Recycled concrete aggregate (RA) from pavement demolition was used to make concrete. Ten concrete mixtures with different replacement percentages of RA (coarse and fine) were made. The corrosion rate of steel and the electrical resistivity of concrete were determined on reinforced concrete specimens subjected to wetting-drying cycles (3.5% solution of NaCl). Corrosion rate was determined using the electrochemical technique of linear polarization resistance, while the electrical resistivity was measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the use of RA introduces more interfaces in concrete, which accelerates the steel corrosion process because the porosity increases and the electrical resistivity decreases. However, steel corrosion and the electrical resistivity in concrete are not significantly influenced by replacing a maximum 30% of coarse aggregate or 20% of fine aggregate with RA.

This research focuses on a comparison of 20 external wall systems that are conventionally used in Spanish residential buildings, from a perspective based on the product and construction process stages of the life cycle assessment. The primary objective is to provide data that allow knowing the environmental behavior of walls built with materials and practices conventionally. This type of analysis will enable promoting the creation of regulations that encourage the use of combinations of materials that generate the most environmentally suitable result, and in turn, contribute to the strengthening of the embodied stages study of buildings and their elements. The results indicate that the greatest impact arises in the product stage (90.9%), followed by the transport stage (8.9%) and the construction process stage (<1%). Strategies (such as the use of large-format pieces and the controlled increase in thickness of the thermal insulation) can contribute to reducing the environmental impact; on the contrary, practices such as the use of small-format pieces and laminated plasterboard can increase the environmental burden. The prediction of the environmental behavior (simulation equation) allows these possible impacts to be studied in a fast and simplified way.

Social Housing (SH) in Mexico has a potentially important role in reducing both the emission of greenhouse gases and the use of non-renewable resources, two of the main challenges facing not only Mexico but the planet as a whole. This work assesses the environmental impact generated by the embodied stages of a typical SH throughout its life cycle (cradle to grave), by means of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Two types of envelope and interior walls and three types of windows are compared. It was found that SH emits 309 kg CO₂ eq/m² and consumes 3911 MJ eq/m² in the product stages (A1 to A3) and construction process (A4 to A5); the most important stages are those referring to the products, namely, A1 to A3, B4 (replacement) and B2 (maintenance). Additionally, benefits were found in the use of lightweight and thermal materials, such as concrete blocks lightened with pumice or windows made of PVC or wood. Although the use of LCA is incipient in the housing and construction sector in Mexico, this work shows how its application is not only feasible but recommended as it may become a basic tool in the search for sustainability.

This study presents a comparative analysis of the housing indicators used by the single-family housing rating systems (SHRSs), in which the residential urban environment (RUE) influences buildings’ certification scores, emphasizing the relationships of six systems developed by middle-income countries (MICs)—BEST, CASA, GBI, BERDE, Green Homes, and LOTUS—and the two most-recognized rating systems, BREEAM and LEED. The aim is to provide new housing indicators that are capable of bringing the concept of sustainability into the cities of MICs. The results reveal that the percentage of influence that single-family housing (SFH) can achieve in the metric established by each system is relatively low. However, considering all of the identified indicators, this influence could increase to 53.16% of the total score in multi-criteria evaluations. Furthermore, a significant lack of indicators for mandatory criteria evaluations was found, with CASA being the only system that considers their inclusion. This paper identifies 37 indicators for multi-criteria assessments and two for mandatory-criteria assessments, providing new perspectives on several topics. Furthermore, the methodology established to obtain the indicators could be useful for other researchers in the identification of new sustainable indicators.

En el contexto de los procesos evolutivos territoriales contemporáneos del sur global, particularmente del entorno latinoamericano, el verde urbano (VU) emerge como un componente esencial para mitigar los efectos adversos del crecimiento urbano y las actividades antropogénicas, ofreciendo hábitats para la biodiversidad y mejorando la calidad de vida de los habitantes de las áreas metropolitanas. No obstante, la investigación científica sobre el funcionamiento y la implementación de este componente en América Latina ha sido limitada, particularmente en México, donde, a pesar de su importancia regional, la producción científica en este rubro es significativamente inferior en comparación con países como Brasil, Chile, Argentina o Colombia. Este estudio ofrece una revisión bibliográfica estructurada, abarcando fuentes en inglés y español mediante “Web of Science” (WoS) y “Google Scholar” (GS), para describir el estado actual y las tendencias del verde urbano en América Latina, considerando 39 publicaciones seleccionadas entre 413 registros identificados en el punto de partida de esta revisión. Esta investigación resulta crucial para entender cómo el verde urbano puede ser integrado efectivamente en el desarrollo territorial metropolitano, contribuyendo a un equilibrio sostenible y equitativo en los espacios regionales y metropolitanos del contexto latinoamericano.