Compositions of matter for use as a roof coating are provided. The roof coating can be applied to any suitable roof of any building. When applied to a roof, the roof coating insulates the building's interior from some of the sun's thermal energy, which would otherwise radiate into the building and raise the interior temperature. The roof coating can therefore reduce energy consumption involved in cooling the building's interior. The roof coating demonstrates advantageous thermal insulation properties (e.g., low thermal conductivity) over a wide range of temperatures and when applied with minimal thickness. The provided roof coating demonstrates high reflectance, high emissivity, low thermal conductivity, low flame spread, high solar reflectance index (SRI) in the range of 100 to 120, and acts as a sealer and waterproofer, which all contribute to its desirable properties for use as a thermally insulating roof coating.

A vehicle coating to thermally insulate the vehicle's interior is provided. The vehicle coating may be applied to the exterior (e.g., roof) of any suitable moving vehicle, such as a bus, RV, delivery truck, construction vehicle (e.g., cement mixer), train car. When applied to a vehicle's exterior, the vehicle coating provides the benefit of insulating the vehicle's interior from some of the sun's thermal energy, which would otherwise radiate into the vehicle and increase the interior temperature. The vehicle coating demonstrates advantageous thermal insulation properties (e.g., low thermal conductivity) over a wide range of temperatures and when applied with minimal thickness. The provided vehicle coating demonstrates high reflectance, high emissivity, low thermal conductivity, and high solar reflectance index (SRI), and is suitable for high vibration high uplift winds, which all contribute to its desirable properties for use as a thermally insulating vehicle coating.

Disclosed is a method to produce composite materials, which contain customized mixes of nano- and/or micro-particles with tailored electromagnetic spectral properties, structural elements based thereon, in particular layers, but also bulk materials including inhomogeneous bulk materials. In some embodiments the IR-reflectivity is enhanced predominantly independently of reflectivity for visible wavelength. The enhanced IR-reflectivity is achieved by combining spectral properties from a plurality of nano- and/or micro-particles of distinct size distribution, shape distribution, chemical composition, crystal structure, and crystallinity distribution. This enables to approximate desired target spectra better than know solutions, which comprise only a single type of particles and/or an uncontrolled natural size distribution. Furthermore disclosed are methods of manufacturing such materials, including ceramics, clay, and concrete, as well as applications related to design and construction of buildings or other confined spaces.

Beneficial use structures are disclosed that include coal combustion residuals (CCR) mixed with water and a binder to form a structural material, and adapted to be compacted for use in the formation of the beneficial use structure. Various structures having beneficial uses are described, including compressed air storage facilities and a pumped hydroelectric facility, including such a facility adapted for use with a lock system of a waterway.

Conductive concrete mixtures for shotcrete applications are described that are configured to provide varied EM shielding and reflect and/or absorb, for instance, EM waves propagating through the conductive concrete mixture, while providing flowability (e.g., fluidity) for shotcrete applications. The conductive concrete mixtures include cement, aggregate, water, metallic conductive material, and conductive carbon particles and magnetic material. The metallic conductive material may include steel fibers and/or shavings having sizes suitable for application through shotcrete nozzles/applicators, and the magnetic material may include a taconite aggregate, such as taconite sand.

Beneficial use structures are disclosed that include coal combustion residuals (CCR) mixed with water and a binder to form a structural material and adapted to be compacted for use in the formation of the beneficial use structure. Various structures having beneficial uses described, including survival bunkers, composting pits, mine reclamation encapsulation and carbon sequestration facilities, water storage facilities, compressed air storage facilities, carbon sequestration/mineral carbonation facilities and a pumped hydroelectric facility adapted for use with a lock system of a waterway.

A composition of matter and method of forming a radiation shielding member at ambient temperatures in which the composition of matter includes a cold-fired chemically bonded oxide-phosphate ceramic cement matrix; with one or more suitably prepared and distributed radiation shielding materials dispersed in the cold-fired chemically bonded oxide-phosphate ceramic cement matrix.

Beneficial use structures are disclosed that include coal combustion residuals (CCR) mixed with water and a binder to form a structural material and adapted to be compacted for use in the formation of the beneficial use structure. Various structures having beneficial uses described, including survival bunkers, composting pits, mine reclamation encapsulation and carbon sequestration facilities, water storage facilities, compressed air storage facilities, carbon sequestration/mineral carbonation facilities and a pumped hydroelectric facility adapted for use with a lock system of a waterway.

An electromagnetic interference (EMI) resistant cementitious ink comprising a hydraulic cement, calcium carbonate, silica sand, taconite material, and a conductive material. A ratio of the silica sand to the taconite material is 1:1. In some embodiments, the taconite material includes taconite powder and fine taconite aggregate having a ratio of 1:1. In some embodiments, the conductive material includes carbon-based nanoparticles in solution. In further embodiments, the EMI-resistant cementitious ink has a shielding effectiveness in accordance with ASTM D4935-18 of at least 4.0 dB.

Conductive concrete mixtures are described that are configured to provide EMP shielding and reflect and/or absorb, for instance, EM waves propagating through the conductive concrete mixture. The conductive concrete mixtures include cement, water, conductive carbon material, magnetic material, and metallic conductive material. The conductive carbon material may include conductive carbon particles, conductive carbon powder, and/or coke breeze. The metallic conductive material may include steel fibers, and the magnetic material may include taconite. The conductive concrete mixture may also include supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). A method of making a concrete structure includes pouring a concrete mixture to form conductive concrete, and positioning a first conductive screen within the conductive concrete proximate to an exterior surface of the conductive concrete. The method also includes positioning a second conductive screen within the conductive concrete in electrical contact with the first conductive screen.