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Coatings
Special Issues
Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology
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Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 1967

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tian Su

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Interests: microbial modification technology; structural health monitoring and intelligent maintenance; green construction technology; resource utilization of construction wastes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fubo Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science & Technology, Baotou 014000, China
Interests: recycled concrete and its durability; intelligent construction technology of PEC structures; low-carbon strengthening technology for buildings
Dr. Jianwen Shao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
Interests: solid waste resource utilization; low-carbon cementitious materials; nano-modified smart materials; structural health monitoring; sustainable restoration technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid urbanization worldwide is driving an immense surge in demand for new buildings and infrastructure. This escalating demand intensifies critical sustainability challenges, manifesting through significantly heightened greenhouse gas emissions, accelerated depletion of finite natural resources, and widespread environmental degradation. These profound impacts accelerate the global construction industry's imperative to adopt and implement truly sustainable solutions. In response, the sector is witnessing remarkable progress in the research, development, and practical application of innovative low-carbon coatings/materials designed to drastically reduce the embodied carbon footprint of structures.

Concurrently, the industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, fuelled by the rapid integration of intelligent construction technologies. This powerful technological shift—encompassing advancements like Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, robotics, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data analytics—is fundamentally restructuring project delivery approaches for both buildings and civil infrastructure. It offers compelling benefits including enhanced operational efficiency, substantial gains in productivity, improved resource management, greater potential for circularity, and demonstrably improved overall project outcomes, thereby contributing significantly to sustainability goals.

Our proposed Topic Collection, “Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology”, seeks to comprehensively explore and illuminate the latest scientific and technological advancements driving this dual transformation. We are particularly interested in fostering interdisciplinary research that investigates the synergistic potential between novel low-carbon coatings/materials, recyclable and reusable materials fostering circular economy principles, and the deployment of intelligent construction systems. We aim to understand how these innovations collectively support and propel modern building technologies towards achieving low-carbon, green, and intelligent development paradigms. We welcome the submission of high-quality, original research papers and insightful review articles that address, but are not limited to, the following interconnected focus areas:

  • Green low-carbon coating;
  • Microbial modification technology;
  • Green and ecofriendly materials;
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental impact analysis;
  • Advanced buildings and infrastructure systems;
  • Sensors, smart structures, and intelligent control;
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) in assessment, design, management, and construction technologies;
  • Integrated application of building information modelling (BIM) and artificial intelligence in construction monitoring;
  • Structural health monitoring and intelligent maintenance.

Dr. Tian Su
Prof. Dr. Fubo Cao
Dr. Jianwen Shao
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. 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.

Keywords

  • low carbon materials
  • coatings
  • artificial intelligence
  • intelligent control
  • life cycle assessment

