Evolution of Durability and Mechanical Behaviour of Mud Mortar Stabilized with Oil Shale Ash, Lime, and Cement

The investigation into earthen construction technologies and materials is now acknowledged as a crucial area requiring further research. Earthen mortars are prevalent in both modern and traditional construction due to the abundance of earth material, their favorable thermal properties, and their low embodied energy. The objective of this study is to support the use of natural materials collected from north Jordan to enhance the mechanical properties and durability of mud mortar. The local soil was stabilized using Oil Shale Ash (OSA), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), and lime for producing mud mortar. Particle size analysis, plastic limit, liquid limit, XRD, and XRF were applied to assess the geotechnical characterization and mineral composition of the earthen stabilizers and local soil. In order to examine the mechanical properties (specifically compressive strength) and durability characteristics (such as water absorption and shrinkage) of mud mortar, a total of 8 mixtures were prepared. One of these mixtures served as a control, while the others were created by substituting soil with varying proportions of OSA, cement, and lime. The results show that the mud mortar contained 10% OSA and 10% cement, which exhibited the highest compressive strength. Moreover, an increase in the proportion of OSA in the soil led to a decrease in absorption and linear shrinkage, indicating that OSA is an effective stabilizing agent for mud mortar. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-09-06 Full Text: PD

Urban sediment in infiltration wells: A lesson from the northern area of greater Yogyakarta city

The development of housing in Yogyakarta eventually led to increased levels of runoff. To mitigate runoff increases, infiltration wells were constructed in a specific network. The northern part of Yogyakarta is now facing urbanization, and there are many housing blocks that are being constructed complete with the runoff drainage system. This study aims to reveal the role of the infiltration wells network about runoff and its effectiveness concerning the sediment load in the urban area. The drainage networks in the research area function as a watershed, but not with a single outlet. The runoff flow was spreading through the drainage system and did not accumulate on the single outlet. It can be seen that some infiltration wells supposed as a well, which is a place of accumulation of runoff and sediment.  Most of the infiltration wells have been filled with sediment up to over a quarter, or even more than half, of their carrying volume. Granulometry measurement shows that the percentage of clay, loam, sand, and gravel in each well tend to differ for every sample. The differences between filled wells and their sediment grain depend on the location of those wells. Maintenance of the wells is required, such as sediment dredging, to rejuvenate them and improve their efficiency

Review article: The use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) for natural hazards monitoring and management

The number of scientific studies that consider possible applications of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the management of natural hazards effects and the identification of occurred damages are strongly increased in last decade. Nowadays, in the scientific community, the use of these systems is not a novelty, but a deeper analysis of literature shows a lack of codified complex methodologies that can be used not only for scientific experiments but also for normal codified emergency operations. RPAS can acquire on-demand ultra-high resolution images that can be used for the identification of active processes like landslides or volcanic activities but also for the definition of effects of earthquakes, wildfires and floods. In this paper, we present a review of published literature that describes experimental methodologiesdeveloped for the study and monitoring of natural hazards

Continuities and discontinuities during the late Middle Palaeolithic at the Oscurusciuto rock shelter (southern Italy). An integrated study of lithic manufacture in the strata SU 15, SU 14, SU 13 and SU 11.

