From the «now that's science at work!» department:
Feed: Ars Technica - All content
Title: Ready the Ig Nobel: Researchers incorporate used diapers into concrete Author: Diana Gitig
Date: Sun, 21 May 2023 07:00:25 -0400
Link: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940676

[image 1]

Enlarge[2] (credit: Renphoto[3])

Government building rules and regulations can be outdated and misguided, insisting upon conventional building materials with prices that aren’t compatible with building affordable housing. The building codes suggested by the
United Nations decades[4] ago often preclude using local, lower-cost, and environmentally friendly materials.

Of late, certain researchers have speculated that they might be able to solve two problems plaguing burgeoning cities—a glut of non-degradable waste and dearth of building materials—by folding the former into the latter. Now, a team
in Japan reports that used, sanitized disposable diapers can be incorporated into concrete and mortar, which would still meet Indonesian building standards. Low-cost housing is desperately needed there as the urban population continues to bloom and housing is scarce. Obviously, all of the people moving to the cities bring more waste there, as well.

Diapers are substituted for the fine aggregates that are normally used in making
concrete. The team determined that mortar for structural components, like load-bearing walls and public road pavement, could only tolerate a maximum of 10
percent added diaper material. But mortar and concrete for nonstructural components, like non-load-bearing wall partitions and low-impact floor pavers, could tolerate having up to 40 percent of their aggregates swapped for diaper material.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs[5] | Comments[6]

Links:
[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-121352105-800x518.jpg (image)
[2]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-121352105.jpg (link)
[3]: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/disposable-dirty-diaper-royalty-free-image/121352105?phrase=used+diapers&adppopup=true (link)
[4]: https://unhabitat.org/enabling-shelter-strategies (link)
[5]: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940676#p3 (link)
[6]: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940676comments=1 (link)



--
Killfiles keep social media civil.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)