“…A lower degradation rate is observed at the initial period as a lower reduction of the impact value during the 6-month weathering compared to the 1-year weathering. However, as time passed, microorganisms started to attack the composites at a faster rate and developed a zone to attack the fibrous materials [ 24 , 25 ]. Fig.…”
“…A lower degradation rate is observed at the initial period as a lower reduction of the impact value during the 6-month weathering compared to the 1-year weathering. However, as time passed, microorganisms started to attack the composites at a faster rate and developed a zone to attack the fibrous materials [ 24 , 25 ]. Fig.…”
“…The use of natural building materials is often linked to the opportunity for local production, and therefore to the possibility of enhancing local production chains and the circular economy, with consequent benefits in terms of environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Natural building materials can be used directly as load-bearing structural materials, as in the case of timber buildings [7,8] and earth brick masonry [9,10], as external reinforcing elements for other load-bearing materials [11][12][13][14][15][16][17], as additives to improve the performance of other materials [18][19][20], and as insulating materials, as in the case of cork [21], sheep wool [22], wood-derived panels [23], earth-derived elements [24], etc. [17].…”
The current goal of the European Commission, which aims to reduce CO2 by 90% compared to values estimated in 1980, and the ever-increasing sensitivity to environmental sustainability, fully involve the construction sector, which, according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) is responsible for over one-third of the world’s energy requirement. In this frame, numerous researchers and companies are focusing on ecologically sustainable building materials, to be used in new and existing buildings, that are able to simultaneously fulfill the constructive function and improve the energy behavior of the building envelope. The goal of the present paper is the analysis of the energy performance of some innovative locally produced natural building materials (timber, sheep wool, rammed earth, lime-based plaster, natural fibers) used in multilayer vertical closures, compared to that of more common building materials (bricks, concrete, synthetic insulation). First, the physical-mechanical characterization of the local natural materials was carried out, then the model of a building was implemented, whose energetic performance was simulated by varying the type of stratigraphy of the walls, including the use of both innovative and common materials. The building chosen for the simulation consists of one of the BESTEST ANSI/ASHRAE reported in the 140-2017 standard using the climatic data of the Mediterranean area. The results of the simulation have been presented and discussed.
“…Also, authors have recycled and used jute fiber waste, derived from various sources, to prepare jute fiber composite mortars [77,78] and other fibers (loofa, sheep wool, hemp shives, thistle fibers) for composite building materials [31,77,78] with the aim that these materials could be used for thermal retrofitting or upgrading.…”
Sustainable building materials for integrated (structural and thermal) retrofitting are the need of the hour to retrofit/upgrade the seismic vulnerable and ill-insulated existing building stocks. At the same time, the use of natural fibers and their recyclability could help construct safer and more sustainable buildings. This paper presents three aspects of jute fiber products: (1) the evaluation of the mechanical performance of the jute nets (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm and 2.5 cm and 1.25 cm mesh configurations) through tensile strength tests (with the aim for these to be used in upgrading masonry wall with natural fiber textile reinforced mortars (NFTRM) systems); (2) the hundred percentage recyclability of left-over jute fibers (collected during the net fabrication and failed nets post-tensile strength tests) for the composite mortar preparation; (3) and the evaluation of insulation capacity of the recycled jute net fiber composite mortar (RJNFCM) through thermal conductivity (TC) measurements, when a maximum amount of 12.5% of recycled jute fiber could be added in the mortar mixture at laboratory conditions and with available instruments Notably, when more than the said amount was used, the fiber–mortar bonding was found to be not optimal for the composite mortar preparation. These studies have been carried out considering these products’ applicability for integrated retrofitting purposes. It has been found that the denser mesh configuration (2.5 cm × 1.25 cm) is 35.80% stiffer than the other net configurations (2.5 cm × 2.5 cm). Also, the mesh configuration (2.5 cm × 1.25 cm) shows about 60% more capability to absorb strain energy. TC tests have demonstrated the moderate insulation capacity of these composite mortar samples, and the TC values obtained from the tests range from 0.110 (W/mK) to 0.121 (W/mK).
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