Sustainable Construction Materials Evaluation

There is an ongoing push for green industries and green products from both society and regulators. Various Green Public Procurement guidelines are being employed to promote sustainable products, particularly in the construction sector, which is amongst the major contributors to carbon footprints.  However, a holistic approach is necessary for a fair assessment and delivery of technological solutions that would be very advantageous for society from the perspective of simultaneously maximised efficiency and minimised carbon footprint. If the general guidance “sustainability is durability” were applied to the entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave), one could achieve the goals of a reduction in emissions and overall decrease in the carbon footprint of a product, a process, or a service. In addition, the selection of more sustainable choices should benefit the entire society not only through environmental goals, but also through increase in the safety, usability, and resilience of infrastructure. Cost-effectiveness is also of utmost importance, particularly in cases of deteriorating systems that demand periodic maintenance. It is sad that in many cases, this simple approach seems to be forgotten, and in pursuit of minimising one emission area, the overall benefits can be lost—such “greenwashing” should be avoided.

In many cases, there is a lack of knowledge as to which parameters are the key factors in the overall environmental impacts, so decisions are made without solid scientific background. The purpose of this article collection is bringing together the perspectives of scientists to contribute their knowledge related to the sustainability of various construction materials and technologies. This exchange of information from various fields should foster creativity, promote research, and support the evidence-based decision-making of various regulators.

Within the scope of this Special Issue of Sustainability are case studies and general assessments related to any type of construction materials and technologies—transportation infrastructure, building materials, raw materials for use in construction, etc. The proposed questions that need to be answered include:

• Materials for construction (compacted gravel, asphalt, concrete, bricks, stones, wood, composites, steel, etc.)—can they be made more sustainable through processes, through raw material selection, or through improved properties?
• Can sustainable technologies and products increase the safety and well-being of our entire society?
• What are the risks and hazards associated with the implementation of sustainable technologies in construction?
• How can it be ensured that the use of sustainable materials will not just shift the environmental burden instead of lowering it?
• What is the cost (financial, social, competitive, environmental) of implementing sustainable technologies and products?
• Which construction technologies and products are associated with the highest environmental impact and how could this impact be lowered—are there reasonable alternatives available at present or do they need to be developed?
• Infrastructure for automated transport (cars, lorries, buses, trams, trains)—can it be designed with novel, more sustainable technologies?
• The European Green Deal and carbon taxation—can the risks caused by increased burden on the industry be converted into benefits through the implementation of novel solutions?
• Construction and construction maintenance—how can the costs be minimised (environmental, emissions, financial, social, safety, etc.) without negatively affecting properties?
• Rebuilding countries after natural or man-made disasters—can sustainability be built into the construction industry?

Dr. Tomasz E. Burghardt
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Szarata
Dr. Anton Pashkevich
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. 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.

• transport infrastructure
• sustainable planning
• durability
• service life
• safety
• green materials and process
• cost–benefit analysis
• innovation
• buildings
• infrastructure resilience