The construction sector is a major contributor to global environmental impacts, primarily due to the widespread use of energy-intensive cement, which significantly drives CO₂ emissions. Concurrently, industrial, agricultural, and municipal sectors generate vast quantities of waste, exacerbating environmental degradation and posing significant management challenges.
This Research Topic addresses these critical sustainability issues by exploring the innovative integration of diverse waste-derived materials as low-carbon cement alternatives or aggregates in cement-based products. Our aim is to foster a more sustainable and circular built environment.
Significant potential exists for the industrial by-products (e.g., fly ash, slag, silica fume, red mud), agricultural residues (e.g., rice husk ash, bagasse ash, palm oil fuel ash), and municipal waste (e.g., recycled glass, ceramic waste, plastic fibers) to partially replace conventional cement or aggregates. These materials can enhance the mechanical and durability performance of construction materials while significantly reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting resource efficiency.
We invite original research articles, reviews, case studies, and short communications on various aspects, including:
• Material processing and characterization of waste-derived resources. • Mechanical and durability performance evaluations of cement-based products incorporating these materials. • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental impact analyses. • Application of circular economy principles in material design and construction. • Innovative production techniques and field implementations for low-carbon concrete.
Submissions addressing experimental work, modeling, comparative studies, novel test methods, and policy recommendations for integrating waste materials into sustainable cement-based construction are particularly encouraged. Ultimately, this Topic aims to advance the development of cost-effective, high-performance, and low-carbon construction materials that support global sustainability goals and circular economy principles.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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.
