Glass fiber reinforced cement (GRC) is an excellent composite for architects and engineers because it can be molded to produce laminar panels or to create complicated designs. GRC is a fine concrete reinforced with alkali-resistant glass fibers at 3–5% per mass. However, fiber durability is limited because of the aggressiveness of the alkaline medium produced during Portland cement hydration (effect of portlandite). The objective of this study is to assess GRC with high Portland cement replacement with pozzolans (ground fly ash or a mixture of ground fly ash and sonicated silica fume) in order to reduce the corrosion of the fibers. The selected high-content pozzolan (60% replacement) composites were tested under different conditions: aging, drying–wetting, freezing–thawing, and chemical attack (ammonium chloride and sulfuric acid). The modulus of rupture and toughness were determined. Composite behavior showed that the samples with pozzolans not only better resisted aging, but also physical and chemical attacks, and specimens presented a better modulus of rupture and toughness than the samples prepared with 100% Portland cement (control specimens). Due to the good behavior in durability terms, the high pozzolan content GRC products are suitable in potential corrosive environments for sunscreens, drainage channels, cable trays, sound barriers, or pavements.

In this paper the evolution of the microstructure of Portland cement mortar is analyzed, by using electrical impedance measurements. Cement mortars are compared without and with two pozzolanic substitutions: spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (FCC) and metakaolin (MK). The measurement method is described and the model for analyzing the electrical impedance spectra is developed. Three electrical parameters are defined: electrical resistivity, capacitance exponent, and capacitive factor. The results show a significant increase in resistivity of the mortars with pozzolans after 7 days of curing, especially in mortars with MK. This increase is correlated with lime-fixing by the pozzolans. The capacitive properties evolve differently at early age, but reach the same values after 148 days. The electrical and mineralogical data show that the evolution of the microstructure in the mortar with MK starts before it does in the mortars with FCC and that the final microstructure becomes different.

This work presents the reactivation and upgrading of a legacy CubeX Duo 3D printer, out of service for over ten years, into an open-source CoreXY Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) platform controlled by a Duet 2 Maestro board. A reproducible methodology is demonstrated, covering system assessment, mechanical redesign, electronics integration, firmware configuration, and operational validation. Reusable components from the original device, including stepper motors, structural tubes, and linear shafts, are retained and integrated with newly designed printed and machined parts. A bending-beam load cell is integrated into the extruder assembly for real-time extrusion force measurement, enabling characterization of nozzle back-pressure, detection of extruder skip events, and determination of operational feed speed limits. Force data are acquired via an HX711 amplifier and transmitted wirelessly through an NRF24L01 module. Extrusion force characterization was performed across three temperatures (195, 200, and 210 °C) and feed speeds from 5 to 50 mm/s using Generic PLA, identifying stable and skip regimes through force signal morphology and fit quality (R2 < 0.92). All design files, firmware, and acquisition code are released under open-source licenses (CERN OHL v2).

Renewable energy sources, such as solar and biomass, represent sustainable alternatives to meet the growing energy demands of the residential sector. This study evaluated the energy, exergy, and environmental performance of two Brayton configurations using supercritical carbon dioxide: a recompression cycle (SRC) and a recompression cycle with intercooling in the main compression (SMC), both coupled to a dual-loop organic Rankine cycle (DORC) and powered by a hybrid solar-biomass thermal system. Mass, energy, and exergy balances were developed, and a life cycle assessment was performed to quantify the environmental impact. The systems were designed to cover a cooling load of 130 kW corresponding to 200 dwellings constructed with Asbestos cement in the Colombian Caribbean region. The results show that both configurations meet the required demand; the SMC-DORC cycle operates at 650 °C, while the SRC-DORC requires 750 °C. The SRC-DORC exhibits higher thermal efficiency (53.24%), while the SMC-DORC achieves a slightly higher exergy efficiency (28.15%). Environmental analysis shows that the construction phase accounts for the majority of the total impact, exceeding 95% of emissions. Overall, both configurations are technically feasible, with the SRC-DORC standing out for its balance between efficiency and environmental impact.