Aquesta investigació té com a objectiu interpretar les variacions en la producció Neandertal, així com la funcionalitat de les eines de pedra mitjançant l'anàlisi de conjunts lítics dins l'últim Paleolític Mitjà del sud d'Itàlia. L'abric Oscurusciuto és clau per a la comprensió del comportament dels neandertals, ja que ofereix un dipòsit llarg i fiable, d'uns 6 m de profunditat, format per diversos nivells que oscil•len entre 42,724 ± 716 cal BP i 55 ± 2 kyrs (40Ar/39Ar). L’objectiu principal d'aquesta investigació és realitzar un estudi del conjunt d’eines de lítica, present a la secció inferior de la sèrie investigada fins ara en aquest jaciment: SU 15, SU 14, SU 13 i SU 11. Volem individualitzar, des d'un punt de vista diacrònic, les continuïtats i discontinuïtats d'aquests tecno-complexos lítics. Tenim la intenció d'aconseguir aquest objectiu a través d'un estudi integrat del material lític que permetrà una descripció del comportament econòmic relacionat amb l'explotació de les fonts de matèria primera lítica, seguit d'una descripció detallada de les fases de la seqüència de reducció, així com una definició de conceptes, mètodes, dinàmiques i objectius de la talla. Aquesta anàlisi tecnològica fonamental s'aplica als quatre nivells: SU 15, SU 14, SU 13 i SU 11. Basant-nos en les característiques del material recollit, s'han dut a terme diversos estudis: d’unitats de matèria primera (RMU) i de remuntatges per SU 13 i SU 14, per tal de comprendre millor la fragmentació de la cadena operativa. A més, s'ha desenvolupat un protocol tecno-funcional sobre un grup seleccionat de peces de la SEU 13, per tal d'aprofundir la nostra comprensió sobre la potencialitat les eines. Els resultats demostren que aquestes unitats estratigràfiques mostren peculiaritats específiques en termes de sistemes de producció lítica, elements estructurals, distribució espacial i tipus d'ocupació.Esta investigación tiene como objetivo interpretar las variaciones en la producción y la funcionalidad de herramientas de piedra de los Neandertales a través del análisis de los conjuntos líticos referibles a la última parte del Paleolítico Medio del sur de Italia. Un sitio clave para este propósito es el abrigo Oscurusciuto. Este es esencial para la comprensión del comportamiento de los Neandertales porque ofrece un depósito largo y confiable, de unos 6 m de profundidad. El mismo se encuentra formado por varios niveles que oscilan entre 42,724 ± 716 cal BP y 55 ± 2 kyrs (40Ar/39Ar). El propósito explícito de esta investigación es realizar un estudio integrado de las herramientas líticas presentes en la sección inferior de la serie hasta ahora investigada del abrigo Oscurusciuto: SU 15, SU 14, SU 13 y SU 11. Se pretende individualizar, desde un punto de vista diacrónico, las continuidades y discontinuidades de estos tecnocomplejos líticos. Para lograr este propósito se realizará un estudio integrado del material lítico, que permita una descripción del comportamiento económico relacionado con la explotación de las fuentes de materias primas líticas, una descripción detallada de las fases de la secuencia de reducción, así como también una definición de conceptos, métodos, dinámicas y objetivos del debitage. Este análisis tecnológico fundamental se aplica a los cuatro niveles. Considerando las características del material recogido, se han llevado a cabo estudios adicionales, como Unidades de Materia Prima (RMU) y remontajes para SU 13 y SU 14, con el fin de comprender mejor la fragmentación de la cadena operativa. Además, se ha desarrollado un protocolo tecno-funcional sobre un grupo seleccionado de piezas de SU 13, con el fin de profundizar nuestra comprensión de la potencialidad de las herramientas. Los resultados demuestran que estas unidades estratigráficas muestran peculiaridades específicas en términos de sistemas de producción lítica, elementos estructurales, manejo espacial y tipo de ocupación.This research aims to interpret the variations in the Neanderthal production and functionality of stone tools through analyses of lithic assemblages referable to the last Middle Palaeolithic of southern Italy. A key site for this purpose is the Oscurusciuto rock shelter, which is essential to the understanding of Neanderthal behaviour, as it offers a long, reliable deposit, about 6 m in depth, made up of several levels ranging between 42,724 ± 716 cal BP and 55 ± 2 kyrs (40Ar/39Ar). The explicit purpose of this research is to perform an integrated study of the lithic manufacture present in the lower section of the series so far investigated the Oscurusciuto rock shelter: SU 15, SU 14, SU 13 and SU 11. We want to individuate, from a diachronic point of view, the continuities and discontinuities of these lithic techno-complexes. We intend to achieve this purpose through an integrated study of the lithic material, which in turn allows for a description of the economic behaviour involved in the exploitation of the sources of lithic raw material, followed by a detailed description of the phases in the reduction sequence, as well as a definition of concepts, methods, dynamics and objectives of the debitage. This fundamental technological analysis is applied to all four levels: SU 15, SU 14, SU 13, and SU 11 (48,382 items). Based on the characteristics of the collected material, further studies have been undertaken, such as Raw Material Units plus refitting studies for SU 13 and SU 14, in order to better understand the fragmentation of the operative chain. Moreover, a techno-functional protocol has been developed regarding a selected group of pieces from SU 13, in order to deepen our comprehension of productional vs. functional tools. The results demonstrate that these stratigraphic units show specific peculiarities in terms of lithic production systems, structural elements, spatial management, and type of occupation

