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Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2027 | Viewed by 7729

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Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski

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Department of Structural Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40 Street, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Interests: fracture toughness and fracture processes of concrete composites; concretes with mineral additives; concretes with fly ash addition exposed to various types of loads (mechanical, thermal, corrosion); nanotechnology in concrete; concrete made with ternary
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the field of modern concrete technology, scientists and practical engineers are greatly interested in the possibility of modifying the microstructure of cement-based materials with active mineral additives and admixtures. Additionally, the use of nanoparticles has been integral to the development of improved construction and building materials in recent years. Both traditional concrete additives and the nanoadditives that are part of modern cement matrix composites are referred to as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The use of SCMs in the production of novel concrete composites promotes sustainability in the concrete industry. Moreover, advanced nanomaterials and modern nanotechnology play an increasingly important role in the field of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. However, these materials clearly change the structure, mechanical parameters, and brittleness of the concrete. they also affect one other important property of concrete, i.e., its fracture toughness. Fracture toughness is an extremely important parameter that determines the properties of a given material, especially of a construction material.

To this end, experimental research, mathematical descriptions, and numerical analyses have been carried out over many years to obtain concrete composites with the highest fracture toughness. Recently, the material modification of concrete with SCMs has developed quite rapidly. More and more advanced techniques are also being used to detect and analyze the development of cracks in these materials, e.g., digital image correlation.

This Special Issue will compile recent developments in the field of novel materials that modify the structure of concrete to improve both its physical and mechanical parameters, with special attention paid to the fracture toughness of such composites. Articles on new devices and measuring techniques for analyzing cracks in brittle composites and the assessment of the microstructure of damaged composites are also very welcome.

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski
Guest Editor

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Keywords

concrete composite
concrete structures
materials with brittle matrixes
material modification
microstructure
experimental testing
fracture toughness
crack
interfacial transition zone (ITZ)
modeling

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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33 pages, 13843 KB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Strength and Post-Peak Ductility in Sustainable Concretes: The Synergy of Silica Fume and Nano-Silica with Class F Fly Ash

by Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski

Materials 2026, 19(13), 2773; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132773 - 30 Jun 2026

Viewed by 344

Abstract

The modification of cementitious binders using active mineral additives and nano-components represents a crucial pathway for developing high-performance, sustainable concrete composites. Nevertheless, unilateral modification of the matrix with highly reactive siliceous materials often leads to an undesirable increase in composite brittleness. This study investigates the synergistic effect of the concurrent application of nano-silica (NS), silica fume (SF), and Class F fly ash (FA) in ternary and quaternary binders, aimed at optimizing both load-bearing capacity and fracture toughness. The experimental program was conducted on seven concrete series, evaluating their mechanical parameters and non-linear fracture properties using the two-parameter fracture model (TPFM) on notched beams subjected to three-point bending. Additionally, a high-resolution energy partitioning framework was applied, decomposing the total fracture energy into four distinct components—fracture initiation energy in the elastic range (G_ini), pre-peak microcracking energy (G_pre), main material softening energy (G_soft), and residual tail energy dissipated at large crack openings (G_tail)—along with the determination of the characteristic length (l_ch). The results demonstrated that while purely siliceous systems (modified with NS and SF) generate high strength increments, they simultaneously trigger a “brittleness trap,” manifested by a 13.65% decrease in the l_ch parameter. The introduction of FA effectively mitigates this hazard, transforming the failure mode into a quasi-ductile behavior. The concrete series modified with the NS+FA hybrid (Mix-5) exhibited a spectacular 107% increase in G_f and an increase in l_ch of nearly 50%, while maintaining high fracture toughness. Energy decomposition analysis in quaternary concretes confirmed a desirable reduction in the initiation energy share in favor of the softening and tail phases (G_tail reaching a record 13.1% for Mix-7), suggesting the probable activation of macroscopic crack-bridging mechanisms driven by the delayed hydration of FA particles. The research indicates that precise design of multi-component binders allows for achieving an optimal technological equilibrium point—the “sweet spot”—combining high structural capacity with safe material ductility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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24 pages, 29574 KB

Open AccessArticle

Shear Behavior and Predictive Model of Desert Sand Concrete Beams Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Cycles

by Chao Huang, Meng Wu, Zhiqiang Li, Yingsheng Dang and Jian Li

Materials 2026, 19(13), 2721; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132721 - 25 Jun 2026

Viewed by 321

Abstract

To explore the shear behavior and evolutionary pattern of desert sand concrete beams (DSCBs) subjected to freeze–thaw cycles, 16 DSCBs were subjected to rapid freeze–thaw cycling and shear tests, with desert sand replacement ratios (0%, 20%, 40%, and 60%) and numbers of freeze–thaw cycles (0, 25, 50, and 75) considered as the main variables. The failure mode, diagonal crack development, diagonal cracking load, shear capacity, and load–stirrup strain curves of DSCBs were tested and analyzed. The results indicate that all specimens exhibited typical shear-compression failure. The diagonal crack development pattern of DSCBs was similar to that of ordinary concrete beams, whereas freeze–thaw cycles accelerated the initiation and propagation of cracks. Freeze–thaw cycling significantly reduced both the diagonal cracking load and shear capacity. After being exposed to 75 cycles of freezing and thawing, the ultimate shear capacity of test pieces with desert sand replacement proportions of 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% decreased by 15.6%, 12.9%, 13.9%, and 13.8%, respectively, while the corresponding stirrup strains increased by 47.2%, 34.1%, 37.1%, and 53.7%, respectively. An appropriate desert sand replacement ratio can improve the shear performance of concrete beams. Among all specimens, the beam with a 20% replacement ratio exhibited the best overall mechanical performance, achieving a maximum increase of 6.0% in shear capacity and a maximum reduction of 26.8% in stirrup strain compared with conventional concrete beams. Finally, by introducing modification coefficients related to the desert sand replacement ratio as well as the freeze–thaw cycling times, predictive equations for the diagonal cracking load and shear capacity of DSCBs under freeze–thaw conditions were established. The numerical predictions achieve a high consistency with measured data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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22 pages, 9678 KB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Investigation on Flexural Behavior of Desert Sand Concrete Beams Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Cycles

by Meng Wu, Zhiqiang Li, Yingsheng Dang, Feng Ji, Chao Huang and Jian Li

Materials 2026, 19(12), 2437; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122437 - 7 Jun 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 362

Abstract

To mitigate the shortage of natural river sand in northwest desert regions, utilize local desert sand resources, and address structural performance under harsh winter conditions, this study investigates the flexural behavior of freeze–thaw conditioned desert sand concrete beams (DSCBs) through rapid freeze–thaw and flexural testing. The investigated variables included desert sand replacement ratios (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%) and freeze–thaw cycles (0, 25, 50, 75). Failure modes, load–concrete strain curves, load–deflection relationships, and load–longitudinal reinforcement strain were analyzed. The results indicate that the crack development and failure modes of DSCBs are similar to those of normal concrete beams, and the plane-section assumption remains valid after freeze–thaw cycles. After 75 freeze–thaw cycles, specimens with the same replacement ratio exhibited the poorest mechanical properties—compared to unfrozen specimens, the ultimate capacity decreased by up to 17.5%, reinforcement strain increased by up to 31.9%, and failure deflection decreased by up to 62.0%. Under all freeze–thaw conditions, the 20% replacement ratio yielded the best performance, with ultimate capacity up to 5.3% higher, reinforcement strain up to 18.2% lower, and failure deflection up to 37.5% higher than those of ordinary concrete beams. Finally, correction factors for desert sand replacement ratio and freeze–thaw cycles were introduced to establish predictive equations for cracking moment and ultimate flexural capacity. The predictions are in good agreement with experimental results, providing a theoretical basis for engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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17 pages, 2028 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Interactive Effect of Anti-Skid Performance of Iron Tailings Sand Asphalt Mixture Under Coupling Effect

by Zhiqiao Cheng, Liwenze He, Xiaoyan Liu, Xiu Luo, Yixin Lu and Jiao Chen

Materials 2026, 19(7), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19071378 - 30 Mar 2026

