Because of the expanding population and life demands, the development of buildings and infrastructure has accelerated in the modern civilized world. Concrete is one of the most flexible and widely used man-made building materials, and it has grown in popularity because of its several advantages, including its simplicity of production, strength and durability in regular situations. The cost of regular Portland cement, a crucial element in concrete, continues to increase, and as a result, natural resources are depleting (e.g., limestone). Clinker is burned at roughly 1450 °C during the cement making process, emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The vast extraction of raw materials required for concrete production has substantial environmental consequences. In an effort to enhance sustainability, numerous research studies on employing waste materials to substitute virgin elements in concrete have been conducted.
To address these concerns, cement and concrete technology research has concentrated on the potential use of waste materials in the construction sector. Reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from concrete production, more efficient use of waste materials, and the development of low-energy, durable, and sustainably constructed concrete are also of interest. Waste materials have proved their efficacy as construction materials and their ability to meet design criteria when treated properly. Extensive research has been undertaken in recent decades on the use of rice husk ash, sawdust ash, wood ash, bagasse ash, industrial waste (slag, silica fume, fly ash), recovered fibers, and construction and demolition waste as cement and concrete components. Some waste materials can be used in place of cement (slags, fly ash, silica fumes, rice husk ash, etc.). These waste materials can be used or processed in part to generate aggregates or concrete fillers. Furthermore, all technological processes associated with building concrete and demolition generate waste in the form of concrete manufacturing and demolition debris. The volume of its production varies by country and is mostly determined by the standard of living. The construction materials sector is the largest user of natural resources; yet, a significant amount of these resources can be replaced with amazing environmental and economic efficiency by industrial and municipal waste.
As a result, sustainable concrete can be produced by partially substituting waste materials for cement or other ingredients in concrete, which also helps to reduce CO2 emissions, produce more durable and cost-effective concrete, conserve energy by using less cement in concrete production, and solve the waste disposal problem through efficient waste consumption. Utilizing waste materials in concrete is practicable, advantageous, and reasonable for the manufacturing of sustainable concrete, which is one of the best alternatives for energy conservation and infrastructure development.
This special issue aims to provide the current state of knowledge on innovative and creative civil engineering construction materials obtained from waste resources for durable infrastructure. It is especially encouraged to develop sustainable concrete infrastructure using innovative techniques.
The potential research fields are as follows (but not limited to):
Innovative waste-derived sustainable construction materials Sustainable concrete composites for civil engineering Geopolymer composites Recycled concrete composites The environmental consequences of waste materials in concrete advanced sustainable building materials new computational advances in sustainable building materials environmental effect assessment of sustainable composites sustainable construction materials made from recycled fibers sustainable material structural use concrete composites made from trash have a high durability performance development of sustainable urban infrastructure. We welcome your contributions to this Research Topic, including Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles.
