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Materials Engineering in Construction
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Materials Engineering in Construction

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 10980

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhihai He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
Interests: resource utilization of solid waste; low-carbon concrete; microstructure evolution in concrete
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kunjie Fan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
Interests: fire safety engineering; transient creep; supplemental cementitious materials; UHPC; green concrete
Dr. Dong Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China
Interests: high-performance concrete; sustainable cementitious composites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nanting Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (Faculty of Science and Engineering), University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
Interests: analysis and design of cold-formed steel structures; life cycle assessment of composite materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The extensive use of cement in building construction activities consumes a large amount of natural resources, and the resulting high carbon footprint has always been a concern. Due to the continuous advancement in construction technology, the requirements for construction materials have gradually increased, and concrete materials need to meet not only basic mechanical properties, but also higher requirements for durability and time-varying properties. This means that low-carbon concrete needs to maintain reliable performance over time, but the confirmation of time-varying properties consumes high time costs, which provides resistance to its promotion, so it is necessary to summarize the development pattern of this type of performance and give an explanation. Considering the future sustainability of the construction industry, this Special Issue aims to bring together innovative research results on low-carbon concrete, which will provide some guidance for the practical application of green building materials.

The directions covered in this Special Issue include (but are not limited to)：

  • New green building materials;
  • Carbon footprint of materials;
  • Long-term performance research;
  • Exploration of microscopic mechanism;
  • Engineering application of green building materials.

Dr. Zhihai He
Dr. Kunjie Fan
Dr. Dong Zhang
Dr. Nanting Yu
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. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • resource utilization of solid waste
  • low-carbon concrete
  • recycled aggregate
  • shrinkage and creep
  • microstructure evolution of concrete
  • green building materials

