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The work presented aims to analyse the feasibility of reusing concrete, once demolished from a building in Tres Cantos in Madrid, to manufacture finishing materials for buildings, as well as to design a procedure. The first phase consists of a bibliographic search on the reuse of materials, analysing the techniques adopted so far and the lines of work. The second phase related to the acquisition of data related to the production and recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) at a European level. The third phase consists of the study of recycled aggregates resulting from demolitions or landslides, their treatment process. The fourth and final phase consists of the development of a laboratory test plan to evaluate varied materials for finishing exterior cement pavements with concrete from the demolition of the case study building. There were many conclusions and results of the project. The granulometry of the fine fraction of demolished concrete is suitable to produce non-structural products, such as building finishes and in particular non-driveway outdoor flooring. In terms of flexural and compressive strength, the mechanical behaviour of recycled mixes is lower than that of reference mixes. The recycled mixes show slightly higher capillary absorption capacities than the reference mixes, and the value is higher the greater the percentage of recycled aggregates used (a critical issue which can be resolved by pre-saturating the recycled material). © 2022, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia.. All rights reserved.

Mineralogical analysis and laboratory-based leaching tests coupled with speciation modeling were undertaken to quantify the potential for short-term acid generation and the release of trace elements from soils heavily contaminated with mine waste at Rio Tinto. Three different waste materials were considered as case studies: roasted pyrite, copper slags, and leached sulfide ores. The results showed elevated values of net acid generation (up to 663 mmol H+/kg), the major pools being potential sulfidic acidity and acidity retained in jarosite. Remarkable contents of As and toxic heavy metals were found especially in the slag-contaminated soil. Copper, Zn, and Pb were the most abundant metals in the acid leach solutions resulting from mine soil-water interaction, with peak values of 55.6 mg L−1, 2.77 mg L−1, and 2.62 mg L−1, respectively. Despite the high total contents of trace elements occurring in soil, the mobile fraction was limited to maximum release values of 12.60% for Cd and 10.27% for Cu, according to the test leaching. Speciation calculations indicated that free metal ions (M2+) and sulfate species (MSO40) accounted for most of the dissolved load. Acid soil drainage is a secondary source of acid and heavy metals in the mine site and, therefore, an effective land reclamation program should ensure that acidity and metal mobility are reduced to environmentally sustainable levels., This research was supported by the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain) and the European Regional Development Fund Andalusia 2014–2020 through Project P-18-TP-3503, in collaboration with DSM Soluciones Medioambientales.

El amianto o asbesto ha sido utilizado de forma masiva para multiples aplicaciones durante mucho tiempo. No obstante, una vez descubiertas las afecciones y enfermedades relacionadas con este material, la Union Europea decidio intervenir en la cuestion a traves de una compleja regulacion que los Estados miembros debian trasponer a su ordenamiento juridico nacional. En este sentido, resulta de especial interes la regulacion de la eliminacion de los residuos procedentes de construcciones arquitectonicas y su demolicion. Es por ello, que el objetivo de este estudio se centra en averiguar si dicha regulacion pudiera ser mejorada para avanzar en la eliminacion permanente, y si es posible el reciclaje, de estos materiales. Para ello se analizan comparativamente el caso de dos paises (Italia y Espana) que perteneciendo ambos a la Union Europea, sin embargo, presentan ciertas diferencias. Para alcanzar dicho objetivo, se desarrolla una metodologia basada en el estudio y analisis comparativo de la regulacion en ambos paises, especialmente en cuanto a los requisitos operativos en un vertedero autorizado. Para finalizar, se analizan los procedimientos y tecnologias de eliminacion permanente como es el caso de la inertizacion y su posible regulacion y se confirma la necesidad de acometer una regulacion en cuanto a aplicar tecnicas basadas en la eliminacion definitiva del problema, ya que el deposito eterno en vertedero no resulta una solucion razonable.

[ES] El plástico es uno de los materiales de uso cotidiano que más contamina. El Polietileno Tereftalato es el plástico con mayor facilidad para ser reciclado, debido a esto la recolección de los desechos PET en las plantas de residuos adquiere una gran importancia, ya que ayuda a prevenir la contaminación derivada de la elaboración y extracción de nuevos materiales. Los procedimientos que existen hoy en día para la separación de estos plásticos son la clasificación de manera manual realizada por los trabajadores de la planta o, excepcionalmente, mediante el uso de máquinas muy complejas y de gran coste. En esta tesis se realiza un estudio de la elaboración de un sistema de inteligencia artificial que tenga la capacidad de localizar este material por medio del uso de redes neuronales convolucionales basadas en regiones. Estas redes se entrenan con fotografías de los objetos que se desean detectar y tienen la capacidad de ubicarlos en una o varias zonas de la imagen mediante el análisis de la forma y los colores propios de estos. Entre los tipos de redes basadas en regiones existen dos que analizaremos y compararemos: las Faster RCNN, las cuales localizan los objetos mediante cuadros delimitadores y las Mask RCNN que son capaces de detectar los objetos dibujando su contorno mediante un polígono. El PET lo encontramos en gran medida en las botellas de bebidas y de agua, por lo que el objeto que debe detectar nuestra RCNN son estas botellas. La implementación de este método en una planta de residuos sería simple y económica debido a que solo haría falta una cámara para captar las imágenes de los residuos en cada momento y un ordenador con el sistema RCNN implementado que detectase los materiales de PET. En este trabajo vamos a analizar la capacidad de un sistema con tecnología RCNN, creado en este proyecto, de detectar residuos o materiales deformables, en este caso se analizará con las botellas de PET. [EN] Plastic is one of the most polluting household materials nowadays. Polyethylene Terephthalate is the plastic that is most easily recycled, which is why the collection of PET refuse in waste plants is of great importance, as it helps to prevent contamination derived from the production and extraction of new materials. The procedures that exist today for the separation of these plastics are manual sorting by plant workers or, exceptionally, by using very complex and expensive machines. In this thesis we study the development of an artificial intelligence system that could locate this material through the use of region-based convolutional neural networks. These networks are trained with pictures of the objects to be detected and could locate them in one or several areas of the image by analysing their shape and colours. Among the types of region-based networks there are two that we will analyse and compare: Faster RCNNN, which locate objects by means of bounding boxes, and Mask RCNNN, which are able to detect objects by drawing their outline using a polygon. PET is found to a large extent in drinks and water bottles, so the objects to be detected by our RCNNN are these bottles. The implementation of this method in a waste plant would be simple and economical because it would only require a camera to capture images of the waste in real time and a computer with the RCNN system implemented to detect the PET materials. In this work we are going to analyse the capacity of a system with RCNN technology, created in this project, to detect waste or deformable materials, in this case it will be analysed with PET bottles.

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. Mechanical, thermal conductivity, sound absorption, fire reaction and environmental impact are studied and analysed. Three different end-of-life tyres’ recycled materials are used, two size rubber and textile fibres. A significant density reduction up to 17% was achieved mainly due to end-of-life materials lower density. Two thermal conductivity measurement methods, heat flux meter and guarded hot plate, were conducted and then compared. A 20% improvement with respect to the reference was achieved in those samples with textile fibre. The two methods’ measurements got a 1% difference in all samples analysed except textile fibre. Thus, this allowed to validate these methods and assure these measurements. Sound absorption was also measured. These materials reached α = 0.32 in high frequencies. Performance in low frequencies were lower. Fire tests led to no ignition results and no fire propagation. Finally, a basic global warming potential impact study based on environmental product declaration (EPD) is conducted. The most relevant result of this study is the potential 20–34% reduction of CO2 emissions with the elaboration of these composites.

