Gypsum Association Supports Research Aimed At Drywall Recycling and Landfill Diversion
Limiting carbon dioxide emissions could be added bonus.
The Gypsum Association (GA), in partnership with Divert NS, in Nova Scotia, Canada, announces its support for Dalhousie University Phase II research exploring the viability of using construction and demolition (C&D) waste gypsum in concrete. Led by Pedram Sadeghian, PhD, PEng, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Infrastructure at Dalhousie’s Centre for Innovation in Infrastructure (CII) in the Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, the work already shows promise as a means of diverting waste gypsum panels from landfills and into a new product. Incorporating recycled gypsum powder in concrete mixes, reduces the amount of cement needed. The result is concrete with a lower carbon footprint.
“As durability is important for the majority of construction materials, our research group at Dalhousie University aims to study the durability of concrete containing recycled gypsum by monitoring compressive strength and potential expansion after exposure to selected environmental conditions such as moisture and salt particle penetration that are common to concrete structures exposed to the environment,” Sadeghian explains.