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The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 3283

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ina Pundienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Concrete Technologies, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: building materials; waste reusing; additives and admixtures; reuse; structural properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jolanta Pranckevičienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Concrete Technologies, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Saulėtekio al. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: composite materials; ceramic; waste; additives and admixtures; recycle; durability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, due to rising concerns regarding the greenhouse emissions produced by the building material production industry, there has been significant interest in the development of waste-based building materials. The increasing scarcity of raw materials necessitates the maximum utilization of various wastes to fabricate building materials. The growing demand for sustainable construction practices has led to the exploration of eco-friendly materials in building material production. This Special Issue, entitled ‘The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition)’, focuses on incorporating solid waste and industrial by-products as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in order to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete production. This approach not only tackles resource depletion and environmental degradation but also seeks to enhance the durability and performance of concrete structures. This Special Issue highlights cutting-edge research and innovations in the optimization of waste pretreatment, incorporating innovative additives into concrete formulations and designing eco-efficient concrete mixtures.

Dr. Ina Pundienė
Dr. Jolanta Pranckevičienė
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. 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

  • cement based materials
  • alkali-activated materials
  • organic and inorganic waste
  • ceramic materials
  • admixture
  • nanomaterials
  • durability
  • material characterization

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 7140 KB  
Article
Performance Analysis of Boosting-Based Machine Learning Models for Predicting the Compressive Strength of Biochar-Cementitious Composites
by Jinwoong Kim, Daehee Ryu, Heojeong Hwan and Heeyoung Lee
Materials 2026, 19(2), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19020338 - 14 Jan 2026
Viewed by 416
Abstract
Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of wood residues and agricultural byproducts, has carbon storage capacity and potential as a low-carbon construction material. This study predicts the compressive strength of cementitious composites in which cement is partially replaced with biochar using [...] Read more.
Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of wood residues and agricultural byproducts, has carbon storage capacity and potential as a low-carbon construction material. This study predicts the compressive strength of cementitious composites in which cement is partially replaced with biochar using machine learning models. A total of 716 data samples were analyzed, including 480 experimental measurements and 236 literature-derived values. Input variables included the water-to-cement ratio (W/C), biochar content, cement, sand, aggregate, silica fume, blast furnace slag, superplasticizer, and curing conditions. Predictive performance was evaluated using Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Elastic Net Regression (ENR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), with GBM showing the highest accuracy. Further optimization was conducted using XGBoost, Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LightGBM), CatBoost, and NGBoost with GridSearchCV and Optuna. LightGBM achieved the best predictive performance (mean absolute error (MAE) = 3.3258, root mean squared error (RMSE) = 4.6673, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 11.19%, and R2 = 0.8271). SHAP analysis identified the W/C and cement content as dominant predictors, with fresh water curing and blast furnace slag also exerting strong influence. These results support the potential of biochar as a partial cement replacement in low-carbon construction material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition))
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21 pages, 7622 KB  
Article
Mechanical and Sound Absorption Properties of Ice-Templated Porous Cement Co-Incorporated with Silica Fume and Fly Ash
by Xiaoyang Zhang, Kang Peng, Bin Xiao, Jianxin Yang, Bao Yang and Boyuan Li
Materials 2026, 19(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19010092 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 508
Abstract
Reducing the consumption of energy-intensive cement and promoting the resource utilization of industrial waste are two critical challenges that should be urgently addressed to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and green sustainable development in the building materials field. Among these, the massive [...] Read more.
Reducing the consumption of energy-intensive cement and promoting the resource utilization of industrial waste are two critical challenges that should be urgently addressed to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and green sustainable development in the building materials field. Among these, the massive stockpiling of industrial waste such as fly ash and silica fume poses serious threats to the environment and human health, making their efficient utilization an urgent need to alleviate environmental pressure. This study employs the ice-template method to incorporate fly ash and silica fume as functional components into a cement-based system, fabricating a novel composite material. This material features a layered porous structure, which not only reduces cement usage but also results in a lighter weight. The introduction of the ice-templating method successfully constructed an anisotropic lamellar structure, leading to significant enhancements in flexural strength and toughness—by approximately 26.6% and 30%, respectively, vertical to the lamellae compared to conventional dense cement. Meanwhile, the hybrid blend of silica fume and fly ash effectively improved the deformability of the material, as evidenced by a notable increase in compressive failure strain. These excellent behaviors of mechanical properties are attributed to the formation of a multi-scale microstructure characterized by “macroscopically continuous and microscopically dense” features. Moreover, this specific microstructure offers greater advantages in sound absorption performance. The acoustic impedance tube tests demonstrate that the noise reduction coefficient of the novel cement-based material incorporating fly ash and silica fume is improved by 82%, holding promising applications in noise reduction for the construction and transportation fields. This research provides a feasible pathway for the high-value application of industrial solid waste in low-carbon materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition))
