The group began its joint activity 11 years ago and its objectives are to obtain construction materials from plant waste, with lower energy consumption in its manufacture and easy recycling in its destruction.

These objectives are raised because construction is a fundamental part of the problem of sustainable development. In the evaluation of a construction, a global energy balance must be carried out, including not only the useful life phase of the building, but also its entire construction process, from the extraction of materials, their industrial preparation, their implementation, their use, its recycling and destruction; what is called Life Cycle. In this case, the global energy balance and its equivalence in environmental pollution leads to a detailed analysis of construction materials, and therefore, to the use of those less expensive in energy terms, or their equivalent in environmental pollution.

MEMBERS OF THE INVESTIGATION GROUP

• Ferrández-Villena García, Manuel
• Ferrández-García, Mª Teresa
• External collaborators:
  • García Ortuño, Teresa
  • Ferrández García, Clara Eugenia
  • Ferrández García, Antonio

RESEARCH LINES

The main lines of research of the group are the following:

• Design of new materials from plant waste. Analysis of its thermal and acoustic properties. Tests according to EN standards. Studies in comparison with commercial insulating materials.
• The design and characterization of new materials based on non-forest wood products, for application in building works. Evaluate its properties with respect to other commonly used materials such as construction elements such as wood, particle board, OSB fiber, etc.
• Analysis of manufacturing processes with different possibilities and means Tests from the point of view of mechanical resistance, application of regulations for destructive and non-destructive tests, as well as obtaining comparative data with similar materials on the market.