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A special issue of Journal of Composites Science (ISSN 2504-477X). This special issue belongs to the section "Composites Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 7413

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jingjie Wei

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
Interests: low-carbon materials; shrinkage mitigation; crack control; structural evaluation; 3DPC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jianbo Zang

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building and Urban Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Interests: structural behavior; recycled concrete; fire resistance; composite structure

Dr. Jiang Zhu

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
Interests: rheology; high-performance construction materials; solid waste reuse and recycling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue titled "Sustainable Cementitious Composites." Concrete remains the fundamental material in global infrastructure development; however, its production—particularly that of cement—accounts for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions. In the face of escalating climate challenges and growing demand for high-performance infrastructure, the advancement of sustainable, low-carbon concrete has become both an environmental imperative and a technological frontier.

Beyond simply reducing carbon emissions, next-generation concrete must also exhibit enhanced mechanical, durability, and structural properties across scales—ranging from nano- and microstructural designs to real-world structural applications. To meet this challenge, researchers are increasingly exploring a diverse range of advanced technologies, including, but not limited to, AI-assisted mix design, nanomaterial enhancement, smart functional additives, and intelligent structural optimization. This Special Issue underscores the importance of integrated, multi-technology approaches that advance both material innovation and structural performance, fostering the development of resilient, efficient, and climate-conscious built environments.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest research efforts that integrate low-carbon design with advanced performance enhancement technologies for concrete materials and structures. Emphasizing the full pathway “from materials to structures,” this Special Issue welcomes contributions that bridge fundamental materials science with structural-scale application and durability, especially through the use of emerging technologies such as AI, nanotechnology, and smart sensing systems.

The topic of this Special Issue is well-aligned with the scope of journals that focus on construction materials, structural mechanics, sustainable infrastructure systems, life-cycle performance, and digital engineering. This Special Issue ensures thematic coherence, while remaining broad enough to attract interdisciplinary contributions from researchers in fields of material science, structural engineering, environmental technology, and digital construction. With a goal of curating at least ten high-quality papers, this Special Issue may also be reprinted in a book form to serve as a timely reference on sustainable concrete technologies.

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

Low-carbon binder systems and supplementary cementitious materials.
AI-assisted mix design, performance prediction, and optimization.
Nanomaterial-enhanced concrete for multi-functional performance.
Smart and sustainable admixtures for durability, workability, and sensing.
Microstructure-driven material optimization and modeling.
Performance-based structural design of low-carbon concrete.
Structural-level enhancement: crack resistance, damping, and seismic resilience.
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and embodied carbon quantification.
Digital construction and intelligent monitoring of concrete systems.
Case studies on material-to-structure integration in sustainable projects.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and building a high-impact Special Issue that advances knowledge and practice in the field of sustainable concrete and structural innovation.

Dr. Jingjie Wei
Dr. Jianbo Zang
Dr. Jiang Zhu
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Composites Science 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 1800 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 cement composites
rheology
multi-technology performance enhancement
AI-assisted mix design and optimization
nanomaterials in concrete
functional admixtures and smart additives
microstructure–performance relationships
structural performance and durability

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5758 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with Sewage Sludge Ash: A Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Mechanical Performance, Safety, and Life-Cycle Impacts

by Shenghuan Zeng, Zhonglu Cao, Da Li, Dong Chen, Xiang Sun, Jian Zhou and Shouwang Sun

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(3), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10030154 - 11 Mar 2026

Viewed by 576

Abstract

Ultra-high-performance concrete exhibits excellent mechanical performance but relies on a high binder content, resulting in substantial carbon emissions. This study investigates sustainable ultra-high-performance concrete incorporating sewage sludge ash, aiming to balance mechanical performance, environmental safety, and life-cycle impacts within an integrated material system. High volumes of sewage sludge ash were incorporated into ultra-high-performance concrete under autoclave curing, with mixture proportions designed based on particle packing theory. Fresh properties, mechanical performance, shrinkage behavior, microstructural characteristics, heavy-metal leaching, as well as life-cycle environmental and economic impacts were systematically evaluated. The incorporation of porous sewage sludge ash modified the pore structure of ultra-high-performance concrete, thereby enabling a substantial reduction in cement content. At a sewage sludge ash replacement level of 60%, life-cycle assessment results indicate a 42.7% reduction in carbon emissions while maintaining a compressive strength of approximately 147 MPa under autoclave curing, remaining within a practically viable range for ultra-high-performance concrete. This confirms that sewage sludge ash can be safely incorporated into ultra-high-performance concrete, delivering a favorable sustainability–performance trade-off alongside significant environmental and economic benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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27 pages, 4825 KB