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 10259 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Impact Resistance of Steel Fiber Reinforced All-Lightweight Concrete Beams under Single and Hybrid Mixing Conditions
by Xiuli Wang, Qinyuan Wu and Wenlong Chen
Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1251; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051251 - 10 May 2023
Viewed by 1319
Abstract
An impact action can cause local, or even overall, damage to structural components. This paper investigates the effect of flat and wavy steel fibers on the mechanical impact resistance of all-lightweight concrete beams under single and mixed conditions. Four all-lightweight concrete beams were [...] Read more.
An impact action can cause local, or even overall, damage to structural components. This paper investigates the effect of flat and wavy steel fibers on the mechanical impact resistance of all-lightweight concrete beams under single and mixed conditions. Four all-lightweight concrete beams were subjected to drop hammer impact tests. From the failure mode, local shear-type damage occurred at the midspan of the all-lightweight concrete beams, with mainly shear cracks. The steel fiber has an inhibitory effect on the generation and development of cracks and improves the phenomenon of concrete crushing and spalling after the impact of the beam. Different mixing methods will have different effects on the crack-inhibition effect of steel fiber. The mixed addition of steel fiber has a more prominent effect on crack-development inhibition, making the cracks finer. Under the conditions of adding the flat steel fibers alone, the wavy steel fibers alone, and the mixed addition of steel fibers, the peak displacement at the midspan was reduced by 14.29%, 22.86%, and 37.14%, respectively; in comparison, residual displacement was reduced by 18.18%, 50.91%, and 54.55%, and the peak impact force was increased by 6.98%, −2.62%, and 1.89%. In addition, the stiffness loss of the steel fiber-added specimens is slight, which can have a higher impact response when the drop hammer falls. The results show that the addition methods of the steel fibers have different effects on the improvement of the impact resistance of the all-lightweight concrete beams, and the mixed addition has a better effect than the single addition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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14 pages, 3533 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Properties of Environmentally Friendly Resin-Based Artificial Stones Fabricated from Ceramic Waste
by Junbo Liu, Xiaozhen Zhang, Zhixi Mai, Yongqing Wang, Shaohua Wang, Yebing Cai and Junli Feng
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020570 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1840
Abstract
The rapid development of the traditional ceramic industry contributes considerably to economic advancements; however, the ecological hazards caused by the large amount of sintered ceramic wastes generated during ceramic production and discarded at landfill sites are becoming increasingly severe. To realize the large-scale [...] Read more.
The rapid development of the traditional ceramic industry contributes considerably to economic advancements; however, the ecological hazards caused by the large amount of sintered ceramic wastes generated during ceramic production and discarded at landfill sites are becoming increasingly severe. To realize the large-scale resource utilization of ceramic waste, sintered ceramic waste was used in this study to partially replace natural quartz sand, and new environmentally friendly artificial stones were fabricated by using vacuum vibration molding and inorganic/organic composite curing technology. The effects of ceramic waste addition and particle size on the mechanical strength, surface hardness, wear resistance, stain resistance, and microstructure of artificial stone materials were investigated. The results showed that the replacement of quartz sand with 40–55% ceramic waste significantly improved the mechanical strength of artificial stone and maintained sufficient surface hardness and wear resistance. When 45% of ceramic waste powder (particle size ≥ 120 mesh) was added, the bending strength of the artificial stone was 64.4 MPa, whereas when 55% of ceramic waste particles with different particle sizes were added, the maximum compressive strength was 158.7 MPa. Good wear resistance and sufficient Moh’s hardness of 5.5–6.5 was obtained for all the samples. The prepared ceramic waste artificial stone also had a dense microstructure and low water absorption and porosity, which are helpful for improving stain resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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12 pages, 3063 KiB  
Article
Effect of Textile Sludge on Strength, Shrinkage, and Microstructure of Polypropylene Fiber Concrete
by Zhiqing Cheng, Lei He, Lijun Wang, Yu Liu, Shiqiang Yang, Zhihai He and Chun Liu
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020379 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1238
Abstract
Textile sludge has complex components and certain toxicity, which is in urgent need of resource treatment. The effect of textile sludge replacing cement and aggregates on the properties of polypropylene fiber concrete has been investigated by testing the compressive strength, drying shrinkage, heavy [...] Read more.
Textile sludge has complex components and certain toxicity, which is in urgent need of resource treatment. The effect of textile sludge replacing cement and aggregates on the properties of polypropylene fiber concrete has been investigated by testing the compressive strength, drying shrinkage, heavy metal leaching concentration, micro morphology, and nanomechanical properties. The results show that the utilization of 10% textile sludge replacing cement increases the later strengths of concrete and decreases the drying shrinkage due to its denser microstructure. With the further content increase of textile sludge replacing cement, the strengths of concrete are reduced and the drying shrinkage is increased. The utilization of textile sludge replacing aggregates increases the compressive strengths of concrete and the drying shrinkage at every age, and among them, the concrete with 15% textile sludge replacing aggregates shows the highest compressive strengths, and the drying shrinkage of concrete increases with the content increase of textile sludge replacing aggregates. The concrete with textile sludge is a good solidification with heavy metal ions. The utilization of 10% textile sludge replacing cement improves the microstructure of concrete and helps to produce more high-density calcium silicate hydrate and reduces the thickness of the interfacial transition zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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16 pages, 4733 KiB  
Article
Performance Evaluation of Hybrid One-Part Alkali Activated Materials (AAMs) for Concrete Structural Repair
by Eddy Yusslee and Sherif Beskhyroun
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12112025 - 18 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1331
Abstract
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have been widely used as an alternative to Portland cement. This production of AAMs emits lesser carbon dioxide by utilizing industrial waste products to make this cement binder technology greener and more sustainable. The conventional two-part system comprises solid aluminosilicate [...] Read more.
