Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
3.2
Journals
Materials
Special Issues
Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction
materials-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 3068

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Se-Jin Choi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architectural Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksan-daero, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea
Interests: concrete; cement; aggregate; cementitious materials; fiber-reinforced concrete; high-performance concrete
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenzhong Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK
Interests: cement and concrete materials; nano-/micro-mechanical characterization of materials; utilizing waste/recycled materials in construction; composites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In an era marked by increasing environmental challenges, such as climate change, land degradation, and water scarcity and quality, the need for innovative and comprehensive sustainable practices is urgent in the concrete industry. From a life cycle perspective, it is imperative to utilize recycled materials in concrete to effectively mitigate waste generation and the carbon footprint of concrete production. Over the past few decades, the valorization of recycled materials into sustainable construction developed rapidly.

This Special Issue aims to gather works related to the use of recyclable materials in the composition of concrete. The works may contain investigations related to its mechanical properties, the behavior of concrete in a fresh state, its durability, its thermal and acoustic properties, economic evaluations, ease of execution, or the repair and reinforcement of the elements built with this material.

Contributions related to research work and applications of these materials are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Se-Jin Choi
Dr. Wenzhong Zhu
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

  • recycled materials
  • waste materials
  • concrete
  • circular economy
  • sustainability

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 4165 KB  
Article
Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics of Cement Composites Containing PEDOT:PSS and Amorphous Metallic Fibers
by Se-Jin Choi, Jeong-Yeon Park, Min-Jeong Kim and Jae-In Lee
Materials 2025, 18(19), 4486; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18194486 - 26 Sep 2025
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a conductive polymer that has attracted significant attention in various industries. However, studies on the application of PEDOT:PSS in cement composites are scarce. The thermal performance and mechanical properties of conductive cement composites manufactured using amorphous metallic fibers (AFs), reinforcing [...] Read more.
Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is a conductive polymer that has attracted significant attention in various industries. However, studies on the application of PEDOT:PSS in cement composites are scarce. The thermal performance and mechanical properties of conductive cement composites manufactured using amorphous metallic fibers (AFs), reinforcing fibers with excellent conductivity in concrete, and the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS in various ratios are investigated in this study. When only PEDOT:PSS and a combination of AFs and PEDOT:PSS are used, the splitting tensile strength of the composite at 28 d increases by 15.4% and 38.5%, respectively, compared with that of the plain sample (without PEDOT:PSS and AFs). Additionally, the simultaneous incorporation of PEDOT:PSS and AFs significantly reduces the brittleness of cement composites. The heat-generation performance shows minimal changes when only PEDOT:PSS is used; however, when 0.6% PEDOT:PSS and AFs are used together, a temperature increase rate of 182% is observed, which is 138% better than that of the plain sample. In scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, spherical hydrates, likely comprising PEDOT, are observed in samples incorporated with only PEDOT:PSS; samples incorporated with PEDOT:PSS and AFs show hydrates with a clearer shape than those observed in the plain sample. This study is expected to open new frontiers in the design and development of high-performance additive-incorporated cement composites with unique properties for specific applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 10836 KB  
Article
Potential Utilization of End-of-Life Vehicle Carpet Waste in Subfloor Mortars: Incorporation into Portland Cement Matrices
by Núbia dos Santos Coimbra, Ângela de Moura Ferreira Danilevicz, Daniel Tregnago Pagnussat and Thiago Gonçalves Fernandes
Materials 2025, 18(15), 3680; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153680 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 561
Abstract
The growing need to improve the management of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) waste and mitigate its environmental impact is a global concern. One promising approach to enhancing the recyclability of these vehicles is leveraging synergies between the automotive and construction industries as part of [...] Read more.
The growing need to improve the management of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) waste and mitigate its environmental impact is a global concern. One promising approach to enhancing the recyclability of these vehicles is leveraging synergies between the automotive and construction industries as part of a circular economy strategy. In this context, ELV waste emerges as a valuable source of secondary raw materials, enabling the development of sustainable innovations that capitalize on its physical and mechanical properties. This paper aims to develop and evaluate construction industry composites incorporating waste from ELV carpets, with a focus on maintaining or enhancing performance compared to conventional materials. To achieve this, an experimental program was designed to assess cementitious composites, specifically subfloor mortars, incorporating automotive carpet waste (ACW). The results demonstrate that, beyond the physical and mechanical properties of the developed composites, the dynamic stiffness significantly improved across all tested waste incorporation levels. This finding highlights the potential of these composites as an alternative material for impact noise insulation in flooring systems. From an academic perspective, this research advances knowledge on the application of ACW in cement-based composites for construction. In terms of managerial contributions, two key market opportunities emerge: (1) the commercial exploitation of composites produced with ELV carpet waste and (2) the development of a network of environmental service providers to ensure a stable waste supply chain for innovative and sustainable products. Both strategies contribute to reducing landfill disposal and mitigating the environmental impact of ELV waste, reinforcing the principles of the circular economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4376 KB  
Article
Hybrid Binders Through Alkaline Activation of Fine Construction and Demolition Waste
by Manuel Retamal-Rojas, Diego Aponte, William Valencia-Saavedra, Rafael Robayo-Salazar and Marilda Barra-Bizinotto
Materials 2025, 18(14), 3227; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18143227 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 628
Abstract
The use of construction and demolition waste (CDW) as an alternative binder to ordinary Portland cement presents a promising solution through alkaline activation. This study evaluates the physical, mechanical, and microstructural behaviour of pastes and mortars produced with CDW—specifically concrete (RH) and ceramic [...] Read more.
The use of construction and demolition waste (CDW) as an alternative binder to ordinary Portland cement presents a promising solution through alkaline activation. This study evaluates the physical, mechanical, and microstructural behaviour of pastes and mortars produced with CDW—specifically concrete (RH) and ceramic (RC) waste—activated with NaOH and Na2SiO3 (SS) solutions. Mortars were prepared with NaOH/SS ratios of 0.2 and 0.3 and an activator-to-precursor (AA/P) ratio of 0.2. Results showed that higher NaOH content accelerated alkaline activation, reducing setting times from 6.2 h to 3.7 h for RC and from 4.6 h to 3.2 h for RH. Conversely, increasing Na2SiO3 content led to greater drying shrinkage, from −0.42% to −0.49% in RC and from −0.46% to −0.52% in RH. Compressive strength values at 28 days ranged from 7.6 to 8.2 MPa. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the presence of non-reactive crystalline phases in both precursors, while Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the formation of CASH, CSH, and/or (N)CASH gels. This study highlights the potential of CDW as a sustainable alternative binder and the usefulness of the proposed method for optimising alkali-activated systems, contributing to circular economy strategies in the construction sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 9982 KB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on Freeze–Thaw Durability of Polyacrylonitrile Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Concrete
by Rui Wang, Zhonglin Qiao, Xianghui Deng, Xiaolin Shen, Yiwen Yang, Pingan Wang and Jinzeng Zhang
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1548; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071548 - 29 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 828
Abstract
As a building material, recycled concrete (RC) has significant advantages in environmental protection and sustainable development. In the cold conditions of northwest China, in order to maintain the toughness and durability of buildings during service, polyacrylonitrile fiber (PANF) is often used as a [...] Read more.
As a building material, recycled concrete (RC) has significant advantages in environmental protection and sustainable development. In the cold conditions of northwest China, in order to maintain the toughness and durability of buildings during service, polyacrylonitrile fiber (PANF) is often used as a toughening agent with RC. In this study, mechanical tests and frost durability tests were conducted on polyacrylonitrile fiber-reinforced recycled concrete (PAN-RC). The mixing contents of PANF were 0.7 kg/m3, 0.8 kg/m3, and 0.9 kg/m3, while the substitution rates of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) were 30%, 40%, and 50%. The experimental results indicate that the incorporation of PANF into recycled concrete significantly improves the mechanical properties and frost resistance durability of the material. From the test results, the freezing resistance of concrete is the best when the replacement amount of RCA is 40% and the amount of PANF is 0.8 kg/m3. Meanwhile, a freeze–thaw damage model for PAN-RC was developed based on experimental research. This model is feasible to predict the freeze–thaw damage degree of fiber-reinforced recycled concrete under various replacement rates of RCA and different dosages of PANF. It is considerable significant for both theoretical understanding and practical engineering applications of RC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Concrete: Towards a Circular Economy in Construction)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop