This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Dr. Alessandra Diotti
University of Brescia - Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics

Basic Info


Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Concrete
0 circular economy
0 waste valorisation
0 recycled aggregate
0 Leaching properties

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

Architectural Engineer and PhD Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Brescia (Italy). The main topic of my research work and PhD is the valorisation of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) in the construction sector. In particular, the environmental and technical characterization of CDW and recycled aggregates for concrete producion, road construction and geotechnical works are addressed. I also currently work on other types of “construction” waste (e.g. EAF steel slags or returned concrete) and more in general with circular economy in the building sector.

Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Conference
Digital
Date: 18-20 November 2020
Has been a speaker at the conference:
Profile Image
Alessandra Diotti
Journal article
Published: 06 July 2021 in Applied Sciences
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Construction and demolition wastes represent a primary source of new alternative materials which, if properly recovered, can be used to replace virgin raw materials partially or totally. The distrust of end-users in the use of recycled aggregates is mainly due to the environmental performance of these materials. In particular, the release of pollutants into the surrounding environment appears to be the aspect of greatest concern. This is because these materials are characterized by a strong heterogeneity which can sometimes lead to contaminant releases above the legal limits for recovery. In this context, an analysis of the leaching behaviour of both CDWs and RAs was conducted by applying a statistical analysis methodology. Subsequently, to evaluate the influence of the particle size and the volumetric reduction of the material on the release of contaminants, several experimental leaching tests were carried out according to the UNI EN 12457-2 and UNI EN 12457-4 standards. The results obtained show that chromium, mercury, and COD are the most critical parameters for both CDWs and RAs. Moreover, the material particle size generally affects the release of contaminants (i.e., finer particles showed higher releases), while the crushing process does not always involve higher releases than the sieving process.

ACS Style

Alessandra Diotti; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. Leaching Behaviour of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates: Statistical Analysis Applied to the Release of Contaminants. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 6265 .

AMA Style

Alessandra Diotti, Giovanni Plizzari, Sabrina Sorlini. Leaching Behaviour of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates: Statistical Analysis Applied to the Release of Contaminants. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (14):6265.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Diotti; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. 2021. "Leaching Behaviour of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates: Statistical Analysis Applied to the Release of Contaminants." Applied Sciences 11, no. 14: 6265.

Journal article
Published: 06 June 2021 in Detritus
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Construction and demolition activities in Italy and the Lombardy Region produce a considerable amount of wastes that can be valorised as secondary raw materials. The recovery of construction and demolition wastes is severely limited by the lack of consolidated and sustainable treatment chains and by the strong variability of their environmental characteristics that may generate potentially dangerous effects for the environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and technically define the current treatment chains in the Province of Brescia (Lombardy) by analyzing three full-scale treatment plants in order to highlight barriers to demolition waste recovery and propose possible solutions and improvement strategies. To best represent the entire management and treatment system, the analysis was developed on all the acceptance, treatment, and final quality control phases. Moreover, chemical composition and leaching data on demolition wastes and recycled aggregates were collected from the three treatment plants and statistically analyzed to assess their potential recovery according to the Italian legislation. Mixed non-hazardous waste is the fraction mostly managed by recycling plants and mixed recycled aggregates are the main products obtained from the treatment. These are mostly used in roads and in geotechnical applications. Chemical composition results showed that the pH is generally alkaline and tin and benzene are the most critical elements for both demolition wastes and recycled aggregates with respect to the regulatory limit values. Total chromium was identified as a critical compound in leachates. The results of the statistical analysis confirmed that chromium was mainly released by cement materials.

ACS Style

Alessandra Diotti; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. Technical analysis of full-scale Construction and Demolition Waste treatment plants: case studies of the Lombardy Region, Italy. Detritus 2021, 51 -66.

AMA Style

Alessandra Diotti, Giovanni Plizzari, Sabrina Sorlini. Technical analysis of full-scale Construction and Demolition Waste treatment plants: case studies of the Lombardy Region, Italy. Detritus. 2021; (15):51-66.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Diotti; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. 2021. "Technical analysis of full-scale Construction and Demolition Waste treatment plants: case studies of the Lombardy Region, Italy." Detritus , no. 15: 51-66.

Journal article
Published: 07 January 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The aim of this research work was the evaluation of the feasibility to utilize industrial by-products, such as electric arc furnace steel slags, for sustainable concrete production. The paper evaluated the environmental and mechanical properties of steel slags and concrete, respectively. Specifically, the release of contaminants from steel slags was investigated by leaching test and the properties of fresh and hardened concrete were evaluated for a concrete mixture designed with a partial substitution (30%) of natural coarse aggregates with electric arc furnace steel slags. The results show that the concentrations of pollutants were lower than the legal limits imposed by the Ministerial Decree 186/2006 and the addition of steel slag can enhance the mechanical performance of concrete. The compressive strength of cubic specimens was also measured after different cycles of alternate wetting–drying. The steel slag incorporation results in a stiffness comparable to that of a traditional concrete. Overall, the mechanical and leaching characterization has shown that the reuse of electric arc furnace steel slags for sustainable concrete production is feasible and reliable.

ACS Style

Alessandra Diotti; Luca Cominoli; Adela Perèz Galvin; Sabrina Sorlini; Giovanni Plizzari. Sustainable Recycling of Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slag as Aggregate in Concrete: Effects on the Environmental and Technical Performance. Sustainability 2021, 13, 521 .

AMA Style

Alessandra Diotti, Luca Cominoli, Adela Perèz Galvin, Sabrina Sorlini, Giovanni Plizzari. Sustainable Recycling of Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slag as Aggregate in Concrete: Effects on the Environmental and Technical Performance. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):521.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Diotti; Luca Cominoli; Adela Perèz Galvin; Sabrina Sorlini; Giovanni Plizzari. 2021. "Sustainable Recycling of Electric Arc Furnace Steel Slag as Aggregate in Concrete: Effects on the Environmental and Technical Performance." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 521.

Journal article
Published: 10 December 2020 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Construction and demolition wastes are widely recognized as the main waste stream in the EU, and their recycling and recovery is an important issue in sustainable building industry development. The composition of construction and demolition wastes is highly heterogeneous and is influenced by several factors, including the raw materials and construction products used. The environmental performance of these materials are therefore considerably variable and, in some cases, do not comply with the regulatory limits established to ensure the protection of the natural environment. In this context, this paper presents a data analysis on the environmental behavior of construction and demolition wastes and recycled aggregates in terms of both chemical composition and the release of contaminants according to a leaching test. Subsequently, the most critical parameters for recovery were identified and statistically evaluated. The leaching results showed that SO4, Cu, and COD are critical compounds for both CDWs and RAs.

ACS Style

Alessandra Diotti; Adela Perèz Galvin; Andrea Piccinali; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. Chemical and Leaching Behavior of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10326 .

AMA Style

Alessandra Diotti, Adela Perèz Galvin, Andrea Piccinali, Giovanni Plizzari, Sabrina Sorlini. Chemical and Leaching Behavior of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10326.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Diotti; Adela Perèz Galvin; Andrea Piccinali; Giovanni Plizzari; Sabrina Sorlini. 2020. "Chemical and Leaching Behavior of Construction and Demolition Wastes and Recycled Aggregates." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10326.