Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Coatings Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Corrosion, Wear and Erosion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 4880

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Fujian Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Interests: concrete durability; reinforcement steel corrosion and prevention; coating and construction materials; sensors and structural health monitoring; safety and life-cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue, titled "Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings", showcases the latest advancements in the field of construction materials and coatings. With a focus on innovation and characterization, this issue explores the development of new materials and coatings that offer improved performance, sustainability, and durability for the construction industry.

Construction materials play a pivotal role in ensuring the strength, safety, and longevity of civil infrastructure projects. This Special Issue presents a collection of research articles, reviews, and perspectives contributed by leading experts and researchers, covering various aspects related to the development and characterization of new construction materials and coatings.

Key areas covered in this Special Issue include:

Novel material synthesis and design: Research on the development of innovative construction materials using novel synthesis techniques, including advanced composites, polymers, nano-materials, concrete mixes, and eco-friendly alternatives. These new materials strive to improve mechanical properties, sustainability, and efficiency.
Characterization techniques and methodologies: Exploration of advanced characterization techniques such as microscopy, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, mechanical testing, and non-destructive evaluation methods. These studies aim to understand the structure–property relationships, performance, and behavior of new construction materials and coatings.
Sustainable construction practices: Investigation into environmentally friendly materials and coatings that minimize environmental impact, reduce carbon emissions, promote energy efficiency, and incorporate recycled or renewable resources. These developments contribute to sustainable construction practices and support the goals of green building certifications.
Performance evaluation and testing: Studies focusing on the performance evaluation and testing of newly developed materials and coatings. This includes assessing their mechanical strength, durability, fire resistance, corrosion resistance, weatherability, and other important performance characteristics to ensure their reliability in real-world applications.
Innovative coating technologies: Research on the development of advanced coatings with improved properties such as adhesion, wear resistance, chemical resistance, and functional enhancements. These coatings provide protection, aesthetics, and extended service life to construction materials.
Structural optimization and modeling: Utilization of computational modeling, simulation, and optimization techniques to design and analyze the behavior and performance of new construction materials and coatings. These tools aid in the development of efficient and cost-effective structural designs.

By highlighting the development and characterization of new construction materials and coatings, this Special Issue serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, architects, and industry professionals involved in the construction sector. The findings presented pave the way for enhanced construction practices, increased sustainability, and improved infrastructure resilience. Ultimately, these advancements contribute to the advancement of the construction industry and the creation of more robust and sustainable built environments.

Dr. Fujian Tang
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 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

construction materials
coating technologies
sustainable construction
structural optimization
novel composites
eco-friendly alternatives
mechanical testing
fire resistance
corrosion resistance

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 30170 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Characteristics and Mechanism of Shield Tunnel Mud Cake Disintegration in Complex Red-Bed Geology

by Jinshuo Yan, Xingwei Xue, Chaofan Gong and Kexin Zhang

Coatings 2024, 14(5), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14050567 - 2 May 2024

Viewed by 353

Abstract

The complex red-bed geology is primarily composed of iron-rich sedimentary rock layers with clay minerals as a major component. The soil water content exceeds 30%, and its high viscosity and water content lead to the easy formation of mud cake on the cutterhead, endangering the safety and progress of construction, which poses a significant challenge for tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The use of dispersants to eliminate mud cake is a common method in engineering projects. This paper presents an improved disintegration experiment instrument to study the disintegration characteristics of mud cake from the red-bed geology under different dispersant solutions, proposing a dispersant formulation suitable for the red-bed geology of the Haizhu Bay Tunnel project. The results indicate that mud cake samples exhibit a moderate disintegration effect in pure water. Furthermore, it has been observed that the disintegration effect decreases as the thickness of mud cake increases. Sodium silicate solution was not suitable for treating the red-bed geological mud cake, while sodium hexametaphosphate and oxalic acid solutions had a good promoting effect on the disintegration of red-bed geological mud cake. However, there was a threshold for the dispersant concentration; exceeding this threshold actually worsened the disintegration effect. Ultimately, the engineering application of a 10% oxalic acid solution, which proved effective in disintegrating the mud cake, significantly enhanced the excavation efficiency in the Haizhu Bay Tunnel project. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Corrosion Resistance of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes with the Assembly Unit of Na₂MoO₄ and Benzotriazole

by Di Wang, Zhiqiang Xu, Na Xu, Zengliang Hu, Hui Wang and Feiting Shi

Coatings 2024, 14(3), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14030349 - 14 Mar 2024