Open AccessArticle

Direct Tensile Behavior of High Recycled-Glass Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Reinforced with Recycled Polyethylene and Commercial Fibers

by Jesús Redondo-Mosquera, Francisco Esparza-Cervantes, Jesús E. Altamiranda-Ramos, Luis Castillo-Suárez and Joaquín Abellán-García

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(3), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10030117 - 24 Feb 2026

Viewed by 365

Abstract

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) provides exceptional strength and durability; however, its high cement and silica fume contents raise cost and environmental concerns. This study investigates the direct tensile behavior of a sustainability-driven UHPC in which 52% of the solid constituents are replaced with recycled glass and tensile performance is tailored using recycled and commercial fiber systems. A previously optimized recycled-glass UHPC matrix complying with ASTM C1856 was reinforced with recycled polyethylene fibers of varying lengths, commercial polypropylene and polypropylene–polyethylene fibers, brass-coated high-strength steel microfibers, and hooked-end steel macrofibers at fiber volume fractions of 1%, 2%, and 3%. Direct tensile tests were performed under displacement control in accordance with JSCE-08, and first-crack stress, peak tensile stress, tensile strain capacity, and energy absorption were derived from the stress–strain response. The most significant finding is that stable strain-hardening and multiple cracking can still be achieved in a UHPC matrix incorporating very high recycled-glass contents when appropriate steel fiber systems are used. Hooked-end steel fibers at 3% volume fraction reached peak tensile strengths of approximately 12 MPa and toughness values close to 40 kJ/m³, demonstrating that post-cracking performance comparable to conventional UHPC can be preserved despite aggressive matrix modification. In contrast, polymeric and recycled polyethylene fibers primarily enhanced first-crack stress but did not generate sustained post-cracking hardening, indicating their suitability for crack control and serviceability rather than structural tensile strengthening. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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23 pages, 7174 KB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Steel Industry Waste in Mortars for Application in Buildings: A Sustainable Alternative Analyzed by Microstructural, Chemical, and Mechanical Characterization

by Ana Laura M. Amorim, João Victor B. L. Oliveira, Rebecca Caroline M. Coelho, Bruno S. Teti, Esdras C. Costa, Nathan B. Lima, Kleber G. B. Alves and Nathalia B. D. Lima

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(2), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10020111 - 21 Feb 2026

Viewed by 502

Abstract

Civil construction is considered one of the industries with the most significant environmental impact. In this sense, the main goal of this study was to investigate three different mortar sets incorporating industrial lamination waste, assessing their chemical, physical, and microstructural properties, as well as their mechanical performance to develop sustainable mortars. Cylindrical and prismatic specimens were produced using various incorporation methods: reference mortar, mortars with mill scale addition, partial replacement of cement with mill scale residue, and partial replacement of sand with residue, at proportions of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. In addition, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) analyses were performed. Physical and mechanical tests included those for bulk density, consistency index, water absorption by capillarity, axial compressive strength, and flexural tensile strength. XRF analyses showed an increase in iron oxide content and a decrease in calcium oxide with the addition of mill scale. XRD analyses confirmed the presence of compounds such as alite and portlandite, which are common in cementitious mortars. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of functional groups through absorption bands associated with Si–O stretching. SEM images showed slight morphological changes in the composites as the amount of industrial lamination waste increased. The addition of industrial lamination waste affected the spread index and density of the mixtures, while water absorption by capillarity decreased in some formulations with mill scale. Concerning mechanical performance, the strength of the mortars varied with increasing amounts of industrial lamination waste. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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22 pages, 1267 KB

Open AccessArticle

Application of a Hybrid Explainable ML–MCDM Approach for the Performance Optimisation of Self-Compacting Concrete Containing Crumb Rubber and Calcium Carbide Residue

by Musa Adamu, Shrirang Madhukar Choudhari, Ashwin Raut, Yasser E. Ibrahim and Sylvia Kelechi