El objeto de este TFG es realizar un estudio sobre la exposición de los trabajadores a los contaminantes químicos generados en la fabricación de baterías Acido-plomo. Para ello, se valorarán los parámetros de dicha exposición para comprobar si son tolerables y en caso negativo, se propondrán y establecerán una serie de medidas preventivas con el fin de conseguir que la exposición sea lo más tolerable posible. Es un proyecto teórico sobre las baterías acido-plomo donde se realizará el estudio sobre la toma de muestras y análisis de los contaminantes químicos presentes, identificando los posibles peligros, valorando los riesgos por exposición a las concentraciones de dichos compuestos. Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

Estamos en una época crucial en el desarrollo futuro de la humanidad, enmarcada en un contexto integral sobre protección ambiental. Este interés del ser humano se debe a varios factores, como la sostenibilidad ambiental y la reducción de las emisiones de CO2. Estos factores han generado otra visión en el aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales. El material base cemento reforzado con fibras naturales está solventando hoy en día, un esquema eficaz para satisfacer dicha demanda mundial de materiales de construcción más sustentables. La presente investigación estudia las características más destacadas de materiales base cemento fabricados con diferentes tipos de fibras de origen vegetal de la República Dominicana y de la Región de Murcia. Analizando las propiedades físico-mecánicas, se demuestra que los materiales base cemento que contienen fibra naturales y gel de sílice, muestran una resistencia a compresión y una resistencia a flexión sustancialmente mayores y con mejores prestaciones en cuanto a durabilidad, en comparación con los morteros de referencia (sin ningún tipo fibra), analizando también las mejoras microestructurales que presenta el gel de sílice como remplazo parcial del árido natural en la zona interfacial. Tales beneficios hacen que valga la pena analizar este estudio sobre cómo se pueden implementar estos nuevos materiales. Consejo General de la Arquitectura Técnica de España

The environmental problems caused by industrial waste are of a universal nature. In this sense, achieving an adequate management of construction and demolition waste has become one of the great challenges of today’s society. This work studies the possibility of recovering mineral wool thermal insulation waste for its reincorporation into the manufacturing process of masonry mortar. To this end, an experimental campaign has been conducted with mortars made with natural aggregate and two types of recycled aggregates: concrete and mixed ceramic, in which mineral wool fibers are incorporated as a partial replacement of sand in percentages of 0%, 10% and 20%. The results show that, although the traditional mortars offer better technical performance, the mortars made with recycled aggregate present adequate viability for use on-site. Furthermore, it has been concluded that the incorporation of recycled mineral wool fibers in the mortar matrix decreases the thermal conductivity and shrinkage during the setting of these materials, increasing their mechanical flexural strength and durability. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

After more than two years wearing surgical masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, used masks have become a significant risk for ecosystems, as they are producing wastes in huge amounts. They are a potential source of disturbance by themselves and as microplastic contamination in the water system. As 5500 tons of face masks are estimated to be used each year, there is an urgent need to manage them according to the circular economy principles and avoid their inadequate disposal. In this paper, surgical wear masks (WM), without any further pretreatment, have been introduced as addition to mortars up to 5% in the weight of cement. Mechanical and microstructural characterization have been carried out. The results indicate that adding MW to the cement supposes a decrease in the properties of the material, concerning both strength and durability behavior. However, even adding a 5% of WM in weight of cement, the aspect of the mortars is quite good, the flexural strength is not significantly affected, and the strength and durability parameters are maintained at levels that—even lower than the reference—are quite reasonable for use. Provided that the worldwide production of cement is around 4.1 Bt/year, the introduction of a 5% of WM in less than 1% of the cement produced, would make it possible to get rid of the mask waste being produced.

The production of olive oil and wine are two of the main agri-food economic activities in Southern Europe. They generate large amounts of solid and liquid wastes (e.g., olive pomace, olive mill wastewater, grape pomace, grape stems, wine lees, and wine processing wastewater) that represent a major environmental problem. Consequently, the management of these residues has become a big challenge for these industries, since they are harmful to the environment but rich in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols. In recent years, the recovery of phenolic compounds has been proposed as a smart strategy for the valorization of these by-products, from a circular economy perspective. This review aims to provide a comprehensive description of the state of the art of techniques available for the analysis, extraction, and purification of polyphenols from the olive mill and winery residues. Thus, the integration and implementation of these techniques could provide a sustainable solution to the olive oil and winery sectors. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. CTM2017-85346-R Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PID2020-114401RBC21 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PID2020-114401RB-C22 Generalitat de Cataluña | Ref. 2017-SGR-312 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. PRE2018-083861 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PID2019-103873RJ-I00 European Commission | Ref. H2020, n. 823971

This literature review deepens in how the properties of Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) affect the strength behavior of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) and how the expected effect of RCA can be modified by changes in its composition. It is demonstrated that, if the flowability of the SCC remains constant, the compressive strength decreases linearly with the RCA content, although this decrease is lower if the RCA is obtained from the crushing of a concrete with higher strength. The decrease of the water-to-cement ratio allows compensating this loss of strength, although its value should also allow keeping a suitable flowability. The water absorption of RCA and its interaction with other components of the mix increase the variability of the effect of RCA. Therefore, due to the large number of factors involved in this behavior, it is recommended to experimentally study the RCA and the SCC produced with it before its use., La presente revisión bibliográfica profundiza en cómo las características del Árido de Hormigón Reciclado (AHR) afectan al comportamiento resistente del Hormigón AutoCompactante (HAC) y cómo el efecto esperado del AHR puede alterarse por cambios en la composición del HAC. Se demuestra que, si la trabajabilidad del HAC se mantiene constante, la resistencia a compresión disminuye linealmente con el contenido de AHR, aunque este descenso será menor si el AHR procede del machaqueo de un hormigón de mayor resistencia. La disminución de la relación agua/cemento permite compensar esta pérdida de resistencia, aunque su valor debe permitir también mantener una adecuada trabajabilidad del HAC. La absorción de agua del AHR y su interacción con otros compontes incrementan la variabilidad del efecto del AHR. Debido a la gran cantidad de factores implicados en este comportamiento, es recomendable un estudio experimental del AHR y del HAC producido con él antes de su utilización.

