Biomass Waste and Byproducts in Construction Materials

Francisco Agrela is a Full Professor of Civil and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Cordoba, Spain, where he also obtained his PhD in 2003. He is a prolific author of research papers, book chapters, and conferences proceedings. In the last ten years, he has participated as Principal Investigator in more than 40 R+D+i projects related to real-scale applications of waste management and recycled materials. He collaborates with several Elsevier journals as a reviewer, notably Construction and Building Materials, Waste Management, Materials and Design, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, etc., and he is also on the Editorial Board of Materials (MDPI).César Medina is a Full Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Extremadura, Spain. He received his Doctorate in 2011 from the University of León. He is also the recipient of several prizes, notably an Outstanding PhD Thesis in 2014, the University of Extremadura Award for Young Researcher Career Excellence in Technical Fields in 2018, and two Young Researcher Medals by the Royal Spanish Academy of Engineering in 2021. He is a prolific author (research papers, monographs, book chapters, journals’ special issues), has participated in highly reputed national and international congresses, is involved with Q1 and Q2 JCR journals as a referee, and has also co-edited Waste and By-Products in Cement-Based Materials (Elsevier). Belén González-Fonteboa received an MSc in Civil Engineering (1996) and a PhD in Civil Engineering (2002) from the University of A Coruña, where she is now a Full Professor in the Area of Construction Engineering. Her research activity, sponsored by the university and privately funded projects, is related to the analysis and possible uses of different byproducts in the construction field and aimed at creating new eco-concretes and mortars by using innovative control systems and instrumentation. She is a prolific author and an editorial board member of a variety of journals, and also participates in various working groups of fib Commission 4 (COM4).Julia Rosales García is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cordoba. She received her PhD jointly from the University of Cordoba and the University of Seville in 2019, and her PhD thesis was given two research awards. She is collaborating with international and national research centers of high prestige, is contributing to research through papers and presentations at international congresses, and also collaborates with Q1 JCR journals as a reviewer. She has participated in more than 15 R+D+i projects to date, mainly related to the valorization and reuse of waste in construction materials.

• Section 1 – Biomass processing and techniques for improving the properties of biomass1. Application of biomass waste and byproducts in construction materials2. Bioprocess and biomass conversion technology3. Optimizing biomass ashes for concrete: effects of pre-processing techniques4. Characterization of bottom ash from biomass combustion for its use as aggregate in cementitious materialsSection 2 – Progress in the use of biomass in building materials 5. Improving the circularity of construction sites and the geotechnical properties of soils through the use of biomass wastes6. Lifecycle assessment and lifecycle cost analysis of biomass bottom ash as a building material7. Use and potential exploitation of biomass ashes as precursors for construction materials8. Use of biomass ash in geopolymer materials: for insulation of structures and other environmental applications9. Biomass byproduct to improve shrinkage behaviour in high-strength concrete10. Biomass as a base material for 3D printing11. Reactive magnesia composites with rice husk ash and bamboo leaf reinforced with cellulose fibers12. Reuse of biomass ashes to enhance durability and mechanical performance of building materialsSection 3 – Application in cement-based materials 13. Latest trends and application of biochar in cement-based materials14. Biomass ash as a supplementary cementitious material15. Biomass ash as granular skeleton in cement-based materials16. Biomass ash for the manufacture of lightweight concrete and mortars17. Biomass bottom ash in mortars and concrete manufactured with activated cements18. Improvement of rural roads by using palm oil fly ash as a cementitious material