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The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques
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The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 3637

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mustafa Batikha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Interests: structural engineering; tall buildings; sustainable concrete; 3D concrete printing; strengthening structures; seismic rehabilitation
Prof. Dr. Adil Tamimi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates
Interests: 3D concrete printing; green buildings; high performance concrete design & applications in harsh environment; sustainability/green buildings design, safety, composite materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Samer Al Martini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Interests: concrete technology in hot weather and durability; concrete segregation; lightweight aggregate concrete; compressive strength; ANOVA; lightweight concrete; resolution; partial factor method; load partial factors; reliability; material consumption; RC frame structures; concrete cement and concrete technology; exploration of fresh and mechanical properties of concrete in hot weather conditions; modeling the behavior of cement-based materials; green cementing materials; recycled aggregate concrete; rheology of concrete; structural behavior of Basalt FRP reinforced beams; 3D printing concrete

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Concrete is the world's second most utilised material on earth following water, with an annual production exceeding 30 billion tonnes. It cannot be replaced as a unique construction material with many advantages. However, traditional concrete practises pose significant challenges regarding durability, sustainability, cost, and construction techniques. Intensive research has been conducted to support concrete development, mitigate its environmental impact, and align with global agendas. For instance, ongoing research explores geopolymer concrete as a potential alternative to reduce reliance on cement, which contributes 7% of total global CO2 emissions. Additionally, concrete has demonstrated its ability to incorporate various waste materials, thereby reducing strain on landfills worldwide. The development of concrete construction techniques has also been under the attention of researchers, especially with today's revolution in digitalisation. For example, 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) is a current topic of discussion in construction because of its merits in architectural design flexibility, minimising material waste, ensuring workplace safety, and enhancing construction efficiency in terms of time. However, the widespread adoption of these innovations hinges on their cost-effectiveness.  

This Special Issue aims to delve into recent innovations within the aforementioned topics.

Researchers are most welcome to contribute their latest innovations in sustainable concrete and advancements in concrete construction techniques. Comprehensive review papers focusing on these areas are also highly recommended for submission.

Dr. Mustafa Batikha
Prof. Dr. Adil Tamimi
Dr. Samer Al Martini
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 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. 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

  • concrete
  • geopolymer concrete
  • waste in concrete
  • mechanical properties
  • durability
  • 3D concrete printing
  • carbon footprint analysis
  • cost analysis
  • statistical data analysis

