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Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition

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A Special Issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944) belonging to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2026) | Viewed by 9275

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Prof. Dr. Yuri Ribakov

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Department of Civil Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
Interests: testing and analysis of reinforced concrete structures and elements; high-strength concrete; steel fiber reinforced concrete; two-layer bending elements; using waste products in concrete, earthquake engineering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern design techniques and construction technologies are based on effective materials and structures that allow for the efficient use of natural resources and the reuse of waste products. Extensive research has been carried out in order to develop effective and sustainable approaches that yield a balance between the construction industry and surrounding environment. It is obvious that new structures should correspond to human development, taking into account the necessary ecological requirements. Therefore, one of the ways to achieve environmentally friendly construction is to reuse waste products. Proper approaches for reusing waste products in the construction industry should also consider suitable and effective energy technologies.

Developing modern design methodologies that allow for the optimal use of natural resources and for the reuse of waste products in the construction industry is incredibly important globally.

The purpose of this call for papers is to exchange recent scientific achievements and novel ideas related to the reuse of various wastes as raw materials in this Special Issue, entitled Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition.

Researchers are invited to share their knowledge on the design of effective, ecologically friendly construction materials and products that can be used in construction.

Prof. Dr. Yuri Ribakov
Guest Editor

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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-anonymized 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.

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Keywords

waste products
construction materials
design methodology
structural elements
sustainability

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Related Special Issues

Recycling and Development of New Building Materials or Products in Materials (11 articles)
Recycling and Development of New Building Materials or Products (Second Volume) in Materials (11 articles)
Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Fourth Edition in Materials

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 23537 KB

Open AccessArticle

Particle-Size-Fractionated Coal Gasification Slag as a Supplementary Cementitious Material: Hydration Products, Microstructure Evolution, and Mechanical Performance via Classified Grinding

by Meng Su, Can Chen, Meiqing Chen, Peinian Wang, Nan Ding, Hua Lei, Zhenyun Cheng and Bo Fu

Materials 2026, 19(17), 3736; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19173736 - 2 Sep 2026

Viewed by 247

Abstract

To promote the high-value utilization of coal gasification slag (CGS) resources and mitigate the environmental issues caused by its accumulation, CGS was separated into five fractions by particle size (2.36–4.75 mm, 1.18–2.36 mm, 0.60–1.18 mm, 0.30–0.60 mm, and 0.15–0.30 mm) and subsequently ground into CGS powders (CGSPs). The physicochemical properties of both CGS and the obtained CGSP were systematically characterized, and the effects of CGSP on the hydration behavior and engineering performance of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) were investigated. The results revealed significant differences in physical properties and composition among the various particle-size fractions of CGS and their corresponding CGSP. When 40 wt.% CGSP was used to replace Portland cement, the C2.36 fraction exhibited the highest early-age compressive strength (16.91 MPa and 25.3 MPa at 3 d and 7 d, respectively), which is attributed to its favorable chemical composition and abundant glassy components. In contrast, the C0.6 fraction achieved the highest 28 d compressive strength (50.0 MPa). The C0.15 fraction showed the lowest strength at all ages, may be mainly due to its high residual carbon content and low reactivity. Overall, the compositional differences among CGS fractions of different particle sizes govern the formation and evolution of hydration products, and the proposed strategy of “classified grinding and quality-oriented utilization” provides an effective approach for the high-value application of CGS in cement-based materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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13 pages, 1777 KB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Technological Factors on the Interlayer Bond Strength of 3D-Printed Concrete

by Leonid Dvorkin, Vitaliy Marchuk, Ruslan Makarenko and Yuri Ribakov

Materials 2026, 19(17), 3641; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19173641 - 27 Aug 2026

Viewed by 260

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of mathematical models developed from experimental data to describe the effects of concrete mixture workability, the time interval between the deposition of adjacent layers, aggregate size, and concrete mixture composition on the interlayer bond strength of 3D-printed concrete. The models enable a quantitative assessment of the nature and degree of influence of the investigated technological factors on the interlayer bond strength of concrete. The results demonstrate that the interlayer bond strength, evaluated based on concrete splitting tensile strength, exhibits an extremal relationship. The range of optimal technological parameters within which the maximum interlayer bond strength is achieved has been determined. The effects of interactions between the investigated technological factors on the interlayer bond strength are also examined. The influence of these factors on interlayer bond strength is associated with their effect on the concrete mixture water demand, which is described by the developed mathematical model. In addition, a relationship between the interlayer bond strength of concrete and the water-to-cement ratio is established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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31 pages, 8848 KB

