FEATURE BY SAMUEL McKEOWN
Concrete decision about the root cause of construction emissions
A COLLABORATION between Cellucomp Ltd and Lancaster Uni- versity’s engineering sector has potentially improved the strength of concrete mixtures through the addition of vegetation.
The industrial company’s partnership with the University resulted in a two-year research project into how concrete mixtures could be strengthened and made more environmentally friendly by adding ‘nano platelets,’ made from the fi bres of root vegetables.
Lead researcher Professor Mohamed Saafi from Lancaster University’s Engineering Department believes root vegetable concrete could go a long way to reducing construction carbon emissions.
He said: “These novel cement nanocomposites are made by combining ordinary Portland cement (one of the main ingredients for concrete) with nano platelets extracted from waste root vegetables taken from the food industry.
“The composites are not only superior to current cement products in terms of mechanical and microstructure properties, but also use smaller amounts of cement. This signifi cantly reduces both the energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with cement manufacturing.”
The research, which is supported by £195,000 of EU Horizon 2020 funding, will strengthen fi ndings from early tests that concrete mixture’s mechanical properties are signifi cantly improved when combined with nano platelets from sugar beet, or carrot.
The cost-eff ective vegetable-composite concretes outperformed
all commercially-available cement additives, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes.
The root-vegetable nano platelets increase the amount of calcium silicate hydrate – the main substance controlling the performance of concrete, which stops cracks appearing in the concrete.
Christian Kemp-Griffi n, CelluComp CEO (above left), said: The research is designed to confi rm or refute fi ndings from initial research using Curran® (micro-fi brillated cellulose from vegetable waste streams) to reinforce concrete.
“Initial reinforcement studies showed positive results in fl exural (or bending) strength and crack resistance by adding small doses of Curran® (above) into concrete.”
Fibres from root vegetables
The construction industry is urgently seeking ways in which to curb its carbon emissions, and through increasing the performance of concrete, smaller quantities are needed in construction. The production of ordinary, carbon-intensive Portland cement accounts for 8% of total global CO2 emissions. This is forecast to double in the next 30 years.
CelluComp Ltd already uses fi bres from root vegetables to manufacture more durable paints.
The next steps are to determine the most appropriate markets for the product, while fi nding appropriate commercial partner(s) to launch the material and address issues of regulation.
Makita introduce brushless threaded rod cutter
FOR the fi rst time Makita have introduced a machine to the LXT range of cordless tools designed specifi cally for the cutting of threaded rod. The new DSC102ZJ Threaded Rod Cutter is powered by a brushless motor, and is compatible with both 14.4v and 18v Makita Lithium-Ion batteries.
Weighing just 3.2kg with the battery, the DSC102ZJ is ideal for overhead applications and features an automatic blade stop mechanism where the movable blades will stop at the full open position allowing the user to quickly resume operation.
The threaded blades give a more accurate and burr-free cut allowing for easy nut tightening. The rod guide is adjustable to two positions, depending on the rod size, enabling precise cutting. The manoeuvrable DSC102ZJ will perform stable cutting even on a fl oor.
The standard DSC102ZJ is fi tted with jaws to suit M10 or Whitworth 3/8 threads, and extra jaws are available to suit M8
12 TBH July-August, 2018
or M6 threaded rod. Operating off an 18v (6Ah) battery the DSC102ZJ will cut up to 1,600 pieces of M10 mild steel and 1,500 pieces of M10 stainless steel.
The volume of work from a single charge increases with smaller diameter stud bar, where it can achieve up to 2,700 pieces of M6 mild steel and 2,200 pieces of M6 stainless steel with the minimum cutting length of 20mm.
Other features include an ergonomic soft grip handle and low vibration for user comfort and safety, an electric brake, joist hook and a handy LED job light. Should the rod get caught in the cutter blades, the reversing switch will reverse the rotation of the motor to free the rod.
The specialist tool is designed for large scale operations such as suspending air conditioning units or lighting from great heights in warehouses. It is also ideal for cutting studs when threaded anchored fi xings protrude from concrete fl oors or walls.
www.toolbusiness.co.uk
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