This research was funded by the State Research Agency (AEI) of Spain and the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), under project: PID2019-108761RB-I00., The need to tackle the urban heat island effect demands the implementation of cool surfaces as a mitigation strategy. This study comprehensively reviews the evolution of this research field from a materials perspective. It provides a bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature using the SciMAT software processing of bibliographic records from 1995 to 2020, for the evolution of cool surfaces. The results obtained show an increased interest in the field from 2011 to 2020, particularly for roof applications, and present the scientific evolution of reflective materials. According to the materials dimension adopted by the development of the research field, the study is refined from a bibliometric analysis of 982 selected records for the analysis of five themes: (i) Pigments; (ii) Phase change materials; (iii) Retroreflective materials; (iv) Ceramic materials; and (v) Glass. These materials present promising results in terms of their solar reflectance performances in the mitigation of the urban heat island phenomenon. At the end of this review, recommendations for future studies are provided for the creation of economic and environmentally friendly materials based on waste glass recycling. This study represents a valuable contribution that provides a scientific background with regard to cool surfaces from a materials perspective for future investigations., State Research Agency (AEI) of Spain, European Commission PID2019-108761RB-I00

This research aims to revalue the possibilities presented by lime mortars for use in renovation and as cladding material on facades. The study focuses on analyzing the technical feasibility of lime mortars with the incorporation of residues from three types of thermal insulation materials: expanded polystyrene with graphite especially suitable for use on facades; expanded polystyrene for use indoors; and insulating mineral wool. The incorporation of these construction and demolition residues makes it possible to improve several technical performance aspects of lime mortars, and to incorporate circular economy criteria in the manufacturing process of these materials. The results showed that the incorporation of mineral wool improves the mechanical resistance to the bending of mortars, increases their durability against freeze–thaw cycles and salt crystallization, and reduces the final shrinkage of mortars. For their part, mortars with the addition of polystyrene-insulating residues reduce mechanical resistance, but also reduce thermal conductivity, and are lighter, which is why they are shown as a possible alternative for use in precast. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

El objetivo es proponer un esquema de proceso para la obtención de carbonato cálcico para la industria cementera que utilice materias primas procedentes de residuos industriales. Un balance de materia preliminar, con el dimensionado de los equipos principales y una estimación de la rentabilidad del proceso completarían el estudio. Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

There is a growing interest in multifunctional composites and in the identification of novel applications for recycled materials. In this work, the design and fabrication of multiple particle-loaded polymer composites, including micronized rubber from end-of-life tires, is studied. The integration of these composites as part of ultrasonic transducers can further expand the functionality of the piezoelectric material in the transducer in terms of sensitivity, bandwidth, ringing and axial resolution and help to facilitate the fabrication and use of phantoms for echography. The adopted approach is a multiphase and multiscale one, based on a polymeric matrix with a load of recycled rubber and tungsten powders. A fabrication procedure, compatible with transducer manufacturing, is proposed and successfully used. We also proposed a modelling approach to calculate the complex elastic modulus, the ultrasonic damping and to evaluate the relative influence of particle scattering. It is concluded that it is possible to obtain materials with acoustic impedance in the range 2.35–15.6 MRayl, ultrasound velocity in the range 790–2570 m/s, attenuation at 3 MHz, from 0.96 up to 27 dB/mm with a variation of the attenuation with the frequency following a power law with exponent in the range 1.2–3.2. These ranges of values permit us to obtain most of the material properties demanded in ultrasonic engineering., This research was funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (DPI2016-78876-R and MAT2017-87204-R), CSIC (201860E045) and Signus Ecovalor, S.L. Author J.L.V. is member of the SusPlast platform of CSIC

Hormigón autocompactante con árido reciclado de hormigón y de baja retracción que comprende cemento Portland como primer conglomerante, escoria siderúrgica granulada molida como segundo conglomerante, escoria blanca de horno de cuchara como tercer conglomerante, áridos, agua y aditivos, los áridos comprenden árido reciclado de hormigón, siendo la totalidad de la fracción gruesa y la totalidad de la fracción polvo del hormigón de dicho árido reciclado de hormigón, pudiendo tener además fracción fina del citado árido. El procedimiento de elaboración consta de tres etapas de adición de componentes y mezclado, cada una con su correspondiente reposo.