Review article: The use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) for natural hazards monitoring and management

The number of scientific studies that consider possible applications of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) for the management of natural hazards effects and the identification of occurred damages strongly increased in the last decade. Nowadays, in the scientific community, the use of these systems is not a novelty, but a deeper analysis of the literature shows a lack of codified complex methodologies that can be used not only for scientific experiments but also for normal codified emergency operations. RPASs can acquire on-demand ultra-high-resolution images that can be used for the identification of active processes such as landslides or volcanic activities but can also define the effects of earthquakes, wildfires and floods. In this paper, we present a review of published literature that describes experimental methodologies developed for the study and monitoring of natural hazard

Complete transformation of aluminum waste into zeolite and its use in the removal of pollutants from aqueous solution

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorZero Waste concept aims to minimize the negative effects of the generation and management of waste on human health and the environment, as well as to reduce the use of natural resources. The novelty of this Thesis comes from the development of a simple procedure to completely transform a hazardous aluminum waste into added-value materials of great industrial interest, as zeolites, which are used later as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and ammonium from aqueous effluents. There are not previous works related to the use of the hazardous aluminum waste as a raw material for the synthesis of zeolites. In this work the following stages were developed: i) Characterization of different aluminum wastes to get a representative sample. ii) Lab-scale hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of zeolites from aluminum waste to define the optimal experimental conditions. iii) Scaling up of the process (bench-scale synthesis) to assess its industrial application. iv) Development of a more sustainable synthesis process by alkaline effluents recycling in order to achieve a zero waste and zero effluents process. v) Using the zeolites as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and ammonium to decontaminate water. Aluminum waste, due to its high aluminum content (Al2O3 ~ 66 wt.%), was characterized and used as the only aluminum raw material for the lab- and bench-scale synthesis of zeolites in the Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2-H2O system. The synthesized zeolites exhibited high cation exchange capacities (CEC) and suitable adsorption properties, resulting in potential adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals and ammonium from aqueous solutions. The most relevant hazardous features of aluminum waste derive from its mineralogical and chemical composition and very fine granulometry (2.5-93 μm). It exhibits spontaneous and exothermic reactivity because its high contents of metallic aluminum (12.8 wt.%) and aluminum nitride (13.1 wt.%), in contact with water, can generate toxic gases such as ammonia (71 Nm3 per ton of waste) and/or inflammable and explosive gases like hydrogen (162 Nm3 per ton of waste). Besides, it contains heavy metals, which can be released by leaching under incorrect management and disposal. The development of a simple and one-step hydrothermal synthesis process enabled the complete transformation of the waste in zeolite. No other solid residues were generated in the zeolitization process. The lab-scale synthesis process resulted into three types of zeolites: NaP1, Sodalite (SOD), and Analcime (ANA), and led to reaction yields of 2.5 kg of zeolite per kg of waste. The preparation of the zeolites has mainly been designed by selecting temperature and alkalizing agent (NaOH) concentration. The optimal lab-scale synthesis conditions were: · The NaP1 zeolite was obtained at 120 ºC for 6 h, using 1 M NaOH and