Open AccessArticle

Concretes Modified with Insulation Wool Recovered from Recycled Heating Pipes

by Anna Starczyk-Kołbyk and Emil Kardaszuk

Materials 2026, 19(16), 3502; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19163502 - 18 Aug 2026

Viewed by 313

Abstract

This study evaluated the potential use of waste mineral wool recovered from heating pipe insulation as a functional additive in cement concrete. The research aimed to determine the effect of this fibrous recycled material on the mechanical, physical, durability, thermal, and microstructural properties of concrete. One reference mix and three modified mixes were prepared, incorporating waste mineral wool at 12%, 16%, and 20% by cement mass. All mixes were prepared using CEM I 32.5R cement, 0/2 mm basalt aggregate, 2/8 mm granite aggregate, and a superplasticizer. After 28 days of sample curing, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, density, water absorption, frost resistance, and thermal parameters were determined. Microstructural observations were also performed on concrete fracture surfaces. The results showed that the addition of mineral wool reduced the compressive strength from 84.9 MPa for the reference concrete to 63.8–53.3 MPa for the modified concretes. At the same time, moderate dosing improved the splitting tensile strength, reaching a maximum of 3.93 MPa with a 16% addition. The most favorable thermal effect was achieved with a 12% addition, for which the thermal conductivity coefficient decreased from 1.3461 to 1.1988 W/(m·K). The results indicate that waste mineral wool can be used in concretes with limited structural function; however, its dosage requires optimization due to increased water absorption and decreased compressive strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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36 pages, 11707 KB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Friendly Rapid-Setting Concrete Incorporating Waste-Derived Additives for Post-Disaster Reconstruction

by Anna Starczyk-Kołbyk, Waldemar Łasica, Emil Kardaszuk and Michał Gregorczyk

Materials 2026, 19(6), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19061218 - 19 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 526

Abstract

This study investigates an eco-friendly rapid-setting concrete developed for emergency repair and accelerated post-disaster reconstruction. The proposed material concept combines a low-emission multicomponent cement, CEM V/A (S-V) 42.5 N-LH/HSR/NA, with a hybrid aggregate skeleton composed of crushed granite and waste soda–lime glass, as well as a waste-derived silicate additive system based on aqueous sodium silicate, glass dust and glass powder. One reference mixture (R) and five modified mixtures (M1–M5) were designed to assess the effects of partial replacement of natural aggregate by glass aggregate and of the dosage of the silicate-based additive system on concrete performance. The experimental programme included setting time, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water absorption, freeze–thaw resistance and microstructural observations. Among the modified concretes, the mixture containing 5 vol.% glass aggregate (M1) showed the most favourable mechanical performance after 28 days, reaching a compressive strength of 95.1 ± 2.4 MPa and a splitting tensile strength of 4.82 ± 0.29 MPa, compared with 45.5 ± 0.8 MPa and 2.18 ± 0.11 MPa, respectively, for the reference concrete. Higher glass contents reduced strength relative to M1, but the modified mixtures still maintained satisfactory performance. The silicate-based system significantly affected setting behaviour; in mixture M5, the initial and final setting times were reduced from 380 ± 5 min and 497 ± 5 min to 213 ± 5 min and 307 ± 5 min, respectively. The results show that the combined use of CEM V cement, waste glass and silicate-based waste-derived additives can produce concretes with rapid-setting, high strength and satisfactory durability-related properties. The developed material may therefore be considered a promising solution for selected rapid-repair and reconstruction applications, particularly in lightly reinforced or unreinforced concrete elements requiring fast restoration of functionality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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24 pages, 5043 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Design of Technological Parameters for Vibrocompression of Gypsum Concrete

by Leonid Dvorkin, Vadim Zhitkovsky and Yuri Ribakov

Materials 2025, 18(16), 3902; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163902 - 20 Aug 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1756

