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Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition
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Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 3520

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Abbas Solouki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
Interests: zero waste; zero carbon; geopolymer concrete; sustainable pavement; ultra-low carbon concrete; construction materials; waste recycling; smart materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Abir Al-Tabbaa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Interests: intelligent infrastructure materials; soil mix technology; advanced and green binders and grouts; self-healing and self-repair materials; smart materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The success of our previous two editions of the Special Issue “Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials” underlines that the issues of sustainable construction materials are still open matters and require further research. This fact encouraged us to create a third Special Issue under the same title that will further present state-of-the-art advances in sustainable construction materials; such materials are fundamental to civil engineering, as they are used to build various buildings and infrastructures. Concrete, steel, and asphalt form the majority of the materials used, followed by bricks, glass, and different kinds of wood. However, the increased use of raw materials in the construction industry has led to the depletion of natural resources, such as aggregates and fossil fuels. As a result, researchers, agencies, and policymakers have been seeking sustainable alternatives to mitigate this issue. 

As for the construction sector, there is a growing interest in manufacturing sustainable buildings and infrastructure with high percentages of recycled materials, which is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These sustainable solutions include, but are not limited to, recycling aggregates and other waste materials into new products. In addition to recycling, other sustainable practices are implemented in civil engineering. For instance, green building materials such as bamboo, straw bales, and recycled plastic are alternatives to traditional construction materials. These materials are renewable, biodegradable, and have a lower carbon footprint. Moreover, researchers continue to push the boundaries and advance sustainable solutions that will result in zero-waste or zero-carbon infrastructures, for example. The field is experiencing rapid advancements as novel areas of discovery continue to emerge.

Thus, we invite everyone who works in this area to present their latest findings that provide a better understanding of Sustainable Construction Materials. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Dr. Abbas Solouki
Prof. Dr. Abir Al-Tabbaa
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

  • smart materials
  • low-carbon binders
  • sustainability
  • LCA
  • construction materials
  • concrete
  • asphalt
  • infrastructure
  • material characterization
  • waste fines

