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Advancements in Sustainable Cement-Based and Recycled Materials: Pathways to Eco-Friendly...
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Advancements in Sustainable Cement-Based and Recycled Materials: Pathways to Eco-Friendly Materials for Buildings

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 3521

Editors

Prof. Dr. Ming-Gin Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Construction Engineering, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
Interests: building materials; repair and renovation; recycle and reuse of waste materials; energy conservation and carbon reduction technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yeng-Fong Shih

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Chemistry, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 413310, Taiwan
Interests: polymer composites; biomass composites; nanocomposites; low carbon composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The construction industry contributes nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions and generates substantial amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) annually. Despite its potential for reuse, only a small fraction of CDW—including concrete, wood, gypsum, asphalt, and bricks—is recycled, leading to material shortages and environmental concerns. Effective recycling and valorization of CDW can reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and foster eco-friendly innovations, paving the way for sustainable construction practices and resilient infrastructure.

This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge advancements and applications in the valorization of waste materials within the construction industry, contributing to the reduction of environmental impact. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and interdisciplinary studies addressing the following topics, among others: 

  • Development of sustainable cement-based materials 
  • Recycling and upcycling of construction and demolition waste 
  • Innovations in eco-friendly building materials 
  • Life-cycle assessment of recycled materials in construction 
  • Policy and practices promoting the circular economy in construction
  • Industrial applications and case studies 

Researchers, professionals, and academics are invited to share their latest findings, insights, and perspectives on sustainable construction materials and practices. Contributions that integrate scientific rigor with practical applicability are particularly encouraged. 

Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Ming-Gin Lee
Prof. Dr. Yeng-Fong Shih
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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

  • sustainable construction materials
  • cement-based materials
  • recycled construction waste
  • circular economy in construction
  • eco-friendly building materials
  • life-cycle assessment
  • construction and demolition waste (CDW)
  • green infrastructure
  • resource conservation
  • environmental impact reduction

