Physico-mechanical characterization of non-stabilized Compressed Earth Blocks

<p>Recent challenges faced by humanity in relation to the ongoing climatic changes around the globe, have led many practitioners and researchers search for new environmentally friendly materials to use in construction, such as earth-based materials. A specific form of an earth-based building material that nowadays receives particular attention is Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs). CEBs comprise of soil mixed at low moisture content and are formed under high pressure in compression, without firing. The end-products can be non-stabilized, i.e., without any cement or lime added, or stabilized, whereby a small quantity of stabilizer (<12% by weight) is added, mainly for enhancing their mechanical and durability properties. CEBs, particularly the non-stabilized ones, are considered to be less expensive and environmentally friendlier, compared to the traditional fired clay bricks, due to their lower production cost and excellent recyclability potential, which significantly reduces the end-product’s environmental impact.</p><p>In Cyprus, CEBs were not used in the past, as the prevailing earth building technique on the island was adobe masonry. Recently, however, there appears to be an interest in the use of this material for contemporary construction. The work hereby presented is part of an ongoing research project that focuses on the design, production and characterization of a sustainable and eco-friendly prototype CEB masonry system that will be fabricated using raw materials originating from Cyprus. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus, through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (Project ENTERPRISES/0618/0007).</p><p>In the framework of the aforementioned project, various types of locally sourced soils, with different mineralogical/granular composition and plasticity characteristics have been selected and used for the production of non-stabilized CEBs. A series of tests, including particle-size analysis, Atterberg limits determination, shrinkage and compaction measurements, and X-ray diffraction analyses have been carried out to determine the characteristics of the raw materials selected. In addition, compression and 3-point bending tests, capillary absorption measurements and thermal conductivity analyses have been conducted to assess the physico-mechanical properties of the CEBs produced.</p><p>XRD analyses have shown that the soils investigated are mainly composed of carbonates and silicates at different ratios. Preliminary capillary absorption tests have demonstrated that the use of a non-reactive liquid, such as acetone, is better over water in determining the sorptivity of non-stabilized CEBs. In addition, the thermal conductivity of all specimens ranged between 0.60-0.85 W/mK. Finally, the results suggest that, despite the different granular composition of the soils used, all soils demonstrated adequate mechanical properties in terms of compressive (over 5 MPa) and flexural (over 0.5 MPa) strength.  </p>

Occupational Exposure to Dust Produced when Milling Thermally Modified Wood

During production, thermally modified wood is processed using the same machining operations as unmodified wood. Machining wood is always accompanied with the creation of dust particles. The smaller they become, the more hazardous they are. Employees are exposed to a greater health hazard when machining thermally modified wood because a considerable amount of fine dust is produced under the same processing conditions than in the case of unmodified wood. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states that wood dust causes cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and of the nasopharynx. Wood dust is also associated with toxic effects, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, dermatitis, and respiratory system effects which include decreased lung capacity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and allergic reactions. In our research, granular composition of particles resulting from the process of longitudinal milling of heat-treated oak and spruce wood under variable conditions (i.e., the temperature of modification of 160, 180, 200 and 220 °C and feed rate of 6, 10 and 15 m.min−1) are presented in the paper. Sieve analysis was used to determine the granular composition of particles. An increase in fine particle fraction when the temperature of modification rises was confirmed by the research. This can be due to the lower strength of thermally modified wood. Moreover, a different effect of the temperature modification on granularity due to the tree species was observed. In the case of oak wood, changes occurred at a temperature of 160 °C and in the case of spruce wood, changes occurred at the temperatures of 200 and 220 °C. At the temperatures of modification of 200 and 220 °C, the dust fraction (i.e., that occurred in the mesh sieves, particles with the size ≤ 0.08 mm) ranged from 2.99% (oak wood, feed rate of 10 m.min−1) to 8.07% (spruce wood, feed rate of 6 m.min−1). Such particles might have a harmful effect on employee health in wood-processing facilities.

The sintering of the ceramic materials based on the North-Onega bauxitized clay. Part 1. The granular composition effect

The alumina-silicate material's granular composition effect on its sintering behavior was investigated in the article. It was shown that the average particle size decreasing, the chemical and material compositions being equal, allowed to prepare stronger materials.Ill.2. Ref. 6. Tab. 4.