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Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition)
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Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd 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 February 2026 | Viewed by 5396

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiaqing Wang

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Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
Interests: sustainable infrastructure materials; rubberized concrete; fiber-reinforced concrete; utilization of MSW; asphalt concrete materials; material macro and micro characterizations; FEM fracture analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shuaicheng Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410012, China
Interests: fiber-reinforced concrete; durability of concrete materials and structural components; application of new materials in structural and geotechnical engineering; non-destructive testing; research on concrete fracture mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ruizhe Si

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
Interests: geopolymer; microstructure; drying shrinkage; mechanical properties; durability of cement-based composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fangyuan Gong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
Interests: material and structure of road engineering; intelligent detection and repair of pavement disease; micro-structure evaluation and analysis of road materials; development and preparation of sustainable road materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chaochao Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Centre of Road Maintenance Technologies, Changsha University of Science ＆ Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Interests: materials and structure design of durable asphalt pavement; modified asphalt and mixtures; reclaimed asphalt pavement; cement-treated aggregates
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue, in the form of an original research article or review paper.

With the rapid development of infrastructure constructions, greener and more sustainable materials have been investigated and applied. Recently, infrastructure construction materials were discovered which are suitable for utilization in low-emission applications and environment protection. In addition, innovative sustainable techniques in the production and use of these materials have also attracted more attention.

This Special Issue will focus on the green and sustainable utilization of infrastructure materials. The main sub-topics include innovative techniques in the application of these materials in infrastructures (pavement, bridges, composite structures, etc.), effective methods for the recycling of these materials in constructions, and the multi-scale material characterization and modeling of composite materials containing these components.

Therefore, this Special Issue will provide an opportunity for peers in the related fields to publish recent findings with the advances in green and sustainable construction materials.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative techniques in green and sustainable construction materials.
  • Using recycled materials to facilitate sustainability.
  • Multi-scale evaluation of green and sustainable materials for infrastructure constructions.
  • Investigations of composite materials and structures made of green and sustainable materials.
  • Treatment methods of green and sustainable construction materials for better durability.

Dr. Jiaqing Wang
Dr. Shuaicheng Guo
Dr. Ruizhe Si
Dr. Fangyuan Gong
Dr. Chaochao Liu
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

  • sustainable infrastructure materials
  • rubberized concrete
  • fiber-reinforced concrete
  • asphalt and mixtures
  • material and structure of road engineering

