Vaida Dobilaitė

The construction sector causes a huge environmental burden. Globally, this sector is responsible for 34 % of global energy demand, around 34 % of CO ₂ emissions and approximately one-third of all global waste. This article analyses international practices in the usage of wood and other bio-based construction products in buildings, and presents the progress of the Lithuanian state of the art in this area. The EU promotes the use of wood or other construction products made from organic materials from renewable natural resources in buildings. Lithuania contributes to this global trend. A recent governmental resolution requires that at least 50% of construction products used in public buildings, financed by the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania (including European Union structural funds and other international financial assistance), must consist of wood or other bio-based materials derived from renewable resources. To implement this regulation, a dedicated methodology has been developed to quantify the share of wood and bio-based materials in buildings. The proposed methodology is a useful tool for the practical implementation of policy objectives and contributes to the promotion of green procurement and innovation and technological progress in the construction sector.

The durability of interior coatings is an important factor in the environmental performance of buildings, as the service life of the coatings directly determines the frequency of maintenance, material costs, and the overall life cycle impact. This study proposes the use of wet scrub resistance as a functional indicator of durability, providing an open dataset of commercial paints, analyzing their performance trends, and developing an integrated assessment framework. Data were collected through long-term tests according to EN ISO 11998 and EN 13300 standards from 2004 to 2025, ensuring the reliability and comparability of the results. The analysis shows that 56.8% of the tested paints met resistance class 1 and 31.5% met resistance class 2, meaning that these two classes account for almost 90% of all samples. Only around 10% of the paints were classified as class 3, while the share of the worst paints (classes 4–5) was only 1.6%. Long-term data show that class 1 has remained dominant for many years, exceeding 80% in some periods, but an increase in class 2 paints has been observed in recent years. The results of the study provide a quantitative basis for assessing the durability of coatings, allow for the prediction of maintenance intervals and analysis of technological advances, and facilitate data-driven decision-making, including the selection of sustainable building materials. The structured and standardized nature of the dataset also allows for its application in data-driven materials science, including the future development of machine learning models for predicting the durability of coatings and optimizing paint formulations based on sustainability criteria.

This research investigates the air permeability and watertightness performance of commercially available windows and doors based on laboratory tests conducted in accordance with the EN 1026 and EN 1027 standards. All tests were carried out under controlled environmental conditions, and the results were validated following relevant ISO procedures to ensure reliability and consistency. The tests are essential for evaluating the air permeability and watertightness of commercial windows and doors to ensure the overall performance, energy efficiency, and durability of the building envelope. The results provided consist of 244 samples (93 doors and 151 windows) tested between 2018 and 2025 in an accredited laboratory complying with EN ISO/IEC 17025. The results show that most doors achieved the highest air permeability class (Class 4) according to EN 12207, with shares ranging from 50% to 80% and exceeding 65% in most years. Window performance was similarly strong, with more than 74% of samples classified as Class 4, indicating consistently high airtightness and compliance with stringent energy efficiency requirements. Watertightness tests revealed that 59% of products were resistant to water penetration, while 41% were permeable. Among watertight products, windows predominated (67%), while doors accounted for a larger share of water-permeable cases. The results support informed decision making in manufacturing, construction practices, and early-stage building design, contributing to improved building durability and energy efficiency.

The problem of textile industry waste has become increasingly relevant. Recycling clothing industry waste to build acoustic panels is one of the most popular and relatively inexpensive ways to use clothing industry waste. We see a lack of information on the acoustic properties of panels made from waste from the clothing industry. The aim of this research is to determine the acoustic properties of a wide range of clothing industry waste recycled into acoustic panels. The acoustic panels were made from clothing industry waste, a different composition of textile and paper residues generated during digital printing processes. We see that panels made from square-cut scraps knitted and woven fabrics, and from yarns and fibers have relatively good acoustic properties. The panel made only of paper had good acoustic properties, the production of panels from paper and textile resulted in similar acoustic properties. Analyzing the acoustic properties of the double specimen, it was found that testing the double-layered panels, the insertion loss is better; by tripling the samples, it was found that although the acoustic properties improved, they were only marginal. Cellulose fiber boards were characterized by significantly higher air resistance. The air resistance of the boards made from fabric scraps was lower.