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 778 KB  
Article
Modeling Carbonation Depth in Hardened Alkali-Activated Slag Under Accelerated Curing: A Multi-Physics Finite Element Approach
by Lei Zhang, Kai Wang, Yang Liu, Xiaoxiong Zha and Yu Lei
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010008 - 19 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 612
Abstract
This study develops a numerical model based on a multi-physics coupled finite element method to predict the carbonation depth of hardened alkali-activated slag under accelerated carbonation curing conditions. Drawing on existing literature data, the chemical composition and porosity of alkali-activated slag at different [...] Read more.
This study develops a numerical model based on a multi-physics coupled finite element method to predict the carbonation depth of hardened alkali-activated slag under accelerated carbonation curing conditions. Drawing on existing literature data, the chemical composition and porosity of alkali-activated slag at different ages were determined under non-carbonation conditions, supported by thermodynamic and kinetic analyses of alkali activation reactions. A differential equation governing CO2 diffusion—incorporating diffusion rate, diffusion coefficient, carbonation reaction rate, and related parameters—was established using Fick’s second law. The influence of humidity and carbonation degree on the reaction rate was quantified, and a correlation between carbonation degree and porosity was derived through thermodynamic analysis. These equations were solved numerically in a two-dimensional domain to predict carbonation depth over time. The results demonstrate that the proposed model, using only raw material composition and curing conditions, achieves reasonable accuracy in predicting carbonation depth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Sustainable Cement-Based and Recycled Materials: Pathways to Eco-Friendly Materials for Buildings)
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25 pages, 3813 KB  
Article
Sustainable UHPC Incorporating Water-Quenched Slag and Incineration Fly Ash for Infrastructure Covers
by Ming-Gin Lee, Wei-Chien Wang, Yung-Chih Wang, Wen-Chih Tung and Shu-Wei Wu
Buildings 2025, 15(21), 3897; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15213897 - 28 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1086
Abstract
With the rapid increase in municipal solid waste and the associated production of incineration fly ash (IFA) in Taiwan, sustainable utilization of industrial by-products has become a pressing concern. This study evaluates the mechanical, environmental, and structural performance of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) incorporating [...] Read more.
With the rapid increase in municipal solid waste and the associated production of incineration fly ash (IFA) in Taiwan, sustainable utilization of industrial by-products has become a pressing concern. This study evaluates the mechanical, environmental, and structural performance of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) incorporating water-quenched slag (WQS) and IFA as partial replacements for cement or quartz powder. Laboratory-scale specimens were tested for compressive and flexural strength, followed by full-scale load-bearing tests on trench covers (60 × 35 × 4 cm) and manhole covers (120 × 60 × 5 cm) with varying steel fiber contents and welded steel mesh reinforcement. Mechanical behavior, heavy-metal leaching (TCLP), carbon emissions, and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) were examined. The results show that WQS maintained or enhanced strength, while IFA caused strength loss and surface corrosion due to gas release during hydration. Trench covers with 15% WQS achieved the highest peak load (14,733 kg), exceeding heavy-traffic requirements, whereas IFA-based covers met the 10-ton standard but showed corrosion. Manhole covers did not reach the 75-ton design load, indicating applicability only for light or non-traffic areas. All UHPC mixes immobilized heavy metals within regulatory limits, and partial cement replacement reduced the carbon footprint by 60–120 kg CO2e/m3. LCIA further indicated that 20% IFA replacement provided the greatest overall environmental benefit. In conclusion, WQS-incorporated UHPC offers reliable structural and environmental performance, while IFA requires pretreatment or modification to ensure long-term durability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Sustainable Cement-Based and Recycled Materials: Pathways to Eco-Friendly Materials for Buildings)
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25 pages, 6817 KB  
Article
Theoretical Research on the Shear Mechanical Properties and Size Effect of Recycled Concrete Beams Without Stirrups
by Chunyang Liu, Guangkai Zhou, Hao Wang and Yilin Wang
Buildings 2025, 15(10), 1737; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15101737 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 967
Abstract
As a new type of building material with great potential, recycled concrete is playing a vital role in the context of the current construction industry’s pursuit of sustainable development. At present, the analysis method of recycled concrete structures is mainly based on the [...] Read more.
As a new type of building material with great potential, recycled concrete is playing a vital role in the context of the current construction industry’s pursuit of sustainable development. At present, the analysis method of recycled concrete structures is mainly based on the test results of small-scale specimens, but the reports relevant to the size effect of large components are not enough. Therefore, in this paper, the three-dimensional mesoscale numerical simulation is employed to conduct the static shear failure analysis of recycled concrete beams without web reinforcement. Based on existing experiments and verification of the rationality and accuracy of such numerical simulation, the influence of cross-sectional height, shear-span ratio, and the replacement rate of recycled aggregate on the shear mechanical properties and consequential size effect of recycled concrete beams are investigated. The research results reveal the dimension effect of nominal shear strength (NSS) and indicate that the shear strength of recycled concrete beams without stirrups shows a notable size-dependent effect, and the shear-bearing ability of recycled concrete beams reduces as the shear-span ratio and replacement rate of recycled aggregate rises. For every 20% increase in replacement rate, the shear-bearing capacity decreases by approximately 5%. The NSS shows a significant size effect, and it diminishes as beam height elevates. In addition, building on the material hierarchy of the Bažant size-effect law, a theoretical formula for the dimension effect on the shear strength of recycled concrete beams is proposed, considering the impact of shear-span ratio and replacement rate. The shear strength obtained from the supplied formula is subsequently compared with the standards of various countries, the results from existing calculation methods, and experiments. The accuracy and rationality of the supplied formula are verified. The research conclusion of this paper can provide a reference for engineering design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Sustainable Cement-Based and Recycled Materials: Pathways to Eco-Friendly Materials for Buildings)
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