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Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials
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Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3151

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yi Han

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Integrated Energy and Infra System, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon-si 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: cement; sustainability; granulated blast-furnace slag; building materials; concrete
Prof. Dr. Xiaoyong Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Integrated Energy and Infra System and Architectural Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon-Si 24341, Republic of Korea
Interests: sustainable concrete; low carbon dioxide concrete; concrete hydration model; optimal hybrid design model; reinforced concrete; composite structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainability of concrete materials has become a major concern for the construction industry. Scientists are exploring the reuse of waste and industrial by-products, such as waste concrete, fly ash, and metallurgical slag, in concrete manufacturing. This can help to reduce resource consumption and ease the pressure on waste disposal. Meanwhile, introducing carbon capture technology helps us to capture and store carbon dioxide during the concrete production process, reducing carbon emissions.

This Special Issue aims to bring together a wide range of knowledge and insights into how waste utilization and carbon capture technologies can be effective measures for the sustainable development of concrete materials. We are committed to exploring innovative ways to convert waste into valuable resources and to apply carbon capture technologies to reduce environmental burdens. These efforts will provide sustainable and viable solutions for the future development of concrete materials.

In this Special Issue, the submission of original research articles and reviews is welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

  • Cement concrete materials;
  • Alkali-activated materials;
  • Supplementary cementitious materials;
  • Waste reusing;
  • Low-carbon concrete;
  • Carbon capture concrete;
  • Durability and sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yi Han
Prof. Dr. Xiaoyong Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cement concrete materials
  • alkali-activated materials
  • supplementary cementitious materials
  • waste reusing
  • low-carbon concrete
  • carbon capture concrete
  • durability and sustainability

