Il miglioramento delle prestazioni energetico-ambientali di pareti prefabbricate in calcestruzzo armato attraverso l'utilizzo di materiali di riciclo

In the framework of methods and techniques for reducing energy consumptions and ecological impacts in the construction sector, pre-cast building components are acknowledged as valuable solutions meeting high requirements of economic, social and environmental sustainability. As a matter of fact, the design standardization, the fabrication in factories and the mechanization of on-site installation techniques might overcome some shortcomings of cast-in-place systems, including low field productivity, unreliable quality, high resource exploitation and waste, as well as frequent safety accidents. Moreover, their energy-environmental quality might be even improved, whenever a circular economy approach is applied to the supply chain. In this regard, the paper is focused on precast Expanded Polystyrene Insulation - Reinforced Concrete (EPS-RC) walls, whose construction layout and details were previously patented by the authors, and it concerns the feasibility assessment of using recycled EPS particles in the concrete mixtures, in order to improve the lightness, insulation and carbon footprint of the conglomerate. To this end, several mixtures were formulated with partial or total replacement of the volume of sand aggregates with EPS tailings and tested with regard to thermal properties and mechanical strength, in order to identify whether the materials could be considered structural or non-structural, as well as normal or lightweight, according to the normative codes and regulations. The proposed approach is meant to optimize both the quality and versatility of the building component and the efficiency of the production processes, taking into account that the EPS by-products, currently disposed of, would turn into a resource with beneficial effects on waste management and materials exploitation.