Abstract

This paper deals with a method for producing gypsum concrete by vibropressing ultra-stiff concrete mixtures with a water–gypsum ratio (W/G) of 0.25–0.35 (stiffness 50–55 s according to Vebe), as well as the method of designing the composition of such concrete. The research was carried out using mathematical experimental design. Experimental and statistical polynomial models of strength and average density dependences on technological factors such as moisture content in the gypsum concrete mixture, aggregate consumption, and vibropressing parameters (dynamic punch pressure during vibration and process duration) were obtained. Models of the aggregate quantity and granulometric composition influence on the gypsum concrete strength at constant compaction parameters and changes in the mixture moisture content were obtained. Based on the obtained models, a method for designing the composition of vibropressed gypsum concrete on dense aggregate was developed. According to the proposed method, the aggregate-to-gypsum ratio (A/G) is first found, taking into account the given strength and quality of the materials. Next, the optimal W/G ratio, which ensures maximum compaction, is calculated and, after that, the residual air volume and the component consumption are obtained. The method allows determining the composition of gypsum concrete on dense aggregate, compacted by vibropressing of superhard mixtures according to a given compressive strength after 1 day of hardening in the range from 15 to 44 MPa. It also allows you to take into account the operating parameters of the molding plant, the aggregate grain composition, and determine the optimal moisture content of the gypsum concrete mixture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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23 pages, 4508 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

One-Week Hydration Characteristics of Silica-Alumina Based Cementitious Materials Composed of Phosphorous Slag: Phosphorus Involved in Calcium Alumino-Silicate Hydrate Gel

by Zipei Li, Yu Wang, Jiale Zhang, Yipu Wang, Na Zhang, Xiaoming Liu and Yinming Sun

Materials 2025, 18(14), 3360; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18143360 - 17 Jul 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1338

Abstract

Phosphorous slag is an industrial by-product generated in the process of producing yellow phosphorus by electric furnace, which occupies a substantial number of land resources and causes serious environmental pollution. The comprehensive utilization of phosphorous slag is a major topic relevant to the sustainability of the yellow phosphorus industry. In this paper, we attempted to utilize phosphorous slag as a supplementary cementing material to prepare silica-aluminum based cementitious material (SAC-PHS). To determine how phosphorus influences the early-age hydration reaction process of silica-aluminum based cementitious material, three groups of samples, PHS₂₀, PHS₂₅, and PHS₃₀, with better mechanical properties were selected to deeply investigate their one-week hydration characteristics. Characterization results showed that the main hydration products of SAC-PHS were C-A-S-H gels and ettringite. PHS₂₅ specimen produced more C-A-S-H gels and ettringite than the other two samples after one-week hydration. Interestingly, the P/Si atomic ratio indicated that chemical bonds were formed between Si and P during the formation of C-A-S-H gels, which improved the strength of SAC-PHS. Our findings offer valuable insights for the application of phosphorous slag in construction and building materials and promote the efficient resource utilization of phosphorous residue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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29 pages, 6688 KB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Properties of Solidified Silt Based on Microbially Stimulated Recycled Hardened Cement Powder

by Xihui Yin, Chuanjiang Tian, Jintao Hong, Qiwei Zhan, Xinyu Wang and Wanying Dong

Materials 2025, 18(11), 2575; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112575 - 30 May 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1239