[SPA] Bolivia llegó a ser uno de los principales productores de plata del mundo; su producción llegó a ser muy importante a mediados del siglo XVI cuando el proceso de amalgamación permitió la producción masiva de plata, dejando una cantidad sin precedentes de mercurio, con la consiguiente repercusión medioambiental, económica y social en varias zonas de Bolivia. En los últimos años, en Bolivia se ha visto un importante aumento de las operaciones mineras auríferas, motivado por el incremento del precio y la demanda internacional del oro. La minería aurífera boliviana tiene como principales protagonistas a las cooperativas mineras, que producen el 97 % del oro a nivel nacional, generando la mayor cantidad de empleo en el sector. El departamento de La Paz es el mayor productor de oro a nivel nacional, donde opera el 57% del total de cooperativas del país, explotando yacimientos auríferos primarios y secundarios. En el proceso de extracción de oro en Bolivia, el uso del mercurio es la práctica más habitual; la cantidad y su forma de uso, varía fundamentalmente por el tipo de yacimiento. Varias de las áreas protegidas nacionales, subnacionales e incluso territorios indígenas y originarios, que albergan una parte significativa de la biodiversidad del país, y son proveedoras de funciones ambientales vitales para el desarrollo, tienen dentro de su territorio actividades de extracción minera. El Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Nacional (ANMIN) -Apolobamba, que se encuentra en el departamento de La Paz, es una de las áreas protegidas más afectadas por las actividades mineras auríferas a pequeña escala. El objetivo principal de la tesis fue determinar los impactos ambientales de la minería aurífera filoniana a pequeña escala sobre medios bióticos (vegetación nativa) y abióticos (suelos, sedimentos y residuos) en ANMIN-Apolobamba. Para ello, se han seleccionado dos cooperativas mineras auríferas especialmente representativas por su ubicación en zonas de alta intensidad de actividad minera, estas son: Virgen del Rosario y Rayo Rojo. En cada cooperativa minera, se identificaron dos zonas, una zona cercana a las actividades de procesamiento del mineral y/o de concentración del oro incluyendo la quema de la amalgama, que podría denominarse zona minera, y otra alejada de estas operaciones mineras, pudiendo considerarse zona de control. En cada zona, de acuerdo a los objetivos específicos de la tesis, se identificaron perfiles representativos de suelos, se tomaron muestras edáficas superficiales y de profundidad, así como material vegetal, finalmente se colectaron muestras de residuos mineros y de sedimentos. En general, los metales totales no mostraron diferencias significativas entre los suelos superficiales y de profundidad y la proximidad a las zonas mineras, lo que sugiere que estos metales podrían ser de origen geogénico. Se detectó un incremento de mercurio en el suelo superficial en las zonas mineras, lo que indica una deposición directa de mercurio. También, se obtuvieron altos valores de arsénico total, biodisponible y soluble en los alrededores de la zona minera, probablemente relacionados con la presencia de residuos ricos en arsenopirita. Los contenidos de materia orgánica y arcilla podrían controlar las concentraciones de cadmio y zinc biodisponibles, mientras que el pH del suelo se relaciona con el comportamiento del arsénico, mercurio y cobre. Por el contrario, la concentración de plomo biodisponible estuvo directamente relacionada con su concentración total. En general, los metales solubles fueron altamente independientes, sin correlaciones significativas con las propiedades físicas y químicas del suelo. Se determinó el contenido y la especiación del arsénico en las muestras de suelo rizosférico y no rizosférico, colectadas en las dos cooperativas de estudio, para entender su destino y los riesgos ambientales de las acumulaciones de este metal. El valor promedio de arsénico total en los suelos rizosféricos y no rizosféricos osciló entre 13 y 64 mg kg-1. La rizosfera presentó valores de al menos el doble del contenido de arsénico en suelo no rizosférico. El mapeo elemental, usando un haz de rayos X de 4-5 μm generado por sincrotrón, mostró acumulaciones de arsénico en áreas enriquecidas con hierro. Los resultados de la espectroscopia de absorción de rayos X de borde cercano (XANES), detectaron solo la especie As(V) en todas las muestras, independientemente del contenido de arsénico total, sus fracciones y los tipos de vegetación. Aunque la toxicidad de As(V) es menor que As (III), se sugiere determinar la absorción de arsénico por la vegetación de pastoreo común para los camélidos del lugar, por la posibilidad de su incorporación en la cadena alimenticia. Considerando que las emisiones y liberaciones de mercurio en las actividades mineras auríferas a pequeña escala, se condensan y se depositan en las plantas, suelos y cuerpos de agua, se estudió la transferencia de mercurio del suelo a las plantas para predecir, la posible acumulación de mercurio en el ganado camélido alrededor de las zonas mineras auríferas de estudio. El contenido medio de mercurio en los suelos varían de 0,5 a 48,6 mg Hg kg-1(de 5 a 60 veces más altos en comparación con los suelos de la zona de control) y excedió los niveles de referencia de los suelo de algunos países europeos. Los contenidos de mercurio en hojas y raíces variaron de 0,6 a 18 y 0,2 a 28,3 mg Hg kg-1, respectivamente. Los altos contenidos de mercurio en Poaceaey Rosaceae podría elevar la acumulación de mercurio en la cadena alimenticia, debido a que los camélidos son totalmente dependientes de estas especies forrajeras y, a su vez, estos son los principales proveedores de carne para la población minera de esas zonas, quienes están en mayor riesgo si se utilizan algunas especies estudiadas con fines medicinales. [ENG] Bolivia was one of the main silver producers in the world; its production became very important in the middle of the 16th century when the amalgamation process allowed massive silver production, leaving an unprecedented amount of Hg, with the consequent environmental, economic and social impacts in various areas of Bolivia. In recent years, Bolivia has seen a significant increase in gold mining operations, motivated by the increase in the price and international demand for gold. The mining cooperatives are the main protagonists of Bolivian gold mining, which produce 97% of the gold nationwide, generating the major amount of employment in the sector. The department of La Paz is the largest gold producer nationwide, in where 57% of all cooperatives in the country operate, exploiting primary and secondary gold deposits. In the gold extraction process in Bolivia, the use of mercury is the most common practice; the quantity and the way in which it is used, varies fundamentally by the deposits type. Several of the national and sub-national protected areas and even indigenous and native territories, which host a significant part of Bolivia's biodiversity, and are providers of vital environmental functions for development, have mining extraction activities within their territory. The gold activity in the Natural Area of National Integrated Management (ANMIN) - Apolobamba is one of the most affected protected areas by the small scale gold mining activities effects.. The main objective of the thesis was to determine the environmental impacts of the small scale filonian gold mining activities on biotic (native vegetation) and abiotic (soils, sediments, residues) resources in ANMIN-Apolobamba. For this, two gold mining cooperatives especially representative in high intensity mining activity areas have been selected, they are: Virgen del Rosarío and Rayo Rojo. In each mining cooperative, two zones were identified, one close to the mineral processing or gold concentration activities including the amalgam burning, that could be called a mining zone, and another far away from these activities, allowing considered a control zone. In each area, according to the specific objectives of the thesis, representative soil profiles were identified, surface and depth soil samples were taken, as well as plant material, finally mining residues and sediments samples were collected. No significant differences in total metals were shown between top soils and deep soils and the proximity to the mining zones, suggesting that the origin of these metals could be geogenic. In the mining zones, increased mercury in the surface soil was detected indicating direct Hg deposition. High values of total, EDTA-extractable and soluble arsenic were obtained in the mining area surroundings, probably related to the presence of arsenopyrite-rich residues. While soil pH is related to the behavior of arsenic, mercury and copper, cadmium and zinc EDTA-extractable concentrations could be controlled by organic matter and clay contents. On the other hand, the lead EDTA-extractable concentration was directly related to its total content. Soluble metals, in general, were highly independent of soil physical and chemical properties. To understand the fate and environmental risks of arsenic, its content was determined in rhizospheric and bulk soil samples collected in the two cooperatives in the study. The mean of total arsenic in rhizospheric and bulk soils types ranges between 13 and 64 mg kg-1. Arsenic content in rhizosphere was at least double related to the bulk soil. Using a 4-5 μm synchrotron-generated X-ray beam, an elemental mapping was performed that showed accumulations of arsenic in iron-enriched areas. X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) results indicate only As (V) species was detected in all samples independently of total arsenic content, its fractions or vegetation type. Although As(V) toxicity is lower than As(III), is important that As uptake of commonly-grazed vegetation by camelids (alpaca and llama) must be determined to understand the environmental risks due to the possibility of their incorporation into the food chain. Considering that the emissions and releases of mercury in small-scale gold mining activities condense and deposited on plants, soils and water bodies, the transfer of mercury from soil into plants was studied to predict the possible mercury accumulation in livestock around the study gold mining areas. Mean mercury content in the soils varies from 0,5 to 48,6 mg Hg kg-1 (5 to 60 more compared to the soils of the control zone) and exceeded the reference levels of the soils of some European countries. The mercury contents in leaves and roots ranged from 0,6 to 18 and 0,2 to 28,3 mg Hg kg-1, respectively. The high mercury contents in Poaceae and Rosaceae may elevate mercury accumulation into the food chain, since camelids solely thrive on these plants for food and, in turn, these are the main meat suppliers for the mining population who are most at risk if some plant species are used for medicinal purposes. Escuela Internacional de Doctorado de la Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena Programa de Doctorado en Tecnología y Modelización en Ingeniería Civil, Minera y Ambiental

Construction waste (CW) is a prime contributor to the stream of total waste worldwide. One of the biggest challenges of the construction industry is to minimise CW and to develop practices of a more sustainable nature for its management and recycling in order to promote its transition towards a more effective circular economy. The implementation of these practices contributes towards mitigating the scarcity of natural resources and the environmental impact of CW. Thus, a preceding and essential step is the estimation of CW during building design, which will allow the adoption of measures for its early reduction and optimisation. For this purpose, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become a useful methodology to predict waste during the early stages of design. There remains, however, a lack of instrumental development. Therefore, this study pro-poses a BIM-based method to estimate CW during building design by integrating a consolidated construction waste quantification model in three different BIM platforms. For its validation, the method is applied to the structural system of a Spanish residential building. The results provide evidence that the proposed method is vendor-neutral and enables the automatic identification and quantification of the waste generated by each building element during the design stage in multiple BIM platforms. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

This research was supported by research group TEP-968 Tecnologias para la Economia Circular (Technologies for Circular Economy) of the University of Granada., The circular economy (CE) concept applied to construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a developing field of research that entails a large amount of complex and disjointed information; thus, a comprehensive review of scientific contributions could provide a completed perspective. This article aims to analyse the existing knowledge of CE research applied to CDW, using a double integrated analysis, a systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis. For this purpose, Science Mapping Analysis Tool (SciMAT), a software for the analysis of performance indicators and visualisations of scientific maps, has been used, which offers a complete approach to the field and evaluates the most cited and productive authors and subject areas related to this discipline. The results obtained from the 1440 bibliographic records from 1993 to 2020 show a still-developing scientific field, evolving from concerns about economic aspects to the most recent progresses in the evaluation of sustainable deconstruction. This work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge by establishing connections, mapping networks of researchers and recommending new trends., Tecnologias para la Economia Circular (Technologies for Circular Economy) of the University of Granada TEP-968

This research analyzes the durability of mineral wool waste from insulation materials used in the construction industry as reinforcement elements in cements matrices. In order to do this, an experimental plan was drawn up, detailing the production of cement mortar samples containing different types of fibers from insulation waste, on which freeze-thaw, salt crystallization, water vapor permeability, occluded air content and workability period tests were performed, in order to assess their use as raw materials. The test results show that the properties of these new mortars, containing insulation waste, remain optimal over time making them a sustainable alternative for use in outdoor settings.