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3836 KiB  
Article
Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Alkali-Activated Biomass Fly Ash and Diatomite Blends
by Darius Žurinskas and Danutė Vaičiukynienė
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3807; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163807 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 202
Abstract
Biomass is one of the most important sources of renewable energy, generating large amounts of ash. This increases the amount of waste, landfill, and air pollution. This work focuses on the sustainable disposal of this ash by producing an innovative binder. The mechanical [...] Read more.
Biomass is one of the most important sources of renewable energy, generating large amounts of ash. This increases the amount of waste, landfill, and air pollution. This work focuses on the sustainable disposal of this ash by producing an innovative binder. The mechanical and microstructural properties of alkali-activated biomass fly ash (BFA) and diatomite (DT) mixtures are currently insufficiently studied. New scientific knowledge of these properties is needed. This study presents the possibility of using BFA and diatomite as aluminosilicate precursors for the production of an alkaline-activated binder. It was found that the reactivity of BFA is relatively low. Based on XRD analysis, the mineral composition of BFA is dominated by quartz and calcite, both of which are non-reactive minerals. Therefore, mixtures with DT were created as precursors. According to Rietveld analysis data, an amorphous part was found in both precursor materials, BFA and DT. Comparing the chemical composition of BFA and DT using XRF and Rietveld analysis data, it was found that the amorphous part of BFA consists of CaO, while the amorphous part of DT consists of SiO2. Thus, the combination of these precursors should complement each other during the geopolymerisation process. After 28 days of curing, the strength of the binders was dependent on the amount of DT, and the highest strength values, such as 16.4 MPa and 15.3 MPa, were obtained when DT contents were 10% and 30%, respectively. After geopolymerisation, XRD analysis showed that calcium silicate hydrate, hydrotalcite, and calcium aluminium silicate hydrate (zeolite A type) were formed. SEM analysis confirmed the XRD results and showed that DT additives (10% and 30% by weight) improved the microstructure of alkali-activated BFA, which is closely related to compressive strength values. The proposed binder will be useful in the preparation of concrete, which could be used for artificial aggregates or small architectural elements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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18 pages, 3174 KiB  
Article
Analysis and Correction of the Shrinkage Prediction Model for Manufactured Sand Concrete
by Wei Fan, Yang Wei, Jiyang Yi, Kang Zhao, Binrong Zhu and Guofen Li
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3802; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163802 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 295
Abstract
With the continuous depletion of natural river sand resources and the escalating ecological degradation caused by excessive sand mining, manufactured sand has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally favorable alternative aggregate, playing an increasingly important role in the advancement of green construction materials. [...] Read more.
With the continuous depletion of natural river sand resources and the escalating ecological degradation caused by excessive sand mining, manufactured sand has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally favorable alternative aggregate, playing an increasingly important role in the advancement of green construction materials. Nevertheless, the shrinkage behavior of manufactured sand concrete (MSC) exhibits significant deviations from that of conventional natural sand concrete due to differences in the material characteristics. Existing shrinkage prediction models—such as ACI 209, CEB-FIP 2010, B3, and GL 2000—fail to adequately incorporate the specific properties and substitution effects of manufactured sand, thereby limiting their predictive accuracy and applicability. To bridge this gap, the present study conducted a systematic evaluation of the four aforementioned classical shrinkage prediction models based on experimental data from MSC specimens incorporating varying replacement rates of manufactured sand. The findings revealed that models such as B3 and CEB-FIP 2010 neglected the influence of critical characteristics of manufactured sand—namely, particle morphology, gradation, and stone powder content—on the cementitious matrix and interfacial transition zone, which led to substantial prediction discrepancies. Accordingly, a nonlinear regression-based correction function was developed, introducing the manufactured sand content as a key influencing variable to recalibrate and enhance the ACI 209 and GL 2000 models for a more accurate application to MSC. The modified models exhibited markedly improved fitting performance and predictive robustness across the full range of manufactured sand replacement ratios (0–100%), thereby offering a more reliable framework for modeling the shrinkage development of MSC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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13 pages, 3699 KiB  
Article
Effects of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Ordinary Portland Cement–Sulfoaluminate Cement Repair Mortar
by Qun Zhou, Runzhuo Cao and Xiaodong Ma
Materials 2025, 18(16), 3748; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18163748 - 11 Aug 2025
Viewed by 317
Abstract
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with high thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity are frequently considered as ideal nano-reinforced materials for the future. This paper investigated the potential application of MWCNTs in ordinary Portland cement–sulfoaluminate cement (OPC-SAC) repair mortar by analyzing mechanical and microstructural changes [...] Read more.
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with high thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity are frequently considered as ideal nano-reinforced materials for the future. This paper investigated the potential application of MWCNTs in ordinary Portland cement–sulfoaluminate cement (OPC-SAC) repair mortar by analyzing mechanical and microstructural changes caused by MWCNTs. The test results revealed that MWCNTs greatly increased the strength of OPC-SAC binary repair mortar in the early days, and promoted sustained growth of long-term strength. The 10.39%/9.3 MPa increases in compressive strength can be attributed to 0.10 wt.% MWCNTs. MWCNTs promotes hydration of OPC-SAC composites through functional groups and nucleation effects, resulting in more C-S-H gels and AFt crystals. The X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) results indicate that the nanofibers (MWCNTs) optimize the microstructure and microstructure of the composites. The nanofibers with high aspect ratio results enhance the crosslinking between hydration products, improve complexity (higher Ds) and integrity (more crosslinking sites), and reduce the formation and propagation of microcracks through bridging. The filling effect of nanoparticles refines the pore and reduces the pore volume, especially the volume of medium capillary pores. It is precisely these combined actions that improve the engineering performance of OPC-SAC binary repair mortar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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22 pages, 9028 KiB  
Article
Mechanochemical Activation of Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag: Insights into Particle Modification, Hydration Behavior, and Microstructural Development
by Maochun Xu, Liuchao Guo, Junshan Wen, Xiaodong Hu, Lei Wang and Liwu Mo
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3687; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153687 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 280
Abstract
This study proposed a mechanochemical activation strategy using ethanol-diisopropanolamine (EDIPA) to improve the grindability and hydration reactivity of basic oxygen furnace slag (BOFS), aiming for its large-scale industrial utilization. The incorporation of EDIPA significantly refined the particle size distribution and reduced the repose [...] Read more.
This study proposed a mechanochemical activation strategy using ethanol-diisopropanolamine (EDIPA) to improve the grindability and hydration reactivity of basic oxygen furnace slag (BOFS), aiming for its large-scale industrial utilization. The incorporation of EDIPA significantly refined the particle size distribution and reduced the repose angle. As a result, the compressive strength of BOFS paste increased by 25.4 MPa at 28 d with only 0.08 wt.% EDIPA. Conductivity tests demonstrated that EDIPA strongly complexes with Ca2+, Al3+, and Fe3+, facilitating the dissolution of active mineral phases, such as C12A7 and C2F, and accelerating hydration reactions. XRD and TG analyses confirmed that the incorporation of EDIPA facilitated the formation of Mc (C4(A,F)ČH11) and increased the content of C-S-H, both of which contributed to microstructural densification. Microstructural observations further revealed that EDIPA refined Ca(OH)2 crystals, increasing their specific surface area from 4.7 m2/g to 35.2 m2/g. The combined effect of crystal refinement and enhanced hydration product formation resulted in reduced porosity and improved mechanical properties. Overall, the results demonstrated that EDIPA provided an economical, effective, and scalable means of activating BOFS, thereby promoting its high-value utilization in low-carbon construction materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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15 pages, 1251 KiB  
Article
Research on the Adhesion Performance of Fast-Melting SBS-Modified Emulsified Asphalt–Aggregate Based on the Surface Free Energy Theory
by Hao Zhang, Haowei Li, Fei Guo, Shige Wang and Jinchao Yue
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3523; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153523 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Aiming at the problems of complex process flow, high energy consumption, and difficult emulsification in the preparation of traditional SBS-modified emulsified asphalt, a preparation method of fast-melting SBS (referred to as SBS-T) modified emulsified asphalt based on the integration of modification and emulsification [...] Read more.
Aiming at the problems of complex process flow, high energy consumption, and difficult emulsification in the preparation of traditional SBS-modified emulsified asphalt, a preparation method of fast-melting SBS (referred to as SBS-T) modified emulsified asphalt based on the integration of modification and emulsification is proposed. Based on surface free energy theory, the contact angles between three rapid-melting SBS-modified emulsified asphalts with different dosages and three probe liquids (deionized water, glycerol, and formamide) were measured using the sessile drop method. The adhesion performance of the asphalt–aggregate system was studied by means of micromechanical methods. The evaluation indicators such as the cohesion work of the emulsified asphalt, the adhesion work of asphalt–aggregate, the spalling work, and the energy ratio were analyzed. The results show that the SBS-T modifier can significantly improve the thermodynamic properties of emulsified asphalt. With increasing modifier content, the SBS-T-modified emulsified asphalt demonstrated enhanced cohesive work, improved asphalt–aggregate adhesive work, and increased energy ratio, while showing reduced stripping work. At equivalent dosage levels, the SBS-T-modified emulsified asphalt demonstrates a slight improvement in adhesion performance to aggregates compared to conventional SBS-modified emulsified asphalt. The SBS-T emulsified modified asphalt provides an effective technical solution for the preventive maintenance of asphalt pavements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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13 pages, 881 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Concrete Using Ceramic Tile Waste as a Substitute for Brick Aggregate
by Kamal Hosen and Alina Bărbulescu
Materials 2025, 18(13), 3093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18133093 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 620
Abstract
Recycled materials have gained extensive recognition in many industrial sectors for enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental impacts. Combining ceramic tile waste (CTW) in concrete mixes with recycled aggregate will help lower natural aggregate demand and reduce the amount sent to landfill. This paper [...] Read more.
Recycled materials have gained extensive recognition in many industrial sectors for enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental impacts. Combining ceramic tile waste (CTW) in concrete mixes with recycled aggregate will help lower natural aggregate demand and reduce the amount sent to landfill. This paper aims to study the mechanical properties of CTW in concrete mixes as a brick aggregate replacement and its impact on concrete strength and durability. To evaluate and assess their strength and durability, three types of concrete cubes were prepared using 20%, 40%, and 70% of waste ceramic tiles as a replacement for coarse aggregate. Two kinds of concrete samples were also prepared with conventional coarse aggregate as the control specimen (CC). A 1:2:4 concrete mixed ratio was used in this research with a 0.50 water–cement ratio. The samples were tested after 14 days and 28 days to assess their mechanical properties, including strength and durability. When CTW was added to concrete mixtures instead of brick chips, the mechanical strength rose considerably, and the water absorption performance increased. Moreover, replacing brick chips with ceramic waste in concrete could have significant environmental benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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23 pages, 2213 KiB  
Review
Influence of Length-to-Diameter Ratio on Static and Dynamic Behavior of Rocks: A Review and Perspective
by Kang Peng, Yansong Bai, Song Luo, Kun Luo, Haoyu He and Ze Xi
Materials 2025, 18(5), 1109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18051109 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 834
Abstract
The size effect in rock mechanics has long been a challenging issue, with the length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio emerging as a critical factor that has received substantial attention. Understanding the L/D ratio effect is essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of laboratory tests. [...] Read more.
The size effect in rock mechanics has long been a challenging issue, with the length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio emerging as a critical factor that has received substantial attention. Understanding the L/D ratio effect is essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of laboratory tests. This paper presents a comprehensive review of studies on the L/D ratio effect in rocks, examining its influence on static and dynamic mechanical behavior. The analysis encompasses the effects of specimen L/D ratio on rock mechanical properties, energy characteristics, and failure modes, integrating the findings from theoretical research and experimental studies. The results reveal that the L/D ratio effect varies significantly under different external loading conditions. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms underlying the L/D ratio effect remain ambiguous, and a unified conclusion has yet to be reached. This review highlights the importance of selecting appropriate specimen dimensions for laboratory tests and emphasizes the need for further investigation into the L/D ratio effect to advance the understanding of rock mechanics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials, Third Edition)
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