Circularity in Concrete Construction

Résumé

The construction industry accounts for 33% of the global emissions of greenhouse gases and makes use of a whopping 40% of global resources. In addition, statistics reveal that over 10 billion tons of construction waste are produced yearly worldwide. It is therefore essential to promote circular economy principles in this sector to ensure lower wastage of resources and greater sustainability. Along these lines, this study aimed to investigate the possibility of reducing the demand for formwork by studying the effects of reusing pine formwork with differing concrete workability on the properties of hardened concrete. For this purpose, concrete cubes of Grade 35 were cast into four formwork categories, namely steel (control for this study), new pine softwood formwork, pine softwood formwork used once on site, and pine softwood formwork used thrice on site, utilising concrete mixes with varying water-to-cement ratios. Three tests were conducted to investigate the strength and durability of the concrete, namely compressive strength, water absorption, and chloride content penetration. The findings of this study demonstrated that pine softwood formwork has the potential to be reused up to a maximum of three times if utilised with a water-reducing admixture. The results of this study can help to promote circular economy principles in the construction sector by informing engineers and other construction professionals of the potential scenarios for reuse of the softwood formwork and adapting the mix design accordingly, while also developing good site management principles for reducing waste from formwork.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Texte intégral en lecture en ligne, réservé aux abonnés SPHAERO et aux membres de l'institution. Se connecter

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0