Cracking Risks in Blended Cement-Based Concrete: Mechanisms, Evaluation and Control

Dear Colleagues,

Cracking remains a major challenge in the durable design and construction of modern infrastructure. In particular, cement-based systems incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), fibers, or other functional components—commonly used in structural concrete, tunnel linings, repair mortars, and high-performance composites—often exhibit complex hydration behavior, volumetric instability, and stress development, which contribute to various forms of cracking. These issues are further complicated by the demands of sustainability, performance, and service life in diverse environmental and loading conditions. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for cutting-edge research on the mechanisms, evaluation techniques, predictive modeling, and control strategies related to cracking in cement-based and composite materials used across infrastructure applications. Topics of interest include but are not limited to hydration heat control, autogenous and drying shrinkage, thermal stress evolution, restrained cracking behavior, creep effects, fiber reinforcement, numerical and analytical modeling approaches, and the role of innovative admixtures and internal curing techniques. Studies addressing both fundamental scientific understanding and practical engineering applications—spanning buildings, bridges, tunnels, pavements, and other critical structures—are encouraged. By bringing together multidisciplinary insights, this Special Issue seeks to advance the knowledge base on crack formation and mitigation, supporting the development of more resilient, sustainable, and long-lasting construction materials and systems.

Dr. Yingda Zhang
Dr. Ye Liu
Guest Editors

Dr. Zihao Liu
Guest Editor Assistant

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