Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Eco-Mortar 2.0 (Eco-friendly and high-performance thermal insulating fibre reinforced mortar to be applied on walls as a coating or panel)
Période du rapport: 2023-10-02 au 2025-10-01
The European construction industry faces a critical dual challenge: it is responsible for high energy consumption and generates massive amounts of waste. To meet the strategic goals of the EU Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, the sector urgently requires solutions that decouple growth from resource extraction.
Eco-Mortar 2.0 addressed this need by developing a new generation of eco-friendly, high-performance rendering mortars, designed for wall exterior retrofitting (applied as coating or panel). The project’s innovation lies on the synergistic combination of waste from three industrial sectors—diabase sludge (stone industry), recycled cork (forestry industry), and waste fibres (textile industry)—together with aerogel granules from the nanotechnology sector.
The overall objective was not only to create a technically valid material but also to demonstrate a pathway to impact in which industrial by-products replace non-renewable resources. By successfully controlling shrinkage cracking and enhancing thermal insulation, the project intended to provide a scalable solution to improve energy efficiency in the EU building stock while transforming a waste management burden into a valuable raw material.
Eco-Mortar 2.0 addressed this need by developing a new generation of eco-friendly, high-performance rendering mortars, designed for wall exterior retrofitting (applied as coating or panel). The project’s innovation lies on the synergistic combination of waste from three industrial sectors—diabase sludge (stone industry), recycled cork (forestry industry), and waste fibres (textile industry)—together with aerogel granules from the nanotechnology sector.
The overall objective was not only to create a technically valid material but also to demonstrate a pathway to impact in which industrial by-products replace non-renewable resources. By successfully controlling shrinkage cracking and enhancing thermal insulation, the project intended to provide a scalable solution to improve energy efficiency in the EU building stock while transforming a waste management burden into a valuable raw material.
The project developed a comprehensive work plan to transform industrial waste into usable construction products. The work was divided into four key stages.
Analysing the raw material: Laboratory tests were conducted to study the composition of diabase sludge. The results confirmed that this waste meets the technical requirements for use as cement partial replacement.
Developing the mixes: The cor
e work involved developing and testing different mortar formulations. Diabase sludge was successfully combined with textile fibres (to reinforce the mechanical performance) and recycled cork/aerogel (to improve thermal insulation). The tests proved that these new eco-mortars not only meet standard requirements but, in some cases, exhibit superior performance compared to existing commercial products.
Laboratory-scale prototypes: To validate the materials, laboratory-scale prototypes were developed: (1) the mortar applied as a wall coating and (2) as a prefabricated panel. The testing campaign validated the technical feasibility of the concept, demonstrating an overall behaviour suitable for potential construction applications.
Measuring environmental impacts: Finally, detailed environmental studies were carried out. These analyses quantified the sustainability benefits, proving that these new solutions significantly reduce CO2 emissions and energy demand compared to traditional building materials.
Analysing the raw material: Laboratory tests were conducted to study the composition of diabase sludge. The results confirmed that this waste meets the technical requirements for use as cement partial replacement.
Developing the mixes: The cor
e work involved developing and testing different mortar formulations. Diabase sludge was successfully combined with textile fibres (to reinforce the mechanical performance) and recycled cork/aerogel (to improve thermal insulation). The tests proved that these new eco-mortars not only meet standard requirements but, in some cases, exhibit superior performance compared to existing commercial products.
Laboratory-scale prototypes: To validate the materials, laboratory-scale prototypes were developed: (1) the mortar applied as a wall coating and (2) as a prefabricated panel. The testing campaign validated the technical feasibility of the concept, demonstrating an overall behaviour suitable for potential construction applications.
Measuring environmental impacts: Finally, detailed environmental studies were carried out. These analyses quantified the sustainability benefits, proving that these new solutions significantly reduce CO2 emissions and energy demand compared to traditional building materials.
Eco-Mortar 2.0 represents a significant breakthrough by evaluating, for the first time, the potential of diabase sludge as a functional filler to replace cement. Furthermore, while existing research often focuses on individual wastes or simple binary combinations, this project successfully validated a complex multi-waste circular economy approach. It demonstrated the technical feasibility of simultaneously valorising by-products from three distinct industrial sectors—stone (sludge), textile (fibres), and forestry (cork)—integrated with advanced materials from the nanotechnology sector (aerogel). The result is a hybrid material in which rigid particles and fibres work synergistically to create a stable, functional mortar that can be applied as a coating or panel.
Main impacts
The project delivered clear environmental and socio-economic benefits.
Environmental: The solution validates a Circular Economy model in which industrial waste replaces non-renewable raw materials (primarily cement). This leads to a reduction in the carbon footprint of construction materials and diverts significant volumes of industrial waste from landfills, minimizing soil and water pollution.
Socio-economic: The enhanced thermal properties of the developed mortar contribute to improved energy efficiency in buildings, helping to reduce household energy consumption. Additionally, the project transforms waste management costs into potential raw material revenues, creating new value chains for the stone and textile sectors.
Future steps and key needs
Although the laboratory-scale prototypes showed successful behaviour, specific steps are required to ensure market uptake and commercial success-
Scaling-up and demonstration: Further research is needed to move from laboratory-scale to industrial pilot tests to validate the production process under real-world conditions.
Standardization: The current regulatory framework for construction materials is often rigid. Updates to standards are necessary to facilitate the certification and acceptance of these new hybrid eco-materials.
Main impacts
The project delivered clear environmental and socio-economic benefits.
Environmental: The solution validates a Circular Economy model in which industrial waste replaces non-renewable raw materials (primarily cement). This leads to a reduction in the carbon footprint of construction materials and diverts significant volumes of industrial waste from landfills, minimizing soil and water pollution.
Socio-economic: The enhanced thermal properties of the developed mortar contribute to improved energy efficiency in buildings, helping to reduce household energy consumption. Additionally, the project transforms waste management costs into potential raw material revenues, creating new value chains for the stone and textile sectors.
Future steps and key needs
Although the laboratory-scale prototypes showed successful behaviour, specific steps are required to ensure market uptake and commercial success-
Scaling-up and demonstration: Further research is needed to move from laboratory-scale to industrial pilot tests to validate the production process under real-world conditions.
Standardization: The current regulatory framework for construction materials is often rigid. Updates to standards are necessary to facilitate the certification and acceptance of these new hybrid eco-materials.