Viewed by 543

Abstract

To achieve the resource utilization of iron tailings sand and improve the skid resistance of asphalt pavement, this study takes asphalt mixtures with different contents of iron tailings sand replacing partial fine aggregates as research objects. Through accelerated wear tests, the skid resistance performance was systematically evaluated under the coupled effects of iron tailings sand content, ambient temperature and wear cycles. The variation laws of the British Pendulum Number (BPN) and Mean Texture Depth (MTD) of the mixtures were investigated, and the mechanism and influence characteristics of various factors on skid resistance were further interpreted in combination with correlation heatmap analysis. The results show that the mixture with 60% iron tailings sand content maintains relatively high initial and final attenuation values of both BPN and MTD, which can effectively delay the degradation of skid resistance under long-term wear, thus representing the preferred content for engineering applications. Temperature is the core environmental factor affecting skid resistance: high temperature accelerates performance degradation, while the mixtures exhibit more stable skid resistance under medium- and low-temperature conditions. The coupling of high iron tailings content and high temperature produces adverse interaction effects, leading to performance differentiation. The relevant quantitative analysis and fitting models enable the long-term prediction of skid resistance, providing support for pavement maintenance decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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14 pages, 2011 KB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Assessment of Concrete Surface Topography: Effects of Mechanical Treatment and Measurement Resolution

by Slawomir Czarnecki

Materials 2025, 18(23), 5320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18235320 - 25 Nov 2025

Viewed by 746

Abstract

Surface morphology strongly influences the performance and durability of concrete structures, yet the combined effects of mechanical preparation and measurement scale remain insufficiently quantified. This study analyzes three surface conditions, patched, ground, and shot-blasted, using 3D laser scanning measurements acquired at five spatial resolutions. Mechanical surface preparation was found to be the dominant factor shaping morphology: grinding reduced amplitude- and volume-related parameters by approximately 40–70%, while shot blasting increased them by 50–90%, producing highly textured surfaces with an expanded developed area. Measurement resolution additionally affected parameter magnitudes, with coarser sampling intervals reducing scale-sensitive descriptors such as Sdr and Sdq by more than 80–90%. In contrast, parameters including Ssk, Sku, Smr1, and Smr2 varied by less than 5% across scales, demonstrating strong robustness. Patched surfaces exhibited the largest variability (coefficients of variation often exceeding 20–30%) due to manual finishing, whereas mechanically treated surfaces showed more uniform profiles. These quantitative results highlight the coupled influence of preparation method and measurement scale and provide practical guidance for reproducible surface characterization in engineering and material research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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20 pages, 4719 KB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Investigation on the Bonding Performance of Steel Bars in Desert Sand Concrete After Freeze–Thaw Cycles

by Min Li, Zhiqiang Li and Jian Jiao

Materials 2025, 18(17), 3971; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18173971 - 25 Aug 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1297

Abstract

Desert sand (DS) serves as a sustainable alternative to river sand in concrete production, delivering environmental and economic benefits. Furthermore, the durability of concrete structures in cold regions is severely affected by freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles. Therefore, this study employed a central pull-out test to examine the bond performance between desert sand concrete (DSC) and steel bars subjected to F-T cycles, considering the effects of the number of F-T cycles, DS replacement ratios (i.e., the replacement ratio of river sand by DS), and the type of reinforcement. The F-T cycle numbers tested were 0, 25, 50, and 75 cycles. The DS replacement ratios were varied at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. The plain and threaded steel bars (PSBs and TSBs) were selected for the experiment. The results indicate a decrease in bond strength for both PSB and TSB specimens with increasing F-T cycle numbers. Regarding the DS replacement ratios, bond strength initially decreased, with an increasing replacement rate, then increased, and eventually reduced again. Notably, significantly improved bonding was observed for steel reinforcement in DSC containing 40% or 60% DS compared to plain concrete. Additionally, the bond strengths of PSB specimens were lower than those of TSB specimens under identical conditions. A calculation formula for the bond–slip characteristic was derived using statistical regression, which considered multiple factors. Eventually, a bond–slip constitutive model was developed for the interface between DSC and reinforced steel, showing a high degree of consistency with the experimental data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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25 pages, 11847 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Investigation of Shear Fracture Toughness and Structure of ITZ of Limestone Concrete with Different Aggregate Grain Size

by Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski

Materials 2025, 18(17), 3954; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18173954 - 23 Aug 2025

