Mine tailings as partial raw materials substitutes in restoration and modern mortars: converting a "waste" to a "product"

• Main Authors: Αυγερου Νεφελη(http://users.isc.tuc.gr/~navgerou), Avgerou Nefeli(http://users.isc.tuc.gr/~navgerou)
• Other Authors: Μαραβελακη Παγωνα, Maravelaki Pagona, Προβιδακης Κωνσταντινος, Providakis Konstantinos, Σταυρουλακη Μαρια, Stavroulaki Maria, Επιβλέπων: Μαραβελακη Παγωνα, Advisor: Maravelaki Pagona, Μέλος επιτροπής: Προβιδακης Κωνσταντινος, Committee member: Providakis Konstantinos, Μέλος επιτροπής: Σταυρουλακη Μαρια, Committee member: Stavroulaki Maria
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Πολυτεχνείο Κρήτης::Σχολή Αρχιτεκτόνων Μηχανικών 2023
• Subjects: Mine tailings in mortars; Innovative and sustainable solutions; Restoration and modern mortars; Kiruna
• Online Access: http://purl.tuc.gr/dl/dias/785380C8-1BE1-4D4F-A4D1-5E2BC9C9B095; https://doi.org/10.26233/heallink.tuc.97273

Innovative and sustainable mortars with mine waste as partial replacement of cement and/or aggregates, to be used for the restoration of cementitious monuments of the 19th-20th century, or to strengthen contemporary structures. Summarization: During the restoration and reuse of monuments and monumental structures, it is crucial to research historic construction materials and formulate new ones to ensure the structural and historical integrity of monuments. A study of using mine tailings for construction materials is the subject of this thesis. Mine tailings are normally considered waste, which is expensive to store in mine facilities and may impair environment and society. However, the shortage and late price increases in some construction materials, together with the increasingly more restrictive environmental regulations, making this “ground dust”, a by-product of mining activities, an attractive alternative for construction materials. Many studies have been carried out on the use of mine tailings as construction material in the past, but a comprehensive study including tailings originating from different ore ore-forming processes and therefore having varied mineralogical and chemical compositions has not yet been carried out. Moreover, to date, there have been no known instances of mortars specifically designed for use in the restoration of historical buildings or modern structures. In this work, mine tailings from different deposits have been studied (Zinkgruvan, Kiruna and Vale). The experiments involve the analytical characterization of the tailings (mineralogical, chemical), formulation in mortars, testing (mechanical, physical) and optimization of the mix designs over the whole process to obtain the best-fitting solution for the tailings from the deposit studied. Concrete monuments and buildings, that already use cement as a construction material, can be restored with these products. The tailings used as substitute are used as a partial replacement of cement, and/or aggregates, where in grout when ...