Applications of Biopolymers in Construction Engineering

Plank, Johann

doi:10.1002/3527600035.bpola002

Cited by 55 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Polysaccharides are therefore readily available materials which can be obtained at a low cost from renewable sources and consequently have been adopted within in a wide range of applications including agriculture, the food industry, textile and paper manufacturing as well as more recent developments like biomedical materials and bio-plastics (Nussinovitch, 1997). There are various examples of biopolymers being used in building materials and in fact such organic materials were used widely during the Roman era where locally available natural products would be used to enhance the properties of concrete and masonry materials (Plank, 2005;Quagliarini and Lenci, 2010). Today biopolymers like lignosulphonate, derivatives of starch and cellulose and various water-soluble polysaccharides are used in a wide range of construction applications including concrete, mortars and grouts, plasters, plasterboards, paints and oil well drilling fluids (Plank, 2005;Vieira et al, 2005).…”

Section: The Use Of Biopolymers In Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks

2016

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Unfired clay bricks are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional masonry materials such as fired bricks and concrete blocks but their use is currently limited by their relatively poor mechanical and durability properties. While products like cement and lime are commonly added to earthen materials in an effort to improve their physical performance, these additives can also have a negative influence on the overall environmental impact. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of alginate, a natural and renewable biopolymer obtained from brown seaweeds, as an admixture for unfired clay blocks. A total of 5 different alginates have been investigated and combined with 3 soil compositions to create prototype specimens which have then been characterised and compared in relation to flexural and compressive strength, microstructure, abrasive strength and hygroscopic behaviour. The results demonstrate that improvements in mechanical strength are dependent on the type of alginate used and the composition of the soil. The greatest increase in compressive strength is achieved using an alginate sourced from the Laminaria Hyperborea seaweed and offers a value more than double that of the equivalent control specimen. Increases in the alginate dosage do not necessarily lead to an increase in strength suggesting that there is an optimum concentration at which strength improvement is most effective.

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Section: The Use Of Biopolymers In Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks

2016

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“…They are commonly used as thickeners or emulsifiers in food and medical products, due to their gelphase rheological characteristics [51]. Since the introduction of biopolymers in construction engineering [68], their use for geotechnical engineering purposes has also been explored [13,20,35,46,66]. Recent studies on microbial biopolymers externally produced in culture tanks, such as polysaccharides, have demonstrated remarkable strengthening efficiency in such applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shear strength behavior and parameters of microbial gellan gum-treated soils: from sand to clay

2018

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Microbial biopolymers have recently been introduced as a new material for soil treatment and improvement. Biopolymers provide significant strengthening to soil, even in small quantities (i.e., at 1/10th or less of the required amount of conventional binders, such as cement). In particular, thermo-gelating biopolymers, including agar gum, gellan gum, and xanthan gum, are known to strengthen soils noticeably, even under water-saturated conditions. However, an explicitly detailed examination of the microscopic interactions and strengthening characteristics between gellan gum and soil particles has not yet been performed. In this study, a series of laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of soil-gellan gum interactions on the strengthening behavior of gellan gum-treated soil mixtures (from sand to clay). The experimental results showed that the strengths of sand-clay mixtures were effectively increased by gellan gum treatment over those of pure sand or clay. The strengthening behavior is attributed to the conglomeration of fine particles as well as to the interconnection of fine and coarse particles, by gellan gum. Gellan gum treatment significantly improved not only interparticle cohesion but also the friction angle of clay-containing soils.

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“…The use of air lime mortars with the addition of vegetable fat goes back to Vitruvius of the Roman Empire (Albert, 1995). The Romans also had recognized the role of bio-admixtures to improve their building materials; for example, dried blood was used as an air-entraining agent, whereas biopolymers such as proteins served as set retarders for gypsum (Plank, 2003).…”

Section: Biopolymers and Biotech Admixtures For Eco-efficient Construmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction to biopolymers and biotech admixtures for eco-efficient construction materials

Pacheco-Torgal

2016

Biopolymers and Biotech Admixtures for Eco-Efficient Construction Materials

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Applications of Biopolymers in Construction Engineering

Abstract: Introduction Historical Outline The Construction Industry Size of the Industry Building Materials Chemicals Used in Construction Major Building Materials Concrete Grouts and Mortars Wall… Show more

Cited by 55 publications

References 13 publications

Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks

Seaweed biopolymers as additives for unfired clay bricks

Shear strength behavior and parameters of microbial gellan gum-treated soils: from sand to clay

Introduction to biopolymers and biotech admixtures for eco-efficient construction materials

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