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Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects

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A Special Issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944) belonging to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 10055

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Editors

Dr. Seongho Han

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Guest Editor

Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65401, USA
Interests: rheology-based investigation of concrete performance; durability of concrete structure; sustainable cement-based materials; carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) for construction materials; addictive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing concrete); application of machine learning approach for concrete science
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Prof. Dr. Ruben P. Borg

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Guest Editor

Faculty for the Built Environment, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
Interests: concrete materials and reinforced concrete structures; durability of materials; waste recycling; sustainable construction; life-cycle analysis; structural vulnerability; earthquake engineering; cultural heritage; equality management systems; product certification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jun Feng

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Guest Editor

National Key Laboratory of Transient Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: composite mechanics; impact engineering; machine learning; multiscale modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to contribute to our Special Issue, “Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects”. As the global construction industry shifts towards sustainability, exploring innovative solutions to reduce environmental impact is crucial. This issue focuses on sustainable materials like geopolymers, high-performance concrete, and ultra-high-performance concrete, aiming to lower carbon emissions while maintaining good structural performance.

This research area is vital for addressing global sustainability goals. We can create a more sustainable built environment by advancing CO₂ capture, recycling materials, and improving waste management. This issue provides a platform for sharing the latest findings, insights, and experiences in this critical field, aligning with the journal’s focus on civil engineering, materials science, and sustainability.

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

Novel approaches to low-carbon building materials production;
Advances in geopolymers and their applications in structural concrete;
Performance optimization of high-performance and ultra-high-performance concrete;
Integration of CO2 capture and utilization technologies in building material production;
Enhancing the durability of building materials and structures through innovative design and materials selection;
Utilization of recycled building materials in structural concrete applications;
Strategies for effective waste management in the construction industry;

We look forward to receiving your contributions and working together to advance the field of sustainable high-performance materials in structural concrete.

Dr. Seongho Han
Prof. Dr. Ruben P. Borg
Dr. Jun Feng
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 building materials
geopolymer
high-performance concrete
ultra-high-performance concrete
CO₂ capture and utilization for building materials
durability of building materials and structures
recycled building materials
waste management

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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40 pages, 7190 KB

Open AccessArticle

ANOVA–RSM Analysis for Predicting and Optimizing the Mechanical Response of Concrete Incorporating Waste Brick Aggregates After Elevated Temperatures

by Yasin Onuralp Özkılıç, Ali İhsan Çelik, Memduh Karalar, Muhannad Riyadh Alasiri and Sadik Alper Yildizel

Materials 2026, 19(10), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19101977 - 11 May 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 613

Abstract

Throughout their service life, concrete buildings are subjected to a number of significant degradation processes, one of which is exposure to high temperatures. This degradation degrades the mechanical and physical properties of concrete, resulting in a reduction in its strength. Consequently, it is essential to enhance the qualities of concrete at elevated temperatures. Therefore, this study examines the synergistic effects of WBA content and temperature on the mechanical properties of concrete, emphasizing sustainability and high-temperature durability. WBA substituted fine aggregate at 0–50% by mass, and specimens were subjected to ambient and elevated temperatures up to 800 °C prior to testing for compressive strength (CS), flexural strength (FS), and splitting tensile strength (STS). Two-way ANOVA established that both WBA and temperature had statistically significant effects (p < 0.05) on all strength measures, with WBA accounting for the bulk of the variation. At 24 °C, augmenting WBA from 0% to 50% enhanced CS, FS, and STS by 37.26%, 40.63%, and 32.86%, respectively. Elevated temperatures diminished all strengths, with STS exhibiting the most significant relative decline, especially beyond 400 °C. response surface methodology (RSM) models exhibited exceptional prediction accuracy (R² > 0.97) and indicated that WBA mitigates strength loss due to elevated temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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24 pages, 6828 KB

Open AccessArticle

Coupled Effects of Elevated Water Pressure and Limestone Powder on Thaumasite Sulfate Attack in Cement Mortar

by Hao Li, Tao Han, Yingfeng Tan and Weihao Yang

Materials 2026, 19(9), 1858; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19091858 - 30 Apr 2026

