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This research presents a methodological process for selecting the most appropriate construction technique for the reconstruction of housing after a seismic disaster in a rural and heritage context. This process, which is applicable to a large part of the Andean region, incorporates sustainability criteria to guarantee the economic, social and environmental balance of the intervention. The methodology was developed on a case study: the Colca Valley in Arequipa, Peru. In 2016 an earthquake affected this zone, where traditional unreinforced earthen buildings suffered serious damage. The objective of this research focuses on comparing six traditional building techniques strongly related to self-building: four techniques for adobe housing—reinforced with cane (CRA), wire mesh (WMRA), geogrid (GRA) and halyard ropes (HRRA)—and two techniques for masonry buildings— confined (CM) and reinforced (RM). For this purpose the authors used the Integrated Value Model for Sustainable Assessment (MIVES), a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) model used to compare alternatives by assigning a “sustainability index” to each evaluated construction technique. This research study includes two types of variables: quantitative, such as economy ($/m2) and environmental impact (kgCO2/m2), among others, and qualitative, such as perception of safety, respect for the urban image and popular knowledge. The research results show that reinforced adobe techniques are a viable and competitive option, highlighting the cane reinforced adobe technique (CRA), with a value of 0.714 in relation to industrialized materials such as masonry. This technique has the same safety characteristics, but at almost half the price, with the additional advantage of using traditional materials and construction methods, having less environmental impact and showing better thermal performance in cold climates.
José Cárdenas-Gómez; Montserrat Bosch Gonzales; Carlos Damiani Lazo. Evaluation of Reinforced Adobe Techniques for Sustainable Reconstruction in Andean Seismic Zones. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4955 .
AMA StyleJosé Cárdenas-Gómez, Montserrat Bosch Gonzales, Carlos Damiani Lazo. Evaluation of Reinforced Adobe Techniques for Sustainable Reconstruction in Andean Seismic Zones. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):4955.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Cárdenas-Gómez; Montserrat Bosch Gonzales; Carlos Damiani Lazo. 2021. "Evaluation of Reinforced Adobe Techniques for Sustainable Reconstruction in Andean Seismic Zones." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 4955.
Phosphorus (P) is a limited resource and can promote eutrophication of water streams and acidification of oceans when discharged. Crushed autoclaved aerated concrete (CAAC), a by-product from demolition, has shown great potential for recovering P. The potential of CAAC to be used in nature-based solutions as a P-reactive filter medium was evaluated by performing preliminary batch essays. Here, we evaluated the interactions and main effects of the initial concentration of P (Pi; 5, 10 or 20 mg L−1), particle size (PS; 4 or 5 mm) and contact time (CT; 60, 180, 360, 720 and 1440 min) upon the removal. We performed physical and chemical characterization to understand the removal processes. Data collected were fitted in adsorption kinetic models. The statistical analysis showed a significant interaction between CT and Pi, with the combination of its main effects stronger on P removal than each one separately. Intriguingly, we noticed that the higher the concentration of Pi, the faster and higher the removal of P. Contrary to expectations, PS 5 mm showed higher removal rates than PS 4 mm, indicating that besides adsorption, other unidentified chemical processes are in place. Further studies using columns/pilots with real wastewater are recommended for a future follow-up.
Joana América Da Cunha Castellar; Joan Formosa; Josep Maria Chimenos; Joan Canals; Montserrat Bosch; Joan Ramon Rosell; Heraldo Peixoto Da Silva; Jordi Morató; Hans Brix; Carlos Alberto Arias; Silva; Brix. Crushed Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (CAAC), a Potential Reactive Filter Medium for Enhancing Phosphorus Removal in Nature-Based Solutions—Preliminary Batch Studies. Water 2019, 11, 1442 .
AMA StyleJoana América Da Cunha Castellar, Joan Formosa, Josep Maria Chimenos, Joan Canals, Montserrat Bosch, Joan Ramon Rosell, Heraldo Peixoto Da Silva, Jordi Morató, Hans Brix, Carlos Alberto Arias, Silva, Brix. Crushed Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (CAAC), a Potential Reactive Filter Medium for Enhancing Phosphorus Removal in Nature-Based Solutions—Preliminary Batch Studies. Water. 2019; 11 (7):1442.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoana América Da Cunha Castellar; Joan Formosa; Josep Maria Chimenos; Joan Canals; Montserrat Bosch; Joan Ramon Rosell; Heraldo Peixoto Da Silva; Jordi Morató; Hans Brix; Carlos Alberto Arias; Silva; Brix. 2019. "Crushed Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (CAAC), a Potential Reactive Filter Medium for Enhancing Phosphorus Removal in Nature-Based Solutions—Preliminary Batch Studies." Water 11, no. 7: 1442.
Reusing by-products is an important strategy to ensure the preservation of natural capital and climate change mitigation. This study aimed at evaluating the potential of cork granulates, a by-product of winery industry, as an organic carbon (OC) source for the treatment of hydroponic wastewaters. First, chemical characterization was performed and discussed. Secondly, batch studies were performed using synthetic hydroponic wastewater to understand the role of particle size (PS), pH and contact time (CT) on the release of OC. The suberin is the major compound, representing >50%. It was noticed that a variance on the content of suberin across species, within the same species and depending on the extraction part (belly, cork and back) could be expected. >60% of the sample is composed by carbon while <1% was nitrogen (high C:N ratio), indicating a low risk of releasing organic nitrogen. The statistical results suggested that the main effect of PS on the release of OC is greater than both, CT and pH. The chemical release of OC gets slower with time, being this effect greater as the PS increase. Moreover, estimations showed that using the 4 mm PS, the amount of water treated would be twice the amount if the 8 mm PS had been used. The PS seems to play an important role at design nature-based solutions (NBS) focused on denitrification. The surface response methodology indicates a significant negative interaction between CT and PS suggesting that the mathematical model could be used for further optimization studies. The reuse of organic by-products as filter media seems to be an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to enhance denitrification in NBS, while preserving natural capital. However, further real scale and long-term experiments are needed to validate cork's potential as an “internal” OC source for NBS.
J.A.C. Castellar; Joan Formosa; Ana Ines Fernandez; Patricia Jové; Montserrat Gonzáles Bosch; Jordi Morató; Hans Brix; Carlos A. Arias. Cork as a sustainable carbon source for nature-based solutions treating hydroponic wastewaters – Preliminary batch studies. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 650, 267 -276.
AMA StyleJ.A.C. Castellar, Joan Formosa, Ana Ines Fernandez, Patricia Jové, Montserrat Gonzáles Bosch, Jordi Morató, Hans Brix, Carlos A. Arias. Cork as a sustainable carbon source for nature-based solutions treating hydroponic wastewaters – Preliminary batch studies. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 650 ():267-276.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ.A.C. Castellar; Joan Formosa; Ana Ines Fernandez; Patricia Jové; Montserrat Gonzáles Bosch; Jordi Morató; Hans Brix; Carlos A. Arias. 2018. "Cork as a sustainable carbon source for nature-based solutions treating hydroponic wastewaters – Preliminary batch studies." Science of The Total Environment 650, no. : 267-276.