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Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering
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Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 8755

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Moussa Leblouba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P. O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
Interests: earthquake engineering and structural dynamics; seismic isolation and passive energy dissipation device; fiber-reinforced concrete; nonlinear buckling analysis of steel element; structural reliability and code calibration
Dr. Balaji PS

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha 769008, India
Interests: vibration control; nonlinear dynamics
Dr. Muhammad Rahman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering & Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: energy; retrofitting buildings; sustainable construction materials; computational structural mechanics; composite materials; water and wastewater treatment and slope stabilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Brabha Nagaratnam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: innovative and sustainable construction materials
Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: steel structures; thin-walled structures; optimisation of steel sections; innovative steel products and systems; fire safety of buildings; aluminium structures; lightweight concrete; enhanced plasterboard; modular building systems; advanced numerical modelling; fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the ever-increasing world population, the need for robust infrastructure and housing developments is putting pressure on governments and people alike. From a sustainability perspective and to accommodate future populations, it is essential to continuously look for ways to use primary resources in building materials more efficiently.

Developing sustainable materials and construction processes are at the heart of previous, current, and future research and never ceases to age.

The construction industry and related infrastructure are critical indicators to measure the success and development of countries.

As a material, concrete is the composite that has been and is still used as a primary building material, with a market projected to bring in more than 620 billion USD in profits in less than three years from now. Concrete is second to water as the most used substance in construction. Other building materials include steel and wood. One of the key advantages of using concrete as a construction material is recycling it for reuse in other civil engineering projects, thus reducing the exploitation of natural resources and associated costs.

With the growing concern about environmental issues and the energy crisis, sustainable development in the construction industry has become a global concern. The concept of sustainable building and development covers the entire life cycle of the buildings. It is intended to minimize all adverse impacts on the natural and built environments through environmentally friendly building designs and materials. Accordingly, research on developing sustainable materials and design methods is essential.

This Special Issue aims to disseminate research on sustainable materials and structural engineering that directly benefit the built environment and efficiently exploit natural resources.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Efficient use of building materials

Composite materials and their contribution to reducing environmental impact.

Energy-efficient buildings

Structural engineering for improved sustainability.

Structural retrofitting and rehabilitation for durable and sustainable infrastructure.

New building materials and construction processes

Life cycle analysis of sustainable technologies

Material recycling and recovery

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Moussa Leblouba
Dr. Balaji PS
Dr. Muhammad Rahman
Dr. Brabha Nagaratnam
Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan
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

  • sustainable materials
  • design of sustainable structures
  • resilient structural engineering
  • structural retrofitting and rehabilitation
  • energy-efficient building
  • building materials

