Light Cementitious Composites with Wastes from the Footwear Industry

Abstract

Emphasizing the cost reduction and the sustainable development, the construction sector, is more and more, in search of the possibility of the use of non-conventional materials produced with industrial waste or from renewable sources. The large volume of industrial waste constitutes a serious environmental problem. The use of sisal fiber with fiber-cement reinforcement is strategically for the national development, because Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of this fiber. The present study aims to contribute to the viability of the use of SBR waste in the footwear industry and the sisal fiber, in the development of light cementitious composites. The mechanical and physical properties of the composites were evaluated, with cement or plaster matrix, varying the levels of SBR waste incorporation and the production technique, through tests of absorption and flexural strength. The viability of the materials was proved for a possible use in the production of light construction elements, such as plates and panels, for thermal protection of masonry, seeking energy efficiency of buildings.