Advanced Surface Modification and Protective Coatings for Durable Structural Materials and Engineering Structures

Dear Colleagues,

Concrete structures and architectural surfaces are increasingly exposed to complex service environments, including mechanical wear, chloride-induced corrosion, carbonation, moisture variation, freeze–thaw action, chemical attack, and long-term structural degradation. At the same time, the global demand for durable, low-maintenance, and sustainable buildings has made service-life extension a central issue in both materials research and engineering practice. Rather than relying solely on replacement or large-scale repair, surface modification, functional coatings, and protective coating systems provide effective strategies to enhance durability, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the long-term performance of concrete-based structures.

Recent advances in coating materials, interface design, microstructural regulation, corrosion inhibition, wear resistance, self-cleaning surfaces, waterproofing, and multifunctional protection have opened new opportunities for improving the resilience of architectural and civil infrastructure. However, challenges remain in understanding degradation mechanisms, ensuring coating–substrate compatibility, evaluating long-term performance under realistic exposure conditions, and translating laboratory findings into practical engineering applications. Research in this field is therefore timely and significant, as it bridges fundamental materials science with the urgent need for durable and sustainable built environments.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the modification of concrete and protective coatings for enhanced architectural durability. We consider contributions addressing wear resistance, corrosion protection, structural degradation mechanisms, functional coatings, and protective coating technologies for concrete and related construction materials. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, novel coating materials, surface modification methods, durability evaluation, degradation modelling, interface performance, multifunctional coatings, and practical applications in architectural and civil engineering structures.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Wear behavior and wear-resistance improvement of construction materials and coating systems;

Corrosion mechanisms and corrosion protection strategies for metallic and non-metallic materials;

Degradation processes and durability assessment of structural components;

Functional coating design for enhanced surface performance and long-term durability;

Protective coating systems for materials exposed to aggressive service environments;

Surface modification methods for improving resistance to mechanical and environmental damage;

Coupled effects of wear, corrosion, fatigue, and environmental exposure on material degradation;

Performance evaluation and service-life prediction of modified materials and protective coatings.

Dr. Jie Liu
Dr. Zhaoyan Cui
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. Coatings 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.

• wear resistance
• corrosion protection
• structural degradation
• functional coatings
• protective coating systems