Emerging Challenges for Building Materials and Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 5969

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, NOVA University of Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
Interests: strengthening of structures; FRP composite structures; stone masonry structures; precast concrete structures; cyclic tests; materials and durability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, Lab2PT, University of Minho, Azurém Campus, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: energy-efficient buildings; new materials and technologies in design and construction; reducing material consumption and optimizing material flows; energy-efficient and climate-responsive buildings; applications and Integration of renewable energy systems; energy-efficient building design; responsible architecture and sustainable housing; environmental sustainability in building design; retrofitting strategies for adaptive re-use; natural lighting; solar passive strategies; prefabrication; flexibility; social housing; eco-design in architecture; lightweight and mixed weight buildings; embodied energy and operating energy; live vegetation in façades and roofs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce this Special Issue of Buildings, which will focus on emerging challenges for building materials and systems, particularly on innovative materials—though not forgetting the traditional—regarding both their structural and nonstructural properties. Construction materials are evolving towards the pursuit of improved mechanical and functional performance, in the view of guiding the construction sector into complying with circular economy principles. With the change in living concepts and the demand of multifarious building function, building materials and systems are facing plenty of challenges.

This Special Issue is organized in cooperation with the “ICBMM 2021” conference and welcomes submissions from participants of the conference. The 5th International Conference on Building Materials and Materials Engineering (ICBMM 2021) will be held in Barcelona during September 24–26, 2021. The objective of ICBMM 2021 is to present the latest research results related to Building Materials and Materials Engineering topics. It will provide a forum for accessing the most up-to-date knowledge from both the industrial and academic worlds, sharing best practices in the fields of Building Materials and Materials Engineering.

This Special Issue will provide an opportunity to highlight recent developments in Building Materials and to identify emerging and future areas of growth in this exciting field, covering topics such as:

  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Architecture and Urban Planning
  • Materials Manufacturing and Processing
  • Materials Characterization and Application
  • New Processes and Construction Techniques
  • 3D Printing
  • Automation in Construction
  • Modular Construction and Prefabrication
  • Innovative Strengthening Solutions
  • Smart Composites
  • The Façade and Roofing Systems
  • The Environmental Conditioning Systems

Prof. Dr. Carlos Chastre
Prof. Dr. Paulo Mendonça
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 monthly 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

  • materials science and engineering
  • civil and structural engineering
  • architecture and urban planning
  • numerical, analytical, and experimental analyses
  • materials manufacturing and processing
  • materials characterization and application
  • structural concrete, steel, masonry, earth, and timber construction
  • design, construction, and recycling
  • innovative strengthening solutions
  • FRP composites
  • 3D printing
  • automation in construction

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 polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 10230 KiB  
Article
Innovative Seismic Strengthening Techniques to Be Used in RC Beams’ Critical Zones
by Rita Gião, Válter Lúcio and Carlos Chastre
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010095 - 30 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2045
Abstract
The seismic performance of a structural frame system can be enhanced by strengthening the RC beams’ critical zones. In this paper is presented an experimental study on the improvement of the beam behaviour, subjected to an alternative cyclic procedure which considers the gravity [...] Read more.
The seismic performance of a structural frame system can be enhanced by strengthening the RC beams’ critical zones. In this paper is presented an experimental study on the improvement of the beam behaviour, subjected to an alternative cyclic procedure which considers the gravity loads reflecting the real demands on the beams’ critical zone. Two strengthening solutions are presented: unbounded post-tension (PT) tendon strengthening to increase resistance and limit residual deformations, and unbounded post-tensioning with jacketing of the RC beam with unidirectional fibre mat reinforced grout (UFRG) to limit compression damage, improving section confinement, thus delaying concrete crushing and buckling of longitudinal reinforcement. The original UFRG material was developed within this study, to apply as a small thickness jacketing material for strengthening RC structures. The main idea was that the steadiness provided by preplacing continuous fibre mats into the mould reduced the fibres’ segregation tendency during the high-performance grout pouring and allowed for the optimisation of their percentage and alignment, attaining a higher tensile strength. The experimental response of the tested Specimens is presented and evaluated through performance parameters that are properly discussed and adjusted to the alternative cyclic procedure. Finally, theoretical predictions are presented, and an adjustable multilinear model is proposed to estimate the strengthening solution’s response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Challenges for Building Materials and Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 6781 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Process of Synthesis of Zeolites from Volcanic Ash in Its Synergistic Action as a Flame-Retardant for Polypropylene Composites
by Jonathan Almirón, María Vargas, Danny Tupayachy-Quispe, Sophie Duquesne, Francine Roudet and Alejandro Silva-Vela
Buildings 2022, 12(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12010024 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
In this research, the influence of natural zeolites obtained from the volcanic ash of the Ubinas volcano has been studied as synergistic agents in a flame-retardant system (composed of ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol, and polypropylene). Four zeolites were synthesized from volcanic ash, including those [...] Read more.
In this research, the influence of natural zeolites obtained from the volcanic ash of the Ubinas volcano has been studied as synergistic agents in a flame-retardant system (composed of ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol, and polypropylene). Four zeolites were synthesized from volcanic ash, including those that had been calcined and those that had not. These were then placed in an alkaline solution at three synthesis temperatures. Zeolites were characterized through X-ray diffraction, specific surface area by nitrogen adsorption analysis (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) and scanning electron microscopy. Polypropylene matrix composites were prepared with ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol and zeolites at 1, 5 and 9%. Its thermal stability and fire resistance were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, limiting oxygen index, vertical burning test and cone calorimeter and its morphological structure by scanning electron microscopy. It was determined that the synthesis temperature and the use of calcined and without calcined volcanic ash have an influence on the characteristics of the zeolites and on its synergistic action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Challenges for Building Materials and Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop