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Buildings
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Sustainability and Next-Generation Building Materials: Innovations for a Greener Future
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Sustainability and Next-Generation Building Materials: Innovations for a Greener 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: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 1990

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Taher Abu-Lebdeh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering, North Carolina A&T College of Engineering, Greensboro, NC, USA
Interests: mechanical behavior of materials; finite element modeling; solid mechanics; damage mechanics; nanomaterials; nonlinear analysis
Ashraf Fadiel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al Bayda, Libya
Interests: innovative construction materials; utilizing waste materials; nondestructive testing; sustainable construction; FRP reinforcement; concrete durability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainability of building materials is a critical area of research, driven by the urgent need to mitigate environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote circular economy principles within the construction sector. This Special Issue aims to explore innovative approaches, advancements, and challenges in developing and implementing sustainable building materials across their entire life cycle, from extraction and manufacturing to use, reuse, and end-of-life management. Key themes include assessing environmental footprints (e.g., embodied carbon, water consumption), developing novel bio-based and recycled materials, optimizing material performance and durability, and integrating digital technologies for sustainable material selection and management.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Sustainable Building Materials: innovations, life cycle assessment, and circular economy.
  • Advancements in Eco-Friendly Construction: a focus on sustainable building materials.
  • Decarbonizing Construction: the role of sustainable building materials.
  • From Waste to Resource: sustainable building materials for a circular future.
  • Performance and Durability of Sustainable Building Materials: challenges and opportunities.
  • Policy, Practice, and Potential: driving the adoption of sustainable building materials.
  • Bio-Based and Recycled Materials in Construction: towards a greener built environment.
  • Digitalization and Sustainable Building Materials: enhancing selection and management.
  • Embodied Carbon and Beyond: holistic assessment of sustainable building materials.
  • Resilience and Sustainability: the future of building materials.

Dr. Taher Abu-Lebdeh
Guest Editor

Ashraf Fadiel
Guest Editor Assistant 

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

  • recycled materials
  • sustainable building materials
  • eco-friendly construction
  • resilient building materials
  • environmental footprints
  • bio-based materials
  • construction materials

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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

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19 pages, 3900 KB  
Article
Effect of Alkali Content and Water Glass Modulus on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Slag-Based Geopolymer Mortar
by Dong Wei and Cun Hui
Buildings 2026, 16(8), 1510; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16081510 - 12 Apr 2026
Viewed by 419
Abstract
Geopolymer materials represent a novel green cementitious material characterized by excellent mechanical properties and unique microstructural features. This study developed geopolymer mortar using slag as the primary raw material by adjusting alkali content and water glass modulus. Characterization methods, including nanoindentation testing, mercury [...] Read more.
Geopolymer materials represent a novel green cementitious material characterized by excellent mechanical properties and unique microstructural features. This study developed geopolymer mortar using slag as the primary raw material by adjusting alkali content and water glass modulus. Characterization methods, including nanoindentation testing, mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), were employed to systematically analyze the influence mechanisms of alkali content and water glass modulus on the mechanical properties and microstructure of slag-based geopolymer mortar. Results demonstrated that compressive strength exhibited an initial increase followed by a decline with rising alkali content and water glass modulus, while flowability first increased and then decreased. When the water glass modulus was 1.4, and the alkali content reached 8%, the geopolymer mortar achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 86.5 MPa and flexural strength of 10.2 MPa. At 10% alkali content, flowability reached 240 mm. Compressive strength showed a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease with increasing alkali content, reaching a maximum value of 86.4 MPa at 8% alkali content after 28 days. Nanoindentation analysis revealed that the primary strength-forming phase in geopolymer mortar was C-A-S-H gel. Variations in alkali content and water glass modulus primarily affected the volume fractions of C-A-S-H gel, porous phases, and unreacted slag particles, with limited impact on micromechanical parameters of individual phases. These findings not only provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the mix design of slag-based geopolymer mortar but also offer practical guidance for its application in high-strength and workable construction materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Next-Generation Building Materials: Innovations for a Greener Future)
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17 pages, 2068 KB  
Article
Cradle-to-Gate Assessment and Mitigation of Embodied Carbon in Commercial Buildings
by Khulood Al Rifaie, Taher Abu-Lebdeh, Nihal Al Raees and Ashraf A. M. Fadiel
Buildings 2026, 16(5), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16050928 - 26 Feb 2026
Viewed by 649
Abstract
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2024), carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas driving global warming. The building sector accounts for about 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions, with 11% from embodied carbon generated during material extraction, manufacturing, transport, and assembly. [...] Read more.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2024), carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas driving global warming. The building sector accounts for about 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions, with 11% from embodied carbon generated during material extraction, manufacturing, transport, and assembly. This study examines embodied carbon in the Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex at North Carolina A&T State University, a four-story, 130,000 square-foot facility completed in 2021. Using architectural and structural documents, verified material quantities were analyzed to calculate cradle-to-gate embodied carbon (A1–A3 stages) for major components, including concrete, steel, glazing, and finishes. Results show structural materials, especially concrete and steel, dominate embodied emissions, followed by envelope systems. Sensitivity analyses indicate that substituting materials, such as recycled steel, low-carbon concrete, and bio-based finishes, can reduce total embodied carbon by 15–30% while maintaining performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Next-Generation Building Materials: Innovations for a Greener Future)
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Review

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32 pages, 9564 KB  
Review
Advancing Architectural Design Through 3D Printing and Robotic Fabrication Technologies
by Mahmoud Bayat and Vi Hoang
Buildings 2026, 16(10), 1972; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16101972 - 16 May 2026
Viewed by 215
Abstract
This paper examines the integration of three-dimensional (3D) printing and robotic fabrication in contemporary architectural design, with a focus on overcoming the technical limitations that constrain large-scale adoption. While additive manufacturing enables the production of complex geometries and customized structures, its standalone application [...] Read more.
This paper examines the integration of three-dimensional (3D) printing and robotic fabrication in contemporary architectural design, with a focus on overcoming the technical limitations that constrain large-scale adoption. While additive manufacturing enables the production of complex geometries and customized structures, its standalone application remains limited by fixed build volumes, planar deposition, lack of tensile reinforcement, open-loop process control, and single-process extrusion. To address these constraints, the paper proposes a functional integration framework that systematically maps robotic fabrication capabilities onto these five critical limitations. Evidence from recent studies demonstrates that such integration has already led to measurable advances, including up to a 90-fold increase in printable volume through mobile robotic systems, robotically fabricated reinforcement systems (e.g., Mesh Mold) achieving post-crack behavior comparable to conventional reinforced concrete, and the implementation of closed-loop sensor-based process control to enhance interlayer bonding. Despite these achievements, interdisciplinary collaboration across architecture, structural engineering, materials science, and robotics remains largely fragmented and is predominantly confined to academic and pilot-scale projects, such as the ETH Zurich DFAB House. Regulatory progress is also limited, with only isolated code-compliant implementations under frameworks such as ICC-ES AC509 and ISO/ASTM 52939. Persistent barriers including high capital costs, loss of information in BIM-to-fabrication workflows, anisotropic material behavior, and the absence of long-term durability standards continue to restrict widespread adoption. These findings suggest that advancing robotic additive manufacturing in architecture requires not only technological innovation but also coordinated cross-disciplinary integration, standardized testing protocols, and harmonized regulatory frameworks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Next-Generation Building Materials: Innovations for a Greener Future)
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