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(2), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10020076 - 2 Feb 2026

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Abstract

The combined incorporation of crumb rubber (CR) and calcium carbide residue (CCR) in self-compacting concrete (SCC) induces competing and nonlinear effects on its fresh and hardened properties, making the simultaneous optimisation of workability, strength, durability, and stability challenging. CR reduces density and enhances deformability and flow stability but adversely affects strength, whereas CCR improves particle packing, cohesiveness, and early-age strength up to an optimal replacement level. To systematically address these trade-offs, this study proposes an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)–explainable machine learning–global optimisation framework for sustainable SCC mix design. A composite performance score encompassing fresh, mechanical, durability, and thermal indicators is constructed using a weighted MCDM scheme and learned through surrogate machine-learning models. Three learners—glmnet, ranger, and xgboost—are tuned using v-fold cross-validation, with xgboost demonstrating the highest predictive fidelity. Given the limited experimental dataset, bootstrap out-of-bag validation is employed to ensure methodological robustness. Model-agnostic interpretability, including permutation importance, SHAP analysis, and partial-dependence plots, provides physical transparency and reveals that CR and CCR exert strong yet opposing influences on the composite response, with CCR partially compensating for CR-induced strength losses through enhanced cohesiveness. Differential Evolution (DEoptim) applied to the trained surrogate identifies optimal material proportions within a continuous design space, favouring mixes with 5–10% CCR and limited CR content. Among the evaluated mixes, 0% CR–5% CCR delivers the best overall performance, while 20% CR–5% CCR offers a balanced strength–ductility compromise. Overall, the proposed framework provides a transparent, interpretable, and scalable data-driven pathway for optimising SCC incorporating circular materials under competing performance requirements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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20 pages, 5888 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Multi-Index Performance Framework for Evaluating Binder Synergy and Fly Ash Reactivity in Eco-Sustainable Cementitious Composites

by Mahmoud Abo El-Wafa

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(2), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10020064 - 25 Jan 2026

Viewed by 426

Abstract

This study presents a multi-index performance system that is systematically used to assess the binder synergy and fly ash reactivity of eco-sustainable cementitious composite (ESCC) using the Strength Activity Index (SAI) as a reference in line with ASTM C618. The partial replacements of fly ash with high and low calcium fly ash (HCFA and LCFA) were added to the fly-ash-to-sand (FA/S) ratios of 0, 10, 20, and 30% with a constant mix parameter, such as a 50% ratio of water to slag and a 20% ratio of activator to slag. The Initial Flow Index (IFI) and Flow Retention Index (FRI) were used to measure fresh-state performance, and compressive-, tensile-, and flexural-based indices, i.e., the SAI, Tensile Strength Index (TSI), and Flexural Strength Index (FSI), were used to measure mechanical performance. The results indicate that flowability and workability retention decrease with an increase in the FA/S ratio, with LCFA-based mixtures having better flow retention than HCFA systems. The optimum mechanical performance at a replacement level of 20% FA/S produced the maximum SAI values of about 112% HCFA and 110% LCFA with a consistent increase in TSI and FSI values at 28 days. When the replacement levels were increased (30% FA/S), all strength indices decreased with the effect of dilution and decreased the packing efficiency of the binder. Comparisons of the SAI with the respective TSI and FSI values through correlation analysis showed that the quantitative relationship between compressive, tensile, and flexural behavior was definite and showed that compressive strength alone is not enough to extrapolate mechanical performance. Collectively, the proposed framework provides a reasonable performance-based basis for the manner in which fly ash could be utilized in the most effective way in eco-sustainable cementitious compositions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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27 pages, 2965 KB

Open AccessArticle

Waves After Waves: The Use of Citric Acid as Salt Crystallization Inhibitor for Improving the Resistance of Concrete in Marine Environments

by Maria Carla Ciacchella, Myrta Castellino, Andrea Tomassi, Fabio Trippetta, Assunta Marrocchi and Maria Paola Bracciale

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110639 - 20 Nov 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1146

