Sustainable Building Materials: Concrete and Cement-Based Materials

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue aims to publish recent and state-of-the-art research findings highlighting eco-friendly, green, and sustainable construction and building (C&B) materials. Whereas the primary focus of this issue would be on concrete and cement-based solutions, considering the innovative approaches that address growing environmental challenges, considering carbon footprints, and conserving natural resources. As the C&B sector faces growing environmental challenges, advanced research and development of environmentally friendly, durable, recyclable, and high-performance materials is crucial for reducing carbon footprints and resource depletion. Therefore, this special issue will cover all topics that incorporate recycled materials, fiber (man-made and natural) reinforced composite materials, alternative binders, and novel admixtures that enhance sustainability while maintaining or improving structural and/or thermal integrity and the integrated performance of buildings.

The construction and Building (C&B) sector is one of the largest contributors to the global CO₂ emissions and total energy consumption. The C&B sector primarily uses cement-based materials, while traditional concrete production is known to be highly energy-intensive. Therefore, it leads to significant environmental challenges, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the depletion of natural resources. Notably, the C&B sector also generates a huge amount of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, which is mainly dumped in landfills, thus directly damaging the environment and ecosystem. Therefore, to mitigate these problems, sustainable building materials have gained significant attention as a key solution for reducing environmental impacts while maintaining structural performance. Increasingly, the advancement in green concrete technologies, alternative sustainable binders, recycled aggregates, and carbon sequestration techniques are reshaping the industry toward more eco-friendly practices. Therefore, research and development (R&D) in this area is essential for developing innovative materials that align with global sustainability goals and circular economy principles.

The aim of this special issue, “Sustainable Building Materials: Concrete and Cement-Based Materials”, is to bring together the latest groundbreaking and cutting-edge research findings, focusing on the development, characterization, and applicability of sustainable construction and building (C&B) materials. This issue strongly aligns with the journal’s scope by addressing critical challenges in materials science, environmental engineering, and sustainable infrastructure. The goal is to provide a platform for researchers to share advancements that improve concrete and cement-based materials' durability, efficiency, and environmental impact.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

• Alternative Cementitious Binders: Geopolymer concrete, alkali-activated materials, and supplementary cementitious materials.
• Various retrofitting and upgrading techniques: focusing on innovative materials, composite materials, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems, and textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) systems.
• Recycled and Waste-Based Materials: Utilization of industrial by-products (fly ash, slag, silica fume), construction and demolition waste, and bio-based additives.
• Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategies: CO₂ sequestration in concrete, carbon capture utilization, and low-carbon cement production techniques.
• Durability and Performance of Sustainable Concrete: Long-term performance assessment, self-healing concrete, and innovative mix designs.
• Energy Efficiency in Concrete Production: Low-energy manufacturing processes and digitalization in sustainable construction.
• Nano and Bio-Technology Applications: Use of nanomaterials, bacterial concrete, and bio-inspired solutions for improved sustainability.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Circular Economy: Environmental impact assessment, resource efficiency, and sustainable design principles.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Arnas Majumder
Dr. Marco Zucca
Dr. Flavio Stochino
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• sustainable concrete
• recycled aggregates
• geopolymer materials
• construction waste utilization
• durability of green concrete
• natural fiber
• bio-based construction materials
• circular economy in construction
• thermal retrofitting/upgrading
• structural retrofitting/upgrading
• integrated retrofitting/upgrading