Advances in Sustainability, Life-Cycle Assessment, and Circularity of Construction Materials
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Interests: sustainability of construction materials; fire performance and fire resistance of building materials and systems; gypsum-based binders and composites; closed-loop gypsum; environmental product declarations (EPDs); alignment with EN 15804/EN 15978 and ISO 14040/14044; end-of-life modelling (reuse, recycling, carbonation)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue advances the sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) of construction materials, including mineral binders, metals, timber, polymers, hybrids, and related components, assemblies, and building-stock analyses where material choices drive impacts. We emphasize decision-grade LCA that informs design, procurement, and policy, aligned with ISO 14040/14044, ISO 21930, EN 15804, and EN 15978, while explicitly integrating objectives beyond carbon emissions (resource use, toxicity, water, durability, and circularity). Conceptually adjacent studies that enhance decision relevance in the built environment are also welcome.
We seek papers that present methodologies, data, and applications that improve the quality, comparability, and usefulness of evidence as follows: attributional vs. consequential and dynamic LCA; scenario design across modules A–C (and D); modelling of service life phenomena and end-of-life/reuse; geospatial/temporal representativeness; quantified uncertainty; hybrid process–IO; biogenic carbon and negative-emission processes; and links to LCC and S-LCA. We additionally invite contributions on data infrastructure (EN 15804+A2/ISO 21930 EPDs, c-PCRs, interoperability/ontologies, dataset crosswalks/versioning, data-quality assessment, reproducible open workflows, and benchmarks). We welcome reports of applications that include embodied-impact hotspotting and decarbonization pathways (e.g., clinker reduction, SCMs, and recycled aggregates), bio-based/hybrid systems, additive manufacturing/prefabrication, design for disassembly and circularity metrics, BIM–LCA/parametric workflows, public procurement and reporting (e.g., Level(s)), regional and emerging-economy studies, evolving grids/supply chains, and resilience under fire and climate hazards. We particularly welcome work on resource efficiency and critical raw materials, human health/ecotoxicity, water scarcity, biodiversity pressures, adaptability/repair, and alignment with EU taxonomy/ESG and green public procurement.
Dr. Tomasz Kania
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 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. Sustainability 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 2400 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
- sustainability
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
- construction materials
- environmental product declarations (EPD)
- embodied carbon
- service life modelling
- end-of-life scenarios
- BIM–LCA integration
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.