liquid/solid ratios of 15-25 mL/g, resulting in a Si/Al ratio of 1.85. · The SOD zeolite was prepared at 120 ºC for 6 h, using the highest alkali concentration (5 M NaOH) and a liquid/solid ratio of 25 mL/g, leading to a Si/Al ratio of 1.02. · The ANA zeolite was synthesized at the highest temperature (200 ºC) for 6 h, using 1 M NaOH and a liquid/solid ratio of 25 mL/g, resulting in a Si/Al ratio of 1.73. The different zeolites (NaP1, SOD, and ANA) were also synthesized via lab-scale synthesis with mother liquor recycling, involving a decrease of the raw materials consumption. The characterization of the obtained NaP1, SOD, and ANA zeolites revealed that the resulting zeolites showed characteristics and properties similar to those of zeolites prepared from both pure chemical reagents and other waste sources (fly ash, rice husk, kaolin, etc.). From an industrial point of view, NaP1 is the zeolite with most interest in water treatment applications due to its high CEC (2.73 meq NH4 +/g). The scaling up of the synthesis of NaP1 with recycling of alkaline effluents (mother liquor and rinse water) was performed for the optimal conditions to assess the feasibility and reproducibility of the process. It also led to the complete conversion of the waste into highly crystalline zeolite, achieving high reaction yields (2.5 ton of zeolite per ton of waste). The bench-scale zeolitization process involved not only a reduction of the NaOH and water consumptions, but also a significant cost reduction. The resulting NaP1 zeolites obtained in the scaling up with alkaline effluents recycling showed high CEC (2.27-2.37 meq NH4 +/g) as well as structural, morphological, textural, and physical-chemical characteristics similar to those synthesized from fresh NaOH solutions. The removal of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+ from aqueous solutions was studied, evaluating the effects of adsorption parameters on the single- and multi-cation adsorption process. The kinetic of single-cation adsorption process was found to be very rapid, achieving high removal efficiencies: 98.9, 93.3, and 99.3 % for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+, respectively, in the first 15 min for zeolite doses of 0.5-5 g/L. The experimental maximum removal capacities of the zeolite were: 183.0, 4.37, and 0.23 mg/g for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+, respectively. The metal cations could be removed by the zeolite through a homogeneous and physical adsorption process. The zeolite showed the greatest affinity for Pb2+, due to its smallest size compared with Cd2+ and Hg2+. The multi-cation removal efficiency of Pb2+ remained practically unchanged in presence of Hg2+ and Cd2+, reaching high removal efficiencies (almost 100 %) both at very low contact times (1 min) and at longer times (30 min) for zeolite doses of 2-10 g/L. The elimination of NH4 + from aqueous solutions was also performed using the zeolite obtained from the waste as adsorbent. The uptake NH4 + showed a fast kinetic, leading to removal percentages of 88 % in the first 15 min for a zeolite dose of 5 g/L. The experimental maximum removal capacity of the zeolite was 37.9 mg/g for NH4 +, similar to that found for other sorbent materials. Finally, it can be concluded that the developed zeolitization process would enable to reduce the amount of aluminum waste, which is generally disposed of in secure deposits (involving high treatment cost), preserving natural resources and hence helping the sustainability of environment. Accordingly, it implies a synergic effect on the environmental protection: firstly, the transformation of the hazardous aluminum waste into a zeolite can contribute to its end-of-waste condition, and secondly, the zeolite obtained from aluminum waste can be considered as a promising adsorbent used for the treatment of aqueous effluents contaminated by heavy metals (endocrine disruptors) and other inorganic compounds (ammonium).Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia e Ingeniería de MaterialesPresidente: Luisa Barbieri.- Secretario: Maximina Romero Pérez.- Vocal: Juan María González Carball