This article analyzes the effect of fire on plasterboards with aggregates of plastic cable waste, considering the plaster coating as a strategy to reduce the flammability of the added polymers. A real test was performed, using a direct fire set in a Madrid fire station, and a theoretical estimate of the composition of the gas emissions, focused in CO 2 and CO, during a fire in a type room is presented. The results reflect that there is no clear trend between the evolution of temperatures over time and the amount of plastic waste added to the plaster matrix in the different specimens, but a different behavior is obtained depending on the surroundings where they are located. Temperatures of 600 °C are reached between 5 and 10 min after the start of the fire if they are located in a place with heat containment, and they do not reach 400 °C in the same period of time in a place with less heat containment. It was also observed that gypsum can be considered a passive protection of polymers, as it retards the effect of the flame on them. Concerning the gases released, the theoretical calculations, based on the elemental and thermogravimetric analysis of the plastic cable waste, reveal that the amount of carbon dioxide generated in a fire would not pose a risk to people's health whereas the values obtained for the carbon monoxide exceed the limited considered dangerous to health for a period greater than 15 min. Using plastic cable waste as secondary raw material reduces the number of incinerations to be carried out in landfills with this type of waste, thereby decreasing the potential emission of contaminants into the atmosphere and contributing to the sustainability of our planet.

Reuse is considered as a priority alternative for the management of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The reason is that it is thought that reuse always has a lower environmental impact. However, few studies have evaluated in detail the environmental impacts of reuse, and even fewer have analysed cases of reuse for a purpose other than the original one. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) following the ISO 14040 standard, was employed to assess the environmental impacts of two preparing for reuse processes of desktop computer considered as WEEE, whose results were repurposed products with industrial application: a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a perimeter security system (PSA). These scenarios were compared with other equivalents in which the products come from virgin raw materials. The results showed a worse environmental performance of repurposed PLC than one original, due mainly to differences in distribution and use stages. The greater weight, the shorter lifespan and mainly the higher operating power were responsible for the greater negative effects of the reuse scenario. However, repurposed PSA has a lower negative impact than original equipment in all environmental categories analysed. This was mainly due to its lower operating power and also not having demanding technical characteristics. Therefore, in this case, the usage profile, the composition and the lifespan can be considered as the main factors that determine the environmental advantage of repurposed products. The main conclusion of this work is that the environmental viability of the reuse of WEEE depends on the existing commercial alternatives for the application of the new product obtained; being one of the main factors the power consumption and the lifespan. This constitutes an important aspect to take into account when developing regulations, strategies and policies to prevent the implementation of WEEE management systems with environmental impacts greater than other alternatives. Further, the specific information about environmental performance of repurposing can contribute to the development of new processes of preparing for reuse. In this way, the commercialization of new products from these processes is favoured, which contributes to improving the environmental management of WEEE and the development of the circular economy. Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

El proyecto Waste to Resources (W2R) esta disenando nuevos materiales, fabricados a partir de residuos generados en obras de rehabilitacion, para la mejora de la eficiencia energetica del edificio. En el proyecto se desarrolla un catalogo de materiales de construccion fabricados con residuos de construccion y demolicion (RCD) que son incorporados en matrices de yeso y cemento. Este documento muestra parte de los resultados obtenidos en el proyecto. En concreto se analiza el comportamiento termico de varios materiales de yeso con agregados de poliestireno expandido (EPS), poliestireno extruido (XPS), residuos de vidrio y una mezcla de fibra de lana de vidrio y polvo de vidrio. Ademas, se preparo una muestra de referencia para comparar los resultados. Todas las muestras se analizaron con un analizador de conductividad termica (Modelo C-Therm Tci™) obteniendo las propiedades termicas (efusividad termica, conductividad termica, difusividad termica y capacidad calorifica) de las muestras. Los resultados de conductividad termica de las muestras de referencia se compararon con los obtenidos por otros autores en investigaciones previas los cuales se midieron con otras tecnicas. Ademas, se realizo una exploracion visual de las muestras utilizando un microscopio Dino-Lite ™ digital. Palabras clave: Conductividad termica, Yeso, Residuo de construccion y demolicion, Material de reciclaje.

Construction and demolition waste represents a growing environmental, social, and economic problem, and has become a priority for European and worldwide policies. The early quantification of construction waste is essential for the minimisation of its production and the improvement of waste management. This requires the development of design-based tools that enable a better understanding of the expected waste produced during the construction phase. Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodologies have gained recognition in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector, largely due to their capacity for data simulation, storage, and management during the building design phase. This study presents a software application, called WE-BIM Add-in, to quantify construction waste (CW) while designing the BIM model in Revit. A validated CW quantification model which enables waste types and quantities per building element to be predicted in detail according to the European List of Waste (LoW) is integrated into the Revit workflow. Design alternatives could be effortlessly simulated in real time to assist practitioners in decision-making during the early design stages. Two alternative structural systems of a Spanish residential building were compared: a reinforced concrete structure, Option 1 (O1), and a steel structure, Option 2 (O2). The results were obtained automatically: O2, in addition to reducing 56% of O1′s waste, would have increased the waste recycling rate by 49%; and displayed in Revit, thereby remaining consistent with those of other studies that compare prefabricated systems with in situ systems. This work provides a basis for future research into the automated estimation of construction waste in BIM which could become a useful tool in waste-prevention policies. © 2022 by the authors.