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3279 KiB  
Article
Mechanical and Pore Properties of Foam Concrete Under Salt Erosion Environment
by Weihong Huang, Jiankun Liu, Qinyuan Shi and Weiwei Niu
Materials 2025, 18(12), 2810; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18122810 - 15 Jun 2025
Viewed by 265
Abstract
This study investigates the evolution of the macro- and micro-scale properties of foamed concrete under different saline environments, including sulfate, chloride, and composite salt conditions. The research focuses on the changes in compressive strength, pore structure, and hydration products of the material. Through [...] Read more.
This study investigates the evolution of the macro- and micro-scale properties of foamed concrete under different saline environments, including sulfate, chloride, and composite salt conditions. The research focuses on the changes in compressive strength, pore structure, and hydration products of the material. Through full-immersion tests and compressive strength measurements, combined with microstructural characterization techniques such as mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG), the deterioration mechanisms of foamed concrete under salt attack are systematically explored. The results indicate that Sulfate ions exhibit the most aggressive erosion effect, and the presence of chloride ions can produce a “passivation” effect which partially mitigates the damage caused by sulfate ions. Moreover, increasing the material density and incorporation of mineral admixtures contributes to pore structure refinement, significantly enhancing resistance to salt attack. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the practical application of foamed concrete under a complex salt erosion environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques)
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17 pages, 4028 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Colloidal Nano-Silica on the Initial Hydration of High-Volume Fly Ash Cement
by Young-Cheol Choi
Materials 2025, 18(12), 2769; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18122769 - 12 Jun 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
High-volume fly ash cement exhibits drawbacks such as delayed hydration and reduced early-age compressive strength due to the replacement of large amounts of cement with fly ash. In recent years, various studies have been conducted to overcome these limitations by incorporating nanomaterials, such [...] Read more.
High-volume fly ash cement exhibits drawbacks such as delayed hydration and reduced early-age compressive strength due to the replacement of large amounts of cement with fly ash. In recent years, various studies have been conducted to overcome these limitations by incorporating nanomaterials, such as nano-silica, to promote the hydration of cementitious systems. This study aims to investigate the effect of colloidal nano-silica on the hydration behavior of cement. Cement paste specimens were prepared with varying dosages of colloidal nano-silica to evaluate its influence. To examine the hydration characteristics and mechanical performance, compressive strength tests, isothermal calorimetry, and thermo-gravimetric analyses were conducted. Furthermore, the effect of colloidal nano-silica on the hydration of cement blended with fly ash was also examined. The experimental results revealed that the incorporation of colloidal nano-silica accelerated the hydration reactions in both ordinary and fly ash-blended cement pastes and significantly improved early-age compressive strength. In particular, the 7-day compressive strength of fly ash-blended cement mortar improved by 22.2% compared to the control specimen when 2% colloidal nano-silica was incorporated. The use of colloidal nano-silica appears to be a practical approach for enhancing the early strength of high-volume fly ash concrete, and its broader application and target expansion could contribute to the advancement of a low-carbon construction industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques)
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18 pages, 6374 KiB  
Article
Study on the Mechanical Properties, Tensile Performance, Hydration Heat, and Microstructure of VAE-Modified Rubber Mortar
by Jiaming Zhang, Ce Bian, Bowen Chen, Chunhe Li, Hua Wei and Hao Lu
Materials 2025, 18(3), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18030651 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 767
Abstract
This study builds on the practice of using waste rubber to improve the ductility of cement mortar and further explores the potential of vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) in enhancing the ductility of rubber cement mortar (RM). It systematically analyzes the effects of VAE on [...] Read more.
This study builds on the practice of using waste rubber to improve the ductility of cement mortar and further explores the potential of vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) in enhancing the ductility of rubber cement mortar (RM). It systematically analyzes the effects of VAE on the workability, mechanical properties, crack resistance, and microstructure of RM. Additionally, isothermal calorimetry was employed to investigate the mechanism of VAE’s influence on cement hydration heat. The results show that VAE significantly improves the flexural strength, tensile strength, and ultimate tensile strain of RM, while reducing its compressive strength and tensile elastic modulus, thereby markedly enhancing its flexibility and ductility. At a VAE content of 4%, the fluidity, 28-day flexural strength, tensile strength, and ultimate tensile strain of RM reached 240 mm, 4.83 MPa, 1.92 MPa, and 233 × 10−6, respectively, representing increases of 16%, 18.97%, 11.63%, and 62.94% compared to ordinary RM. However, when the VAE content exceeded 4%, both flexural strength and tensile strength began to decrease. Furthermore, the incorporation of VAE induced the formation of flexible polymer films within the RM matrix but also increased the porosity of the cement matrix, extended the induction period of cement hydration, and reduced the rate and degree of hydration. These findings provide valuable data to support the development of high-ductility and high-crack-resistance concrete repair materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques)
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15 pages, 5770 KiB  
Article
Effects of Mixture Proportions and Molding Method on the Performance of Pervious Recycled Aggregate Concrete
by Haifeng Wei, Lixing Yan, Caifeng Lu, Zhihong Wen, Ye Yang, Chunhao Lu and Qingsong Zhou
Materials 2024, 17(21), 5138; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17215138 - 22 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1240
Abstract
The use of pervious concrete pavement systems with recycled aggregates is a sustainable and innovative solution to major urbanization challenges such as repurposing construction waste, alleviating urban waterlogging, and reducing heat-island effects. This study aims to investigate the effects of mixture proportions and [...] Read more.
The use of pervious concrete pavement systems with recycled aggregates is a sustainable and innovative solution to major urbanization challenges such as repurposing construction waste, alleviating urban waterlogging, and reducing heat-island effects. This study aims to investigate the effects of mixture proportions and molding methods on the performance of pervious recycled aggregate concrete (PRAC). To this end, the coarse aggregate size (4.75~9.5 mm, 9.5~16 mm, and 16~19 mm), the molding method (layered insertion-tamping and vibration molding with vibration times of 5 s, 10 s, or 15 s, respectively), and the replacement rate of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) (0%, 30%, 50%, and 100%, respectively) are considered. The results reveal that the addition of RCA to permeable concrete weakens its permeability. However, the compressive strength of PRAC reaches its maximum value when the RCA replacement rate is 50%. A larger aggregate particle size (16~19 mm) enhances the compressive strength of PRAC, yet decreases the permeability of PRAC. By using vibration molding to fabricate PRAC, an extension to the vibration duration increases the compressive strength, yet concurrently decreases the permeability. Based on the compressive strength and permeability coefficient of PRAC, the optimal mixture proportions and molding method are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Advanced Development in Concrete Materials: Properties and Construction Techniques)
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