Recycling is an important habit to avoid waste. This paper evaluates the performance of masonry mortar, elaborated by replacing natural sand with recycled fine aggregate (RFA) obtained from mortar. Five families of mixtures were prepared with different replacement proportions: 20%, 40%, 60%, and 100%. A 1:4 volumetric cement-to-aggregate ratio was used for all mixtures by experimentally adjusting the amount of water to achieve the same consistency of 175 ± 5 mm. The effects of the following procedures were analyzed: (1) the use of a deconstruction technique to collect the RFA, (2) pre-wetting of the aggregates, and (3) the use of a commercial plasticizer. Experimental results show that it is possible to use this type of recycled fine aggregate as a substitute for natural sand by up to 60% in the manufacture of masonry mortar without significantly affecting its properties.

In this research, the mechanical behavior of masonry mortars made with partial substitution of sand by recycled fine aggregates (RFAs) of mortar (MT) and recycled clay brick (RCB) was compared. Mortar specimens were built in two groups (MT and RCB) considering different replacement proportions by dry weight. To reduce the water absorption of RFAs during mortar making, the prewetting method was utilized. All the mixtures were assembled with a volumetric cement-to-aggregate ratio of 1:4 and a consistency of 175 ± 5 mm. The properties in the fresh and hardening state of mortars were analyzed separately. The experimental results showed that the properties of mortars in a fresh state (bulk density and air content) were affected if RFA was added to the mixture; however, mortars assembled with up to 40% and 50% of MT and RCB, respectively, accomplished a compressive strength value of reference for new mixtures. Both mortar groups showed good results in adhesive strength values, with the RCB mortars standing up as they achieved greater adherence than the control mortar with substitution percentages of up to 30%. Therefore, the reutilization of both RFAs is feasible, notably in rendering and bonding functions.

In this research we evaluated the use of recycled fine mortar aggregate (RFMA) as a fine aggregate for new masonry mortar creation. The pre-wetting effect on the aggregate before creating the mixture was analyzed as a method to reduce its absorption potential. A control mixture of conventional mortar and two groups of recycled mortars were designed with a partial replacement of natural sand by RFMA (pre-wetted and not pre-wetted) performed in different proportions. The results established that the pre-wetting process allows a reduction in the amount of water required during the creation of new mixtures, regulating the water/cement (W/C) ratio and improving the properties of recycled mortars such as air content, fresh and hardened densities, and compressive and adhesive strength for all substitution levels. Mortar made with a 20% substitution and pre-wetted until it was at 67% of its absorption capacity displayed adhesive values higher than the ones shown by the reference mortar. The pre-wetting process proves to be an easy performance technique; it is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and the most valuable fact is that specialized equipment is not necessarily needed. This process is the most profitable option for improving RFMA exploitation and reuse.

Precipitation is a fundamental component of the Earth’s hydrological cycle. Therefore, monitoring precipitation is paramount, as accurate information is needed to prevent natural hydrological disasters, such as floods and droughts. However, measuring precipitation using rain gauges is complicated due to their sparse spatial distribution. Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) are an alternative source of rainfall data. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of PERSIANN-CCS and PDIR-Now SPPs over the Tulijá River Basin (Chiapas, Mexico) using scatter plots, categorical statistics, descriptive statistics, and decomposing total bias. Additionally, bias correction was performed using the quantile mapping (QM) method. QM is a technique used to improve the fit of SPPs with respect to rainfall observations through a transfer function, aiming to reduce systematic errors in SPPs. The results indicate that the PDIR-Now product tends to overestimate rainfall to a large extent, thus showing better performance in detecting rain events. Meanwhile, PERSIANN-CCS underestimates precipitation to a lesser extent. The findings of this study demonstrate that correcting the bias of SPPs improves estimations of rainfall records, thereby reducing the percentage bias and root mean square error.

In this research, the use of the pre-wetting technique is proposed as an ecological alternative to reduce water absorption in waste oyster shells used in the production of masonry mortar as a partial substitute for natural sand. An experimental study was conducted to assess the properties in both the fresh and hardened states of masonry mortars. Two mortar groups were prepared based on a control mixture, with natural aggregate replaced by crushed oyster shell (COS) in varying proportions. In one group, the COS was pre-wetted, while in the other group, the COS was used at its natural moisture content. The experimental results demonstrated that the pre-wetting process aided in reducing the water–cement ratio (w/c) in the mortar mixture, thereby improving its properties. In both mortar groups, favorable results were observed with respect to capillary water absorption. Although the compressive strength was affected by the incorporation of COS, pre-wetted mortars with substitutions of up to 30% achieved the reference value established in this research. The pre-wetting process proves to be a straightforward and cost-effective technique; it is environmentally friendly and will contribute to decreasing the accumulation of COS in landfills, thereby safeguarding natural material reserves.

This study presents the development of hybrid masonry mortars by incorporating two waste materials: recycled plastic strips from disposable face masks (FM) as mechanical reinforcement and calcined oyster shell powder (OSP) as a filler. The objective was to evaluate the combined effect of FM and OSP on the mechanical behavior of mortars. Three types of mixes were prepared: a reference mix, a mix with 5% OSP (by cement weight), and mixes with 5% OSP reinforced with FM strips. FM strips were incorporated at three different lengths, dividing the FM-reinforced group into three subgroups (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 0.8%). The results showed an approximately 10% increase in compressive strength with the addition of 5% OSP compared to the control mortar, as well as an improvement in bond strength of about 21%. Furthermore, an optimum content of 0.2% of 6 mm strips allowed for adequate dispersion and maintained indirect tensile strengths similar to the control + OSP. OSP acted as a reactive filler, increasing compressive strength and improving both density and adhesion. However, higher FM contents or longer strips increased porosity and water absorption, while reducing strength. This combination represents an innovative strategy for valorizing post-pandemic and marine waste.