[EN] Waste management is a crucial issue facing modern society. The generation of sewage sludge is increasing annually due to the urbanization and improvement of sanitation systems of cities. The construction sector has emerged as a solution for the elimination of waste due to the enormous volume of materials that this sector can absorb. This paper evaluates the pozzolanic activity of sewage sludge ash (USSA) obtained following an uncontrolled-combustion process, a simple and economic procedure. Compressive strength of Portland cement/USSA mortars with 5%¿25% by weight USSA were evaluated. Calcium hydroxide/USSA and Portland cement/USSA pastes were chemically and physically characterized through thermogravimetric/differential-thermogravimetric (TG/DTG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The increase in the replacement of Portland cement by USSA is associated with an increase in the compressive strength of mortars. These values for USSA containing mortars cured for 90 days were in the range of 49.6¿55.4 MPa, higher than the one reached by the reference mortar. According to the microstructural analysis, the increment on the compressive strength can be attributed to the formation of hydrated products (C¿S¿H, C¿A¿S¿H, and C¿A¿H) by the pozzolanic reaction of USSA., This research was financed in part by the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior-Brasil (Capes)Finance Code 001, and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) (Processo Nos. 309015/2015-4 and 478057/2013-0). Thanks go to the Scanning Electron Microscopy Service of FEIS/UNESP, Servico Municipal Autonomo de Agua e Esgoto (SEMAE) from the Sao Jose do Rio Preto city (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

The objective of this study was to analyze the physico-mechanical properties of gypsum boards including plastic waste aggregates from cable recycling. The plastic cable waste is incor-porated into the gypsum matrix without going through any type of selection and/or treatment, as it is obtained after the cable recycling process. In the experimental process, gypsum boards of different dimensions were manufactured and tested for their Young’s modulus, shock-impact resistance, flexural strength, thermal conductivity, and thermal comfort. The results obtained show a significant increase in the elasticity of the boards with plastic waste (limited cracking), compliance with the minimum value of flexural strength, and a slight improvement in the thermal conductivity coefficient (lower energy demand) and surface comfort (reduced condensation and greater adher-ence). Therefore, the analyzed material could provide a suitable alternative to currently marketed gypsum boards, contributing to sustainable construction not only in new constructions, but also in building renovations. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

In this work, a delignification process, using lime (Ca(OH)2) as an alternative alkali, was evaluated to improve enzymatic saccharification of corn stover cellulose, with the final goal of obtaining second-generation bioethanol. For that, an experimental design was conducted in order to assay the effect of temperature, lime loading, and time on the corn stover fractionation and enzymatic susceptibility of cellulose. Under conditions evaluated, lime pretreatment was selective for the recovery of cellulose (average of 91%) and xylan (average of 75.3%) in the solid phase. In addition, operating in mild conditions, a delignification up to 40% was also attained. On the other hand, a maximal cellulose-to-glucose conversion (CGCMAX) of 89.5% was achieved using the solid, resulting from the treatment carried out at 90 &deg, C for 5 h and lime loading of 0.4 g of Ca(OH)2/g of corn stover. Finally, under selected conditions of pretreatment, 28.7 g/L (or 3.6% v/v) of bioethanol was produced (corresponding to 72.4% of ethanol conversion) by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Hence, the process, based on an alternative alkali proposed in this work, allowed the successful production of biofuel from the important and abundant agro-industrial residue of corn stover.

Con el presente TFG se pretende profundizar en la problemática ambiental de los residuos en general, y más concretamente, en la problemática de los residuos peligrosos. Así, la Ley 22/2011 obliga a las empresas productoras de residuos peligrosos a realizar cada cuatro años un plan de minimización de los residuos peligrosos producidos. Para ello, se desarrollará una herramienta sencilla que le facilite a las pymes esta tarea, así como se presentarán ejemplos de casos prácticos realizados por empresas del sector industrial. El objetivo del presenta trabajo se centra en la realización de estudios de minimización de residuos peligros al que están sujetas las empresas, atendiendo a la legislación vigente. Como objetivos más concretos, se establecen los siguientes: Estudiar la problemática ambiental de los residuos peligrosos y las principales técnicas para la minimización de residuos peligrosos Identificar y conocer la legislación medioambiental vigente en cuanto a residuos peligrosos Desarrollar o proponer una herramienta que facilite la minimización de residuos peligrosos en las pymes. Estudiar casos prácticos reales Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

The reuse of construction and demolition waste is a necessary way to achieve greater sustainability in building, introducing the criteria of the so-called circular economy in the design of the production process of new construction materials. This research focuses on analyzing the properties of mortars made with recycled aggregates from concrete waste and reinforced with aramid fibers. For this purpose, an experimental campaign was carried out, including chemical, physical, mechanical and durability tests, performing a statistical analysis to discuss the different properties analyzed. The results show how the incorporation of aramid fibers in the matrix of cement mortars made with recycled concrete aggregate improves their technical performance and mechanical resistance, thus increasing their application possibilities and achieving similar results in some properties to those obtained with traditional mortars made with natural aggregate. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

This review collates the results obtained in more than 100 scientific publications regarding the performance of concrete with granular coal combustion products (GCCP, commonly referred to as coal bottom ash in literature) as a partial substitute for conventional aggregate. The effects of this by-product on the workability, density and mechanical and durability related properties were analysed. Some conclusions and recommendations are provided to facilitate future research. These recommendations include conducting careful assessments of the specific gravity and water absorption properties of GCCP, replacing conventional aggregate by volume, and compensating the water absorption of GCCP. The use of GCCP as an internal curing water reservoir is proposed as the most promising advanced application. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Waste generated by the Construction Sector represents an environmental problem in many countries. To achieve increasingly eco-efficient waste management, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides an objective method for the quantification of the potential impact that waste management exerts on the environment. Traditionally, LCA has focused on the evaluation of non-prevention scenarios once the waste is generated, mainly by showing the benefits of recycling vs. disposal. Consequently, the literature has hardly addressed the positive environmental impacts caused by waste prevention, that is, the reduction at source, which constitutes the preferred option of any waste management hierarchy. Therefore, this study proposes a model to simulate the environmental performance of the prevention vs. the non-prevention of construction waste production. The model is applied to an urban system of residential buildings in Spain. The results provide evidence of the environmental benefits achieved with the prevention scenario. The prevention scenario reduces the construction waste generated in the non-prevention scenarios by up to 57%. Furthermore, it allows a potential reduction of up to 4.6 and 171.1 times the impact caused by the disposal scenario; and up to 1.7 and 8.3 times those of the recycling scenario. The model can be implemented in other contexts with other reference buildings, and enables the environmental benefits of reduction strategies to be studied, thereby providing a tool to guide and support decision-making during the building design stage. Moreover, the results obtained can help professionals and policymakers to incorporate effective construction waste prevention measures in waste prevention plans and programs. Spanish Government Spanish Government ref. BIA2017-84830-R

The incorporation of crushed glass as a substitute for natural aggregates in mortar and concrete represents a positive impact on the manufacturing processes. The use of glass residues can lead to the improvement of certain properties of sustainable construction products. In these cases, it is important to analyse in detail the behaviour of the material to verify possible applications at an industrial level and contribute to the development of new construction products and solutions. This work studies the behaviour of mortars with recycled glass as a partial replacement of aggregate against common accelerated decay tests, such as salt crystallization, freezing and thermal shock. The influence on the basic physical and mechanical properties has been evaluated by statistical analysis of the results, observing a particularly significant improvement in the resistance of mortars with recycled glass against the expansive action of salt crystallization (>20%). The influence of alteration processes on the internal structure has been analysed by ultrasound transmission tests and its correlation with Young's modulus. The values obtained are in the range of similar materials, having the samples subjected to freezing test a major degree of deterioration. The internal structures have been studied by scanning electron microscopy, observing in samples subjected to salt crystallization tests a greater homogeneity and a lower degree of microcracking in the aggregate/paste interfaces of the glass grains. © 2021 The Author(s)

Prefabricado de cemento resistente al fuego aligerado con residuos industriales de origen polimérico, procedente de techos de vehículos reciclados, elaborado en forma de bloque para la construcción de muros de carga, muros de cerramiento o estructura similar, con la siguiente composición: - cemento comercial; - árido; - residuo triturado con matriz de poliuretano procede de techos de vehículos reciclados; - aditivos, que modifican las propiedades químicas de sus componentes, mejorado sus propiedades, en una proporción de un 1% respecto al peso de cemento y - agua, siendo la dosificación cemento/agregado de 1/6 en peso, considerando el agregado como la suma de arena más el residuo de polímero.

