Advances in Sustainable and High Performance Cement Based Composites

Dear Colleagues,

It is a well-known fact that the construction sector, in its broadest sense, is one of the major causes of human environmental impact on the earth. More than one-third of the energy consumed, CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere, and solid waste in the EU are due to the activity of this sector. Cement is the most widely used material in this sector and, at the same time, the cement industry is the largest source of CO₂ emissions in the entire industry, emitting around 800 kg of CO₂ per tonne of cement produced. It is, therefore, an urgent need to decarbonize this activity.

Although most of the environmental impact in this sector occurs during the useful life of the edifice, a significant portion also occurs during the construction and deconstruction of the building. This is where the choice of sustainable and high-performance materials can be a key to reducing the footprint of this activity on the planet. On the other hand, materials composed of a mineral matrix reinforced with sustainable fibers are a very versatile product that can play multiple roles in the building, from pavements, coatings, and roofing plates, to elements for interior partitions. They can also play a very important role in elements of urban implementation, from different types of surface treatments to street furniture. We can also add that it is an affordable product and can provide solutions for housing needs in developing countries or in social housing developments in large cities.

In this Special Issue we aim to provide the latest developments in research on sustainable composite materials of the mineral matrix (and, therefore, gypsum, lime, cement of all kinds, geopolymers, etc.), reinforced with any type of fiber. We want to know and collect a representative sample of the materials being developed in the laboratory as a sustainable alternative to existing products on the market, which could be replaced due to their good outputs.

Dr. Josep Claramunt
Dr. Monica Ardanuy
Dr. Payam Sadrolodabaee
Guest Editors

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