Research on Sustainable Cement-Based Composites

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable cement-based materials can be defined as a type of construction material which has a relatively low environmental impact, can meet building needs, and promotes sustainable development. The preparation and use of these materials aims to reduce carbon emissions, resource consumption, and the generation of waste, and improve these materials’ performance and durability. Currently, the construction industry is facing significant environmental pressures, and sustainable construction materials can be used to reach the industry's goal of becoming environmental friendly, energy efficient, and sustainable. The aim of this Special Issue on "Sustainable Cement-Based Materials" is to compile the latest progress being made in research on the sustainable development of construction materials. The sustainable development of cement-based materials is intricately related to energy conservation and emission reduction as well as to the durability of building materials. Reducing carbon emissions from the production and use of cement-based materials and enhancing their durability are important for promoting sustainable development within the construction industry. This field is mainly focused on methods for designing new materials, and explores the use of energy-saving materials and using alternative binders and aggregates to Portland cement and natural sand, as well as innovative or traditional solutions which can prevent cement-based materials from deteriorating. These solutions include phase-change materials, low-heat Portland cement, insulating materials, geopolymers, nanotechnology, waterproof coatings, self-healing technologies, etc. Furthermore, continuous changes in the environments in which concrete is used have necessitated research into intelligent concrete, which allows for the autonomous monitoring of structural conditions and provides early warning information which can prevent potential safety issues. Therefore, this Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing contributions to promoting the sustainable development of cement-based materials, including original research or review articles that profoundly engage with innovative methods in this domain. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The fabrication and application of energy-saving construction materials;
• Lightweight concrete;
• Recycled concrete;
• Phase-change materials for use in construction materials;
• Low-heat Portland cement;
• Sulfate attack and alkali–aggregate reactions;
• Corrosion protection for marine construction materials;
• The durability of high-performance concrete;
• Microcapsule-based self-healing concrete structures and their environmental impacts;
• The creep behavior of concrete;
• The preparation of intelligent concrete;
• Durability prediction based on artificial intelligence.

Dr. Yi Xu
Prof. Dr. Zijian Song
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. Journal of Composites Science 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 1800 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.

• energy-saving construction materials
• lightweight concrete
• phase change materials
• low-heat Portland cement
• durability
• corrosion
• creep
• alkali–aggregate reactions
• self-healing concrete
• physically and chemically induced deterioration
• intelligent concrete