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Eng
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Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement
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Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement

A special issue of Eng (ISSN 2673-4117). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3171

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alessio Cascardi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: cementitious; geopolymer; mortar; concrete; construction engineering; civil engineering materials; building materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, inorganic-based composites have emerged as a critical solution for strengthening and rehabilitating aging infrastructure. These materials, including fiber-reinforced inorganic matrices and geopolymer-based composites, offer enhanced durability, fire resistance, and compatibility with traditional construction materials such as concrete, masonry, and steel. Their application has significantly improved the performance and lifespan of structures under various loading conditions, especially in seismic-prone regions.

This Special Issue focuses on the latest innovations in the design, testing, and field application of inorganic-based composites for structural reinforcement. Topics include advances in material formulation, hybrid systems, and the long-term behavior of these composites under environmental stressors. It also covers lab testing and case studies showcasing successful implementations in historic building conservation, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.

This issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research trends and practical advancements, offering engineers, researchers, and practitioners valuable insights into the potential of inorganic composites as a sustainable and efficient solution for structural strengthening in civil engineering.

Dr. Alessio Cascardi
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. Eng 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 1200 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

  • fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix
  • textile-reinforced mortar
  • strengthening
  • composites

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3924 KiB  
Article
Behavior of Ferrocement Reinforced Concrete Beams Incorporating Waste Glass Exposed to Fire
by Samir M. Chassib, Haider H. Haider, Faten I. Mussa, Sa’ad Fahad Resan, Ryad Tuma Hazem, Moa’al Ala A, Fatima Shaker Hamad and Noor Mohammed Hussein
Eng 2025, 6(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6030054 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 190
Abstract
This study is an experiment that looks at what happens when 18 supported reinforced concrete beams with waste glass inside them are put on fire. All the supported beams were tested under a three-point load. We classified the beams into three groups based [...] Read more.
This study is an experiment that looks at what happens when 18 supported reinforced concrete beams with waste glass inside them are put on fire. All the supported beams were tested under a three-point load. We classified the beams into three groups based on the glass-to-sand replacement ratio. Two sand replacement ratios (10% and 20%) were considered and compared with the control beams (without replacement). Two periods of burning were studied to investigate the mechanical properties of ferrocement and the behavior of simply supported beams. We considered a temperature of 550 °C and gradually increased the burning to reach this degree. Mode failure, mechanical properties, and load–deflection were present in this study. According to this study and its results, it seems that approximately all mode failures were compound flexural and shear failures. The flexural and compressive strength of replacing sand with glass concrete leads to an improvement in the flexural behavior of the reinforced concrete beam incorporating waste glass (brittle failure) that happened when burning the beam element without sand replacement glasses. The replacement ratio (10%) is the best value of the replacement ratio of the glasses; the compressive strength increased by about 10% to 29% by the replacement ratio. When replacing 10% of the sand with glasses, the ratio increases from 1% to 16%, but the compressive strength decreases from 20% to 51% when the burning time increases from one hour to an hour and a half. When 10% of the sand is replaced by glasses by weight, the first crack load capacity goes up by about 8% for one hour of burning and by 16% for one hour and a half of burning compared to beams that are not burning. The ultimate load capacity also goes up by about 17.5% for one hour of burning and by 23.5% for one hour and a half of burning compared to beams that are not burning. Otherwise, sand replacement was 10% by glasses; by weight, the ultimate load strength increased about 6% when the burning was one hour and 12% when the burning was one hour and a half compared with the beams without burning for the same phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement)
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23 pages, 7897 KiB  
Article
Prestressed Concrete T-Beams Strengthened with Near-Surface Mounted Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Rods Under Monotonic Loading: A Finite Element Analysis
by Laurencius Nugroho, Yanuar Haryanto, Hsuan-Teh Hu, Fu-Pei Hsiao, Gandjar Pamudji, Bagus Hario Setiadji, Chiao-Ning Hsu, Pu-Wen Weng and Chia-Chen Lin
Eng 2025, 6(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6020036 - 12 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 837
Abstract
Prestressed concrete structures, designed to enhance the compressive strength of concrete through internal pretension, are increasingly susceptible to serviceability issues caused by rising live loads, material degradation, and environmental impacts. Strengthening or retrofitting offers a practical and cost-effective alternative to full replacement. This [...] Read more.
