Latest Advances in Optimized Concrete Mix Design: Assessing Physical Properties, Mechanical Performance and Long-Term Durability

Dear Colleagues,

Concrete, being the predominant cementitious composite material in construction, faces escalating demands on its performance within an increasingly complex application environment. The mechanical characteristics of concrete are predominantly influenced by its constituents, compounded by several factors including mix design ratio, the percentage weight content of each component, curing conditions, age of the concrete, and the incorporation of mineral additives and chemical admixtures. The relationship between these factors and mechanical properties, particularly compressive strength, exhibits a highly nonlinear nature, making their prediction based on mix design a subject of very practical importance. In recent years, the utilization of artificial intelligence methods has emerged as a contemporary research focal point, facilitating optimized mix design across various concrete types and the prediction of physical and mechanical properties.

Despite these advancements, challenges persist in developing novel concrete formulations that showcase innovative performance and enhanced durability against aging, external loads, and environmental factors. This Special Issue is designed to showcase the latest advances and developments in mechanical performance, durability, service life prediction, and modeling of optimized concrete mix designs, with a particular focus on meeting the demand for reduced carbon impact. Emphasis will also be placed on areas enhancing sustainability and fortifying the resilience of civil infrastructure.

Contributions to this Special Issue are welcomed in the form of original research articles and reviews, spanning a range of research areas, including, but not limited to,

• Optimal design and development of new concrete formulations.
• Algorithmic methods for predicting concrete properties and correlating them with mix design.
• Modeling of concrete properties and their correlation with mix design.
• Mix design strategies for low-carbon concretes, with predictions of mechanical and durability performance.
• Advanced multiscale computational modeling and experimental characterization of innovative concrete types.
• Development and application of novel nondestructive evaluation methods for concrete material characterization and performance prediction.
• Composite structures and steel structure design.
• Analysis methods for structures.
• Dynamic behaviour of structural elements under blast/explosive loads.
• Buckling strength estimation of steel structural elements.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Konstantinos G. Kolovos
Dr. Constantinos Repapis
Dr. Georgios Mageirou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• concrete
• building materials
• mix design
• mechanical properties
• low CO₂ concretes
• algorithmic methods
• prediction of concrete properties
• building
• houses