Viewed by 390

Abstract

Thaumasite sulfate attack (TSA) under elevated water pressure has important implications for the durability of deep underground concrete structures, yet the deterioration process and the coupled effect of water pressure and carbonate supply remain insufficiently understood. In this study, laboratory pressurized sulfate exposure tests were conducted to investigate the evolution of macroscopic performance and microstructure of cement mortars with different limestone powder contents (0%, 15%, and 30%) under water pressures of 0, 2.5, and 5.0 MPa. The results show that elevated water pressure promotes sulfate ingress into the mortar and accelerates later-stage strength loss; this interpretation is supported by the depth-dependent distribution of soluble SO₄²⁻ measured in mortars without limestone powder. Two-way ANOVA indicates that both water pressure and limestone powder content have significant effects on compressive strength, and their interaction becomes statistically significant at 120 d. XRD, FT-IR, and SEM/EDS results show that, under elevated water pressure and high limestone powder content, the corrosion products gradually evolve from gypsum-related products to ettringite- and thaumasite-related products, with a certain spatial differentiation. Specifically, the gray–white, mud-like surface products are consistent with thaumasite-rich assemblages, whereas the needle- and column-like crystals in the interior are consistent with ettringite-rich assemblages. Overall, elevated water pressure mainly promotes sulfate transport, while limestone powder mainly increases carbonate availability. These two factors may jointly intensify TSA deterioration in mortar through a pathway involving transport enhancement, carbonate supply, corrosion product evolution, and aggravated macroscopic damage. This study provides a reference for understanding the sulfate deterioration mechanism of limestone powder-containing cement-based materials in deep underground environments under elevated water pressure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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21 pages, 6238 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Performance and Microstructure Evolution of High-Ferrite Portland Cement Concrete Under the Coupled Abrasion and Freeze–Thaw Cycling Conditions

by Xingdong Lv, Yun Dong and Zeyu Fan

Materials 2026, 19(5), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19051044 - 9 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 604

Abstract

This study investigates the performance and microstructure evolution of high-ferrite Portland cement (HFC) concrete under the coupled action of abrasion and freeze–thaw cycles (CAA-FTC). The 3D surface morphology of deteriorated concrete was studied; abrasion depth and volume loss evolution data were collected, while analyzing the abrasion depth fractal dimension. The characteristics of hydration products were determined using mercury intrusion porosimetry and ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance method. The ITZ’s micromechanical properties and thickness were investigated via nanoindentation and SEM-EDS. The results show that under the CAA-FTC conditions, concrete deterioration is significantly exacerbated, leading to increased abrasion depth and volume loss compared to single-factor abrasion. A significant inverse relationship between the abrasion depth fractal dimension and abrasion resistance was revealed. Under CAA-FTC conditions, CG1 and CD1 exhibit increased total porosity with enlarged large pore proportions and reduced medium pores, whereas HFC1 outperforms HFC2-based concrete, showing 8.2–26.4% higher abrasion resistance and 6.5–12.0% greater nanoindentation elastic modulus in the ITZ. Regarding the deterioration factors’ influence weight, abrasion time exhibits a deterioration weight 4.8 times to 10.0 times greater than freeze–thaw cycling, making the former a dominant factor and the latter a secondary contributor. Mechanistically, freeze–thaw cycles reduce the average molecular chain length of C-S-H gel, increase harmful pores and total porosity, and degrade the ITZ’s microstructure, while abrasion causes surface-to-core physical damage and freeze–thaw cycling induces core-to-surface expansive damage. This interaction results in surface scaling, mortar spalling, and structural loosening, significantly reducing physical and mechanical properties of the concrete under study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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16 pages, 8729 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Resin Volume Fraction on Selected Properties of Polymer Concrete

by Jakub Smoleń, Krzysztof Stępień, Mateusz Kozioł, Mateusz Włodarczyk, Tomasz Pawlik, Małgorzata Safuta, Krzysztof Groń, Klaudiusz Fross and Piotr Olesik

Materials 2024, 17(24), 6142; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17246142 - 16 Dec 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1867