Prestressed concrete structures, designed to enhance the compressive strength of concrete through internal pretension, are increasingly susceptible to serviceability issues caused by rising live loads, material degradation, and environmental impacts. Strengthening or retrofitting offers a practical and cost-effective alternative to full replacement. This study investigated the flexural strengthening of prestressed concrete T-beams in the negative moment region using near-surface mounted (NSM) carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods. Validation against experimental results from the literature demonstrated high accuracy, with an average numerical-to-experimental ultimate load ratio of 0.97 for reinforced concrete T-beams strengthened with NSM-CFRP rods, a negligible difference of 0.49% for prestressed concrete I-beams, and a minimal error of 1.30% for prestressed concrete slabs strengthened with CFRP laminates. Parametric studies examined the effects of CFRP rod embedment depths and initial prestressing levels. In certain cases, achieving the minimum embedment depth is not feasible due to design or construction constraints. The results showed that fully embedded CFRP rods increased the ultimate load by up to 14.02% for low prestressing levels and 16.36% for high levels, while half-embedded rods provided comparable improvements of 11.20% and 15.76%, respectively. These findings confirm the effectiveness of NSM-CFRP systems and highlight the potential of partial embedment as a practical solution in design-constrained scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement)
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17 pages, 5856 KiB  
Article
Methodology for the Study and Analysis of Concrete in a Heritage Façade: The Ateneu Sueco Del Socorro (Spain)
by Luis Cortés-Meseguer and Pablo Monzón Bello
Eng 2025, 6(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng6020033 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 658
Abstract
The Ateneo Sueco del Socorro, built in 1927 in Sueca, Spain, is a prime example of the 20th-century architectural transformation, using reinforced concrete. Designed by architect Juan Guardiola, it reflects the Art Deco style, incorporating ornamental elements from Eastern civilizations. The building’s structure [...] Read more.
The Ateneo Sueco del Socorro, built in 1927 in Sueca, Spain, is a prime example of the 20th-century architectural transformation, using reinforced concrete. Designed by architect Juan Guardiola, it reflects the Art Deco style, incorporating ornamental elements from Eastern civilizations. The building’s structure includes masonry walls, concrete columns, and vaulted ceilings. The building displayed a high level of damage due to the oxidation and corrosion of the reinforcements that compose the façade, which led to the definition of the most appropriate study and intervention methodology, applying contemporary tests for reinforced concrete. The original project’s structural design reflects the construction methods of its time, with sculptural elements using Fallas modeling techniques, resulting in various concrete and mortar types. After the façade presented a pathological condition in the early 21st century that made its restoration urgent, a study methodology was followed with current tests to accurately determine the lesions, their degree of damage, and compatible materials for restoration. Corrosion on the façade is mainly triggered by carbonation and the depassivation of reinforcements, exacerbated by environmental issues like moisture retention and oxygen permeability. Repairs should use compatible pre-mixed mortars, with surface inhibitors recommended to extend the lifespan of reinforcements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement)
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12 pages, 10349 KiB  
Article
Insights into the Effect of Recycled Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer on the Mechanical Strengths of Cement Mortar
by Mohamed Wendlassida Kaboré, Youssef El Bitouri, Habiba Lharti, Marie Salgues, Jérémy Frugier, Romain Léger, Didier Perrin, Patrick Ienny and Eric Garcia-Diaz
Eng 2024, 5(4), 2966-2977; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng5040154 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1068
Abstract
The incorporation of recycled glass fiber reinforced polymer (rGFRP) in cementitious materials is an interesting recycling and valorization method. However, this incorporation generally results in a significant loss of workability, often compensated by an adjustment of the water to cement ratio, which can [...] Read more.
The incorporation of recycled glass fiber reinforced polymer (rGFRP) in cementitious materials is an interesting recycling and valorization method. However, this incorporation generally results in a significant loss of workability, often compensated by an adjustment of the water to cement ratio, which can affect mechanical performance, particularly compressive strength. The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of different size fractions of rGFRP (0.063 mm, 0.16 mm, 0.63 mm, 1.25 mm and 2 mm) on the mechanical strengths of cement mortars with a mixing method that is likely to maintain the workability of the mix without adjusting the water to cement ratio. For this, a substitution rate of 10% (in volume of sand by rGFRP), supposed to induce workability loss, is chosen. A pre-mixing of rGFRP with water before adding cement and sand is performed and allows for the workability to be maintained without increasing the water content. The results show that compressive and flexural strengths are almost maintained compared with reference mortar for two rGFRP size fractions (2 mm and 0/2 mm). For the 2 mm fraction, a slight improvement (3%) in flexural strength after 7 months of curing and a 5% reduction in compressive strength are observed. After 7 months of curing, fibers or clusters of rGFRP are still observed, although they are not alkali-resistant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Inorganic Composites for Structural Enhancement)
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