (PC) production. This review analyzed previous research works into the use of ceramic waste (CW) as a precursor in alkali-activated (AA) cements. The physico-chemical properties of different CW materials were analyzed, and the properties and environmental impact of three main categories of AA CW cements were explored: those developed solely with CW; hybrid cements combining CW with traditional binders (PC, calcium hydroxide or calcium aluminate cement); combinations of CW with other precursors (i.e., blast furnace slag, fly ash, fluid catalytic cracking residue, etc.). The results evidenced that CW can be successfully employed as a precursor in AA cements, particularly in the context of prefabricated products where thermal curing is a prevalent procedure. When enhanced mechanical strength is requisite, it is feasible to attain improvements by employing hybrid systems or by combining CW with other precursors, such as blast furnace slag. This new alternative reuse option allows progress to be made toward sustainable development by reducing not only CO2 emissions and embodied energy compared to PC but also PC consumption and CW accumulation in landfills.

The construction industry has a significant environmental impact and concrete production is responsible for a large part of CO2 emissions and energy consumption. This study focused on the reutilisation of a specific type of tiles ceramic waste (TCW), composed only of stoneware and porcelain stoneware tiles, hereafter referred to as ceramic stoneware (CS), as recycled aggregate in concrete. Natural limestone and CS aggregates (sand and gravel) were characterised (particle size distribution, water absorption, resistance to wear, density and X-ray diffraction analyses) and recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) was prepared by replacing 20, 50 and 100 vol.% of sand and gravel, separately. Concrete workability generally improved with CW addition, especially when replacing natural gravel. Although the compressive strengths of the concrete specimens prepared with recycled sand were slightly lower than those of the reference specimens, similar or better results were recorded with the recycled CS gravel. In consonance, the RAC developed with recycled gravel obtained lower water penetration depths than the reference concrete. No significant variation in tensile strength was observed when varying CS content (values within the 2.33–2.65 MPa range). The study contributes to sustainable construction practices and circular economy by promoting the valorisation and reutilisation of industrial waste and reducing the consumption of natural resources.

La sucesiva aplicación de las nuevas tecnologías a la expresión gráfica arquitectónica ha supuesto una revolución en cada uno de los pasos que dan como resultado el levantamiento de planos. En general se puede decir que en gran medida facilitan la consecución del trabajo a realizar. Sin embargo, su aplicación de manera generalizada e indiscriminada, puede ocasionar un trabajo excesivo e innecesario. Por tanto, el reto de la aplicación de nuevas tecnologías supone no sólo su conocimiento y adecuado manejo, sino además, la capacidad de descartar unos métodos frente a otros en función de las necesidades planteadas por el modelo a representar, la finalidad del trabajo a realizar, la disponibilidad de medios y de tiempo. El presente artículo es una muestra de la conveniencia en la utilización de métodos tradicionales y nuevas tecnologías, basada su combinación en la optimización de tiempo y recursos. El estudio realizado se fundamenta en el levantamiento de planos, y análisis gráfico y metrológico, de la Iglesia Parroquial de Portell, la primera de las iglesias de planta salón valencianas construidas en el siglo XVIII.