Sustainable Concrete Construction: Advances in Smart Materials and Technologies

  • 1,265

    Total views and downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 29 October 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 16 February 2026

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

Background

Concrete is everywhere. It’s like the backbone of all our modern buildings and roads. However, concrete is also responsible for carbon emissions, source depletion, and environmental degradation. With more people wanting to go green and build sustainably, it is time to rethink. We need fresh ideas that not only help the environment but also make the material perform better. Enter smart materials and technologies could be the game changers we are looking for. One of such materials is self-healing concrete, or phase-change materials, and these recent nano-engineered additives along with recycled materials. These smart materials can seriously boost the durability and energy efficiency of buildings. They are designed to react to their surroundings, which means less upkeep and a longer lifespan for structures. Further, AI is helping us figure out the best concrete mixes and to validate them, 3D printing concrete, and using sensors to keep an eye on structural health.

Bringing these innovations doesn’t just make concrete stronger and more durable and greener. It also aligns with greener practices like recycling and cutting down on waste. In addition, it helps lower carbon footprints. Research in this area is happening, intending to hit those net-zero emissions goals and promote a circular economy in construction. This special issue will highlight the latest breakthroughs, the hurdles we face, and the horizon for smart materials and technologies in sustainable concrete construction. It will be a great chance for researchers, engineers, and industry people to come together and share insights.



Concrete production and construction activities are key factors that affect carbon dioxide emissions in the world as well as the use of natural resources. This situation poses a lot of environmental problems and calls for sustainable public policy approaches. In most cases, the conventional concrete production depends mainly on the input of immense amounts of energy. Further, the materials are non-renewable, and the resulting structures are partially durable and have high demands for maintenance over time. Still, the most urgent challenge is to upgrade concrete performance while also reducing its carbon footprint and environmental degradation throughout the whole construction cycle.

To address these problems, smart materials and innovative technologies have begun to receive more Recent advances include the use of self-healing concrete capable of autonomously repairing cracks, nano-materials that enhance strength and durability, new recycled materials for structural applications, phase-change materials for thermal regulation, and bio-concretes that utilize microbial processes. Furthermore, the new solutions like the optimization of mix designs with the use of AI, 3D printing of concrete structures, and the use of smart sensors in order to carry out health monitoring work in real-time have paved the way for new sustainability objectives.



This Research Topic will focus on smart materials and technologies that advance sustainable concrete construction. Original research, reviews, and case studies will be invited to address themes such as self-healing concrete, nano- and bio-enhanced materials, AI-based optimization and validation of concrete mixes, 3D concrete printing, structural health monitoring using smart sensors, and low-carbon and recycled concrete innovations. Contributions exploring the integration of circular economy principles, life-cycle assessment, and the application of digital twins in concrete infrastructure are also welcome. Authors are encouraged to present novel experimental studies, modeling approaches, or practical field applications. Both theoretical insights and real-world implementation experiences that push the boundaries of sustainable concrete practices are of particular interest.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Editorial
  • Mini Review
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Keywords: Smart Materials, Sustainable Concrete, Self-Healing Concrete, Nano-Engineered Concrete, 3D Printing in Construction, Low-Carbon Concrete, Structural Health Monitoring

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.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Impact

  • 1,265Topic views
View impact