Abstract

Polymer concrete is a promising material with applications in construction and architecture; however, guidelines for its design and optimization are not well-established in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate how resin volume fraction and aggregate size distribution affect key properties of polyester polymer concrete, including flexural strength, compressive strength, water absorption, and material cost. Three types of quartz aggregates with different particle size distributions were used, as follows: small (below 0.5 mm, quartz dust), medium (0.2–2.0 mm, quartz sand), and large (2.0–10.0 mm, quartz gravel). The resin volume content varied from 5% to 30%. Differences in apparent density, open porosity, water absorption, flexural strength, compressive strength, and material cost were analyzed as functions of resin volume content and aggregate size. The results showed that apparent density and mechanical properties are positively correlated with resin content for small and medium aggregates; however, in the case of large aggregates, flexural strength decreased when the resin volume content exceeded 20%. A significant reduction in material porosity and water absorption (to ~0.4% and ~0.2%, respectively) was observed at high resin volume fractions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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19 pages, 9760 KB

Open AccessArticle

Projectile Penetration into Calcareous Sand Subgrade Airport Runway Pavement with Genetic Algorithm Optimization

by Chucai Peng, Jingnan Huang, Xichen Sun, Yifei Nan, Yaohui Chen, Kun Chen and Jun Feng

Materials 2024, 17(23), 5696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235696 - 21 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1854

Abstract

As an important civil and military infrastructure, airport runway pavement is faced with threats from cluster munitions, since it is vulnerable to projectile impacts with internal explosions. Aiming at the damage assessment of an island airport runway pavement under impact, this work dealt with discrete modeling of rigid projectile penetration into concrete pavement and the calcareous sand subgrade multi-layer structure. First, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is introduced to model concrete and calcareous sand granular material features, like cohesive fracture and strain hardening due to compression, with mesoscale constitutive laws governing the normal and shear interactions between adjacent particles. Second, the subsequent DEM simulations of uniaxial and triaxial compression were performed to calibrate the DEM parameters for pavement concrete, as well as subgrade calcareous sand. Prior to the multi-layer structure investigations, penetration into sole concrete or calcareous sand is validated in terms of projectile deceleration and depth of penetration (DOP) with relative error ≤ 5.6% providing a reliable numerical tool for deep penetration damage assessments. Third, projectile penetration into the airport runway structure with concrete pavement and calcareous sand subgrade was evaluated with validated DEM model. Penetration numerical simulations with various projectile weight, pavement concrete thickness as well as striking velocity, were performed to achieve the DOP. Moreover, the back-propagation (BP) neural network proxy model was constructed to predict the airport runway penetration data with good agreement realizing rapid and robust DOP forecasting. Finally, the genetic algorithm was coupled with the proxy model to realize intelligent optimization of pavement penetration, whereby the critical velocity projectile just perforates concrete pavement indicating the severest subsequent munition explosion damage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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Review

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37 pages, 8016 KB

Open AccessReview

Second Life for Recycled Concrete and Other Construction and Demolition Waste in Mortars for Masonry: Full Scope of Material Properties, Performance, and Environmental Aspects

by Vadim Grigorjev, Miguel Azenha and Nele De Belie

Materials 2024, 17(20), 5118; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17205118 - 19 Oct 2024

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3098

Abstract

This review presents the scope of current efforts to utilize recycled construction and demolition waste in mortars for masonry. More than 100 articles are divided into groups pertaining to the type of mortar, different binder systems, the type of construction and demolition waste (CDW), and its utilization specifics. Cement-based mortars dominate this research domain, whereas recycled concrete is the main material employed to replace virgin aggregates, followed by recycled masonry and recycled mixed waste aggregates. Such application in cement-based mortars could increase water demand by 20–34% and reduce strength by 11–50%, with recycled concrete aggregates being the most favorable. Natural aggregate substitution is disadvantageous in strong mortars, whereas weaker ones, such as lime-based mortars, could benefit from this incorporation. The extent of this topic also suggests possibilities for different recycled material use cases in mortars for masonry, although the available literature is largely insufficient to infer meaningful trends. Nonetheless, the most relevant knowledge synthesized in this review offers promising and environment-conscious utilization pathways for recycled concrete and other construction and demolition waste, which brings opportunities for further research on their use in mortars for masonry and industrial-scale applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Concrete: Progress and Prospects)

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