[Object] To provide a building material having excellent durability.

[Solution] A building material has a convex part formed on a surface thereof, the convex part including a first lateral surface part and a second lateral surface part corresponding to the first lateral surface part. The building material is formed from a mixture containing a hydraulic material, an admixture, and a plant-based reinforcing material, and the plant-based reinforcing material at least in the convex part is distributed in the mixture with the hydraulic material and the admixture attached to the plant-based reinforcing material. A distribution of the plant-based reinforcing material in the first lateral surface part and a distribution of the plant-based reinforcing material in the second lateral surface part are substantially the same. Desirably, the convex part includes a first edge part that is an edge part of the first lateral surface part and a second edge part that is an edge part of the second lateral surface part and that corresponds to the first edge part, and a distribution of holes formed in the first edge part and a distribution of holes formed in the second edge part are substantially the same.

[Object] To provide a building material having excellent durability.

[Solution] A building material has a convex part formed on a surface thereof, the convex part including a first lateral surface part and a second lateral surface part corresponding to the first lateral surface part. The building material is formed from a mixture containing a hydraulic material, an admixture, and a plant-based reinforcing material, and the plant-based reinforcing material at least in the convex part is distributed in the mixture with the hydraulic material and the admixture attached to the plant-based reinforcing material. A distribution of the plant-based reinforcing material in the first lateral surface part and a distribution of the plant-based reinforcing material in the second lateral surface part are substantially the same. Desirably, the convex part includes a first edge part that is an edge part of the first lateral surface part and a second edge part that is an edge part of the second lateral surface part and that corresponds to the first edge part, and a distribution of holes formed in the first edge part and a distribution of holes formed in the second edge part are substantially the same.

Class C fly ash-based cementitious materials, concretes, and related techniques are disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, an activated class C fly ash-based cementitious material may be produced by intergrinding class C fly ash (e.g., classified to remove quartz and/or other contaminants and, thus, increase the reactive materials present), an activator, sodium citrate, borax, and a polycarboxylate material. The class C fly ash may have an amorphous glass content of about 60 wt % or more, a calcium oxide (CaO.sub.2) content of about 20 wt % or more, and a quartz content of about 10 wt % or less. The activator may be a chemical which reacts with class C fly ash to form strätlingite structures therein when introduced with water. In some cases, the cementitious material may be provided as an all-in-one powder blend. In some case, techniques disclosed herein may be utilized in providing a fast-setting flowable fill material.

Disclosed herein is a method and an apparatus for producing a shaped article. The method comprises obtaining a freshly produced aluminosilicate-containing particulate waste material and, before the waste material cools to ambient temperature, mixing the waste material into a mixture, wherein the mixture comprises the aluminosilicate, a metal oxide, an alkali, a water soluble silicate and water; shaping the mixture; and curing the shaped mixture, whereby the shaped article is produced.

Disclosed herein is a method and an apparatus for producing a shaped article. The method comprises obtaining a freshly produced aluminosilicate-containing particulate waste material and, before the waste material cools to ambient temperature, mixing the waste material into a mixture, wherein the mixture comprises the aluminosilicate, a metal oxide, an alkali, a water soluble silicate and water; shaping the mixture; and curing the shaped mixture, whereby the shaped article is produced.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of construction aggregates using incineration ash, in which aggregates for construction, such as gravel or sand are manufactured using incineration ashes produced during the incineration process of household waste, food waste, sewage waste, construction and industrial waste, etc. while realizing eco-friendly manufacturing environments, reducing costs through successive steps and reducing and discharging harmful gases produced during firing.

A method of reducing sulfur concentration in fly ash, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) ash, and mixtures thereof by contacting the fly ash, FGD ash, or mixtures thereof with an aqueous acidic solution, for a time, at a temperature, and at a liquid-to-solid ratio wherein the sulfur concentration within the fly ash, FGD ash, or mixture thereof is reduced to no more than 5 wt % SO.sub.3 based on the total weight of dry fly ash, FGD ash, or mixture thereof so treated.

A composite including a polymeric material or emulsion and biochar. The composite includes 1 wt % to 20 wt % of the biochar. Making the composite includes combining biochar with a polymeric material or emulsion to yield a modified polymeric material or emulsion, and homogenizing the modified polymeric material or emulsion to yield the composite. Functionalizing biochar includes removing contaminants from the biochar to yield decontaminated biochar, oxidizing the decontaminated biochar to yield oxidized biochar, and functionalizing the oxidized biochar. Making nitrogen-doped biochar includes combining urea and wood residue to form a mixture, and heating the mixture in an oxygen-free environment to form the nitrogen-doped biochar.

A method for reducing lost circulation in a subterranean formation. The method includes providing a treatment fluid comprising a base fluid and a lost circulation material comprising cane ash. The treatment fluid is introduced into a wellbore within the subterranean formation such that at least a portion of the cane ash bridges openings in the subterranean formation to reduce loss of fluid circulation into the subterranean formation.

Methods of wellbore cementing are provided. A method of analyzing a solid particulate including: measuring a water requirement of the solid particulate; and determining an approximation of specific surface area of the solid particulate from the water requirement.