The energy performance of buildings and the high consumption of traditional building materials are considered to be the most important aspects that are related to the implementation of the sustainability concept in the construction industry with respect to the natural environment. At the same time, another important global ecological problem is represented by different types of waste resulting from existing industries. Therefore, it is necessary that civil engineering specialists find new solutions and materials that can improve the thermal and environmental performances of buildings by taking into consideration the large amounts of existing waste. Taking into account the fact that concrete is the most used material in the construction sector and that concrete elements have a significant influence over the overall energy performance of a building, the present paper takes under observation the use of tire rubber waste as a replacement for concrete aggregates. This study considers a replacement of 10%, 20%, and 30% of the 4–8 mm aggregates with crumb rubber cylindrical granules. The resulting values show an improvement in the thermal performance, but at the same time, the mechanical properties are reduced.

There is an international concern for reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment in the construction industry. The energy efficiency of a building depends on the thermal resistance of concrete, and utilizing concrete products with elevated thermal resistance can enhance this aspect. This study analyzes the impact of perlite, as an addition, on the physico-mechanical properties of concrete, with the aim of identifying perlite concrete products that will respond to the improvement of the heat transfer resistance of the building envelope. The study examines the effect of replacing different amounts of concrete aggregates with perlite in percentages of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 100%. The results show that substituting sand with perlite improves the thermal performance of concrete, but its mechanical properties are negatively affected. The research carried out highlighted that perlite can be successfully introduced in the production of concrete blocks used for external non-bearing wall panels, the outstanding feature being the reduction of energy consumption in buildings. Overall, the paper identifies an efficient and environmentally friendly way of using perlite in the construction industry, enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings while minimizing the environmental footprint caused by the construction industry.

There is a global concern for reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment. The use of products with high thermal resistance, to make the envelope of a building, favours the reduction of energy consumption for heating/cooling of building and, implicitly, the reduction of CO ₂ emissions. The replacement, total or partial, of the basic components of the concrete compositions, can lead to the obtaining of innovative products with modified physical-mechanical properties, which meet the energy efficiency requirements of buildings. The study examines the effect of replacing the volume of sand in percentages of 10%, 20%, 30% and 100% with an equivalent volume of perlite, and the results have underlined that these compositions reduced density and thermal conductivity, compared to the reference concrete. The research carried out has emphasized that perlite can be successfully introduced in the production of concrete blocks used for non-load-bearing external wall panels, the outstanding feature being the reduced their thermal conductivity and weight. The paper identifies solutions for the use of perlite in the prefabricated construction industry.