Cement and concrete production are among the most polluting industries. Cement production is difficult to decarbonize since over half of its CO2 emissions are process-related, yet it accounts for 5-8% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, new materials and technologies are being investigated to reduce the CO2 footprint of this industry. This includes the use of recycled materials, alternative cements, mortars, and concretes with lower CO2 emissions, as well as technologies and materials for carbon sequestration. However, it is still envisaged that conventional Portland-based cements will dominate use in construction in the years and decades ahead.

This Research Topic focusses on the recent development in materials and technologies that lead to the production of cement, mortar, and concrete with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, relative to conventional blended Portland cement concrete. Under this perspective, the Research Topic aims to contribute to the section of Sustainable Design and Construction of Frontiers in Built Environment and Structural Materials section of Frontiers in Materials, presenting relevant advances in these research areas.

Potential topics that fall in the scope of the Research Topic include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Substitutes for Portland cement binder in mortar and concrete e.g. alkali-activated materials/geopolymers
• Supplementary cementitious materials as partial substitutes for Portland cement in mortar and concrete, as well as hybrid alkali-activated materials
• Technologies to reuse and recycle concrete materials and structures
• Aggregate, mortar, and concrete produced using recycled materials
• Technologies for carbon sequestration in clinker, cement, and binder production (e.g., CO2 curing)
• Technologies and materials for carbon sequestration in mortar and concrete (e.g., biochar)

Topic Editor Dr Brant Walkley received financial support from Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co Ltd and Lubrizol Ltd. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.

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Frontiers in Built Environment

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