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A concrete use for carpet fibres

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17 Nov, 2024

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

Australian engineers have come up with an unexpected use for discarded carpets and other textiles: as a means to make concrete stronger and resistant to cracks.

This innovation, led by scientists at RMIT University, addresses a major challenge in the construction sector, where the annual cost of repair for cracks in reinforced concrete structures in Australia is about $8 billion. In the US, the cost is estimated at US$76 billion per year.

The research team is working with partners including Textile Recyclers Australia, Godfrey Hirst Australia and councils in Victoria to conduct field studies of on-ground slabs made of reclaimed textiles.

Lead researcher Dr Chamila Gunasekara, from RMIT, said the team had developed a technique using waste carpet fibres to reduce early-age shrinkage cracking in concrete by up to 30%, while also improving the concrete’s durability.

Using the state-of-the-art textile research facilities at RMIT, the team of civil engineers and textile researchers has also been able to test other discarded textiles, including clothing fabrics, in strengthening concrete.

“Cracking in early-age concrete slabs is a longstanding challenge in construction projects that can cause premature corrosion, not only making a building look bad but also risking its structural integrity and safety,” said Gunasekara, an ARC DECRA fellow from the School of Engineering.

“Scrap carpet fibres can be used to increase concrete’s strength by 40% in tension and prevent early cracking, by reducing shrinkage substantially.”

Laboratory concrete samples have been created using the various textile materials and shown to meet Australian Standards for engineering performance and environmental requirements.

Concrete samples made with carpet fibres. Image credit: RMIT University.

Addressing a big waste challenge

Gunasekara said the disposal of carpets and other textiles poses an enormous environmental challenge.

“Australia is the second largest consumer of textiles per person in the world, after the US. The average Australian purchases 27 kg of new clothing and textiles every year, and discards 23 kg into landfill,” he said.

“Burning carpet waste releases various toxic gases, creating environmental concerns.”

Dr Shadi Houshyar, a textile and material scientist at RMIT, said that discarded firefighting clothes are a particularly challenging waste issue. This is because the same qualities that make these materials ideal for firefighting also make them difficult to recycle.

“Up to 70% of textile waste would be suitable for conversion into usable fibres, presenting an opportunity in the materials supply chain,” said Houshyar, from the School of Engineering.

Bringing fabric-reinforced concrete into the real world

To capture the unexpected conditions encountered in real-world construction projects, the team will conduct field trials with support from industry and local government partners.

These trials, as well as computational modelling, will be funded by the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy (TREMS) and an early-career research grant. TREMS is led by Professor Sujeeva Setunge from RMIT.

The team is collaborating with Professor Andrzej Cwirzen from Luleå University of Technology in Sweden on the computational modelling.

Their paper, ‘Enhancement of concrete performance and sustainability through incorporation of diverse waste carpet fibres’, has been published in Construction and Building Materials.

Top image caption: PhD scholar Nayanatara Ruppegoda Gamage and Dr Chamila Gunasekara with concrete samples made using textiles. Image credit: RMIT University.

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ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

The ring motor, a key component of the GMD, is a drive system without any gears where the transmission of the torque between the motor and the mill is done through the magnetic field in the air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. It optimises grinding applications in the minerals and mining industries by enabling variable-speed operation, leading to energy and cost savings.

The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

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