Abstract

The carbon emissions from the cement industry account for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions, which exerts significant pressure on the environment. In this paper, the microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology was introduced into the carbonization modification research of recycled hardened cement powder (RHCP), and the carbon sequestration performance of RHCP under different pressures was studied. The physicochemical properties of the carbonated products were characterized by microscopic testing methods, and the carbon sequestration mechanism under different pressures was obtained. Subsequently, carbonated RHCP (C-RHCP) was tested as a partial cement substitute for solidified sludge to evaluate its mechanical and durability properties. The results show that when the pressures were 0.3 and 0.5 MPa, the carbon sequestration capacity of RHCP was relatively good, reaching 59.14 and 59.82 g/kg, respectively. Since the carbon sequestration amounts under the two pressures were similar, and considering the energy consumption, in this study, a reaction pressure of 0.3 MPa was selected to prepare C-RHCP. Compared with pure cement, the 28-day unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the sludge cured with 30% C-RHCP increased by 12.08%. The water stability coefficient of the solidified sludge in the C-RHCP group was greater than 1 after soaking for 7, 14, and 21 days, while the water stability coefficient of the cement group decreased to 0.92 at 14 days. After 20 freeze–thaw cycles, the mass losses of the cement group, the RHCP group, and the C-RHCP group were 31.43%, 38.99%, and 33.09%, respectively. This research not only provides an environmentally friendly strategy for the resource utilization of RHCP but also pioneers a new synergistic model that combines microbial mineralization with the modification of industrial solid waste. It demonstrated significant scientific value and engineering application prospects in reducing carbon emissions in the cement industry and promoted sustainable geotechnical engineering practices based on the “waste–waste” principle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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13 pages, 1356 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Impact of Surfactant-Based Warm-Mix Additives on the Performance of Recycled Asphalt Mixtures

by Hao Xiang, Desheng Yang, Shunxian Peng and Wei Gao

Materials 2025, 18(8), 1732; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18081732 - 10 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1058

Abstract

This investigation aimed to assess the influence of warm-mix additives on the performance characteristics of recycled asphalt mixtures. Pressure-aging vessels were employed to simulate the aging of asphalt binders. Warm-mix recycled asphalt (WMRA) and mixtures were prepared by incorporating self-developed plant-oil-based rejuvenators and surfactant-based warm-mix additives. The rheological properties of asphalt were tested by a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). Furthermore, the pavement performance of the asphalt mixture was evaluated by a rutting test, beam bending test, Marshall stability test, and freeze–thaw splitting test. The experimental results demonstrated that the addition of warm-mix additives reduces the penetration and softening point of recycled asphalt while enhancing its ductility. Performance improvement was quantitatively evaluated using a recovery index. The complex modulus and rutting factor of the WMRA were found to be lower than those of recycled asphalt, indicating a decrease in the asphalt’s resistance to deformation owing to the surfactant. Both the hot-mix and warm-mix recycled asphalt mixtures met the specified requirements for various performance indicators. The warm-mix rejuvenator outperformed the regular rejuvenator in evaluating water stability using the soaked Marshall residual stability method, whereas the evaluation based on the freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio demonstrated the opposite trend. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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22 pages, 6066 KB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Performance Enhancement of Recycled Fine Aggregate Through Carbonation with Calcium Source Supplied by Industrial Waste Residue

by Xuan Li, Chuanjiang Tian, Mao Li, Qiwei Zhan, Xinyu Wang and Wanying Dong

Materials 2025, 18(7), 1589; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071589 - 1 Apr 2025

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1469

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of urbanization, the reuse of waste concrete has become more and more important. Recycled aggregate inevitably develops microcracks during the crushing process of waste concrete, resulting in undesirable characteristics such as low density and strong water absorption. This study employed an external calcium source combined with wet carbonation to optimize the performance of recycled fine aggregate (RFA). A series of microscopic analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, were used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that calcium-rich leachate can be obtained by soaking alkali residue in 0.3 mol/L acetic acid at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:6. When this leachate was further used to soak the aggregate at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:2, followed by carbonation in a carbonation chamber, the carbonation effect reached its optimum. Under these conditions, the saturated water absorption of the recycled fine aggregate decreased to 16%, the carbon sequestration efficiency increased by 66.8%, and pores smaller than 50 nm accounted for 62.9% of the total pore volume. Furthermore, a Bacillus strain capable of producing carbonic anhydrase was introduced to enhance the carbonation reaction. The results demonstrated that when Bacillus was added to acetic acid-modified recycled fine aggregate, the saturated water absorption further decreased to 14.6%, while the carbon sequestration efficiency significantly increased to 109.04%. Additionally, pores smaller than 50 nm constitute 79.2% of the total pore volume. These findings suggest that utilizing calcium-containing industrial waste as a calcium source for recycled fine aggregate, followed by carbonation modification, is highly effective. This approach not only improves the performance of recycled aggregates but also promotes the reutilization of industrial waste, contributing to sustainable construction practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and the Development of New Building Materials and Products—Third Edition)

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