Research database

POLYWORK aims at integrating different types of polymeric waste materials into premixed products for building envelope, such as mortars and plasters, in the framework of circular economy approach. The research responds to the needs of: reducing the consumption of natural resources; reusing waste products, or at endoflife, as components for new industrial products; improve performances and resilience of building products. Accordingly, some cement based premixed products, in which a large part of sand is replaced with plastic or rubber waste, are tailored in order to:improve the seismic behavior of masonry; limiting the effects of instability and detachment; improve the acoustic behavior of walls as a soundabsorbing layer; integrate recycled waste products in cement mortars. The interest of the market in this type of products is dictated by the growing need of the building industry in: addressing the issue of resilience to adverse phenomena, such as earthquakes; increasing indoor wellness requirements for the built environment;responding to the demand for materials with limited environmental impact and life cycle, as required by the Italian CAM and by the European rules of the GPP