Research was published in journal Construction and Building Materials
Photo: annawaldl/Pixabay
In every construction site, a large number of waste is produced. What if this waste was reused in concrete or mortar? This is what the research coordinated by Jairo Andrade, professor of PUCRS’ School of Engineering, is trying to demonstrate. The study is intended to minimize the improper disposal of these products and to aggregate value to them. The research has been published in the international journal Construction and Building Materials.
Andrade claims that due to technical norms, this material still cannot be used as a structural element for the construction of buildings, but for other non structural applications, such as: curbs, lintels and sills and pavement blocks. “We’re checking whether it is possible to use it in plaster, a protective and decorative coating of walls”, explains he.
The study, which is being tested at the University, was carried out in support of the master’s thesis recently defended by civil engineer Sérgio Roberto da Silva, in the Graduate Program in Engineering and Materials Technology (PGETEMA) of PUCRS. Despite the fact that there is a large number of investigations on the reuse of construction waste, Andrade says there is a lot more to be done. “There are many aspects that need to be addressed before we come to a final conclusion about where the material can be employed, and its behavior over time and the possible environmental interactions, especially because we’re talking about waste”, comments he.
