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The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of using basalt fibers as the reinforcement phase in fiber-cement products which was the fiber-reinforced construction materials used for roof, wall, ceiling, and floor applications. The feasibility study included (1) the alkaline resistant test of the basalt fibers by soaking the basalt fibers in 1 N Ca(OH)2 up to 28 days, and (2) the mechanical test based on ASTM C1185 standard on the fiber-cement board that used basalt fibers as a reinforcement phase. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to characterize the basalt fibers after alkaline resistant test. The basalt-fiber reinforced cement board was produced on the industrial level by using Hatschek process.From the alkaline resistant test, basalt fibers had well alkaline resistant. From the mechanical test, the modulus of rupture (MOR) of basalt-fiber reinforced cement boards passed the requirement of TIS 1427-2540 and ASTM C1186 standard. Therefore, basalt fibers could be considered as a good candidate for using as a reinforcement phase in the fiber-cement products.

The aim of this work was to reduce the water absorption of the fiber-cement composites, which is also known as fiber-cement products, by the crystal modification of cement matrix using the additives including polyurethane-based corn starch–lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), and acrylic resin emulsion-based chitosan-silicate hybrid compound. To prepare the samples, the mixtures consisting Portland cement Type I, sand, cellulose fibers from pine trees, gypsum, and additive were mixed with water. The percentages of additive in the mixtures before mixing with water were 0.03 to 0.17 wt%. The green sheets of samples were formed by filter-pressing method, air cured for 1 day, and then autoclaved at 8 bars and 140°C for 12 h. The experimental results indicated that the water absorption of the samples was reduced when polyurethane-based corn starch–lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) was used as the additive due to the crystallization of the small crystals within cement matrix, while their mechanical properties including modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the samples using this additive conform industrial standard.

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The aim of this work is to study the recycling of glass cullet (waste glass), fly ash, and rice husk ash as the foam glass, a porous construction material having high compressive strength but low density, which are similar to the light weight brick. The foam glasses were prepared by mixing the ground glass cullet/ash mixtures with calcium carbonate (foaming agent) at 1 wt% and sodium silicate solution (binder) at 10 wt%, and then compacted into the rectangle shapes (30 cm × 30 cm × 7cm) which were fired at 650 °C for 30 min, and then for 1 hour at 750, 800, 850, or 900 °C. The sources of glass cullet were art glass factory and glass window industry. The percentages of ash in the ground glass cullet/ash (fly ash or rice husk ash) mixtures were 20, 40, and 60 wt%. The results showed that the foam glass that was made from 80wt% window glass/ 20wt% fly ash and fired at 750 °C had the most suitable properties for being produced commercially because it had good alkaline resistant, and the compressive strength and degree of water absorption better than the light weight brick (G2-type and G4-type autoclaved aerated concrete) while the density was similar to G2-type but lower than G4-type. The compressive strength, density, and degree of water absorption of this foam glass were 59.9 kg/cm2, 421 kg/m3, and 2.1 % respectively. Furthermore, as of September 2013, the total production cost (materials, labor, energy, etc.) of this foam glass is about 16 baht per piece (20 cm × 60 cm × 7.5 cm) which is 12.5 to 43.75% lower than the wholesale price of a light weight brick (18-23 baht per piece for G2-type and G4-type autoclaved aerated concrete).