Sustainable aluminum-reinforced concrete for crack control in building envelopes

Cracks in building envelopes reduce service life and look poor. They let in water and salts. They drive up maintenance. This study tests aluminum as a green crack control option for thin concrete skins. We use recycled aluminum mesh and short wires. We pair them with low alkali binders and thin protective coatings. The goal is to form many fine cracks, not a few wide ones. We built mixes with a geopolymer paste and a slag rich blended cement. We compared them to a plain cement control. Coatings included anodized oxide, ceramic sol gel, and powder epoxy. We ran restrained ring, direct tension, pullout, and corrosion tests. We also cycled temperature and measured flow through cracked panels. Aluminum mesh in low alkali binders cut crack width at service. Mean width stayed at or below 0.2 millimeter. Crack spacing was tight and stable under cycles. Coatings reduced corrosion current by large margins. The ceramic layer stayed stable in heat and water. Water flow through microcracked panels fell to near zero with a light sealer. Panel mass dropped due to the light metal and thin mesh. Using recycled feedstock lowered embodied carbon. End of life recovery is simple with common sorting tools. The method suits nonstructural skins. It needs isolation from any embedded steel. Field trials and design charts are the next step. Results outline a practical path for durable facades.