The addition of mineral fibres waste does not affect the functionality of mortars.• The porous structure of admixed fibres mortars is similar to that of the reference.• Waste mineral fibres are an alternative to current commercial reinforcements.• Mortars reinforced with mineral fibres waste minimize environmental impact.
a b s t r a c tMineral wool is currently the most used insulation in the European Union, and quantities of this waste have increased alarmingly in the last decade, making it essential to recycle or reuse the material, which is not current practice. This study aims to verify the feasibility of compounds of a cement base with additives of insulating mineral fibre residues recovered from the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW). For this purpose, experiments were designed to classify the physical-chemical behaviour of architectural mineral wool waste, and that of mortars incorporating them to determine their porosity due to the effects of these fibres on the properties of the compounds. The results obtained show that both the structure and chemical composition as well as the microstructure of the reinforced mortars are viable, and that they would therefore be a sustainable alternative to the current mortars of composite materials.
Waste mineral fibres are an alternative to current commercial reinforcements.• Mortars reinforced with mineral fibers waste minimize environmental impact.• There is a good connection between the cementitious matrix and the residues.• It is possible to replace large amount of the volume of sand used by mineral fiber waste.
Compounds are made of gypsum and plastic cable waste as aggregates.• Water absorption and retention capacity are lower in compounds with plastic waste.• Plastic cable waste addition decreases the total pore volume maintaining the size.• Plastic cable waste in gypsum matrices decreases the use of natural resources.• Compounds with plastic cable waste minimise environmental impacts in construction.
With the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the scientific academia, as well as policymakers, are striving to conceive solutions as an attempt to contain the spreading of contagion. Among the adopted measures, severe lockdown restrictions were issued to avoid the diffusion of the virus in an uncontrolled way through public spaces. It can be deduced from recent literature that the primary route of transmission is via aerosols, produced mainly in poorly ventilated interior areas where infected people spend a lot of time with other people.
Concerning contagion rates, accumulated incidence or number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19, Spain, and Italy have reached very high levels. In this framework, a regression analysis to assess the feasibility of the indoor ventilation measures established in Spain and Italy, with respect to the European framework, is here presented. To this aim, ten cases of housing typology were and analyzed. The results show that the measures established in the applicable regulations to prevent and control the risk of contagion by aerosols are not adequate to guarantee a healthy environment indoors. The current Italian guidelines are more restrictive than in Spain, yet the ventilation levels are still insufficient in times of pandemic.
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