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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23 pages, 10425 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Reinforced Concrete Frames with Engineering Cementitious Composites: Experimental and Numerical Investigations
by Abdulrahman Metawa, Moussa Leblouba and Samer Barakat
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 10085; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210085 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are vulnerable to damage under dynamic loads such as earthquakes, necessitating innovative solutions that enhance both performance and sustainability. This study investigates the integration of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) in RC frames to improve ductility, durability, and energy dissipation [...] Read more.
Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are vulnerable to damage under dynamic loads such as earthquakes, necessitating innovative solutions that enhance both performance and sustainability. This study investigates the integration of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) in RC frames to improve ductility, durability, and energy dissipation while considering cost-effectiveness. To achieve this, the partial replacement of concrete with ECC at key structural locations, such as beam–column joints, was explored through experimental testing and numerical simulations. Small-scale beams with varying ECC replacements were tested for failure modes, load–deflection responses, and crack propagation patterns. Additionally, nonlinear quasi-static cyclic and modal analyses were performed on full RC frames, ECC-reinforced frames, and hybrid frames with ECC at the joints. The results demonstrate that ECC reduces the need for shear reinforcement due to its crack-bridging ability, enhances ductility by up to 25% in cyclic loading scenarios, and lowers the formation of plastic hinges, thereby contributing to improved structural resilience. These findings suggest that ECC is a viable, sustainable solution for achieving resilient infrastructure in seismic regions, with an optimal balance between performance and cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering)
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17 pages, 2966 KiB  
Article
Sustainability of the Technology for Obtaining Thermoplastic Building Materials from Non-Recyclable Mixed Plastic–Paper Packaging Waste
by Romeo C. Ciobanu, Cristina Schreiner, Alina R. Caramitu, Sebastian Aradoaei and Mihaela Aradoaei
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3430; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083430 - 19 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1198
Abstract
This paper describes the process used to produce thermoplastic building materials from non-recyclable mixed plastic–paper packaging waste. A first step was dedicated to an innovative and sustainable sterilization technology for non-recyclable waste, based on exposure to microwave radiation in closed air-circulation ovens. Further, [...] Read more.
This paper describes the process used to produce thermoplastic building materials from non-recyclable mixed plastic–paper packaging waste. A first step was dedicated to an innovative and sustainable sterilization technology for non-recyclable waste, based on exposure to microwave radiation in closed air-circulation ovens. Further, composites with different cellulose contents and with two polymer matrices, respectively, were obtained using an injection process, and the samples were subjected to mechanical and physical tests. Due to their superior features, the products based on mixed polypropylene–paper packaging waste may successfully replace the classic polyvinylchloride-based wood–plastic composites. The environmental impact of mixed plastic–paper packaging waste was analyzed, and the sustainability of the thermoplastic technology was demonstrated from an economic and environmental point of view. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering)
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20 pages, 5422 KiB  
Article
Effect of Rebar Harsh Storage Conditions on the Flexural Behavior of Glass FRP Concrete
by Sami W. Tabsh, Adil Tamimi, Magdi El-Emam and Ali Zandavi
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1944; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051944 - 27 Feb 2024
Viewed by 999
Abstract
Nowadays, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has become a widely accepted alternative reinforcement to steel bars in concrete members due to its many sustainability traits, as represented by its high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, non-conductive properties, and electromagnet neutrality. However, FRP bar exposure for an [...] Read more.
Nowadays, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has become a widely accepted alternative reinforcement to steel bars in concrete members due to its many sustainability traits, as represented by its high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, non-conductive properties, and electromagnet neutrality. However, FRP bar exposure for an extended period of time to harsh environmental conditions and chemicals can have an adverse effect on their mechanical properties. In this investigation, glass FRP bars were exposed to indoor controlled temperature, outdoor direct sunlight, outdoor shade, seawater, and alkaline solution for six months prior to using them as reinforcement in concrete flexural members. This research involves the fabrication and testing of five pairs of 3 m-long concrete beams with 200 mm by 300 mm cross-sections embedded in the tension zone with the exposed GFRP bars. The 10 beams were instrumented with strain gauges and tested following a four-point loading scheme using a hydraulic jack attached to a rigid steel frame. Crack width records from the tests showed the inferior serviceability of the beams that contained rebars stored in an outdoor environment relative to the control beams. GFRP bar exposure to an alkaline solution or outdoor direct sunlight slightly affected the cracking and ultimate moment capacities, reducing them by 5% and 3% in terms of the same parameters as the controlled indoor exposure, respectively. The influence of GFRP bar exposure to open-air shade or sunlight decreased the pre-cracking stiffness by 25% and flexural ductility by 10–20% when compared with the control specimens. The predicted ultimate flexural strength using the ACI 440 provisions gave comparable results to the experimentally obtained values. A simple mathematical equation that envelops the moment–deflection relationship for GFRP over-reinforced concrete beams and only requires information about initial cracking and ultimate flexural conditions is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering)
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10 pages, 1856 KiB  
Article
Operator Protection from Gamma Rays Using Ordinary Glass and Glass Doped with Nanoparticles
by Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Aamir, Eslam Ahmed and Abdullrahman Abdullah Alyemni
Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021375 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2903
Abstract
Radiation-shielding glass is utilized in a few applications such as nuclear medicine, (PET) scans, x-rays, or treatment use. Nuclear reactors additionally require shielding from radiation types such as gamma, x-rays, and neutron emissions. Radiation-shielding glass is additionally utilized in the exploration and industry [...] Read more.
Radiation-shielding glass is utilized in a few applications such as nuclear medicine, (PET) scans, x-rays, or treatment use. Nuclear reactors additionally require shielding from radiation types such as gamma, x-rays, and neutron emissions. Radiation-shielding glass is additionally utilized in the exploration and industry fields, for example, in cyclotron support testing of non-destructive materials, and the improvement of airport x-ray machines. Notwithstanding, radiation-shielding glass utilizes space innovation to protect both the astronauts and tools from cosmic rays. Nanoparticles have been involved recently in those applications. Several simulations using MCNP 6 have been used in this study to compare a variety of conventional and nanoparticle-doped glass, including silicate glass (containing BiO or PbO), BZBB5, and glass containing nanoparticles, including Na2Si3O7/Ag, Al2H2Na2O13Si4/HgO, and lead borate glass containing ZrO2 to detect shielding properties for operators at different gamma energies. We investigated the percentage of transmitted photons, linear attenuation coefficient, half-value layer, and mean free path for the selected glass. Several shielding properties were not significantly different between the simulated results and the theoretical data available commercially. Based on the results, those parameters depend on the glass material due to their densities and atomic number. It has been found that 70 Bismuth(III) oxide:30 Silica has the best shield properties from gamma rays, such as a low percentage of transmitted photons, low HVL, and low MFP, which is due to its high density and atomic number. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering)
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22 pages, 11452 KiB  
Article
Shaking Table Test and Numerical Simulation Study on Tunnel-Soil-Bridge Pile Structure Interaction System
by Shasha Lu, Dongxu Zhao, Junwu Dai, Hang Yin and Laigui Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010286 - 24 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2274
Abstract
In this study, based on the actual project in Dalian, the dynamic interaction of the double tunnel sand bridge pile system (SSSI) under earthquake action is studied by shaking table test, and the dynamic response laws of the structure and site are obtained, [...] Read more.
In this study, based on the actual project in Dalian, the dynamic interaction of the double tunnel sand bridge pile system (SSSI) under earthquake action is studied by shaking table test, and the dynamic response laws of the structure and site are obtained, which are compared with ABAQUS numerical simulation. The Kelvin constitutive model subprogram is introduced into the numerical model, and the equivalent linear method is used to deal with the nonlinear problems of sand in the calculation process. The experimental results are compared with the results obtained using the numerical model to verify the reliability of the numerical simulation. Based on this, eight working conditions are designed, and the interaction law between the structures in the system is investigated through a comparative analysis. The results showed that the tunnel amplifies the dynamic responses of the bridge pile, adjacent tunnel, and far field, while the bridge pile attenuates the dynamic responses of the side tunnel and far field; the presence of both the tunnel and bridge pile increases the internal force of the adjacent structure, and the peak internal force often occurs near the intersection of the structure or at the pile–soil interface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Sustainable Materials and Structural Engineering)
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