In this paper, tile ceramic waste (TCW) 1 , red clay bricks (RCB) and ceramic sanitaryware (CSW) were used as the partial replacement (14-30 wt.%) of natural limestone aggregates to produce structural concrete. The natural and recycled aggregates were characterised, and the strength and density of the hardened concrete were investigated after 7 and 28 curing days at room temperature. The TCW concrete obtained the best compressive strength results (strength gain of up to 7% with 20 wt.% waste after 28 curing days). The mechanical properties of the CSW recycled concrete were similar to those of traditional samples, and slightly diminished with curing time and aggregate substitution, with a maximum strength loss of 5.77% for the 30 wt.% replacement. Although the RCB concrete presented the greatest strength loss (up to 18.4% after 7 curing days), it exhibited the best improvement of the strength with curing time, which resulted in a strength loss of only 11% in the 30 wt.% RCB concretes cured for 28 days. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using TCW and CSW as recycled aggregates in structural concrete production without significantly affecting the developed recycled concrete's compressive strength.
Achieving sustainable urban environments is a challenging goal—especially in existing cities with high percentages of old and obsolete buildings. This work analyzes the contribution of roof refurbishment to sustainability, considering that most roofs are currently underused. Many potential benefits of refurbishment can be achieved, such as the improvement of the energy performance of the buildings and the use of a wasted space for increasing green areas or for social purposes. In order to estimate the degree of the improvement, a vulnerable area in Castellón (east Spain) was selected as a case study. A thorough analysis of the residential building stock was undertaken. Using georeferenced information from the Cadastral Office we classified them according to typology, year of construction and roof type. Some refurbishment solutions were proposed and their applicability to the actual buildings was analyzed under different criteria. The theoretical benefits obtained in the neighborhood such as energy and carbon emissions savings were evaluated, together with the increase of green areas. Moreover, other social uses were suggested for neglected urban spaces in the area. Finally, a more accurate analysis was performed combining different solutions in a specific building, according to its particular characteristics.
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