Risk assessment construction materials

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)-National Research Coimcil (NRC) commissioned a six-year study to develop an assessment framework that helps transportation and environmental officials make prudent decisions on suitable reuse of waste and byproduct materials in road construction. This evaluation methodology not only includes its own innovative testing and measmement components but also incorporates several important featmes of the risk assessment paradigm developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) [5]. 

The risks associated with new projects may include use of hazardous substances insufficient product data faulty electrical equipment poor access/egress poor ergonomics noisy equipment poorly guarded machinery imported equipment/materials lack of risk assessment lack of training/awareness on behalf of management, supervision and employees poor environmental control inadequate emergency procedures inadequate maintenance considerations poor construction methods little or no consideration of waste disposal/demolition. 

The risk assessment must differentiate between the production, storage, and end-use applications. Different risks in production are often due to the amounts of combustible material. The end-use application, transportation, construction, furniture, or furnishings... 

When assessing the risk to the occupants of a premises from fire and the safety of the means of escape, account must be taken of the type and materials of construction of the building, the type and condition of the contents and particularly its flammability, the likely rapidity of spread of smoke and flames and the use to which the building is being put. Fire risk assessments are dealt with in detail in section 4.2.13. 

There is no prescribed format for risk assessments. Health and Safety Executive guidance is limited to Five Steps to Risk Assessment , which is considered to be insufficiently detailed for construction industry needs, and specimen examples in the guidance material associated with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations and the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (see below). 

Almost all common metals and structural steels are liable to corrode in seawater. Regulations have to be followed in the proper choice of materials [16], In addition, there is a greater risk of corrosion in mixed constructions consisting of different metals on account of the good conductivity of seawater. The electrochemical series in seawater (see Table 2-4), the surface area rule [Eq. (2-44)] and the geometrical arrangement of the structural components serve to assess the possibility of bimetallic corrosion (see Section 2.2.4.2 and Ref. 17). Moreover the polarization resistances have considerable influence [see Eq. (2-43)]. The standards on bimetallic corrosion provide a survey [16,17]. 

Nanotechnology is enabling new developments in material science, while providing innovations for industries such as construction, information and communications, healthcare, energy, transportation and security. The sustainable development of nanomaterials, including their potential for environmental protection and the appropriate assessment of possible risks, will contribute to sustainable economic growth. 

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