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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to introduce this Special Issue on "Concrete and Waste Management for Sustainable Construction: Challenges and Opportunities". Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world, and its production is responsible for a significant portion of carbon emissions globally. In addition, the disposal of construction waste is a growing environmental concern, with the potential to harm ecosystems and human health. To enhance the sustainability of construction, the environmental impact of building materials and construction practices must be minimized while also meeting the needs of present and future generations. In this sense, the use of concrete and waste management strategies are critical components of sustainable construction.

This Special Issue welcomes original articles, review articles, and case studies that address the challenges and opportunities of using concrete and managing industrial wastes in a sustainable manner. Its goal is to provide readers with insights into the latest state-of-the-art research and practices related to sustainable construction. Research areas for consideration in this Special Issue may include, but are not limited to:

Waste-derived mortar and composites;
Classification, processing, and management of industrial wastes;
Concrete made with recycled waste materials;
Alkali-activated materials and geopolymer composites;
Novel and waste materials in construction;
Bio-materials in construction;
Novel design and applications in construction;
Efficient use of construction materials including lightweight materials;
Recycled fiber-reinforced concrete and composites;
Microstructure evaluation of waste-derived products;
Industrial practices for sustainable waste management;
Use of 4Rs in construction;
Lean construction;
Cleaner production and life cycle assessment.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hilal El-Hassan
Prof. Dr. Jamal Khatib
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. 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.

Keywords

sustainability
concrete
waste
performance
environmental impact
construction
microstructure
circular economy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Optimum Particle Packing on the Macro and Micro Properties of Sustainable Concrete

by Wisam J. Abushama, Adil K. Tamimi, Sami W. Tabsh, Magdi M. El-Emam, Ahmad Ibrahim and Taghreed Kh Mohammed Ali

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14331; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151914331 - 28 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1431

Abstract

In this research, the possibility of making eco-friendly concrete from available materials in the local United Arab Emirates (UAE) market was investigated. Supplementary cementitious materials, such as ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and silica fume (SF), were utilized for decreasing the cement quantity, enhancing the particle size distribution and improving packing. In sum, 130 concrete specimens—cubes, cylinders, and prisms—from 10 different concrete mixes were tested to determine the enhancement levels in the fresh and hard properties of new concrete. The results showed the improved particle packing of the concrete, especially within the region of sizes 100–10,000 microns, produced by the Elkem Materials Mix Analyser (EMMA), closely matching the Andreassen theoretical model. The green concrete incorporating SF and GGBS possessed air content in the range 1.0–1.4% and compressive strength that is on average 11% higher than the well-packed concrete that did not contain SF or GGBS. Compared to the ACI 318 code’s predictions, the experimental findings of the optimally packed concrete’s moduli of rupture and elasticity were under-estimated by 55–69% and 0.8–8.8%, respectively. The rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) showed results as low as 392 coulombs for mixes with supplementary cementitious materials, indicating very low chloride permeability. Microstructural analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated that concrete with supplementary materials has fewer voids, more homogeneous integration of ingredients, and an abundance of C-S-H products that supported the RCPT findings and tests of mechanical properties. The study demonstrated a significant decrease in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of concrete utilizing GGBS and SF and the financial feasibility of eco-friendly concrete in the UAE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete and Waste Management for Sustainable Construction: Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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37 pages, 4901 KiB

Open AccessReview

Scientometric Analysis of Global Research on the Utilization of Geopolymer Composites in Construction Applications

by Joud Hwalla, Jad Bawab, Hilal El-Hassan, Feras Abu Obaida and Tamer El-Maaddawy

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11340; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151411340 - 20 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1785

Abstract

This study conducts a scientometric review on the use of geopolymer mortar and composites in different construction applications. It aims to analyze the findings of past research and reveal the research constituents, development trends, and knowledge gaps. The Scopus database was employed to retrieve the relevant publications, while Bibliometrix was used to conduct the statistical analyses. Results revealed a steady and gradual increase in the number of publications after 2013, as the annual growth rate increased from 23.9% to 45.2% between the timeframes 2003–2013 and 2014–2022, respectively. The analysis highlighted that many authors collaborated on different construction applications of geopolymers regardless of geographic location. Meanwhile, Construction and Building Materials, China, and Universiti Malaysia Perlis were found to be the predominant journal, country, and institution, respectively. The scientometric analysis showed that the most frequently investigated applications for geopolymer mortars and composites were fire resistance, corrosion protection, and repair. Research gaps highlighted that other applications are not as well investigated despite the promising performance of the geopolymer composites, including 3D printing, heavy metals absorption, environmental protection, and underwater applications. Future research is required to assess the use of other alumina and silica-rich binders in geopolymers while also exploring their lifecycle assessment and economic impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete and Waste Management for Sustainable Construction: Challenges and Opportunities)

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