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1648

Abstract

Due to the shortage of construction aggregates, carbonate rock aggregates—including mainly limestone aggregates—have long been used in structural concrete in many countries worldwide. On the other hand, earlier tests on the shear fracture toughness of concretes with limestone aggregates were very limited and were even abandoned for many years. For the above reasons, in this paper, completely new fracture toughness tests were performed according to the mode II fracture for limestone concretes with different grain size distributions. Two types of aggregate grain were used, i.e., two with maximum grain sizes of 8 mm (M1 series concrete) and 16 mm (M2 series concrete). During the experiments, the critical stress-intensity factor (K_IIc) and critical unit work of failure (J_IIc) were determined. Based on the conducted studies, it was found that higher values of fracture mechanics parameters were noted as the grain sizes of the aggregate used increased. The increases in the analyzed fracture mechanics parameters were noticeably greater in the M2 series concrete compared to the results for the M1 series concrete, specifically by 27% for K_IIc and 35% for J_IIc. In addition to macroscopic tests, detailed microstructural analyses of the ITZ area between the coarse aggregate grains and the cement matrix were conducted. Based on the captured images, it was determined that, in the M1 series concrete, the contacts between the aggregate grains and the cement paste exhibit a loose structure with visible microcracks. In contrast, the M2 series concrete showed no visible damages within the ITZ area itself nor at their displacement at a distance of approximately a few μm away from this area. This microstructure of both materials resulted in the M1 series concrete being more prone to rapid and sudden fracture propagation, leading to its brittle behavior during the fracture process. In contrast, the large, well-developed limestone aggregate grains in the M2 series concrete facilitated improved stress transfer beyond the ITZ area into the cement matrix, preserving the continuity of the material structure and consequently leading to quasi-plastic behavior of the concrete during the fracture process. The novelty and utilitarianism of the research undertaken result from the fact that exploring the properties of concretes with limestone aggregates using mode II fracture is an important aspect of evaluating the durability and safety of concrete structures subjected mainly to shear forces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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Review

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50 pages, 1671 KB

Open AccessReview

Dynamic Tensile Strength of Concrete: A Review of Mechanisms, Test Results, and Applications for Dam Safety

by Anderssen Barbosa dos Santos, Pedro Alexandre Conde Bandini, Rocio Lilen Segura and Patrick Paultre

Materials 2025, 18(24), 5669; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18245669 - 17 Dec 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1375

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the dynamic tensile behavior of concrete, focusing on its implications for seismic-resistant and impact-prone structures such as dams. The present work distinguishes itself in the following ways: providing the first comprehensive synthesis explicitly focused on large-aggregate [...] Read more.

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s⁻¹), which is critical yet underrepresented in the existing literature; integrating recent experimental and numerical advances regarding moisture effects, load history, and cyclic loading—factors that are essential for dam safety assessments; and critically evaluating current design guidelines for concrete dams against state-of-the-art research to identify gaps between engineering practice and scientific evidence. Through the extensive synthesis of experimental data, numerical simulations, and existing guidelines, the study examines key factors influencing dynamic tensile strength, including strain rate effects, crack evolution, testing techniques, and material variables such as moisture content, load history, and aggregate size. Experimental results from spall tests, split Hopkinson pressure bar configurations, and cyclic loading protocols are analyzed, revealing dynamic increase factors ranging from 1.1 to over 12, depending on the strain rates, saturation levels, and preloading conditions. The roles of inertial effects, free water (via the Stefan effect), and microstructural heterogeneity in enhancing or diminishing tensile performance are critically evaluated. Numerical models, including finite element, discrete element, and peridynamic approaches, are discussed for their ability to simulate crack propagation, inertia-dominated responses, and moisture interactions. The review identifies and analyzes current design guidelines. Key conclusions emphasize the necessity of integrating moisture content, load history, and mesoscale heterogeneity into dynamic constitutive models, alongside standardized testing protocols to bridge gaps between laboratory data and real-world applications. The findings advocate for updated engineering guidelines that reflect recent advances in rate-dependent fracture mechanics and multi-scale modeling, ensuring safer and more resilient concrete infrastructure under extreme dynamic loads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Reinforced Concrete, Novel Cementitious Composites and Other Brittle Construction Materials)

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