Viewed by 733

Abstract

Steel pipes are commonly used to strengthen the concrete’s load-bearing capacity. However, they are prone to corrosion in salt erosion environments. In this study, the influence of Na₂MoO₄ and benzotriazole on concrete-filled steel tubes’ corrosion performance is investigated. The steel pipes’ mass loss rates (MRs), ultrasonic velocity, electrical resistance, and the AC impedance spectrum and Tafel curves of concrete-filled steel tubes were used to characterize the degree of corrosion in the steel pipes. Scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction were used for studying the composition of steel pipe rust. The research results revealed that the NaCl freeze–thaw cycles (F-C) and NaCl dry–wet alternation (D-A) actions had a reducing effect on the mass and ultrasonic velocity of the concrete-filled steel tubes. After 300 NaCl F-C and 30 NaCl D-A, the MRs were 0%~0.00470% and 0%~0.00666%. The corresponding ultrasonic velocities were 0%~21.1% and 0%~23.6%. When a rust inhibitor was added, the results were the opposite. The MRs decreased by 0%~80.3% and 0%~81.6% with the added Na₂MoO₄ and benzotriazole. Meanwhile, the corresponding ultrasonic velocities were 0%~8.1% and 0%~8.3%. The steel tubes were corroded after 300 NaCl F-C and 30 NaCl D-A. The addition of rust inhibitors improved the corrosion resistance of the concrete-filled steel tubes by increasing the electrical resistance before NaCl erosion. The corrosion area rate decreased by using the rust inhibitors. The corrosion resistance effect of benzotriazole was higher than that of Na₂MoO₄. The concrete-filled steel tube with an assembly unit comprising 5 kg/m³ of Na₂MoO₄ and 15 kg/m³ of benzotriazole had the best corrosion resistance under the erosion induced by NaCl F-C and D-A. Rust inhibitors reduced the content of iron-containing crystals and iron elements. The specimens with 5 kg/m³ Na₂MoO₄ and 15 kg/m³ benzotriazole had the lowest concentration of iron-containing crystals and iron elements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 10815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of TiO₂ Nanoparticles on the Physico–Mechanical and Structural Characteristics of Cementitious Materials

by Carmen T. Florean, Horatiu Vermesan, Gyorgy Thalmaier, Bogdan V. Neamtu, Timea Gabor, Cristina Campian, Andreea Hegyi and Alexandra Csapai

Coatings 2024, 14(2), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020218 - 9 Feb 2024

Viewed by 898

Abstract

The urgent need for sustainable construction that corresponds to the three pillars of sustainable development is obvious and continuously requires innovative solutions. Cementitious composites with TiO₂ nanoparticles (NT) addition show potential due to their improved durability, physico–mechanical characteristics, and self-cleaning capacity. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of NT on cementitious composites by comparing those with 2%–5% nanoparticles with a similar control sample without nanoparticles, as well as an analysis of cost growth. The experimental results showed an increase in bulk density of the material (4.7%–7.4%), reduction in large pore sizes by min. 12.5%, together with an increase in cumulative volume and cumulative specific surface area of small pore sizes, indicating densification of the material, also supported by SEM, EDS, and XRD analyses indicating acceleration of cement hydration processes with formation of specific products. The changes at microstructural level support the experimental results obtained at macrostructural level, i.e., modest but existent increases in flexural strength (0.6%–7.9%) and compressive strength (0.2%–2.6%) or more significant improvements in abrasion resistance (8.2%–58%) and reduction in water absorption coefficient (37.5%–81.3%). Following the cost–benefit analysis, it was concluded that, for the example case considered of a pedestrian pavement with a surface area of 100 m², using 100 mm thick slabs, if these slabs were to be made with two layers, the lower layer made of cementitious composite as a reference and the upper layer with a thickness of 10 mm made of cementitious composite with 3% NT or 4% NT, the increase in cost would be acceptable, representing less than 15% compared to the cost for the exclusive use of cementitious composite without NT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4839 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Salt Erosion on the Mechanical Performances of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with Secondary Aluminum Dross

by Houchao Sun, Weixiang Sun, Feiting Shi, Lu Miao and Hui Wang

Coatings 2024, 14(2), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14020189 - 1 Feb 2024