The ventilation system is one of the most important elements of a building for the appropriate insurance of indoor climate parameters. Nowadays, textile ventilation systems are increasingly being used as a solution for low-energy buildings. Greater air movement and distribution in ventilation systems often leads to one of the most noticeable issues for people—increased noise in the indoor environment. One of the solutions is to use noise reducing diffusers. The aim of this research was to design and test a diffuser that fulfills noise regulations, would be light (weight less than 3 kg), be able to flexibly change geometry and have a design that harmonizes with the interior design, could be easily installed into a suspended ceiling, have a simple connection to the ventilation duct and be able to be effortlessly removed for maintenance, and be sustainable (usage of recycled materials). Three types of diffusers were created according to set characteristics and tested. The test results showed that the aim of the research was achieved—the emitted noise levels are below the regulation’s required level of less than 45 dBA. Also, it is light—the weight is 1.7 kg and 2.8 kg, respectively, for square and rectangular diffusers; has a flexible construction and design; is made from recycled materials.

Ensuring the tightness of buildings using self-adhesive tapes is one of the cost-effective, efficient, and reliable solutions. There is a lack of research, standards, and methodologies for construction adhesive tape, especially for assessing the functional properties of the tape after ageing. The aim of this work is to evaluate the tightness of different building surfaces and adhesive tape systems by conducting artificial ageing. It was found that adhesive tapes with an acrylic adhesive base ensured a fully sealed system. In all cases, tapes applied to surfaces such as plywood, gypsum plasterboard, cement-bonded particle board, plastered cement-bonded particle board, and plastic board provided sufficient sealing. The air permeability of the tapes on the OSB was two to seven times higher than that of the defined sealed system with other surfaces. In most cases, air permeability increased on OSB, gypsum plasterboard, and plastered cement-bonded particle board after ageing. The least problematic surface is the plastic board. In all tested cases, adequate sealing was observed after ageing, with only three of all tested tapes not providing sufficient bonding strength.

The aim of the research was to modify the surface of construction textiles by means of the use of thin silver oxide films, investigate the structure and optical and mechanical properties, and determine the structure, optical and mechanical properties of the aged composites. Thin films of silver oxide (Ag₂O) were synthesized on a flexible PET/PVC construction textile (CT); the structural, optical, and physical properties, as well as the effect of artificial aging on these properties, were investigated. The SILAR method (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) was used to synthesize thin Ag₂O films on the CT surface. Before the thin films were deposited, the CT surface was mechanically roughened and pretreated with acidic and alkaline solutions at an elevated temperature. XRD analysis showed that the deposited films were a polycrystalline mixed phase material consisting of Ag₂O, AgO, and metallic Ag. Diffuse reflectance spectra in the ultraviolet and visible ranges (UV-Vis) were used to study the optical properties of the deposited thin films. The synthesized Ag₂O/CT composites were direct-gap semiconductors (the optical band gap (E_g) was 0.89 ± 0.02 eV). E_g and refractive indices (n) increased as the aging tests were carried out. Higher E_g and n meant that the composites were a good material for optoelectronic applications. The results showed that, after modification, the structural properties and tear strength of the PET/PVC fabric remained the same while the tensile strength decreased. The same tendencies remained after artificial aging.

It is important to develop research on sealing materials in order to find effective solutions to ensure the energy efficiency of buildings. The aim of this study is to investigate the peel adhesion of single-sided self-adhesive tapes to different construction surfaces and to determine the change in this characteristic due to climatic effects. Different construction tapes, mostly used externally in buildings, are glued to different substrates. The artificial aging of test samples was carried out, simulating the effects of moisture, heat, and cold; the intensity, duration, and sequence of the cyclic effects were determined, taking into account the statistical climatological data of the middle-latitude climate zone. The peel adhesion of the tapes was determined before and after different numbers of artificial aging cycles. The results show that the peel adhesion range is very wide, from 11 to 61 N/24 mm. In most cases, a lower-rated peeling adhesion was obtained by peeling the tape from plastered cement–sawdust board. The change in peel adhesion depends more on the surface to which the tape is glued than it does on the number of climatic exposure cycles selected for the test.

In order to determine changes in the functional properties of architectural membranes due to weathering and forecast their durability, it is very essential that the accelerated aging test simulates conditions that are maximally close to the natural operating conditions of these materials in tensile structures. This paper introduces the development of an artificial weathering test for the investigation of changes in the properties of architectural membranes and connections from this material by incorporating climatic factors characteristic of the continental climate zone of mid-latitude in the aging model. The duration, intensity, and sequence of cyclic impact under which artificial aging has to be performed were based on the analysis of the environmental conditions of this zone. 1000 h impact consisting of 520 h of radiation with UVA-340 lamps and 480 h of cyclic immersion in acidic pH water, freezing (−18 °C) and heating (60 °C) are the main stages of the aging model. The developed aging model was experimentally verified by testing the PES/PVC coated material that is used in tensioned membrane structures and its connections of three types (overlap, pocket and laced). The results indicate that the model is useful both for determining changes in the properties of membranes and connections and may serve as a potential tool for forecasting the aging of architectural membranes.