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 836 KB  
Article
Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions of Compressed Earth Blocks Stabilized with Recycled Cement
by Alessandra Ranesi, Ricardo Cruz, Vitor Sousa and José Alexandre Bogas
Materials 2025, 18(17), 4194; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174194 - 6 Sep 2025
Viewed by 743
Abstract
Driven by the pursuit of more sustainable materials, earth construction has seen renewed interest in recent years. However, chemical stabilization is often required to ensure adequate water resistance. While recycled cement from concrete waste (RCC) has recently emerged as a more sustainable alternative [...] Read more.
Driven by the pursuit of more sustainable materials, earth construction has seen renewed interest in recent years. However, chemical stabilization is often required to ensure adequate water resistance. While recycled cement from concrete waste (RCC) has recently emerged as a more sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for soil stabilization, its environmental impact remains unassessed. A hybrid model, built on collected data and direct simulations, was implemented to estimate energy and carbon emissions of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with RCC as a partial or total replacement of OPC. Four operational scenarios were assessed in a cradle-to-gate approach, evaluating the environmental impact per CEB unit, and normalizing it to the CEB compressive strength. OPC CEBs showed up to 9 times higher energy consumption (2.46 vs. 0.24 MJ/CEB) and about 35 times higher carbon emissions (0.438 vs. 0.012 kgCO2/CEB) than UCEBs. However, replacing OPC with RCC reduced energy consumption by up to 8% and carbon emissions by up to 64%. Although RCC CEBs showed lower mechanical strength, resulting in higher energy consumption when normalized to compressive strength, carbon emissions remained up to 48% lower compared to OPC CEBs. RCC emerged as a more sustainable alternative to OPC for earth stabilization, while also improving the mechanical strength and durability of UCEBs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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31 pages, 8900 KB  
Article
Attention-Fused Staged DWT-LSTM for Fault Diagnosis of Embedded Sensors in Asphalt Pavement
by Jiarui Zhang, Haihui Duan, Songtao Lv, Dongdong Ge and Chaoyue Rao
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3917; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163917 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 539
Abstract
Fault diagnosis for embedded sensors in asphalt pavement faces significant challenges, including the scarcity of real-world fault data and the difficulty in identifying compound faults, which severely compromises the reliability of monitoring data. To address these issues, this study proposes an intelligent diagnostic [...] Read more.
Fault diagnosis for embedded sensors in asphalt pavement faces significant challenges, including the scarcity of real-world fault data and the difficulty in identifying compound faults, which severely compromises the reliability of monitoring data. To address these issues, this study proposes an intelligent diagnostic framework that integrates a Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) with a staged, attention-based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. First, various fault modes were systematically defined, including short-term (i.e., bias, gain, and detachment), long-term (i.e., drift), and their compound forms. A fine-grained fault injection and labeling strategy was then developed to generate a comprehensive dataset. Second, a novel diagnostic model was designed based on a “Decomposition-Focus-Fusion” architecture. In this architecture, the DWT is employed to extract multi-scale features, and independent sub-models—a Bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) and a stacked LSTM—are subsequently utilized to specialize in learning short-term and long-term fault characteristics, respectively. Finally, an attention network intelligently weights and fuses the outputs from these sub-models to achieve precise classification of eight distinct sensor operational states. Validated through rigorous 5-fold cross-validation, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves a mean diagnostic accuracy of 98.89% (±0.0040) on the comprehensive test set, significantly outperforming baseline models such as SVM, KNN, and a unified LSTM. A comprehensive ablation study confirmed that each component of the “Decomposition-Focus-Fusion” architecture—DWT features, staged training, and the attention mechanism—makes an indispensable contribution to the model’s superior performance. The model successfully distinguishes between “drift” and “normal” states—which severely confuse the baseline models—and accurately identifies various complex compound faults. Furthermore, simulated online diagnostic tests confirmed the framework’s rapid response capability to dynamic faults and its computational efficiency, meeting the demands of real-time monitoring. This study offers a precise and robust solution for the fault diagnosis of embedded sensors in asphalt pavement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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21 pages, 7083 KB  
Article
Green Low-Temperature Activation and Curing for High-Toughness Geopolymer Binders from Diabase Tailings
by Yanan Hu, Yong Yao, Lingling Zhang, Xianming Hu and Xinchun Yang
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3815; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163815 - 14 Aug 2025
Viewed by 440
Abstract
This study addresses the low reactivity and poor toughness of diabase tailings (DT), a high-silica industrial byproduct, which restricts their large-scale application in geopolymer binders. To overcome these limitations, a dual-regulation strategy integrating stepwise low-temperature thermal activation (100, 200, and 300 °C) with [...] Read more.
This study addresses the low reactivity and poor toughness of diabase tailings (DT), a high-silica industrial byproduct, which restricts their large-scale application in geopolymer binders. To overcome these limitations, a dual-regulation strategy integrating stepwise low-temperature thermal activation (100, 200, and 300 °C) with standard curing (20 ± 2 °C, 95% RH) was developed. This approach aimed to enhance mineral dissolution kinetics and facilitate the formation of a dense, interconnected gel network. XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses revealed significant decomposition of amphibole, pyroxene, and olivine, accompanied by increased release of reactive Si and Al species, leading to the formation of a compact N–A–S–H/C–A–S–H gel structure. Under optimized conditions (Si/Al = 2.6; activator modulus = 1.2), the geopolymer achieved a 7-day compressive strength of 42.3 ± 1.8 MPa, a flexural strength of 12.76 ± 1.6 MPa, and a flexural-to-compressive strength ratio of 0.308, demonstrating significant improvements in toughness compared with conventional binders. This green, energy-efficient strategy not only reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions but also provides a technically feasible pathway for the high-value reuse of silicate-rich mining wastes, contributing to the development of sustainable construction materials with enhanced mechanical performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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27 pages, 7417 KB  
