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Multi-Scale Study on Strength and Structural Stability of Low-Carbon 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 December 2026 | Viewed by 1289

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shan Gao

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Guest Editor

Key Lab of Structures Dynamic Behavior and Control of the Ministry of Education, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
Interests: composite structures; mineral tailings; recycled materials; high-performance materials; aggregates
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Amid the global drive for carbon neutrality, low-carbon construction materials have emerged as a core solution to reduce the building sector’s carbon footprint. However, their large-scale application is constrained by unresolved challenges in strength and structural stability. This Special Issue aims to systematically explore these key performance indicators from three dimensions: macroscopic, microscopic, and nanoscopic, bridging the gap between materials development and engineering practice.

At the macroscopic scale, this Special Issue aims to assess the overall mechanical properties of materials under service conditions, such as compressive/tensile strength and resistance to deformation. When it comes to the microscopic scale, the focus is on analyzing the interfacial bonding and pore structure distribution among low-carbon components (e.g., recycled aggregates, bio-based binders). Finally, at the nanoscale, this Special Issue intends to reveal the correlation between molecular/crystal arrangement and the inherent stability of materials.

By integrating cross-scale data, this Special Issue determines how structural features at different scales modulate material properties, providing a scientific basis for optimizing formulations and manufacturing processes. The research findings will contribute to the development of low-carbon materials that combine environmental benefits and structural reliability, thereby driving the sustainable transformation of the construction industry.

Dr. Shan Gao
Guest Editor

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

multi-scale
low-carbon
construction materials
aggregates
recycling

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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24 pages, 1591 KB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility of Full-Range Replacement of Natural Coarse Aggregates with Recycled Foam Concrete Aggregate: Effects on Rheology, Mechanical Degradation, and Shear Resistance

by Huan Liu, Xiaoyuan Fan, Alipujiang Jierula, Tian Tan, Yuhao Zhou and Nuerlanbaike Abudujiapaer

Materials 2026, 19(8), 1622; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19081622 - 17 Apr 2026

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Abstract

The urgent global need for sustainable infrastructure drives the demand for high-value buildings and waste removal. This paper studies the feasibility of using recycled foam concrete aggregate (FCA) as a substitute for natural coarse aggregate (NCA) in concrete and studies its impact on rheology, mechanical degradation, shear resistance, and the full-range replacement ratio (0–100). The experimental results show that the monotonic change in the workability of fresh concrete determines the lubrication threshold at 60% replacement, which is driven by the volume proportion effect. Beyond this value, capillary suction dominates, and the viscosity rises rapidly. From a mechanical perspective, the porous structure of FCA is conducive to “internal curing” so that moisture is released from the drying interface, but it also becomes a source of defects that change the fault topology. Specifically, the critical transition of the shear failure mode shifts from the debonding of the interface to the crushing of the cross-particle aggregate. At this time, the shear capacity decreases substantially, experiencing a reduction of 71.8% when completely replaced. There is a strong correlation between ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), rebound number, and compressive strength, and a multivariate nonlinear regression model (R² > 0.85) with non-destructive strength prediction is ultimately obtained. Based on the balance between mechanical capacity and resource cyclability, an optimal alternative zone of 20% to 40% is proposed. This work not only provides a mechanism for multi-scale coupling between pore structure and structural properties but also provides a data-driven method for the safety assessment of lightweight recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Scale Study on Strength and Structural Stability of Low-Carbon Construction Materials)

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27 pages, 8224 KB

Open AccessArticle

Structure and Properties of Foam Concrete and Fiber-Reinforced Foam Concrete Produced Using a Complex Nanomodifier Based on Industrial Waste

by Diana M. Shakhalieva, Evgenii M. Shcherban’, Sergey A. Stel’makh, Levon R. Mailyan, Andrei Chernil’nik, Natalya Shcherban’, Alexandr Evtushenko and Alexey N. Beskopylny

Materials 2026, 19(8), 1517; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19081517 - 10 Apr 2026

Viewed by 392

Abstract

Foam concrete and fiber-reinforced foam concrete are promising building materials for sustainable and energy-efficient construction. Improving the environmental performance of cellular composites through the use of industrial waste and additives based on them is highly relevant. This study intends to create a novel complex nanomodifying additive (CNA) from industrial waste and nanomaterials, alongside new eco-friendly foam concrete (FC) and fiber-reinforced foam concrete (FFC) mixes incorporating CNA and polypropylene fiber (PF). Experimental studies yielded the optimal CNA formulation and described a method for its preparation. The test results indicate that FC’s properties are enhanced by CNA. The properties were best in the FC that was modified with 10% CNA. The FC control composition was surpassed by a 25.5% increase in compressive strength and a 23.1% increase in flexural strength, with a 9.5% reduction in thermal conductivity. Dispersed PF reinforcement also positively impacts the properties of FFCs with CNA, and the combined modification of 10% CNA and 1.2% PF provides maximum increases in compressive and flexural strength, amounting to 43.1% and 102.2%, respectively, and a 16.9% reduction in thermal conductivity. A microstructural analysis of the cellular composites confirms the feasibility of the tested formulation solutions. The FFCs, when modified by CNA and PF, display a homogeneous cellular structure, and the interpore zones contain multiple clusters of calcium silicate hydrate. Using CNA in the production of FC and FFCs will reduce cement consumption and improve their environmental friendliness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Scale Study on Strength and Structural Stability of Low-Carbon Construction Materials)

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21 pages, 3350 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study on Dynamic Compression Behaviors of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites and Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete at Elevated Temperatures

by Fengzeng Li, Zichen Wang, Liang Li and Bo Zhao

Materials 2026, 19(2), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19020238 - 7 Jan 2026

Viewed by 378

Abstract

This study presents a comparative investigation of the dynamic compression behaviors of steel fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (SFRCC) and steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) under elevated temperatures up to 800 °C, utilizing a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The experimental results demonstrate that SFRCC exhibits enhanced overall performance at high temperatures, maintaining a progressive failure mode and approximately 40% residual strength even at 800 °C, while SFRC experiences rapid deterioration beyond 600 °C. In the low-to-medium temperature range of 200–400 °C, SFRCC shows significantly higher dynamic peak stress and toughness compared to SFRC. However, in the high-temperature range of 600–800 °C, the superior thermal stability of the aggregate–matrix system in SFRC results in better performance in these metrics. The findings provide insights into the damage evolution mechanisms of fiber-reinforced cement-based materials under coupled thermal and dynamic loads, offering a critical theoretical foundation for material selection in engineering structures exposed to extreme thermal environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Scale Study on Strength and Structural Stability of Low-Carbon Construction Materials)

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