Research in Sustainable and Alternative Construction and Building Materials

Dear Colleagues,

The use of waste and by-products in the construction sector contributes significantly to reducing landfill demand and advancing sustainability objectives. Recycling, reusing, and recovering materials in the construction field are of high relevance not only for the scientific community but also for society.

The potential use of waste and by-products in the buildings offers impactful alternatives to conventional construction research by integrating sustainable and environmental criteria. These include the development of lightweight materials, insulating materials, alternative binders, and other innovative solutions. A key objective is to achieve alignment with current trends aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions through the development and design of new sustainable materials.

This Topic aims to highlight novel perspectives on the development of sustainable construction materials by waste, by-products, and other alternative resources across various applications. This Topic welcomes high-quality contributions that address a broad spectrum of topics related to the use of waste and by-products in construction as well as thermal energy storage systems. It welcomes contributions employing diverse characterization techniques to explore material performance. In addition, it encourages studies addressing the functional properties of the resulting materials or systems, including building comfort, energy efficiency through reduced reliance on HVAC systems, acoustic performance, fire resistance, and other relevant attributes.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Material development: Research focused on the development and characterization of innovative, sustainable materials for building applications, particularly those derived from waste or industrial by-products with emphasis on improving performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness. The chemical, physical, mechanical, thermal, acoustic, and fire-resistant properties should be evaluated for the sustainable materials developed, as well as their long-term performance in real-world construction scenarios.

- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Studies assessing the environmental impacts, energy consumption, and carbon footprint of construction materials developed from waste, including comparative analyses with conventional materials.

- Circular economy: Investigations into circular construction practices incorporating waste or by-products, aiming to enhance sustainability through resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

Dr. Jessica Giró Paloma
Dr. Joan Formosa Mitjans
Topic Editors