The sustainable use of agricultural, industrial and human waste products as raw materials in the construction industry has been extensively investigated. This study aimed to conceive an innovative concrete composition mainly using recycled materials, which, as a result as waste from human activities and natural organic growth, such as animal bones and human hair, will be used in different mixtures in order to prepare concrete specimens. More specifically, the effect of these materials upon the final concrete strength was investigated, as well as how their petrographic characteristics may influence the durability of concrete specimens. Special emphasis was placed on the effect of the artificial increase in bone and hair microroughness and how these can improve the mechanical strength of the final product. The research results point towards the fact that the percentage of the replacement of natural aggregate rocks by animal bones tends to be enhanced by the increase in their microroughness using quartz primer. In addition, the use of bones with increased artificial microroughness and a certain percentage of human hair with increased microtopography seems to be the ideal mixture for the replacement of natural aggregates for the production of normal concrete.
The present study deals with the characterization of a ceramic assemblage from the Late Mycenaean (Late Helladic III) settlement of Kastrouli, at Desfina near Delphi, Central Greece using various analytical techniques. Kastrouli is located in a strategic position supervising the Mesokampos plateau and the entire peninsula and is related to other nearby coeval settlements. In total 40 ceramic sherds and 8 clay raw materials were analyzed through mineralogical, petrographic and microstructural techniques. Experimental briquettes (DS) made from clayey raw materials collected in the vicinity of Kastrouli, were fired under temperatures (900 and 1050 °C) in oxidizing conditions for comparison with the ancient ceramics. The petrographic analysis performed on thin sections prepared from the sherds has permitted the identification of six main fabric groups and a couple of loners. The aplastic inclusions recognized in all fabric groups but one confirmed the local provenance since they are related to the local geology. Fresh fractures of representative sherds were further examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS) helping us to classify them into calcareous (CaO > 6%) and non-calcareous (CaO < 6%) samples (low and high calcium was noted in earlier pXRF data). Here, the ceramic sherds with broad calcium separation are explored on a one-to-one comparison on the basis of detailed mineralogical microstructure. Moreover, their microstructure was studied, aiming to estimate their vitrification stage. The mineralogy of all studied samples was determined by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), permitting us to test the validity of the firing temperatures revealed by the SEM analysis. The results obtained through the various analytical techniques employed are jointly assessed in order to reveal potters’ technological choices.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.