Cement industry production and its materials demand are growing every year, leading to a CO2 and energy footprint increase. The drinking water production is increasing in water treatment plants due to the population growth, raising in turn the waste materials produced. Since these wastes are mainly managed in landfills, this preliminary research work is focused on providing a new sustainable option for valorisation processes, based on the environmental demand of the cement industry. Alkali-activated cements (AACs) can become a proper option to give the water treatment sludge a new life cycle, as they can compete with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) both in properties and sustainability. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate and formulate different AACs based on the use of both raw clay and the water treatment sludge (WTS), as precursors. The raw clay was used without previous thermal dehydroxylation treatment, and the WTS, an aluminosilicate-rich waste, was used partially replacing the raw clay in the AACs formulations. Both precursors and the formulated AACs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In addition, the compressive strength, the chemical stability (hydrolytic degradation), and the environmental impact for each AACs formulation were also determined. The results showed that AACs specimens formulated with 20 wt% of WTS (replacing the raw clay) provided the best results, considering both compressive strength and resistance to hydrolytic degradation. Then, it is possible to formulate AACs using raw clay, without prior thermal dehydroxylation treatment, and WTS as precursors. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

End-of-life (EOL) tires currently present widespread use in the civil engineering field. They have shown high potential in railway applications due to their excellent damping properties. This research involves the development and laboratory-scale validation of a new elastomeric material manufactured by mixing recycled EOL shredded tires and polyurethane resin. The aim of this research is to apply this elastomer in indirect rail fastenings for slab track systems composed of prefabricated concrete blocks embedded in in-situ concrete slabs, commonly used in subway tracks. After characterizing several different mixtures and identifying optimal proportions, four prototypes were tested in an external laboratory in order to validate their mechanical behavior. The test results verified the excellent performance of this elastomer under the specifications of different European Standards and showed its suitability under real conditions in railway tracks. © 2021, The Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering.

Old dwellings usually have shortfalls in insulation, acoustic and thermal, and in security of electrical services in the interior partition walls. A common building solution is to add a wall lining with a laminate base gypsum board that improves both acoustic and thermal insulation and facilitates a new invisible cable layout without demolition. Conventional solutions have had limited success because of time consumption, environmental impact and cost. This research aimed to create an integrated building system to carry out these interior building refurbishment works quickly, cleanly and with low inconvenience and environmental impact. The research specifically focused on incorporating new molded materials that have a low environmental impact and improving the handling and future modification of thewall lining system. In response to the above goals, the product development methodology was applied to the design of an internal panel to be inserted between the existing partition wall and the closure wallboard, which is usually laminated base gypsum board (LGB). The proposed internalpanel is molded with recycled cellulose pulp (Biprocel) and has adequate relief designed to improve cable layout tasks and better join the laminate base gypsum board to the existing wall face. The development resulted from collaboration between the public administration, university researchers and undergraduate students in the co-design process. This research contributes to improving the applications of recycled cellulose fibers in molded panels for the building industry, particularly in refurbishment activities. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Reuse is considered as a priority alternative for the management of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The reason is that it is thought that reuse always has a lower environmental impact. However, few studies have evaluated in detail the environmental impacts of reuse, and even fewer have analysed cases of reuse for a purpose other than the original one. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) following the ISO 14040 standard, was employed to assess the environmental impacts of two preparing for reuse processes of desktop computer considered as WEEE, whose results were repurposed products with industrial application: a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a perimeter security system (PSA). These scenarios were compared with other equivalents in which the products come from virgin raw materials. The results showed a worse environmental performance of repurposed PLC than one original, due mainly to differences in distribution and use stages. The greater weight, the shorter lifespan and mainly the higher operating power were responsible for the greater negative effects of the reuse scenario. However, repurposed PSA has a lower negative impact than original equipment in all environmental categories analysed. This was mainly due to its lower operating power and also not having demanding technical characteristics. Therefore, in this case, the usage profile, the composition and the lifespan can be considered as the main factors that determine the environmental advantage of repurposed products. The main conclusion of this work is that the environmental viability of the reuse of WEEE depends on the existing commercial alternatives for the application of the new product obtained; being one of the main factors the power consumption and the lifespan. This constitutes an important aspect to take into account when developing regulations, strategies and policies to prevent the implementation of WEEE management systems with environmental impacts greater than other alternatives. Further, the specific information about environmental performance of repurposing can contribute to the development of new processes of preparing for reuse. In this way, the commercialization of new products from these processes is favoured, which contributes to improving the environmental management of WEEE and the development of the circular economy. Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG [Abstract] This review collates findings from more than 100 scientific publications regarding the performance of several waste-based porous materials (WASPORs) as water reservoirs for the internal curing of concrete. Results obtained by using recycled concrete aggregates, crushed ceramics, coal bottom ash, artificial waste-based aggregates, different powder materials and porous fibres were included. The influence of these WASPORs on the consistence, hydration, setting, microstructure, density, strength, modulus of elasticity, autogenous deformation, drying shrinkage and durability properties of concrete were analysed. General recommendations for suitable characterization of WASPOR and mix design are also given. The differences in water absorption capacity between the different porous materials studied have been used for explaining several of the observed phenomena. A moderate water absorption capacity together with a quick water desorption capacity were found to be among the key factors that define the internal curing efficiency of the proposed WASPORs. This work has been carried out within the framework of the HACCURACEM project (BIA2017-85657-R), funded by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, State Program for Research, Development and Innovation aimed at the challenges of Society, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2013-2016, Call 2017. We also thank Universidade da Coruña for the grants (Axudas Investigación UDC 2017) that facilitated the stay at the University of Bath (UK)