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22 pages, 5875 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on Factors Influencing the Early-Age Strength of Geopolymer Paste, Mortar, and Concrete
by Shiyu Yang, Jamal A. Abdalla, Rami A. Hawileh, Jianhua Liu, Yaqin Yu and Zhigang Zhang
Materials 2025, 18(24), 5648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18245648 - 16 Dec 2025
Viewed by 480
Abstract
This study systematically investigates the key parameters governing the mechanical performance of fly ash-based geopolymer across paste, mortar, and concrete scales. Comprehensive mechanical testing, combined with SEM and MIP analyses, elucidated the relationships between activator composition, pore structure, and strength development. A key [...] Read more.
This study systematically investigates the key parameters governing the mechanical performance of fly ash-based geopolymer across paste, mortar, and concrete scales. Comprehensive mechanical testing, combined with SEM and MIP analyses, elucidated the relationships between activator composition, pore structure, and strength development. A key innovation is the development of a cross-scale quantitative framework linking mortar strength to concrete compressive strength, enabling preliminary predictive capability across material scales. Grey relational analysis identified curing temperature as the most influential factor, followed by SiO2/Na2O and H2O/Na2O ratios. Thermal curing accelerates strength development and temperatures of 70~80 °C markedly enhance reaction rates. Both compressive and flexural/splitting tensile strengths increase and then decrease with NaOH concentration or sodium silicate modulus, with optimal performance at 24~26% NaOH and SiO2/Na2O ratio of 1.2~1.4, while increasing H2O/Na2O reduces strength nearly linearly, constrained by workability. Concrete compressive strength rises with coarse aggregate content up to 60~70% before declining. SEM and MIP confirm that optimal activator formulations produce a dense, homogeneous gel matrix with lower porosity and fewer unreacted particles. Strong square-root correlations between compressive and tensile-related strengths were observed across all material systems. Overall, this work establishes a quantitative foundation for geopolymer mix design and provides actionable guidance for developing high-performance, low-carbon geopolymer concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition))
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18 pages, 6982 KB  
Article
Comparative Study of Machine Learning for Predicting Compressive Strength in Oyster Shell Cementitious Composites
by Jinwoong Kim, Woosik Jang, Sunho Kang, Dongwook Kim and Heeyoung Lee
Materials 2025, 18(23), 5314; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18235314 - 25 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 722
Abstract
Annual oyster production in southern Korea reaches about 300,000 tons, generating an equivalent amount of waste oyster shells. Most are illegally dumped or stockpiled along coastlines, causing serious environmental issues. This study utilized machine learning to predict the compressive strength of oyster shell [...] Read more.
Annual oyster production in southern Korea reaches about 300,000 tons, generating an equivalent amount of waste oyster shells. Most are illegally dumped or stockpiled along coastlines, causing serious environmental issues. This study utilized machine learning to predict the compressive strength of oyster shell cementitious composites. A total of 336 datasets were used, including 189 experimental results and 147 from published literature. Input variables were water-to-cement ratio (W/C), silica fume, blast furnace slag, superplasticizer content, and curing conditions. Algorithm selection compared the performance of Ridge Regression, Support Vector Regression, Artificial Neural Network, and Random Forest (RF), with RF exhibiting the highest predictive performance (R2 = 0.8411). Ensemble algorithms including XGBoost, AdaBoost, Extra Trees, and LightGBM were optimized using GridSearchCV. Among these, LightGBM showed the best predictive capability with a mean absolute error of 3.1671, mean squared error of 17.8054, root mean square error of 4.2196, and R2 of 0.9042. SHAP analysis revealed that W/C and superplasticizer were the most influential variables. Oyster shells showed a negative correlation with sand, indicating the role of oyster shells as a substitute material. Thus, cementitious composites can maintain compressive strength and serve as sustainable construction materials when waste oyster shells are incorporated with appropriate admixtures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition))
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25 pages, 3738 KB  
Article
Effect of Pyrolysis Temperature on the Performance of Malt Biochar in Cement Mortars
by Roza Shainova, Nelli Muradyan, Avetik Arzumanyan, Marine Kalantaryan, Rafayel Sukiasyan, Mkrtich Yeranosyan, Yeghvard Melikyan, Avetis Simonyan, David Laroze, Elisabetta Zendri and Manuk Barseghyan
Materials 2025, 18(22), 5105; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18225105 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 825
Abstract
This study examines the influence of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical characteristics of malt-derived biochar (BC) and its effect on the performance of cement mortars. Malt biomass, a by-product of the brewing industry, was subjected to pyrolysis at 300 °C and 500 °C, [...] Read more.
This study examines the influence of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical characteristics of malt-derived biochar (BC) and its effect on the performance of cement mortars. Malt biomass, a by-product of the brewing industry, was subjected to pyrolysis at 300 °C and 500 °C, followed by high-energy ball milling to produce nanoscale biochar. Characterization using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, BET, SEM, and XRF revealed that BC500 possessed higher graphitic ordering, larger specific surface area (110 m2/g), and smaller pore size compared to BC300, which exhibited greater hydrophobicity. Incorporation of BC500 into cement mortars at 0.25–1.0 wt.%, with and without superplasticizer, resulted in up to a 20.6% increase in compressive strength and a significant reduction in water absorption. These enhancements are attributed to the internal curing effect of biochar, its refined pore structure, and improved interfacial bonding with hydration products. The findings demonstrate that optimized malt biochar serves as a sustainable additive that improves the mechanical performance and durability of cementitious materials while advancing circular economy principles through the valorization of industrial malt waste and the mitigation of the environmental impact of cement production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Development of Sustainable Concrete with Solid Waste and By-Products (Second Edition))
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