Sustainability of construction materials: Electrodialytic technology as a tool for mortars production

•Electrodialytic technology (ED-T) removal of critical elements: between 50–99.7%.•Specimens with either 50% or 100% of ED-T treated effluent showed similar materials performance compared to the reference mortar.•ED-T can enhance the sustainability of the building industry. The reduction of tap water consumption in all activity sectors, including the building industry, is crucial to the sustainability of water resources. Effluents from wastewater treatment plants have the potential to replace freshwater in the construction sector but they contain a critical mixture of impurities, which hampers their use in mortars production. In this work, the viability of using effluent as an alternative to potable water for the production of mortars, after electrodialytic treatment, was assessed. Electrodialytic technology (ED-T) is a proven technique for decontamination of porous and aqueous matrices. ED-T experiments were conducted with 500 mL of effluent for 6, 12 and 24 h, with a current intensity of 25 mA. The results showed that after ED-T 6 h, the removal efficiencies of critical components were above 85% of their initial concentrations. Mortar properties such as setting time, workability, flexural strength, compressive strength and morphology were obtained for 100% effluent and tap water/effluent mixtures (50:50) with and without ED-T pre-treatment. The mortars with the ED-T treated effluent showed similar initial setting times and workability, higher flexural and compressive strength compared to the mortars reference.