Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.4
3.1
Journals
Buildings
Special Issues
Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future
share announcement

Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 5013

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicoleta Cobîrzan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Management, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: masonry and concrete buildings; characterization of materials; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Radu Muntean

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: sustainable building materials and technologies; management; timber and concrete structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This issue aims to explore innovative materials and cutting-edge technologies that enhance the sustainability of construction practices, focusing on the development and application of materials that reduce environmental impact, improve energy efficiency, and offer superior performance and durability. It covers topics such as the use of recycled and renewable materials, smart materials with adaptive properties, and advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing and prefabrication. Additionally, it examines the integration of digital technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in construction processes to optimize resource usage and minimize waste. By presenting research and case studies from around the globe, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the advancements that are shaping the future of sustainable construction, offering valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to creating a more sustainable built environment.

This Special Issue, entitled “Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future”, covers various research topics, such as (but not limited to):

  • Sustainable materials and practices;
  • Biodegradable and Recyclable Construction Materials;
  • Waste Management and Circular Economy;
  • Energy-Efficient Building Systems;
  • Emerging Technologies and Innovations;
  • Nanotechnology in Construction;
  • Structural Health Monitoring;
  • Durability and Longevity of Innovative Construction Materials;
  • Life cycle assessment of sustainable buildings and materials;
  • Cost benefit analysis in construction;
  • Case Studies of Forward-Looking Projects;
  • Real-Time Data Analysis and Predictive in Manufacturing and Maintenance;
  • Advanced machine learning techniques and digital fabrication;
  • Policies and International Agreements;
  • Education and Training for Sustainable Constructions.

Dr. Nicoleta Cobîrzan
Dr. Radu Muntean
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. Buildings 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 2600 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

  • biodegradable
  • circular economy
  • waste
  • nanotechnology
  • energy-ffficient systems
  • advanced manufacturing
  • construction
  • digitalization
  • policies, education and training

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

31 pages, 13279 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Effect of Different Types of Synthetic Fibers on the Flexure Behavior and Mechanical Properties of 3D Cementitious Composite Printing Provided with Cement CEM II/A-P
by Ahmed M. Yassin, Mohamed Ahmed Hafez and Mohamed Gamal Aboelhassan
Buildings 2025, 15(7), 1201; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15071201 - 6 Apr 2025
Viewed by 375
Abstract
Concrete printing in three dimensions is believed to be an innovative construction method. Numerous researchers conducted laboratory experiments over the past decade to examine the behavior of concrete mixtures and the material properties that are pertinent to the 3D concrete printing industry. Furthermore, [...] Read more.
Concrete printing in three dimensions is believed to be an innovative construction method. Numerous researchers conducted laboratory experiments over the past decade to examine the behavior of concrete mixtures and the material properties that are pertinent to the 3D concrete printing industry. Furthermore, the global warming effect is being further exacerbated by the increased use of cement, which increases carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and pollution. Various standards endorse the utilization of Portland-composite cement in construction to mitigate CO2 emissions, particularly cement CEM II/A-P. This research provides an experimental and numerical study to examine the evolution of cementitious composite utilizing cement CEM II/A-P for three-dimensional concrete printing, combining three different types of synthetic fiber. The thorough experimental analysis includes three combinations integrating diverse fiber types (polypropylene, high-modulus polyacrylonitrile, and alkali-resistant glass fibers) alongside a reference mixture devoid of fiber. The three distinct fiber types in the mixtures (polypropylene, high modulus polyacrylonitrile, and alkali-resistant glass fibers) were evaluated to assess their impact on (i) the flowability of the cementitious mortar and the slump flow test of fresh concrete, (ii) the concrete compressive strength, (iii) the uniaxial tensile strength, (iv) the splitting tensile strength, and (v) the flexural tensile strength. Previous researchers designed a cylinder stability test to determine the shape stability of the 3D concrete layers and their capacity to support the stresses from subsequent layers. Furthermore, the numerical analysis corroborated the experimental findings with the finite element software ANSYS 2023 R2. The flexural performance of the examined beams was validated using the Menetrey–Willam constitutive model, which has recently been incorporated into ANSYS. The experimental data indicated that the incorporation of synthetic fiber into the CEM II/A-P mixtures enhanced the concrete’s compressive strength, the splitting tensile strength, and the flexural tensile strength, particularly in combination including alkali-resistant glass fibers. The numerical results demonstrated the efficacy of the Menetrey–Willam constitutive model, featuring a linear softening yield function in accurately simulating the flexural behavior of the analyzed beams with various fiber types. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

