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Transforming Municipal Solid Waste into Construction Materials

Author

Listed:
  • Massoud Sofi

    (Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia)

  • Ylias Sabri

    (Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering & Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia)

  • Zhiyuan Zhou

    (Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia)

  • Priyan Mendis

    (Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia)

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation and the associated infrastructure development are creating a deficit of conventional construction materials and straining the natural resources. On the other hand, municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal poses a serious environmental problem. Landfilling of MSW is both costly and polluting. Incineration of MSW to generate energy is a commonly adopted approach. However, there are concerns associated with micro pollutants emitted from the combustion process. The carbon footprint of the process and the environmental cost–benefit balancing are disputable. There is clearly a need to adopt cost-effective alternatives to treat MSW. This paper proposes the potential application of “treated” MSW as an ingredient for construction materials. The treatment process involves placing MSW in an autoclave at 150 °C with 5 bars (0.5 MPa), followed by the separation of metals, plastics and glass for recycling purposes. The end-product, which is a semi-organic mixture (referred to as ‘biomass’), is passed through a vortex-oscillation system, which makes it more uniform as a material. Compressive testing of Portland cement-based pastes containing 10% and 15% biomass shows consistency in the results, demonstrating the potential use of biomass in construction materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Massoud Sofi & Ylias Sabri & Zhiyuan Zhou & Priyan Mendis, 2019. "Transforming Municipal Solid Waste into Construction Materials," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-22, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:9:p:2661-:d:229743
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dongliang Zhang & Guangqing Huang & Yimin Xu & Qinghua Gong, 2015. "Waste-to-Energy in China: Key Challenges and Opportunities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Pode, Ramchandra, 2016. "Potential applications of rice husk ash waste from rice husk biomass power plant," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1468-1485.
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    Cited by:

    1. Olga Lingaitienė & Aurelija Burinskienė & Vida Davidavičienė, 2022. "Case Study of Municipal Waste and Its Reliance on Reverse Logistics in European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-24, February.
    2. Batara Surya & Hamsina Hamsina & Ridwan Ridwan & Baharuddin Baharuddin & Firman Menne & Andi Tenri Fitriyah & Emil Salim Rasyidi, 2020. "The Complexity of Space Utilization and Environmental Pollution Control in the Main Corridor of Makassar City, South Sulawesi, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-41, November.
    3. Szymon Węgliński & Gabriel Martysz, 2024. "Utilization of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash in Cement-Bound Mixtures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Xueguo Xu & Tingting Xu & Meizeng Gui, 2020. "Incentive Mechanism for Municipal Solid Waste Disposal PPP Projects in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.

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