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of citric acid as a salt crystallization inhibitor aimed at improving the durability and mechanical performance of concrete exposed to marine environments. The goal is to evaluate whether the addition of citric acid can mitigate the deterioration of concrete caused by salt crystallization during wet–dry cycles and simulated wave impacts. The novelty of this work lies in the experimental demonstration that a simple and environmentally friendly organic compound can effectively reduce salt-induced damage in marine-exposed concrete. Concrete samples were subjected to repeated wet–dry cycles and simulated marine wave impacts to assess changes in their physical and elastic properties. Variations in P-wave and S-wave velocities, Young’s modulus, and the effects of salt crystallization within the concrete matrix were evaluated through acoustic measurements. Results show that citric acid significantly reduces internal cracking, stiffness loss, and salt accumulation, leading to enhanced structural integrity and greater resistance to environmental stressors. These findings highlight the potential of citric acid as a sustainable additive for improving the long-term durability and mechanical stability of concrete structures in marine environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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24 pages, 6732 KB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Scale Experimental Investigation of UHPC Rheology: From Cement Paste to Fiber-Reinforced Mortar Scale

by Alfred Addai-Nimoh, Jingjie Wei and Kamal H. Khayat

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110638 - 18 Nov 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1233

Abstract

Numerous studies have been published on various rheological aspects of conventional and high-performance concrete, some of which encompass multi-scale investigations. However, there is no published article that studies the rheology of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with a multi-scale approach. In this paper, a comprehensive investigation into the rheological properties of UHPC at three cementitious material scales was undertaken: the paste scale, the high-strength mortar scale, and the fiber-reinforced composite scale. The effect of cement type, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and the water-to-binder ratio (w/b) on the rheology of UHPC at various material scales was evaluated using the appropriate rheometric apparatus. The results indicated that all of the UHPC mixtures in this study exhibited shear thickening behavior, and the degree of shear thickening increased as the w/b decreased. This phenomenon was systematically quantified at the paste, high-strength mortar, and fiber-reinforced composite scales, enabling direct comparison across material levels. Notably, the incorporation of silica fume suppressed the shear thickening behavior, as evidenced by the disappearance of the second-order term in the modified Bingham model, whereas slag had no such effect. The 28-day compressive strength of the investigated UHPC mixtures ranged between 100 and 150 MPa, and the mixture prepared with a combination of cement and silica fume (90C10SF) exhibited 35% higher compressive strength compared to the mixture prepared with cement and slag (90C10SL). Additionally, the UHPC mixture prepared with 90C10SF binder combination showed a 20% higher load-carrying capacity compared to the UHPC mixture made with 90C10SL and 80C10SL10SF binder combination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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30 pages, 14718 KB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Cement Storage Temperature on the Mechanical, Microstructural, and Chemical Properties of Sustainable Mortars

by Heliana C. B. Nascimento, Bruno S. Teti, Rafael C. Manta, Delma G. Rocha, José Allef F. Dantas, Sanderson D. Jesus, Paulo R. L. Souza, Nathan B. Lima and Nathalia B. D. Lima

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110583 - 1 Nov 2025

Viewed by 1185

Abstract

The present work investigated the effect of different storage temperatures (10 °C, 30 °C, and 50 °C) on the mechanical, structural, chemical, and microstructural properties of a set of sustainable mortars with gray waste. Three types of mortar were investigated: (1) Type A, prepared from a proportion of 1 part cement: 1 part hydrated lime: 6 parts sand; (2) Type B, prepared from a proportion of 1 part cement: 1 part hydrated lime: 6 parts sand: 0.1 part waste; and (3) Type C, prepared from a proportion of 0.9 part cement: 1 part hydrated lime: 6 parts sand: 0.1 part waste. The waste incorporation reduced compressive strength by 8%, while partial cement replacement reduced by 33%. The cement storage at 10 °C preserved the compressive strength, whereas storage at 50 °C increased it by 8.8%. In type B mortar, the waste incorporation improved compressive strength by 19% at 50 °C. The most substantial enhancement occurred in type C mortar, where cement replacement with residue and storage at 50 °C led to a 27% increase. These results highlight the potential of higher storage temperatures to mitigate cement degradation in humid environments. Furthermore, XRD analysis revealed that cement storage temperature did not affect the formation of primary cement phases, as degradation products were chemically similar to hydration products. However, sustainable mortars exhibited changes in the C-S-H phase signal when the cement is stored for 90 days at 30 °C. Finally, SEM and EDS analyses identified variations in Ca, Si, and O proportions depending on storage conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Cementitious Composites)

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