38 pages, 9088 KiB  
Article
PET Granule Replacement for Fine Aggregate in Concrete and FRP-Wrapping Effect: Overview of Experimental Data and Model Development
by Omer Fatih Sancak and Muhammet Zeki Ozyurt
Buildings 2024, 14(12), 4009; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14124009 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1487
Abstract
In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was substituted for 10%, 20%, and 30% of the sand volume in concrete. Compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength tests were applied to the concrete samples and stress–strain graphs were obtained. It was observed that PET substitution [...] Read more.
In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was substituted for 10%, 20%, and 30% of the sand volume in concrete. Compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength tests were applied to the concrete samples and stress–strain graphs were obtained. It was observed that PET substitution caused a decrease in the mechanical properties of the concrete. For this reason, the concrete with the best PET substitution rate (10%) was reinforced by wrapping it with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP), and the same experiments were repeated. It was observed that a 10% PET substitution reduced the strength of the reference concrete by about 6%. However, wrapping the PET-substituted concrete with CFRP and GFRP increased the strength by about 1.9 and 1.5 times, respectively, surpassing that of the reference sample. In addition, this study provides a comprehensive database by bringing together experimental data from studies in which PET was used as a substitute by volume or weight instead of fine aggregate in concrete. The models proposed in this study, along with previous models, were tested for applicability. Similarly, the model suggestions in the literature for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-confined concrete were tested with the experimental data in this study, and their suitability for PET-substituted concrete was discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6541 KiB  
Article
Shotcreting with Cement–Sand Mixtures Under the Influence of an Electrostatic Field
by Valery Mishchenko, Azariy Lapidus, Dmitriy Topchiy and Dmitriy Kazakov
Buildings 2024, 14(10), 3325; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103325 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 929
Abstract
One of the primary and still unresolved problems of shotcreting is the high rebound rate of the material, which reaches over 20% in “dry” shotcreting. There is a practical need to improve the very principle of shotcreting and methods for optimizing the movement [...] Read more.
One of the primary and still unresolved problems of shotcreting is the high rebound rate of the material, which reaches over 20% in “dry” shotcreting. There is a practical need to improve the very principle of shotcreting and methods for optimizing the movement of torch particles. Materials and Methods: The purpose of this study was to justify the use of the electrostatic treatment of cement–sand mortar in the process of performing shotcreting works using the dry method. It was proposed that the binder and then the finished mixture be ionized step-by-step (by passing it through a non-uniform electrostatic field formed by corona electrodes). As a result, the shotcrete will be held on the fence. Results: Analysis of the modeling results shows that the presence of an electrostatic field slows down the particle and reduces the kinetic energy of the rebound. After theoretical calculations, experiments were conducted, during which, the torch size and the plant productivity were changed, and the rebound mass was weighed. After application to the surface, prototypes were formed and subjected to strength tests. It was determined that gunning in a sharply non-uniform electric field demonstrates its practical and economic efficiency due to the uniform deposition of charged particles on the treated surface and low power consumption. Conclusions: It was established that the electrostatic treatment of a cement–sand mixture during application allows concrete particles to be retained on the shotcrete surface, the rebound of the material to be reduced and the strength of concrete to be increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

18 pages, 6488 KiB  
Technical Note
Increased Durability of Concrete Structures Under Severe Conditions Using Crystalline Admixtures
by Visar Krelani, Muhamet Ahmeti and Driton Kryeziu
Buildings 2025, 15(3), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15030352 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1385
Abstract
This study investigates the durability of concrete structures under severe environmental conditions, focusing on the effects of thermal stress, saline exposure, and seismic activity. The research employs a dual approach, combining laboratory experiments and field case studies to analyze various environmental impacts, mix [...] Read more.
This study investigates the durability of concrete structures under severe environmental conditions, focusing on the effects of thermal stress, saline exposure, and seismic activity. The research employs a dual approach, combining laboratory experiments and field case studies to analyze various environmental impacts, mix designs, and the use of crystalline admixtures. Two concrete mix designs, CMD-01-C30/37 (mass concrete) and CMD-02-C35/45 (underwater concrete), were developed and tested for strength, permeability, and self-healing properties. The results demonstrate that both mix designs met or exceeded the required strength specifications, with improved resistance to water penetration and permeability depths lower than the code requirements set by European standards from EC2. The incorporation of crystalline admixtures in the mix designs significantly enhanced durability and performance, aligning with the priority of developing zero-carbon concrete solutions. The study also observed the self-healing capabilities of concrete treated with crystalline admixtures, as evidenced by the sealing of cracks at expansion and construction joints over time. These findings contribute to the development of a robust methodology for creating resilient structures adaptable to climate change, with potential implications for enhancing seismic resistance and structural longevity. The study underscores the importance of considering environmental factors and innovative admixtures in concrete design to improve durability and resilience, particularly in areas prone to seismic activity and extreme environmental conditions. Future research directions should focus on further investigating self-healing mechanisms, exploring the integration of durable and self-healing cement-based materials in engineering practice, and evaluating applications for both new construction and retrofitting existing structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Construction Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop