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Toward greener mortars with wastewater sludge as cement replacement
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The cement industry significantly impacts environmental issues, leading to growing demand and research into developing alternatives that result in more environmentally friendly building materials. This research investigates the potential of using sludge from the Bragança Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) as a partial substitute for cement in the formulation of mortar, offering a more eco-friendly solution while promoting waste reutilization. The sludge was prepared using five different methods to evaluate this possibility. M1 was oven-dried, M2 and M3 were sun-dried, M4 was incinerated in a muffle furnace, and M5 was pyrolyzed. Compression tests were carried out to evaluate the mechanical strength of the mortar. Different mixtures were formulated and analyzed, and the M3 specimen containing 7% sludge, showed the highest strength, outperforming the control mortar and those
with M1, M2, and M4 sludge preparations, which displayed similar results. On the other hand, the mixture subjected to the pyrolysis treatment (M5) showed the least satisfactory results in terms of strength, even lower than those obtained for the control mortar. Considering the environmental perspective and the pressing need to move towards a circular economy, evaluating the associated energy consumption and mechanical performance is essential. The findings indicated that partial substitution of cement with treated sludge led to a noticeable decrease in energy demand, particularly when low-energy processes like solar drying were employed. It is important to highlight that all the modified mortars, following different methods, were shown to comply with the EN 998-1:2018 standard for compressive strength, which attests to their viability for practical applications. The incorporation of
WWTP sludge in mortar production not only reduces cement consumption but also minimises the environmental impacts associated with this industry. At the same time, it contributes to sustainable waste management and economic valorization. The study highlights the feasibility of using mortars incorporating sludge as a cost-effective alternative that also plays a role in mitigating environmental issues. Further studies should assess long-term durability and potential environmental trade-offs, in order to clarify the practical impact of this strategy in actual construction scenarios.
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Martins, Ramiro; Pietrobelli, Juliana (2025). Toward greener mortars with wastewater sludge as cement replacement. Journal of the Polish Mineral Engineering Society. ISSN 1640-4920. p. 1-8. DOI: 10.29227/IM-2025-02-03-34