Article
Simulation of Corrosion Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Based on Multi-Phase Multi-Species Electrochemical Phase Field Modeling
by Tianhao Yao, Houmin Li, Keyang Wu, Jie Chen, Zhengpeng Zhou and Yunlong Wu
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3742; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163742 - 10 Aug 2025
Viewed by 620
Abstract
Non-uniform corrosion cracking in reinforced concrete buildings constitutes a fundamental difficulty resulting in durability failure. This work develops a microscopic-scale multi-species electrochemical phase field model to tackle this issue. The model comprehensively examines the spatiotemporal coupling mechanisms of the full “corrosion-rust swelling-cracking” process [...] Read more.
Non-uniform corrosion cracking in reinforced concrete buildings constitutes a fundamental difficulty resulting in durability failure. This work develops a microscopic-scale multi-species electrochemical phase field model to tackle this issue. The model comprehensively examines the spatiotemporal coupling mechanisms of the full “corrosion-rust swelling-cracking” process by integrating electrochemical reaction kinetics, multi-ion transport processes, and a unified phase field fracture theory. The model uses local corrosion current density as the primary variable to accurately measure the dynamic interactions among electrochemical processes, ion transport, and rust product precipitation. It incorporates phase field method simulations of fracture initiation and propagation in concrete, establishing a bidirectional link between rust swelling stress and crack development. Experimental validation confirms that the model’s predictions about cracking duration, crack shape, and ion concentration distribution align well with empirical data, substantiating the efficacy of local corrosion current density as an indicator of electrochemical reaction rate. Parametric studies were performed to examine the effects of interface transition zone strength, oxygen diffusion coefficient, protective layer thickness, reinforcing bar diameter, and reinforcing bar configuration on cracking patterns. This model’s multi-physics field coupling framework, influenced by dynamic corrosion current density, facilitates cross-field interactions, offering sophisticated theoretical tools and technical support for the quantitative analysis, durability evaluation, and protective design of corrosion-induced cracking in reinforced concrete structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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18 pages, 2416 KB  
Article
Analysis of Asphalt Pavement Response to Long Longitudinal Slope Considering the Influence of Temperature Fields
by Xu Li, Jie Chen, Shuxing Mao and Chaochao Liu
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3670; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153670 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
With the rapid increase in traffic volume and the number of heavy-duty vehicles, the load on asphalt pavements has increased significantly. Especially on sections with long longitudinal slopes, the internal stress conditions of asphalt pavement have become even more complex. This study aims [...] Read more.
With the rapid increase in traffic volume and the number of heavy-duty vehicles, the load on asphalt pavements has increased significantly. Especially on sections with long longitudinal slopes, the internal stress conditions of asphalt pavement have become even more complex. This study aims to investigate the thermal–mechanical coupling behavior of asphalt pavement structures on long longitudinal slopes under the combined influence of temperature fields and moving loads. A pavement temperature field model was developed based on the climatic conditions of Nanning (AAT: 21.8 °C; Tmax: 37 °C; Tmin: 3 °C; AAP: 1453.4 mm). In addition, a three-dimensional finite element model of asphalt pavement structures on long longitudinal slopes was established using finite element software. Variations in pavement mechanical responses were compared under different vehicle axle loads (100–200 kN), slope gradients (0–5%), braking coefficients (0–0.7), and asphalt mixture layer thicknesses (2–8 cm). The results indicate that the pavement structure exhibits a strong capacity for pressure attenuation, with the middle and lower surface layers showing more pronounced stress reduction—up to 40%—significantly greater than the 6.5% observed in the upper surface layer. As the axle load increases from 100 kN to 200 kN, the internal mechanical responses of the pavement show a linear relationship with load magnitude, with an average increase of approximately 29%. In addition, the internal shearing stress of the pavement is more sensitive to changes in slope and braking coefficient; when the slope increases from 0% to 5% and the braking coefficient increases from 0 to 0.7, the shear stress at the bottom of the upper surface layer increases by 12% and 268%, respectively. This study provides guidance for the design of asphalt pavements on long longitudinal slopes. In future designs, special attention should be given to enhancing the shear strength of the surface layer and improving the interlayer bonding performance. In particular, under conditions of steep slopes and frequent heavy vehicle traffic, the thickness and modulus of the upper surface asphalt mixture may be appropriately increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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14 pages, 1882 KB  
Article
Carbon-Negative Construction Material Based on Rice Production Residues
by Jüri Liiv, Catherine Rwamba Githuku, Marclus Mwai, Hugo Mändar, Peeter Ritslaid, Merrit Shanskiy and Ergo Rikmann
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153534 - 28 Jul 2025
Viewed by 571
Abstract
This study presents a cost-effective, carbon-negative construction material for affordable housing, developed entirely from locally available agricultural wastes: rice husk ash, wood ash, and rice straw—materials often problematic to dispose of in many African regions. Rice husk ash provides high amorphous silica, acting [...] Read more.
