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Application of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Civil Infrastructure Systems
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Application of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Civil Infrastructure Systems

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 3931

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Payam Hosseini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Interests: nano-modified cementitious materials; transport in porous media; cement chemistry; cement–asphalt composites; geopolymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Interests: CO2 capture and utilization; computation-guided material engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cement-based materials include a wide range of products such as concrete, cement-based grouts, and masonry mortars, to name just a few. With an estimated production rate of 30 billion tonnes per year, concrete is the most widely used man-made material in the world. As such, due to the ubiquity of these products, the development of sustainable cement-based materials could immensely affect the global sustainability strategies. Methods for improving the sustainability of cement-based materials can range from reducing the reliance on the energy- and CO2-intensive Portland cement to the utilization of industrial and agricultural wastes in their production. However, considering the emergence of new technologies such as nanotechnology, carbon capture, etc., there are always new promising ways to improve the sustainability of cement-based materials. Therefore, introducing recent advances in the fabrication and utilization of sustainable cement-based products is of the utmost importance to the research and development of sustainable construction materials.

To address such concerns, this Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews introducing novel strategies to develop sustainable cement-based materials or to improve the sustainability of the current production processes of cement-based materials. Submissions may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • New industrial/agricultural waste materials for cement-based materials production or as cement replacement;
  • Treatment methods for waste materials to be used in cement-based materials;
  • New emerging sustainable technologies (e.g., carbon sequestration processes) to develop cement-based materials;
  • Novel materials with low environmental impacts (geopolymers, low-CO2 cements, etc.);
  • Environmental impact analysis and life cycle assessment of sustainable cement-based materials;
  • Application of new technologies (e.g., nanotechnology) in the development of sustainable cement-based materials;
  • Utilization of sustainable cement-based materials in structural and architectural elements;
  • Design methods of sustainable cement-based materials;
  • Sustainability of special concretes (engineered cementitious composites, self-compacting concretes, permeable concretes, etc.);
  • Designing sustainable cement-based materials using computational methods.

Dr. Payam Hosseini
Dr. Bu Wang
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

  • cement-based materials
  • civil infrastructures
  • sustainable design and production
  • environmental impact
  • industrial wastes
  • recycling
  • material treatment
  • carbon sequestration
  • design methods
  • computational modeling

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 16517 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Printability and Rheological and Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Earthen Mixes for Carbon-Neutral Buildings
by Shiva Bhusal, Reza Sedghi and Maryam Hojati
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15617; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su152115617 - 04 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1179
Abstract
This research delves into the vital aspect of adapting local soil properties for 3D printing and explores the mix design of collected earthen materials to tackle challenges in printability, shrinkage, and mechanical properties. Initially, soil samples from six local sites underwent characterization based [...] Read more.
This research delves into the vital aspect of adapting local soil properties for 3D printing and explores the mix design of collected earthen materials to tackle challenges in printability, shrinkage, and mechanical properties. Initially, soil samples from six local sites underwent characterization based on Atterberg’s limits, focusing on identifying the most suitable high-clay-content soil. The soil with a higher clay content was used for further study, and its clay type was determined using an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, revealing the presence of 49% kaolinite, 15% nontronite, and 36% illite clay minerals. Four earthen mixes were designed by including stabilizers (i.e., hydrated lime), natural pozzolana, and degradable natural fibers (wheat straw fiber). Subsequently, the study examined their rheological properties, shrinkage behavior, compressive and flexural strength, and printability (including extrudability and buildability). The pure soil mixture excelled in printing quality and mechanical strength, but suffered from cracking and drying shrinkage due to its high nontronite clay content. The existence of 15% nontronite clay mineral in the soil resulted in significant shrinkage and extensive cracking of specimens. However, fiber incorporation effectively mitigated large cracks and reduced shrinkage to as low as 2.6%. Despite initial expectations, introducing lime and pozzolana as soil stabilizers did not improve strength, prevent shrinkage, or improve the printability of soil mixes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Civil Infrastructure Systems)
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37 pages, 61080 KiB  
Article
Exploring Fresh and Hardened Properties of Sustainable 3D-Printed Lightweight Cementitious Mixtures
by Reza Sedghi, Muhammad Saeed Zafar and Maryam Hojati
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14425; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151914425 - 01 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1227
Abstract
This study investigates using lightweight concrete in 3D printing to reduce transportation costs and maintain structural strength. Normal-weight river (RS) sand was replaced with pumice and expanded glass at 50% and 100% volumes to decrease the material density. This substitution reduced the weight [...] Read more.
This study investigates using lightweight concrete in 3D printing to reduce transportation costs and maintain structural strength. Normal-weight river (RS) sand was replaced with pumice and expanded glass at 50% and 100% volumes to decrease the material density. This substitution reduced the weight of various mixes up to 25.1%, with apparent porosity ranging from 11.37% to 27.9%. This study found that aggregate characteristics, including the shape, size, and absorption capacity, influenced printability. Rounded aggregates like expanded glass flowed better and required less water than irregular pumice. Lightweight aggregates had finer textures and higher porosity, needing more water. According to the extrudability results, the best print quality was achieved using 100% expanded glass, incorporating methylcellulose (MC) and polyethylene (PE) fibers. Moreover, the buildability outcomes highlighted a reliance on the printing speed and the water-to-binder (W/B) ratio. Comparing cast and 3D printed specimens, cast concrete reached a maximum compressive strength of 65.6 MPa, while 3D printed concrete achieved a maximum strength of 43.4 MPa. RS had the highest strength (65.6 MPa), while expanded glass showed the lowest (17.5 MPa) in both cast and 3D printed specimens. Adding PE and MC enhanced the print quality and increased the compressive strength due to the fibers’ bridging capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Civil Infrastructure Systems)
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15 pages, 4296 KiB  
Article
Improving the Characteristics of Less Active Geopolymer Binders Utilizing Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag under Different Curing Conditions
by Javid Hosseinbor, Hesam Madani and Mohammad Naser Norouzifar
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12165; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151612165 - 09 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 620
Abstract
In the current study, the influence of substitution of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) on the characteristics of less active geopolymer binders, including pumice and the waste material produced during the washing process of sand in aggregate industries (waste soil), is investigated. The [...] Read more.
In the current study, the influence of substitution of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) on the characteristics of less active geopolymer binders, including pumice and the waste material produced during the washing process of sand in aggregate industries (waste soil), is investigated. The aforementioned materials were examined individually and in hybrid form. In the hybrid mixes, less-active materials (pumice and the waste soil) were replaced with GGBFS at levels of 25%, 50%, and 75%. The evaluated properties consisted of compressive strength, modulus of rupture, sorptivity, rapid chloride ion migration coefficient, and the content of water absorption. Moreover, the effects of different curing conditions on the properties were investigated. The results indicate that partial replacement of the waste soil and pumice with GGBFS leads to enhanced durability and mechanical characteristics owing to the higher reactivity of GGBFS. The mixture denoted as P25S75 (with 75% GGBFS and 25% pumice) exhibited the best durability properties, surpassing even the S100 mixture (with 100% GGBFS). Substituting the waste soil with GGBFS had a greater enhancing effect compared to the mixtures containing the pumice mixes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials in Civil Infrastructure Systems)
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