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have been widely used as an alternative to Portland cement. This production of AAMs emits lesser carbon dioxide by utilizing industrial waste products to make this cement binder technology greener and more sustainable. The conventional two-part system comprises solid aluminosilicate precursors with an alkali solution to activate the AAMs. However, higher alkalinity of the liquid activator is required to complete the geopolymerazation process, making the cementitious materials costly and sticky, and thus not convenient to handle on the construction site, affecting the worker’s safety. A one-part AAMs system was introduced to overcome the two-part system’s shortcomings. The alkali solution is now replaced with a solid alkali activator which is easier and more practical to apply at construction sites. This study was carried out to evaluate the mechanical performance of one-part alkali AAMs in the form of mortar by conducting compressive and flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength tests at 28 days of curing age under laboratory experiments in the tropical climate of Malaysia. A drying shrinkage test was also performed to detect its durability. Three types of solid admixtures were added to complete the composition of the novel mix design formulation. According to the results obtained, the mechanical strength of one-part alkali-activated mortar achieved the minimum requirement for Class R3 structural concrete repair materials as per EN1504-3 specifications. This eco-friendly cement binder has excellent potential for further engineering development, particularly to become a new concrete repair product in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 6977 KiB  
Article
Evolution of the Fracture Characteristics in a Rockburst under Different Stress Gradients
by Shuaidong Yang, Yueming Gao, Xiqi Liu, Gang Wang, Leibo Song and Chunyan Bao
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1927; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111927 - 08 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1167
Abstract
The variation in principal stress ratio and principal stress direction deflection caused by the stress gradient distribution of surrounding rock is one of the reasons leading to different types of strain rockbursts. Two typical rockburst failure modes of brittle gypsum debris are discussed [...] Read more.
The variation in principal stress ratio and principal stress direction deflection caused by the stress gradient distribution of surrounding rock is one of the reasons leading to different types of strain rockbursts. Two typical rockburst failure modes of brittle gypsum debris are discussed based on the study of the macroscopic and microscopic appearance morphologies under different stress gradients. Based on the acoustic emission characteristic parameter analysis of the Gaussian mixture model (GMM), the evolution of internal crack propagation and the fracture mechanism during the rockburst under different stress gradients were explored. The results are as follows: (1) The generation and intensity of rockburst are related to the loading stress gradient. The larger the stress gradient, the more significant the dynamic phenomenon during the rockburst process. (2) There are obvious differences in the morphology and arrangement of crystals on the fracture surface of rockburst debris under different stress loading paths. The brittle fracture of debris can be divided into flake debris dominated by intergranular tensile fracture and massive debris dominated by transgranular shear fracture. (3) The AE characteristic parameter classification method based on the GMM has good applicability in crack classification. With an increase in the loading stress gradient, the proportion of the shear crack increases gradually, which is the main reason for the enhancement of the rockburst intensity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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20 pages, 2904 KiB  
Article
Mechanical, Durability, and Microstructural Evaluation of Coal Ash Incorporated Recycled Aggregate Concrete: An Application of Waste Effluents for Sustainable Construction
by Ali Raza, Noha Saad, Khaled Mohamed Elhadi, Marc Azab, Ahmed Farouk Deifalla, Ahmed Babeker Elhag and Khawar Ali
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1715; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101715 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1836
Abstract
This study has endeavored to produce eco-friendly coal ash-incorporated recycled aggregate concrete (FRAC) by utilizing wastewater effluents for environmental sustainability. The mechanical and durability efficiency of the FRAC manufactured were explored using different kinds of effluent by performing a series of tests at [...] Read more.
This study has endeavored to produce eco-friendly coal ash-incorporated recycled aggregate concrete (FRAC) by utilizing wastewater effluents for environmental sustainability. The mechanical and durability efficiency of the FRAC manufactured were explored using different kinds of effluent by performing a series of tests at various ages. The considered kinds of effluent for the mixing of FRAC were collected from a service station, as well as fertilizer, textile, leather, and sugar factories. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to judge the microstructural behavior of the constructed concrete compositions. The outcomes revealed that using textile factory effluent in the manufacturing of FRAC depicted peak compressive and split tensile strength improvements of 24% and 16% compared to that of the FRAC manufactured using potable water. The application of leather factory effluent for the manufacturing of FRAC portrayed the highest water absorption (13% better than the control mix). The application of fertilizer effluent in the manufacture of FRAC presented the greatest mass loss (19% enhanced than the control mix) due to H2SO4 solution intrusion and the ultimate chloride ion migration (16 mm at twenty-eight days of testing). The summation of coal ash improved the mechanical behavior of the concrete and also caused a reduction in its durability loss of. The SEM analysis depicted that the textile factory effluent presented the most densified microstructure with the development of ettringite needles and CSH gel having refined the ITZ. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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14 pages, 2668 KiB  
Article
Strength, Chloride Ion Penetration, and Nanoscale Characteristics of Concrete Prepared with Nano-Silica Slurry Pre-Coated Recycled Aggregate
by Haoliang Shan and Zhouping Yu
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101707 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1252
Abstract
It has become a feasible green building development strategy to prepare recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) by processing construction and demolition (C&D) wastes into a recycled coarse aggregate (RCA). On the other hand, defects such as low strength and easy cracking of RAC seriously [...] Read more.
It has become a feasible green building development strategy to prepare recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) by processing construction and demolition (C&D) wastes into a recycled coarse aggregate (RCA). On the other hand, defects such as low strength and easy cracking of RAC seriously limit its application in construction materials. In this paper, RCA was strengthened by pre-coated nano-silica (NS) slurry to improve RAC performance. The effect of nano-modified recycled coarse aggregate (MRCA) on concrete compressive strength and chloride ion penetration after replacing ordinary RCA or natural coarse aggregate (NCA) was studied. The SEM, MIP and nano-indentation techniques were used to evaluate the effect of MRCA in concrete. The results show that the replacement of NCA with RCA or MRCA reduces the mechanical property and chloride ion penetration of concrete. Under the same conditions, the mechanical property and chloride ion penetration of nano-modified recycled aggregate concrete (MRAC) are better than those of RAC. Compared with RAC, the width of interface transition zone (ITZ) and indentation modulus of MRAC increased by 23.1% and 89.4%. This is mainly attributed to the filling effect of NS slurry, which reduces the number of pores and microfractures on the surface of RCA, and the pozzolanic effect of NS consumes part of calcium hydroxide to produce more calcium silicate hydrate gel, which improves the ITZ of RAC. In addition, the use of NS slurry pre-coating modified RCA has good economic and environmental benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Engineering in Construction)
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