In recent years, the interest in reusing recycled fibers as building materials has been growing as a consequence of their ability to reduce the production of waste and the use of virgin resources, taking advantage of the potential that fibrous materials may offer to improve thermal and acoustic comfort. Composite panels, made of 100% wool waste fibers and bound by means of either a chitosan solution and a gum Arabic solution, were tested and characterized in terms of acoustic and non-acoustic properties. Samples with a 5 cm thickness and different density values were made to investigate the influence of flow resistivity on the final performance. Experimental results demonstrated that the samples had thermal conductivity ranging between 0.049 and 0.060 W/(m K), well comparable to conventional building materials. Similarly, acoustic results were very promising, showing absorption coefficients that, for the given thickness, were generally higher than 0.5 from 500 Hz on, and higher than 0.9 from 1 kHz on. Finally, the effects of the non-acoustic properties and of the air gap behind the samples on the acoustic behavior were also analyzed, proving that the agreement with absorption values predicted by empirical models was also very good.

In order to limit the environmental impact caused by the use of non-renewable resources, a growing research interest is currently being shown in the reuse of agricultural by-products as new raw materials for green building panels. Moreover, the European directives impose the goal of sustainability supporting the investigation of passive solutions for the reduction of energy consumption. Thus, the promotion of innovative building materials for the enhancement of acoustic and thermal insulation of the buildings is an important issue. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the physical, acoustical, and thermal performances of building panels produced by almond skin residues, derived from the industrial processing of almonds. In this paper different mix designs were investigated using polyvinyl acetate glue and gum Arabic solution as binders. Air-flow resistivity σ and normal incidence sound absorption coefficient α were measured by means of a standing wave tube. Thermal conductivity λ, thermal diffusivity α, volumetric heat capacity ρc were measured using a transient plane source device. Finally, water vapor permeability δ_p was experimentally determined using the dry cup method. Furthermore, a physical characterization of the specimens in terms of bulk density ρ_b and porosity η allowed to study the correlation existing between the binder and the aggregates and the consequent acoustical and hygrothermal behavior occurring on the different mix designs. The achieved results suggested the investigated materials comparable to the main products currently existing on the market.

The purpose of this study is to provide a snapshot of the agro-waste production in Puglia, Molise, Albania and Montenegro, some of the regions belonging to EUSAIR (ADRIATIC-IONIAN REGIONS) correlating this aspect to the possible use of agro-waste in the building sector. EUSAIR is a functional area, facing the Adriatic sea, treating the marine, coastal and terrestrial areas as interconnected systems. In the first part of the paper, the state of the art about the current consumption of agricultural biomass is carried out referring to the ongoing research lines. It was shown that a great number of international studies have demonstrated that the agro-waste plays an important role in several fields. Moreover, several researchers conducted studies on hygrothermal, physical and acoustical properties of building materials made with biomass proving the potentiality to use this kind of by-product. Then, the state of the art regarding the production and current way of disposal of the agro-waste in the regions of the EUSAIR above mentioned was performed in order to outline the possible by-products which are suitable to be re-used in the building sector. The correlation existing between the agro-waste and the possible use in the building sector is finally presented, focusing on the legislative framework currently existing in each of the regions.

Due to the overall improvement of living standards and considering the priority to reduce the energy consumption, the adoption of efficient strategies, mainly in the building area is mandatory. In fact, the construction sector can be considered as one of the key field essential for the sustainability, due to the diversity of components and their life cycles. Reuse strategies may play an essential role in reducing the environmental impact of building processes. Within this framework, the reuse of textile waste to produce insulating materials represents one of the biggest opportunities for the promotion of a circular economy. It contributes significantly to improve the environmental sustainability reusing a waste as new raw matter involved to achieve high energy efficient buildings. This paper provides the results of an experimental campaign performed using wool waste derived from the industrial disposal of fabrics matched with phase change materials (PCMs) used in order to enhance the thermal mass of the final products. Physical and thermal parameters were measured in order to demonstrate the good performances of the textile materials and the essential role played by PCMs in shifting heat waves and reduce surface temperatures. Furthermore, DesignBuilder software was used to assess the energy consumption of a mobile shelter type structure under three different climatic scenarios. A comparison between the experimented materials and other solutions, currently available in the market, highlighted a significant reduction in energy consumption when adopting the materials under test.

A growing research interest currently exists in the use of paper as a building material. This work aims to present the results of a measurement campaign developed on innovative waste paper-based building components. The research was carried out in Southern Italy and used some local by-product aggregates. Three different mixture designs were developed in the laboratory by adding three kinds of biomass to a pulp paper blend: fava bean residues (FB), sawdust powder (SP) and coffee grains (CG) extracted from exhausted chaffs. A physical characterization was carried out measuring the bulk density and bulk porosity. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of the single aggregates was followed by a microstructure analysis of the final components. Bulk density evaluation showed a range between 200 and 348 kg·m⁻³. Furthermore, thermal performances were measured; the thermal conductivity of the experimented samples ranged from 0.071 to 0.093 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, thus it is possible to classify the tested materials as thermal insulators. Moreover, the acoustic properties were evaluated and tested. The normal incidence sound absorption coefficient was measured by the impedance tube on cylindrical specimens. In general, a different behavior was observed between the upper and lower base of each specimen due to the manufacturing process and the shrinkage caused by the different interactions occurring between the aggregates and the pulp paper waste; for example, the presence of sawdust reduced shrinkage in the final specimens, with consequent smaller physical variations among the two faces. The correlation existing between the manufacturing process and the microstructural properties was also investigated by the estimation of the non-acoustical parameters using the inverse method and taking into account the JCA (Johnson, Champoux and Allard) model as a reference.

Research activities in the field of innovative fixtures are continuously aiming at increasing their thermal and optical performances to offer optimal exploitation of daylight and solar gains, providing effective climate screen, according to increasing standards for indoor comfort and energy saving. Within this work, we designed an innovative aerogel-based “thermal break” for window frames, so as to consistently reduce the frame conductance. Then, we compared the performance of this new frame both with currently used and obsolete frames, present in most of the existing building stock. Energy savings for heating and cooling were assessed for different locations and confirmed the potential role played by super-insulating materials in fixtures for extremely rigid climates.