About this Research Topic
Built environments across the world are comprised largely of concrete. The importance of concrete is increasing, considering the rapid growth in urban population. Therefore, the degradation of concrete structures due to corrosion, aging, and extreme weather conditions is becoming a matter of primary concern. The development of multi-functional high-performance concrete is critical to advance sustainability, durability, and resilience of 21st century building infrastructure. Recent progress in nanotechnology has driven development of smart concrete materials and even “intelligent” concrete (concrete that can sense changes to the environment and adapt in real-time), which maintain performance even in the harshest conditions. Developing smart construction materials is therefore important, not just as a research challenge, but also for the role such materials will play in future construction, including in smart city projects.
As cities are turning into smart cities, material scientists are also exploring ways to design sustainable building materials to reduce their environmental impact. The environmental impact may be reduced by using sustainable raw materials with lower impact, such as the use of recycled materials, supplementary cementitious materials, alternative cements, as well as technologies and materials for carbon sequestration. In addition, the environmental impact can also be reduced by extending the concrete life-span, which can be done by using cementitious materials with added functionalities, such as self-healing, self-sensing, or energy storage capability, can play an important role.
This Research Topic focusses on the recent developments in materials and their properties that lead to the production of smart and sustainable concrete materials for smart cities world-wide. Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic, articles related to new (building) material development for resilient construction will be of interest.
Potential topics that fall in the scope of the Research Topic include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Sustainable building materials
• Materials for carbon sequestration in mortar and concrete
• Intelligent cement and concrete composites
• Multi-functional, smart cement-based composites
• Smart concrete controlling for "temperature and moisture effects"
• Energy efficient building materials
• Sustainability, durability, and resilience of infrastructure
As cities are turning into smart cities, material scientists are also exploring ways to design sustainable building materials to reduce their environmental impact. The environmental impact may be reduced by using sustainable raw materials with lower impact, such as the use of recycled materials, supplementary cementitious materials, alternative cements, as well as technologies and materials for carbon sequestration. In addition, the environmental impact can also be reduced by extending the concrete life-span, which can be done by using cementitious materials with added functionalities, such as self-healing, self-sensing, or energy storage capability, can play an important role.
This Research Topic focusses on the recent developments in materials and their properties that lead to the production of smart and sustainable concrete materials for smart cities world-wide. Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic, articles related to new (building) material development for resilient construction will be of interest.
Potential topics that fall in the scope of the Research Topic include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Sustainable building materials
• Materials for carbon sequestration in mortar and concrete
• Intelligent cement and concrete composites
• Multi-functional, smart cement-based composites
• Smart concrete controlling for "temperature and moisture effects"
• Energy efficient building materials
• Sustainability, durability, and resilience of infrastructure
Keywords: Sustainability, Smart Materials, Multi-functional Concrete, Zero Energy Building, Resilient Infrastructure
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
