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The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion,...
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The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion, and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete

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 December 2026 | Viewed by 2779

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Babak Jamhiri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
Interests: probabilistic simulation; random field; machine learning; reliability analyses of infrastructure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to introduce this Special Issue on “The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion, and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete”. Reinforced concrete remains the backbone of modern infrastructure, yet its long‐term performance is continually challenged by environmental aggression, material aging, and mechanical stressors. This collection seeks to bring together cutting‐edge studies that explore innovative materials, advanced monitoring techniques, and predictive models aimed at mitigating this deterioration. Highlights include novel corrosion inhibitors, self‐healing cementitious composites, nano‐engineered coatings, and real‑time sensing systems for crack detection and propagation analysis. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, we seek to advance sustainable design practices and extend service life while reducing maintenance costs. We welcome contributions that deepen our understanding and propel the field toward more resilient, durable concrete structures.

Dr. Babak Jamhiri
Guest Editor

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-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

  • reinforced concrete durability
  • corrosion mitigation
  • crack detection
  • predictive modeling
  • self‑healing composites

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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

25 pages, 3479 KB  
Article
Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete Affected by Plastic Materials
by Ramzi Abduallah, Jose Castro, Halil Sezen and Lisa Burris
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010229 - 4 Jan 2026
Viewed by 783
Abstract
This novel study provides new experimental evidence and a detailed comparative analysis of how various types of plastic materials influence concrete performance. Six widely used plastic materials were examined for their impact on the flexural strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, as well [...] Read more.
This novel study provides new experimental evidence and a detailed comparative analysis of how various types of plastic materials influence concrete performance. Six widely used plastic materials were examined for their impact on the flexural strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, as well as the compressive strength, elastic modulus, and durability of concrete specimens. In the experimental program, 10% of the natural fine aggregate was replaced with particles of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). A simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) model was included to compare the greenhouse gas emissions (measured as CO2-e) from managing plastic waste. The new experimental data indicate that, overall, incorporation of plastic waste materials into concrete has modest adverse effects, suggesting the viability of the resulting product as a sustainable material alternative. Flexural tests on RC beams showed that the addition of plastic particles has no adverse effects on flexural behavior under the specific test conditions. Furthermore, durability assessments using ultrasonic pulse velocity and electrical resistivity tests confirmed that plastic-modified concrete performs comparably to conventional mixes. LCA revealed that, with strategic improvements in recycling technology and logistics, using plastic waste in concrete can become an environmentally friendly option, helping to reduce the carbon footprint. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion, and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete)
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21 pages, 4234 KB  
Article
Experimental Study on Axial Compressive Performance of L-Shaped CFST Columns with Various Cross-Section Forms
by Hexiao Li, Zhong Tao, Dongji Han and Meng Wang
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010034 - 21 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 571
Abstract
L-shaped concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their favorable seismic performance and their ability to reduce column protrusions into interior wall surfaces. Existing studies on L-shaped CFST columns have mainly focused on a specific cross-section [...] Read more.
L-shaped concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their favorable seismic performance and their ability to reduce column protrusions into interior wall surfaces. Existing studies on L-shaped CFST columns have mainly focused on a specific cross-section form, and the mechanical behavior of L-shaped CFST columns with different limb length ratios and inter-limb angles has not yet been sufficiently investigated. To further examine the axial compressive performance of L-shaped CFST columns, this study designed and tested eight L-shaped CFST columns by considering the cross-section form, limb-length ratio, and inter-limb angle as key parameters. In addition, a simplified formula for predicting the axial load capacity of L-shaped CFST columns was proposed based on the unified theory. The test results indicated that the cross-section form significantly affects both load-carrying capacity and ductility. For the equal-limb specimens, the peak load of the C-type specimen was 8% and 9% higher than that of the A-type and B-type specimens, respectively, whereas the displacement ductility coefficient of the A-type specimen was 48% and 47% higher than that of the B-type and C-type specimens, respectively. Compared with the unequal limb specimens, the equal limb specimens exhibited an increase in peak load of more than 20%; moreover, the displacement ductility coefficients of the A-type and B-type specimens increased by 48% and 61%, respectively. Increasing the inter-limb angle enhanced the peak load but reduced the ductility, and it led to a gradual shift in the failure mode from local buckling of the steel tube to overall bending. The findings of this study contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanical behavior of L-shaped CFST columns and can provide reference for their design and optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion, and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete)
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13 pages, 2969 KB  
Article
Properties of Concrete Influenced by Plastic Materials
by Nabil Al-Akhras and Halil Sezen
Buildings 2025, 15(22), 4061; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15224061 - 11 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1006
Abstract
Little research is reported on the properties of Portland cement concrete (PCC) mixtures comprising plastic waste materials. Therefore, this novel study was initiated to evaluate the effects of plastic waste materials on different properties of PCC. Plastic boxes and containers made of polypropylene [...] Read more.
Little research is reported on the properties of Portland cement concrete (PCC) mixtures comprising plastic waste materials. Therefore, this novel study was initiated to evaluate the effects of plastic waste materials on different properties of PCC. Plastic boxes and containers made of polypropylene were cut, grinded, pulverized, and incorporated into PCC mixtures. Sand was partially replaced by plastic waste materials with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% volume ratios. Experiments were conducted using PCC cylinders and prisms to evaluate several unique properties of PCC containing plastic waste. Innovative interactions and contributions of several PCC properties including workability, air content, density, water absorption, mechanical properties, rapid chloride ion penetration, and freeze–thaw deterioration are investigated. The new experimental data indicated that the workability and density of PCC decreased with increasing plastic waste replacement levels. The maximum decreases in workability and density were 23% and 6.2% for the PCC with 20% plastic replacement, respectively. On the other hand, our research has shown that air content and water absorption of PCC increases with increasing plastic waste amount. The maximum increase in air content and water absorption were 78% and 29% for the PCC with 20% plastic waste. This study also shows that the mechanical properties of PCC (e.g., compressive and splitting strengths) after 7 and 28 days of moist curing decreased with increasing plastic waste content. Another new finding is that the rapid chloride permeability of PCC increased and the freeze–thaw durability of PCC decreased with an increase in plastic waste amount. One of the most critical discoveries of this experimental study is that plastic waste increases the durability of PCC, i.e., durability factor of PCC with 20% plastic waste was 9.3% compared to 28.5% for the control PCC without plastic waste materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges of and Research Trends in the Durability, Corrosion, and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete)
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