This paper evaluated the pozzolanic activity of ceramic sanitary ware (CSW) waste when blended with Portland cement (PC). CSW waste units were broken, crushed and milled to reduce their particle size. These particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), laser granulometry, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction tests (XRD), and were then used to replace 0–50wt.% PC CEM I 42.5R in pastes and mortars. Workability of the fresh mortars was assessed by the flow-table spread test, and the mechanical properties and microstructure (thermogravimetry, SEM-EDX, XRD and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy tests) were investigated in samples cured at 20°C for up to 365 days. No significant workability variations were observed with increasing waste contents and, although pozzolanic activity of CSW was relatively slow, it improved with the curing time, and mortars prepared with up to 25wt.% ceramic waste satisfied the requirements established for other pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash. En este artículo se evaluó la actividad puzolánica de residuos de cerámica sanitaria (CSW) en mezclas con cemento Portland (PC). Para reducir su tamaño de partícula se rompieron, trituraron y molieron piezas residuales de cerámica sanitaria. Las partículas resultantes fueron caracterizadas mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM-EDX), granulometría láser, fluorescencia de rayos X (XRF) y difracción de rayos X (XRD), utilizándose posteriormente para reemplazar entre un 0 y un 50% de cemento CEM I 42.5R en pastas y morteros. La trabajabilidad de los morteros frescos se evaluó mediante el método de la mesa de sacudidas, y las propiedades mecánicas y microestructura (análisis termogravimétricos, SEM-EDX, XRD y espectroscopía infrarroja por transformada de Fourier) se investigaron en muestras curadas a 20°C hasta 365 días. No se observaron variaciones significativas en la trabajabilidad al incrementar el contenido de residuo cerámico y, aunque la actividad puzolánica de la CSW fue relativamente lenta, mejoró con el tiempo de curado. Así, los morteros desarrollados con hasta un 25% en peso del residuo cerámico cumplieron con los requisitos normativos establecidos para otros materiales puzolánicos, como las cenizas volantes. The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for supporting this research through Project ECOSOST RTI-2018-097612-B-C21, and to FEDER funding. They also thank the Institute for Science and Technology of Concrete (ICITECH) and Universitat Jaume I for providing the means to perform this study. Thanks are extended to the Scientific Instrumentation Centre of the Universitat Jaume I and the Electron Microscopy Service of the Universitat Politècnica de València for their help with the microstructural characterization analyses.

Spent fluorescent lamps glass (SFLG) waste, manually and mechanically processed in a lamps waste treatment plant, was used to partially replace up to 50 wt% Portland cement (PC). Both waste types exhibited similar pozzolanic activity. The mortars containing up to 35 wt% SFLG met the specifications for other pozzolanic materials (e.g. fly ash) and, after 90 curing days, their compressive strength values were similar to or higher than those of the 100% PC sample (58.8 MPa). Our results provide an alternative reutilization process for this hazardous waste to reuse SFLG as-received (no washing to reduce mercury) and contributes to less PC use. © 2021 The Author(s)

Els procediments d’edificació van evolucionant i, seguint la tendència general de la indústria, a poc a poc van entrant en el mètode de sistematització de processos. Concretament per al projecte d’un centre de dia per a gent gran el procediment d’edificació que es va proposar va ser un sistema mixt, format per un tipus d’obra tradicional in situ al costat d’un sistema de construccions modulars, fabricades a molta distància de l’emplaçament definitiu de l’edifici. Les característiques generals de l’edifici eren: - Edifici aïllat, amb una topografia de vials sensiblement inclinada. - Planta semisoterrani destinada a serveis generals i zona d’estar i menjador. - Planta baixa amb dependències administratives i habitacions. - Plantes primera i segona amb un ús majoritari per a habitacions. - Superfície construïda sota rasant de 830 m2 i sobre rasant de 1.628 m2.

Every day a wide amount of wastes is generated and landfilled, without giving them any new use. Among these wastes, biomass gathered from nature, as agricultural or forest wastes are found. From collecting and treating this biomass, a new composite can be obtained, reducing its environmental footprint. In this context, the present study focuses on the use of lignin produced from a bio-residue collected from the Trasimeno lake (Italy), to form gypsum-based plasters for building applications. Several compositions were formulated considering two types of gypsum, different in purity and mechanical strength. The goal was to maximize the lignin content in a gypsum matrix maintaining acceptable mechanical and thermophysical performance. Lignin weight contents ranging from 0% (100% gypsum) to 100% (0% gypsum) were taken into account, considering also the proportions: 30-70%, 50-50%, 70-30%. Thermo-acoustic and mechanical characterization of these materials was carried out for the first time. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of the composites was closer to the only-lignin ones, resulting in promising thermal insulation results for building application. However, from an acoustical point of view, when increasing the lignin content, acoustic insulation decreased. In terms of mechanical performance, gypsum building plaster exhibited an improved performance with 50 and 70% lignin content, significantly outperforming all other studied gypsums. This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España (RTI2018-093849-B-C31 – MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades – Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (RED2018-102431-T). The authors at University of Lleida would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to their research group (2017 SGR 1537). GREiA is certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology developers from the Government of Catalonia. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme and by the Italian project SOS-CITTA’ supported by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia under grant agreement No 2018.0499.026. Laura Boquera acknowledgments are due to the PhD school in Energy and Sustainable Development from University of Perugia.

The building industry is responsible for considerable environmental impacts due to its consumption of resources and energy, and the production of wastes. Circular Economy (CE), a new paradigm can significantly improve the sustainability of this sector. This paper performs a quantitative scientific evolution analysis of the application of CE in the building sector to detect new trends and highlight the evolvement of this research topic. Around 7000 documents published 2005 to 2020 at Web of Science and Scopus were collected and analyzed. The bibliometric indicators, network citation, and multivariate statistical analysis were obtained using Bibliometrix R-package and VOSviewer. The co-occurrence analysis showed five keyword-clusters, in which the three main ones are: (i) energy and energy efficiency in buildings; (ii) recycling, waste management and alternative construction materials; (iii) sustainable development. The analysis showed that researchers pay close attention to 'sustainability', 'energy efficiency', 'life cycle assessment', 'renewable energy', and 'recycling' in the past five years. This paper highlights that (i) the development and use of alternative construction materials; (ii) the development of circular business models; (iii) smart cities, Industry 4.0 and their relations with CE, are the current research hotspots that may be considered as potential future research topics. The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTI2018-093849-B-C33 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE), RTI2018-093849-B-C31 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) and CTQ2016-77968-C3-1-P (MINECO/FEDER) and thank the Catalan Government (2017-SGR-1409, 2017-SGR-1537, and 2019 FI-B-00762). This work was partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (RED2018-102431-T). GREiA is a certified agent TECNIO in the category of technology developers from the Government of Catalonia. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme.

Mortero cerámico que comprende conglomerante y áridos, donde el conglomerante es cemento natural, caracterizado por el hecho de que los áridos presentan un tamaño medio de partícula inferior a 4 mm e incluyen una mezcla de áridos de machaqueo y ladrillo triturado, donde el ladrillo triturado presenta una distribución de tamaño de partícula multimodal, de modo que se produce una acomodación de unas partículas con otras en función de sus distintos tamaños en el mismo mortero.

The incorporation of waste of different nature as components of mortars and cement concretes is a scientifically valid option that allows us to obtain a positive environmental balance in the manufacturing process of these construction materials. Considering the capacity of improvement of the thermal properties provided by glass, this work approaches the recovery by forced rehydration of mortars based on recycled glass after undergoing a process of heating at high temperature. Its mineralogical by XRD, structural evolution by SEM, X-ray computed tomography and DTA/TGA along with its physical-mechanical properties has been analyzed. Results have shown that, although the initial influence of glass can lead to inconsistent results according to the dosage and alteration process suffered, the favourable effect of the crushed glass after a thermal degradation and the subsequent rehydration treatment is observed. The rehydrated material based on recycled glass develops a capacity of mechanical recovery 6.2 times higher than the conventional mortar. This is due to the thermal an alkaline activation of amorphous silica, which favours the new formation of hydrated silicates as manifested the variation of the eccentricity coefficient of the pores: 0.5707 for conventional mortar and 0.6627 for glass based one. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd