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Polymer Composites in Construction Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 955

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 59911, United Arab Emirates
Interests: geopolymer concrete; sustainable construction materials; FRP-reinforced/strengthened concrete; progressive collapse-resistant design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the growing role of polymer composites in construction materials, where the integration of polymers enhances performance, durability, and sustainability across a wide range of structural and architectural applications. Advances in polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and composite design are transforming traditional cementitious and noncementitious materials into high performance systems with superior mechanical strength, durability, and environmental resilience.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight developments in polymer-modified binders, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, nanocomposites, and hybrid systems that contribute to the next generation of construction materials. Emphasis is placed on understanding structure–property relationships, interfacial bonding mechanisms, and long-term durability under mechanical, thermal, and environmental loading. Sustainable approaches, including the use of bio-based polymers, recycled polymers, and self-healing or 3D printable materials, are particularly encouraged.

This Special Issue provides a comprehensive platform for advancing the application of polymer science in construction engineering and materials technology.

Topics of Interest

  • Polymer-modified cementitious systems and hybrid binders.
  • Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for structural strengthening.
  • Polymer nanocomposites and functional additives for enhanced durability.
  • Self-healing, self-sensing, and 3D printable polymer composites.
  • Sustainable and bio-based polymer materials.
  • Recycled polymers in concrete and construction applications.
  • Structure–property relationships and interfacial mechanisms.
  • Long-term performance and durability under environmental exposure.
  • Modeling, simulation, and life cycle assessment of polymer composites.

Prof. Dr. Osama Ahmed Mohamed
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • polymer composites
  • construction materials
  • FRP
  • polymer-modified binders
  • nanocomposites
  • durability
  • sustainability
  • 3D printing
  • recycled polymers
  • bio-based polymers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 8343 KB  
Article
Enhancing Strength and Ductility of Rubberized Concrete Using Low-Cost Glass Jackets
by Panumas Saingam, Muhammad Noman, Burachat Chatveera, Gritsada Sua-Iam, Tahir Mehmood, Qudeer Hussain, Mohammad Alameri and Panuwat Joyklad
Polymers 2026, 18(7), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070841 - 30 Mar 2026
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Abstract
This study examines the compressive behavior and analytical modelling of natural and rubberized concretes (RuC) confined with low-cost glass chopped-strand mat (GCSM) jackets. A total of forty-two cylindrical specimens were tested under axial compression to assess the influence of rubber particle size, confinement [...] Read more.
This study examines the compressive behavior and analytical modelling of natural and rubberized concretes (RuC) confined with low-cost glass chopped-strand mat (GCSM) jackets. A total of forty-two cylindrical specimens were tested under axial compression to assess the influence of rubber particle size, confinement configuration, and the number of GCSM layers. The RuC mixes were prepared by replacing 20% of fine aggregate by volume with crumb rubber of two size fractions: coarse (2.0 mm, retained on #10 sieve) and fine (0.425 mm, retained on #40 sieve). Both full- and strip-wrapping schemes were applied using two, four, and six layers of GCSM. The results demonstrated that GCSM jackets significantly enhanced the mechanical performance of both NAC and RuC specimens. Full wrapping provided the highest confinement efficiency, increasing compressive strength by up to 115% for NAC and 90% for RuC, while the ultimate axial strain increased by more than 1300% compared with unconfined specimens. Strip wrapping also improved performance, producing strength gains of 25–45% and strain increases of 250–500%. Analytical stress–strain models were developed through regression analysis, showing strong correlation with the experimental results (R2 = 0.80–0.99). The proposed GCSM jacket system demonstrates high potential as a sustainable and economical alternative for strengthening and retrofitting rubberized concretes, offering improved ductility and energy absorption while supporting circular material utilization. It is noted that the confinement ratio, size of rubberized aggregates, and their percentage replacement of rubberized aggregates should be consistent with the values used in this work in order to use the proposed analytical expressions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Construction Materials)
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28 pages, 7160 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Seismic Behavior of Carbon-Grid-Reinforced Walls with Varying Anchorage and Axial Load Ratios
by Kyung-Min Kim, Sung-Woo Park, Bhum-Keun Song, Kyung-Jae Min and Seon-Hee Yoon
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010144 - 5 Jan 2026
Viewed by 388
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are being increasingly used to replace rebars as reinforcements for concrete. This study evaluated the seismic behavior of concrete walls reinforced with grid-type carbon FRP (CFRP; carbon grid) through quasi-static cyclic tests and compared the results with that of the [...] Read more.
Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are being increasingly used to replace rebars as reinforcements for concrete. This study evaluated the seismic behavior of concrete walls reinforced with grid-type carbon FRP (CFRP; carbon grid) through quasi-static cyclic tests and compared the results with that of the reinforced concrete (RC) wall. The experimental variables were the ratio of the carbon-grid anchorage length in the foundation to the wall length and the axial force ratio. Based on the results of the quasi-static cyclic tests, the ratio of the equivalent stiffness at the crushing of the compression-edge cover concrete to the initial stiffness of the carbon-grid-reinforced concrete specimens was 0.14 on average. This indicates that the specimens reached their maximum load due to the crushing of the compression-edge cover concrete after a significant reduction in stiffness due to cracking. The skeleton curve for the carbon-grid-reinforced concrete specimens was found to be bilinear, with reduced stiffness due to cracking and failure due to the crushing of the compression-edge cover concrete, making it definable and predictable. Additionally, in specimens with a high axial force or small ratio of the anchorage length in the foundation to the wall length, some of the longitudinal CFRP strands fractured at the same time as they reached the failure load. Moreover, the load at the crushing of the compression-edge cover concrete of the carbon-grid-reinforced concrete specimen increased by 1.10 times with the increase in the axial force ratio and decreased by 0.96 times with the decrease in the ratio of the anchorage length in the foundation to the wall length. It was found to be 0.73–0.80 times the flexural strength based on the assumption of plane sections remaining plane. In comparison with RC specimen, the cumulative absorbed energy of the carbon-grid-reinforced concrete specimen began to decrease after a story drift ratio of 1%, and the cumulative absorbed energy up to the target story drift ratio of 3.0% was found to be 0.60–0.62 times that of the RC specimen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Construction Materials)
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