Development of a superhydrophobic concrete coating: Using paper sludge ash and lignosulfonate adhesive

Jae Yeol   Kim; H. M.  Yee; M. A.  Hafizuddin Ahmad; Hastia Asadi; C. P.  Leo; H. M.  Hazwan

doi:10.52292/j.laar.2025.3623

Authors

Jae Yeol Kim Professor
H. M. Yee Associate Professor
M. A. Hafizuddin Ahmad
Hastia Asadi Doctor https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9780-6219 (unauthenticated)
C. P. Leo
H. M. Hazwan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52292/j.laar.2025.3623

Keywords:

Concrete coating, Waste material, Hydrophobicity measurement and water repellence test, Ultrasonic pulse velocity test, Concrete cubes

Abstract

In the contemporary construction, concrete stands out as a prominent material, recognized for its widespread utilization across the globe. Despite its remarkable performance in structures over the past three decades, concrete remains susceptible to degradation, particularly through reinforcing corrosion induced by water absorption. This paper introduces a novel sustainable solution, the nanomaterials-based superhydrophobic for waterproofing concrete coating. The paper sludge ash solution was sprayed on a layer of lignosulfonate adhesive coated on grade 25 concrete, which exhibited a remarkable water contact angle of 156.296°. The cumulative water uptake was significantly curtailed and the void content in the coated concrete was minimized. This innovative approach not only addresses the inherent water absorbency of concrete but also showcases the potential for repurposing waste materials towards enhancing construction elements.

Author Biographies

H. M. Yee, Associate Professor

H. M. YEE graduated with a doctorate degree Structural Engineering, Master of Science Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Civil Engineering from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. She was a fellow at Universiti Sains Malayisa. After graduating, she worked as senior lecturer at Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia on 2011 and was promoted to Associate Professor on 2017. Her research interest is Computational Mechanics, Computational Analysis of Shell and Spatial Structures, Nonlinear Analysis, Environment, Engineering Education and Architectural Engineering. She is a supervisor of PhD and Master students. She is an external and internal examiner for the postgraduate students.

Associate Professor Ir .Dr . Yee has obtained 19 awards in Invention, Innovation and Research Design Platform and has published 117 up-to-date publications. Her other achievements include invitations as Keynote Speaker, International Invited Speaker, International Visiting Professor, Session Chairman, technical committee and publicity committee chair to over international and national technical conferences and seminars worldwide which include those in Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Australia, Republic of China, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia
Hastia Asadi, Doctor

Hastia Asadi was born in Iran, in 1984. She received Bachelor of architectural engineering (2007) and Master of civil engineering-structural engineering with honors form K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (2012). She was the first undergraduate student of architecture who was able to achieve an excellent ranking of 237 among about 30000 participants in the national graduate civil engineering entrance exam of the Iranian universities. In 2016 she held the post-graduate scholarship of University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany and received her doctorate (cum laude, 2021) from Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures, University of Duisburg-Essen.

Since 2008 she has gained teaching and professional experience in various educational institutions and engineering offices. She worked (between 2014 -2016) at Tazand Civil and Structural Consultant Engineers in Tehran where she was a Senior Fabric and Tensile Structures Engineer. From 2020 to 2021 she was a research associate at Institute for Metal and Lightweight Structures at University of Duisburg-Essen.

From 2021 till 2023, Hastia Asadi was a postdoctoral researcher at the Chairs of Structural Design and Digital Fabrication at the Technical University of Munich. She was appointed as co-coordinator of The Collaborative Research Center Transregio 277, Additive Manufacturing in Construction. Her research focus is the interface of structural engineering, architecture, and polymer science in order to adapt new technologies and materials in construction technology and design.