Sustainable Construction Materials and Applications
Research group information
Unit and faculty
Contact information
Research group leader
- Associate Professor (Tenure Track)
Researchers
Research group description
Our research group is particularly focusing on utilizing mining and urban mining residues into alternative raw materials for construction. In this process, pre-treating the industrial residues are imperative to enhance the properties, tailored to specific applications. By employing such pretreated industrial residues, we formulate sustainable binders (such as supplementary cementitious materials or SCM, alkali-activated materials or AAM, and ettringite binders), granulated lightweight aggregates, and alternative fine aggregates (such as sand or filler), and evaluate them in targeted applications using cement pastes, mortars, and concrete samples to assess their fresh properties, mechanical characteristics, durability performance, and environmental impacts.
Most of our projects focus on,
- Industrial residues from incineration process, construction & demolition activities and mining operations
- Treatment methods such as mechanical, mechanochemical, chemical, thermal, carbonation on industrial residues
- Binder systems: supplementary cementitious materials, alkali activated binders, ettringite based binders, limestone-calcined clay composition
- Granulation and carbonation of industrial residues: applications in lightweight concrete, in geotech and road subbase layer
- Providing sustainable solutions for mining industries: utilizing tailings and waste rocks in various applications at mine site, including backfill or controlled low-strength materials, stabilization, shotcrete for underground tunnel linings, and as cover layers in tailings ponds
- Special applications: indoor panels for thermal and acoustic insulations, porcelain tiles, high-value ceramics
- Durability criteria: grasping the behavior of innovative, sustainable construction materials under various weather conditions, particularly those specific to harsh Arctic climates
- System approach: life cycle and end-of-life assessments, multicriteria analysis including cost and environmental benefits
- Pilot studies on construction materials and applications with industrial partners