Advances in Biomimetics for Sustainable Civil Engineering: Materials, Structures, and Energy-Efficient Systems

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Biomimetics focuses on the innovative application of biomimetic principles in building design and sustainable materials within the field of civil engineering. Biomimetics in civil engineering and building materials is a revolutionary, interdisciplinary approach that seeks sustainable and resilient solutions by drawing on the evolutionary design and functional principles of Nature, applying these lessons to both major structural design and material composition. Macro-scale structural and system design cleverly mimics nature's forms and processes to maximise infrastructure performance, such as mimicking termite mounds' passive thermoregulation to build energy-efficient architectural ventilation systems (e.g., the Eastgate Centre building), or leveraging bone (femur) structural efficiency to provide staggering strength with minimal material mass in complex structures like the Eiffel Tower's lattice. In addition, the flexibility and segmentation of bamboo and coastal trees inform seismic- and wind-resilient building design, and studying resilient ant colony networks informs stable foundation and geotechnical design; integration of all ecosystem functions provides 'living' building systems in the form of green roofs for cooling and stormwater management in the city. Contrastingly, on the micro-scale, building materials and composites meticulously replicate the sophisticated mechanics and chemistry of biological materials to yield next-generation products; for example, the laminated microstructure of mollusc shells (nacre) is employed to manufacture high-toughness, fracture-resistant ceramics, and biomineralisation phenomena in bone and coral are leveraged in the creation of self-healing bio-cement that sequesters CO₂ for low-carbon cement and concrete. Other material technologies include creating strong, non-toxic, water-repellent adhesives via the imitation of mussel binding proteins and creating self-cleaning, superhydrophobic surfaces via the mimicry of the lotus leaf structure—all towards a profoundly more resilient and regenerative built environment.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Topics for submission may include, but are not limited to, the following sections and subsections:

1. Biomimetic Materials Science and Innovation

• Self-healing concrete;
• Lightweight, high-strength structural materials;
• Self-cleaning surfaces.

2. Biomimetic Structural Design and Optimisation

• Structural elements;
• Aerodynamic and form-finding optimisation.

3. Biomimetic Building Systems and Energy Efficiency

• Passive ventilation and cooling systems;
• Adaptive building skins/façades;
• Water harvesting and management.

Dr. Naim Sedira
Prof. Dr. João Castro-Gomes
Dr. Sandra Pereira
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. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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.