This study presents a cost-effective, carbon-negative construction material for affordable housing, developed entirely from locally available agricultural wastes: rice husk ash, wood ash, and rice straw—materials often problematic to dispose of in many African regions. Rice husk ash provides high amorphous silica, acting as a strong pozzolanic agent. Wood ash contributes calcium oxide and alkalis to serve as a reactive binder, while rice straw functions as a lightweight organic filler, enhancing thermal insulation and indoor climate comfort. These materials undergo natural pozzolanic reactions with water, eliminating the need for Portland cement—a major global source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions (~900 kg CO2/ton cement). This process is inherently carbon-negative, not only avoiding emissions from cement production but also capturing atmospheric CO2 during lime carbonation in the hardening phase. Field trials in Kenya confirmed the composite’s sufficient structural strength for low-cost housing, with added benefits including termite resistance and suitability for unskilled laborers. In a collaboration between the University of Tartu and Kenyatta University, a semi-automatic mixing and casting system was developed, enabling fast, low-labor construction of full-scale houses. This innovation aligns with Kenya’s Big Four development agenda and supports sustainable rural development, post-disaster reconstruction, and climate mitigation through scalable, eco-friendly building solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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25 pages, 5828 KB  
Article
Study on Performance and Aging Mechanism of Rubber-Modified Asphalt Under Variable-Intensity UV Aging
by Qian Liu, Fujin Hou, Dongdong Ge, Songtao Lv and Zihao Ju
Materials 2025, 18(13), 3186; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18133186 - 5 Jul 2025
Viewed by 631
Abstract
Prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure accelerates aging and degradation, while conventional constant-intensity UV simulations do not reflect the variable nature of outdoor radiation. Aging duration and film thickness are both key factors affecting Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA), but how their combination influences RMA remains unclear. [...] Read more.
Prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure accelerates aging and degradation, while conventional constant-intensity UV simulations do not reflect the variable nature of outdoor radiation. Aging duration and film thickness are both key factors affecting Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA), but how their combination influences RMA remains unclear. To address this limitation, this research employed accelerated aging experiments under variable-intensity UV radiation to investigate the performance and aging mechanism of RMA across different aging durations and asphalt film thicknesses. Rheological properties were analyzed through rheological tests, and the UV aging mechanisms of RMA were revealed using FTIR and SEM. The results revealed that crumb rubber improved RMA’s UV aging resistance, including high-temperature performance, fatigue life, and low-temperature cracking resistance. Aging effects were more influenced in RMA with thinner films under prolonged UV exposure. After nine cycles of ultraviolet aging, the rutting resistance, elastic recovery, fatigue life, and low-temperature cracking resistance of RMA with a 1 mm film thickness were 1.33, 1.11, 0.54, and 0.67 times, respectively, those of RMA with a 2 mm film thickness subjected to three UV aging cycles. RMA demonstrated comparable high-temperature performance and elastic recovery under UV aging conditions corresponding to a 1.5 mm film thickness aged for three cycles and a 2.0 mm film thickness aged for six cycles, as well as a 1.0 mm film thickness aged for six cycles and a 1.5 mm film thickness aged for nine cycles. FTIR showed that the increased activity of C=C and C-H under photo-oxidative aging caused a greater impact on the carbonyl groups than the sulfoxide groups. Under high-intensity UV radiation, RMA with thinner films exhibited greater rubber powder detachment, increased surface oxidation, and a substantial widening of cracks. The rubber powder absorbed UV radiation, enhancing the stability of RMA. The maximum crack width of the 1 mm NA was twice that of RMA. These provided insight into the microstructural pattern of cracking resistance degradation caused by aging. This research provides theoretical support for the optimization of the anti-aging performance of RMA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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30 pages, 7365 KB  
Article
Development of Time Series Models and Algorithms: Creep Prediction for Low-Carbon Concrete Materials
by Zhengpeng Zhou, Houmin Li, Keyang Wu, Jie Chen, Tianhao Yao and Yunlong Wu
Materials 2025, 18(13), 3152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18133152 - 3 Jul 2025
Viewed by 495
Abstract
In practical engineering applications, the use of low-carbon concrete materials is in line with the principles of sustainable development and helps to reduce the impact on the environment. Creep effects are particularly critical in the research on such materials. However, traditional characterization methods [...] Read more.
In practical engineering applications, the use of low-carbon concrete materials is in line with the principles of sustainable development and helps to reduce the impact on the environment. Creep effects are particularly critical in the research on such materials. However, traditional characterization methods are time-consuming and often fail to account for the interactions of multiple factors. This study constructs a time-series database capturing the behavioral characteristics of low-carbon concrete materials over time. Three temporal prediction models—Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks—were retrained for creep prediction. To address limitations in model architecture and algorithmic frameworks, an enhanced Adaptive Crowned Porcupine Optimization algorithm (ACCPO) was implemented. The improved performance of the ACCPO was validated using four diverse benchmark test functions. Post-optimization results showed remarkable improvements. For ANN, RF, and LSTM, single-metric accuracies increased by 20%, 19%, and 6%, reaching final values of 95.9%, 93.9%, and 97.8%, respectively. Comprehensive evaluation metrics revealed error reductions of 22.6%, 7.9%, and 8% across the respective models. These results confirm the rationality of the proposed temporal modeling framework and the effectiveness of the ACCPO algorithm. Among them, the ACCPO-LSTM time series model is the best choice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Infrastructure Construction Materials (3rd Edition))
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