The construction sector is responsible for around 37% of global emissions of the carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Therefore, reducing gas emissions, in this construction sector, is particularly important ,given the progressing climate change. For this reason, limiting its emissions and limiting the emission of other greenhouse gases in this sector, is of particular importance in view of the progress of climate change. It is important that new construction products have less impact on the environment during their entire life cycle, and their production has been decoupled from the use of primary energy. In this work, selected properties of geopolymeric materials were examined. Geopolymers are inorganic aluminosilicate polymers with an amorphous microstructure, which may be an alternative in certain applications, for products based on Portland cement. Here, the properties of geopolymer mortars, i.e. porosity, microstructure and mechanical strength, were compared. The influence of the composition of reaction mixture on these properties, defined by the appropriate SiO2/Al2O3 and SiO2/Na2O molar ratios, was also defined. The results show that increasing the content of SiO2 in relation to Al2O3 in the composition of the reaction mixture, reduces porosity. Thus, leading to a more compact microstructure and higher mechanical strength. A similar effect occurs when a higher NaOH solution concentration is used, in comparison to the sodium silicate [Na2SiO3] solution.

A modified method of interpreting a heat flux differential scanning calorimetry records in pore structure determination is presented. The method consists of determining the true phase transition energy distribution due to the melting of water during a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating run. A set of original apparatus functions was developed to approximate the recorded calorimetric signals to the actual processes of the water phase transition at a given temperature. The validity of the proposed calorimetric curves-based algorithm was demonstrated through tests on a cement mortar sample. The correct analysis required taking into account both the thermal inertia of the calorimeter and the thermal effects that are associated with water transitions over the fairly narrow temperature ranges close to 0 °C. When evaluating energy distribution without taking the shifts of the proposed modified algorithm into account, the volume of the pores with radii bigger than 20 nm was greatly overestimated, while that of the smaller pores (rp < 20 nm) was underestimated, in some cases by approximately 70%.

Modernized technological processes or increasing demands on building materials force the scientific community to analyze in more detail the suitability of individual raw materials and deposits. New or modernized research methodologies make it possible to better understand not only the geometrical structure of the pore space of materials but also the processes taking place in them and the interaction of many factors at the same time. Despite the extensive literature in the field of research on capillary-porous materials, scientists still face many challenges because not everything is known. Carbonate rocks are the most common (one-tenth of Earth’s crust) sedimentary rocks. Analysis of the test results obtained with the use of the modernized differentia analysis of volumetric strain (DAVS) methodology allows for a better adjustment of rock deposits to the products that can be produced from them. In this manner, it is possible that it will contribute to a more rational use of exhaustible rock deposits and not only carbonate ones. This research subject is of great importance for modern science, which was also noted in many of science publications.

This article describes the use of recycled glass sand in the production of autoclaved products. Traditional autoclaved bricks consist of crystalline sand, lime and water. The conducted research aimed at the complete elimination of quartz sand in favor of glass sand. This work focuses on porosity as the functional property of the materials. The aim of this article is to determine the number and structure of the pores of autoclaved bricks. Two types of research were carried out: (a) non-destructive, i.e., computed tomography examination as a pictorial and quantitative method and (b) mercury porosimetry as a quantitative method, i.e., a test that exposes the porous skeleton of the material for destruction. The tests showed the presence of pores with a size in the range of 0.1 ÷ 100 μm, and the volume of voids in the material was determined at the level of about 20% for the sample modified with glass sand (GS) and for the reference sample made of traditional silicate brick. In order to complete the research on the internal structure of autoclaved bricks, microstructure studies were performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tests showed the presence of tobermorite in the reference sample (with 90% QS-quartz sand) and the presence of natrolite and gyrolite in the sample modified by glass sand (90% GS).

This article analyzes the results of capillary rise, compressive strength and water absorption tests on solid ceramic bricks from existing structures and demolition materials taken from 11 different structures. In addition (for more extensive interpretation and evaluation of porosity), tests were performed for the selected series of bricks using a mercury porosimeter (MIP) and a micro computed tomography (micro-CT). Contemporary bricks (2 series) were also evaluated for comparison purposes. The conducted tests indicate that bricks obtained from different sources are characterized by “individual” relation of compressive strength and porosity, and “individual” relation of water absorption coefficient and porosity. In addition, on the basis of the results obtained in the study, compared with the literature data, it can be deduced that ceramic bricks with a water absorption coefficient of less than 50 g/m2s0.5 are characterized by a compressive strength of more than 80 MPa. As the research shows, the properties of bricks even from a single building can differ one from another, which can result in varying durability even within a single building. When choosing a material during the renovation or restoration of facilities, it is important to perform tests on the physical and mechanical properties of the original material, which will be reused.