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 9236 KiB  
Article
Temperature Effect on Service Life of Reinforced Concrete (RC) Structure Under Chemical Erosion: Deterministic and Probabilistic Approach
by Keun-Hyeok Yang, Hyeon-Woo Lee, Ahmed K. Alkaabi and Seung-Jun Kwon
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 4816; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094816 - 26 Apr 2025
Viewed by 82
Abstract
With increasing exterior temperature, steel corrosion and concrete disintegration in RC (reinforced concrete) are severe due to the increased transport of harmful ions. A durability design for the intended service life should be ensured for the changing exterior conditions. In this study, for [...] Read more.
With increasing exterior temperature, steel corrosion and concrete disintegration in RC (reinforced concrete) are severe due to the increased transport of harmful ions. A durability design for the intended service life should be ensured for the changing exterior conditions. In this study, for the concrete used in a UAE (United Arab Emirates) nuclear power plant structure, the diffusion coefficient of sulfate ions affected by temperature was evaluated through a natural diffusion cell test, and the service life in the structure was calculated through deterministic and probabilistic methods. As the temperature increased from 20 °C to 50 °C, the results decreased rapidly due to an enlarged diffusion coefficient, and its variation significantly increased with unstable ion transport. In the probabilistic method, the effect of the mean and COV (coefficient of variation) for each design parameter on service life was analyzed, which suggested the importance of enough cover depth design with COV under 0.2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials)
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20 pages, 2493 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Hydration Strength and CO2 Emissions of Cement–Quartz Powder Binary Blends Considering the Effects of Water/Binder Ratios and Quartz Contents
by Bo Yang and Xiao-Yong Wang
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041923 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 779
Abstract
Low-carbon design has become increasingly important in the cement and concrete industry. Previous studies have primarily focused on the impact of different types of admixtures on the carbon emissions of concrete while overlooking the influence of the water-to-cementitious materials ratio on concrete carbon [...] Read more.
Low-carbon design has become increasingly important in the cement and concrete industry. Previous studies have primarily focused on the impact of different types of admixtures on the carbon emissions of concrete while overlooking the influence of the water-to-cementitious materials ratio on concrete carbon emissions. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate the synergistic effects of the water-to-binder ratio and quartz powder dosage on concrete hydration, strength, and carbon emissions and to propose a comprehensive performance prediction model. Our proposed performance prediction model highlights the critical role of the water-to-cementitious materials ratio in low-carbon concrete design. It distinguishes between the dilution and nucleation effects of the quartz filler and evaluates the impact of quartz content (10% and 20%) and water-to-binder ratios (0.5 and 0.2) on the cement hydration rate; consequently, it is able to predict the concrete’s thermal, chemical, mechanical, and environmental properties. The model specifics are as follows: the parameters were determined using hydration heat data from a paste with a water-to-binder ratio of 0.5 over the first 3 days, and the chemically combined water and portlandite production was calculated up to 28 days. The water availability coefficient, derived from hydration product measurements with a ratio of 0.2, shows that lower water-to-binder ratios slow hydration as the coefficient exceeds 1. A linear equation predicts strength development based on the mix ratio and reaction degree. The CO2 emission analysis shows that when the water/binder ratio is 0.50, with a compressive strength of 1 MPa, the carbon emissions change little with an increase in the quartz powder replacement rate. However, when the water/binder ratio is 0.2, the percentage reductions in CO2 emissions per unit strength are 11% and 20% for the 10% and 20% quartz powder replacement rates, respectively, compared with the specimen without quartz powder. The model’s regression method is simple, versatile across mix ratios, and capable of predicting hydration heat, product composition, strength, and CO2 emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials)
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21 pages, 10288 KiB  
Article
Finite Element Modeling of Dynamic Response of RPC Columns and Frames Under Coupled Fire and Explosion
by Qin Rong, Chaochao Peng, Xiaomeng Hou, Yuan Chang and Tiancong Fan
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1668; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031668 - 6 Feb 2025
Viewed by 755
Abstract
Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is widely used in ultra-high-rise buildings, hydropower stations, bridges, and other important infrastructures. To study the dynamic response and damage characteristics of RPC columns and frames considering coupled fire and explosions, an analytical model of RPC columns and frames [...] Read more.
Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is widely used in ultra-high-rise buildings, hydropower stations, bridges, and other important infrastructures. To study the dynamic response and damage characteristics of RPC columns and frames considering coupled fire and explosions, an analytical model of RPC columns and frames with coupled fire and explosions was established by using ABAQUS (2021) finite element software. The dynamic response and damage degree of RPC columns under coupled fire and explosions were investigated to reveal the influence laws of parameters such as cross-section size, axial compression ratio, reinforcement rate, and fire duration on the dynamic response of RPC columns at high temperatures. The dynamic response of the frame structure was analyzed when the explosion load was applied to the bottom corner columns, side columns, and top beams, respectively. The results show that the fire severely weakened the blast resistance of RPC columns; the maximum mid-span deformation and residual deformation of RPC columns decreased with the increase in cross-section size and longitudinal bar reinforcement ratio and increased with the increase in fire duration and axial compression ratio. When the explosion load was applied to the corner columns of the bottom floor of the frame, the bottom corner columns were almost completely destroyed, and there was a significant risk of the structure collapsing. Based on the results of the data analysis, a method to enhance the explosion resistance of RC frame structures using RPC materials at high temperatures is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials)
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25 pages, 19246 KiB  
Article
Activity Enhancement Study of Xinjiang Silica-Alumina Volcanic Rock Powder through Different Activation Processes
by Shuhong Yang, Yingjie Wu, Huaiyi Wang, Guiquan Yang, Xiangyi Ding and Zhaoxuan Xia
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(17), 7935; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177935 - 5 Sep 2024
Viewed by 938
Abstract
In response to the dilemma of the scarcity of mineral additions and the high cost of long-distance transport in Hotan, Xinjiang, China, this paper presented an activation process study on the feasibility of volcanic rock powders unique to this region as mineral additions. [...] Read more.
In response to the dilemma of the scarcity of mineral additions and the high cost of long-distance transport in Hotan, Xinjiang, China, this paper presented an activation process study on the feasibility of volcanic rock powders unique to this region as mineral additions. This study explored the activity-enhancing effects of volcanic rock powder via three methods: physical activation process, chemical activation process, and thermal activation process. The results showed that physical grinding improved the particle size distribution and enhanced the ‘microaggregate’ effect. For every 80 m2/kg increase in specific surface area, the particle size decreased by approximately 0.7 μm, and the 28-day activity index increased by up to 4%. In the chemical activation process, the optimal combination scheme of 6% CaO, 2% CaCO3, and 2% CaSO4·2H2O increased the 28-day strength of volcanic rock powder mortar specimens by approximately 20%, achieving an activity index of 82%. Thermal activation studies showed that the low-temperature heat treatment interval of 300 °C to 700 °C increased the 28 d activity index of volcanic rock powders by 12 to 22 percent. However, when the temperature reached the high-temperature interval of 800 °C to 1400 °C, it, rather, inhibited the activity enhancement. A combination of the three activation methods (physical milling with a specific surface area of 560 m2/kg after heat treatment at 600 °C, chemical activation with 6% CaO, 2% CaCO3, and 2% CaSO4·2H2O) resulted in an activity of up to 86% for the volcanic rock powder. The activity enhancement by different activation methods provided a theoretical basis and practical reference for the application of volcanic rock powder as a mineral additions in Hotan, Xinjiang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Technologies of Sustainable Building Materials)
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