Synergistic Innovation of Sustainable and High-Performance Materials: Performance Optimization and Engineering Applications of Environmentally Friendly Construction Materials

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About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Submission Deadline 30 January 2026

  2. This Research Topic is currently accepting articles.

Background

Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization and the "Dual Carbon" strategy, traditional construction materials face critical challenges of excessive resource consumption and high carbon emissions. This study focuses on the synergistic innovation of key materials, including recycled concrete, geo-environmental materials, high-strength concrete, and modified asphalt, systematically exploring their performance optimization mechanisms and pathways to enhance environmental benefits in modern construction engineering. By adopting an interdisciplinary research approach, we establish a comprehensive framework integrating materials science, structural engineering, and environmental engineering, aiming to advance the large-scale application and engineering performance breakthroughs of sustainable building materials.



The construction sector urgently requires innovative solutions to reconcile material performance demands with environmental sustainability imperatives. Current challenges stem from three critical gaps:

(1) Performance-Environment Trade-offs: Recycled materials (e.g., concrete aggregates, plastic-modified asphalt) exhibit compromised mechanical properties and durability compared to virgin materials, limiting their large-scale adoption despite environmental benefits.

(2) Multi-scale Interaction Complexity: The coupled effects of material microstructure evolution (e.g., geopolymerization kinetics), structural serviceability (e.g., crack propagation in high-strength concrete), and environmental stressors (e.g., freeze-thaw cycles, chemical corrosion) remain insufficiently quantified.

(3) Circular Economy Bottlenecks: Industrial solid waste utilization rates (<30% in many regions) and end-of-life material recyclability are constrained by inadequate processing technologies and standardized evaluation frameworks.



The research framework comprises four core directions:

(1) Recycled Aggregate Concrete Enhancement: Addressing strength degradation and durability limitations in manufactured sand/recycled aggregate concrete, we develop performance-enhancing processes through modification technologies and gradation optimization, while establishing a life-cycle carbon emission assessment model.

(2) Geo-Environmental Materials Development: Investigating microstructure regulation mechanisms of industrial solid waste-based geopolymers, we design permeable reactive barrier materials for contaminated site remediation and evaluate their long-term stability in geotechnical engineering applications.

(3) High-Performance Concrete Systems: By integrating fiber reinforcement and mineral admixture compounding technologies, we formulate damage-tolerance design theories for high-strength concrete and pioneer self-sensing smart concrete systems with structural health monitoring capabilities.

(4) Sustainable Asphalt Technologies: Developing warm-mix asphalt technologies using bio-based modifiers and recycled plastic composites, we systematically characterize their durability performance and aging resistance mechanisms under environmental stressors.

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Keywords: Sustainable Construction Materials, High-Performance Concrete, Recycled Aggregate Optimization, Geopolymer Composites, Bio-modified Asphaltriendly Construction Materials

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