Viewed by 736

Abstract

Secondary aluminum dross containing a large amount of active substance can be used to prepare concrete. The mechanical strengths, the mass loss rate (MR) and the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (RME) of ultra-high-performance concrete with secondary aluminum dross are researched. The NaCl freeze–thaw cycles (F-Cs) and dry–wet alternation (D-A) effects with NaCl and Na₂SO₄ are considered. The corresponding permeability of chloride ions and the carbonation depth (D_c) are obtained. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photos are researched to reveal the variation of the mechanical mechanism. Results show that after specimens’ suffering from the action of 20 NaCl D-As, the MR of ultra-high-performance concrete is the highest. Specimens exposed to 200 NaCl F-Cs show the lowest MR and CMC. The RME of UHPC under salt actions increase in the order of 20 NaCl D-As < 20 Na₂SO₄ D-As < 200 NaCl F-Cs. After suffering 200 NaCl F-Cs, 20 Na₂SO₄ D-As and 20 NaCl D-As, the corresponding D_c values are 1.86 mm to 2.31 mm, 1.79 mm to 2.23 mm and 2.11 mm to 2.76 mm. The flexural strength decreases at the rates of 0.99%–25%, 3.92%–27.84% and 1.47%–21.59% respectively. The MR increases and the RME decreases as the cubic function changes with the amount of salt erosion. After the secondary aluminum dross is added, the CMC decreases at the rates of 0% to 11.53%, 0% to 33.17% and 0% to 8.41% during the process of the salt action. The SAD can reduce the D_c with the decreasing rates of 19.48%, 23.55% and 19.73%. The SAD can increase the compactness of ultra-high-performance concrete. Ultra-high-performance concrete suffering from 20 NaCl D-As shows the largest number and the highest width of cracks. However, when the specimens are exposed to 20 Na₂SO₄ D-As, the number of cracks is the lowest and the width is the narrowest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 1617 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Concrete Carbonation Depth Evaluation Models

by Xinhao Wang, Qiuwei Yang, Xi Peng and Fengjiang Qin

Coatings 2024, 14(4), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14040386 - 26 Mar 2024

Viewed by 969

Abstract

Carbonation is one of the critical issues affecting the durability of reinforced concrete. Evaluating the depth of concrete carbonation is of great significance for ensuring the quality and safety of construction projects. In recent years, various prediction algorithms have been developed for evaluating concrete carbonation depth. This article provides a detailed overview of the existing prediction models for concrete carbonation depth. According to the data processing methods used in the model, the existing prediction models can be divided into mathematical curve models and machine learning models. The machine learning models can be further divided into the following categories: artificial neural network model, decision tree model, support vector machine model, and combined models. The basic idea of the mathematical curve model is to directly establish the relationship between the carbonation depth and age of concrete by using certain function curves. The advantage of the mathematical curve model is that only a small amount of experimental data is needed for curve fitting, which is very convenient for engineering applications. The limitation of the curve model is that it can only consider the influence of some factors on the carbonation depth of concrete, and the prediction accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The advantage of using the machine learning model to predict the carbonation depth of concrete is that many factors can be considered at the same time. When there are sufficient experimental data, the trained machine learning model can give more accurate prediction results than the mathematical curve model. The main defect of the machine learning model is that it needs a lot of experimental data as training samples, so it is not as convenient as the mathematical curve model in engineering applications. A future research direction may be to combine a machine learning model with a mathematical curve model to evaluate the carbonation depth of concrete more accurately. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 3792 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Structural Damage Detection Based on Static and Dynamic Flexibility: A Review and Comparative Study

by Xi Peng, Qiuwei Yang, Fengjiang Qin and Binxiang Sun

Coatings 2024, 14(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010031 - 26 Dec 2023

Viewed by 798

Abstract

Material damage in structures must be detected in a timely manner to prevent engineering accidents. Damage detection based on structural flexibility has attracted widespread attention in recent years due to its simplicity and practicality. This article provides a detailed overview of damage detection methods based on structural flexibility. Depending on the calculation method and data used, flexibility-based methods can be divided into the following categories: flexibility difference, flexibility derivative index, flexibility sensitivity, flexibility decomposition, static flexibility, and combinations of flexibility with other methods. The basic principles and main calculation formulas of various flexibility methods are explained, and their advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. For the method using flexibility difference, the advantage is that the calculation is very simple and does not require the construction of a finite element model of the structure. The disadvantage is that it requires the measurement of modal data of the intact structure, and this method cannot quantitatively assess the degree of damage. For the method using the flexibility derivative index, the advantage is that it only requires the modal data of the damaged structure to locate the damage, but this method is particularly sensitive to noise in the data and is prone to misjudgment. For methods based on flexibility sensitivity and flexibility decomposition, the advantage is that they can simultaneously obtain the location and degree of damage in the structure, but the disadvantage is that they require the establishment of accurate finite element models in advance. Static flexibility methods can compensate for the shortcomings of dynamic flexibility methods, but they usually affect the normal use of the structure during static testing. Combining flexibility-based methods with advanced intelligent algorithms and other methods can further improve their accuracy and efficiency in identifying structural damage. Finally, this article discusses the challenges that have not yet been solved among damage detection methods based on structural flexibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of New Construction Materials and Coatings)

► Show Figures