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3378 KB  
Article
Influence of Wood Fiber on Mechanical and Thermal Insulation Properties of Lightweight Mortar
by Mo Zhou, Guimeng Ban, Yuanming Luo, Qin Hu, Jintuan Zhang, Ke Yu, Xue Hong and Huixin Zhong
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091094 - 18 Sep 2025
Viewed by 194
Abstract
To advance the development of green building materials and achieve high-value utilization of waste resources, this study investigates the mechanistic influence of incorporating waste wood fibers on the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of lightweight mortar. Five fiber contents were designed—0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, [...] Read more.
To advance the development of green building materials and achieve high-value utilization of waste resources, this study investigates the mechanistic influence of incorporating waste wood fibers on the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of lightweight mortar. Five fiber contents were designed—0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, and 1.6%—to systematically evaluate their effects on compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile bond strength, as well as thermal conductivity, pore structure, and microstructural interfaces. The results demonstrate that at low fiber dosages (particularly 0.4% and 0.8%), wood fibers can significantly enhance both the mechanical strength and thermal insulation performance of mortar. Specifically, at a fiber content of 0.8%, the 28-day compressive strength increased by 10.62%, and the flexural strength by 23.8%; the tensile bond strength reached its peak at 0.4%, with a 14.8% improvement. The lowest thermal conductivity recorded was 0.16 W/(m·K), accompanied by a remarkable 61.9% reduction in porosity compared to the control group. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis revealed that wood fiber incorporation markedly increased the proportion of capillary pores, reduced total porosity, and enhanced mortar compactness; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations further indicated that the honeycomb-like morphology and surface roughness of wood fibers substantially improved interfacial bonding performance and microcrack-bridging capacity. The findings suggest that an optimal fiber content—recommended to not exceed 0.8%—can synergistically improve the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of lightweight mortar, providing both theoretical support and practical guidance for its application in green building wall materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology)
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22 pages, 4462 KB  
Article
Dynamic Response and Energy Dissipation Mechanisms of Soil–Lightweight Foam Composite Protective Layers Under Impact Loading
by Jianping Gao, Le Liu, Xuefeng Mei, Dengfeng Li, Jianli Wu and Peng Cui
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091074 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 384
Abstract
Engineering structures often face safety risks under impact or explosion loading, making the design of lightweight and efficient cushioning systems crucial. This study investigates the dynamic response and energy-dissipation characteristics of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Expanded Polyethylene (EPE), and soil–foam composite cushion layers under [...] Read more.
Engineering structures often face safety risks under impact or explosion loading, making the design of lightweight and efficient cushioning systems crucial. This study investigates the dynamic response and energy-dissipation characteristics of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Expanded Polyethylene (EPE), and soil–foam composite cushion layers under impact loading, using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) testing apparatus. The tests include pure foam layers (lengths ranging from 40 to 300 mm) and a soil–foam composite layer with a total length of 60 mm (soil/foam ratio 1:1 to 1:3), subjected to impact velocities of 9.9–15.4 m/s. The results show that the stress wave propagation velocity of EPE is 149.6 m/s, lower than that of EPS at 249.3 m/s. At higher velocities, the attenuation coefficient for the 40 mm EPE sample reaches as low as 0.22, while EPS is 0.31. Furthermore, the maximum energy absorption coefficient of EPE exceeds 98%, with better stability at high impact velocities. In composite cushion layers, both soil and foam collaborate in energy absorption, but an increased proportion of soil leads to a decrease in energy absorption efficiency and attenuation capacity. Under equivalent ratios, the soil–EPE combination performs better than the soil–EPS combination. By constructing a comprehensive evaluation system based on three indices: stress wave attenuation coefficient, energy absorption coefficient, and energy absorption density, this study quantifies the impact resistance performance of different cushioning layers, providing theoretical and parametric support for material selection in engineering design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology)
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30 pages, 8759 KB  
Article
Frost Resistance and Life Prediction of Waste Polypropylene Fibre-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete
by Xuechao Yang, Zehui Zhang, Hsing-Wei Tai, Bangxiang Li, Jiahui Li, Weishen Zhang, Tian Su and Jianping Liu
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091070 - 11 Sep 2025
Viewed by 305
Abstract
The inherent defects of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) lead to poor frost resistance in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), limiting its application in cold coastal regions. Waste polypropylene fibre (WPF), utilized as a reinforcement material, can improve the frost resistance of RAC. This study [...] Read more.
The inherent defects of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) lead to poor frost resistance in recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), limiting its application in cold coastal regions. Waste polypropylene fibre (WPF), utilized as a reinforcement material, can improve the frost resistance of RAC. This study systematically analyzes the influence of WPF on the frost resistance of RAC and establishes a life prediction model. The results indicate that the damage to concrete in a saline freeze–thaw environment is significantly greater than that in a freshwater environment. WPF mitigates the development of freeze–thaw damage in RAC effectively by bridging microcracks and segmenting interconnected pores, thereby optimizing the pore structure and enhancing the matrix compactness. After 125 freeze–thaw cycles, the attenuation amplitude of the relative dynamic elastic modulus (RDEM) for RAC incorporated with WPF decreased by 9.69% and 5.77% in freshwater and saline environments, respectively, while the compressive strength increased by 20.65% and 18.57%. Concurrently, the negative mass growth rate of RAC in freshwater decreased by 20.62%, and the mass loss in the salt solution decreased by 5.84%. Furthermore, life predictions based on both RDEM and the compressive strength loss rate demonstrate that WPF extends the service life of RAC. Notably, the RDEM-based prediction yields a longer life but corresponds to a larger strength loss, whereas the prediction based on the compressive strength loss rate, although slightly shorter, corresponds to a more stable residual strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology)
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15 pages, 6520 KB  
Article
Effect of Y2O3 Particle Size on the Microstructure and Properties of Ni-Co-Y2O3 Composite Coatings
by Linxin Qi, Hongmin Kan, Tingting Yue and Jiang Wu
Coatings 2025, 15(9), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091009 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 537
Abstract
In this study, Ni-Co-Y2O3 composite coating was prepared by electrodeposition, and the effect of Y2O3 particle size on the microstructure and properties of the coating was investigated. The samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM, AFM, EDS, cyclic [...] Read more.
In this study, Ni-Co-Y2O3 composite coating was prepared by electrodeposition, and the effect of Y2O3 particle size on the microstructure and properties of the coating was investigated. The samples were analyzed by XRD, SEM, AFM, EDS, cyclic voltammetry, XPS, hardness, and corrosion resistance test. The results indicate that the diffraction peak of the coating prepared with 50 nm particles exhibits reduced intensity and broadening, whereas the coating prepared with 100 nm particles displays a sharper and more pronounced peak. The onset reduction potential and the performance of the reduction reaction are influenced by particle size. When the particle size is 50 nm, the reduction process is less favorable, with an onset reduction potential of −0.9 V; in contrast, when the particle size is 100 nm, the reduction occurs more readily, with an onset reduction potential of −0.8 V. XPS analysis reveals that the chemical environment of elements varies with particle size. Regarding hardness, the coating prepared by combining different Y2O3 particle sizes exhibits higher hardness compared to that prepared using a single particle size, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect. In terms of corrosion resistance, the coating prepared with 100 nm Y2O3 particles demonstrates superior corrosion resistance, whereas the coating prepared with mixed particle sizes shows reduced stability and is more susceptible to corrosion. The coating prepared by mixing Y2O3 with particle size of 50 nm and 100 nm has a small friction coefficient. In summary, the particle size of Y2O3 has a significant influence on the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of Ni-Co-Y2O3 composite coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development of Low-Carbon Coatings/Materials and Intelligent Construction Protection Technology)
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