Journal of Composites Science

32 pages, 2807 KB

Open AccessReview

Developing Coastal Resilience to Climate Change in Panama Through Sustainable Concrete Applications

by Kathleen J. Castillo-Martínez, Gisselle Guerra-Chanis and Yazmin L. Mack-Vergara

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110575 (registering DOI) - 24 Oct 2025

Panama, with nearly 3000 km of coastline and half its population living in coastal zones, faces high vulnerability to sea level rise, flooding, and extreme events. The most vulnerable areas include low-lying coastal provinces such as Panama, Colón, and Chiriquí. This review explores the use of sustainable concrete to address the effects of climate change in Panama towards coastal resilience. The methodology combined a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer, a systematic literature review (2015–2025) of 99 sources including regulations and technical standards, and a socioeconomic SWOT analysis to assess adoption drivers and barriers. A 2050 permanent inundation map was examined to identify vulnerable areas, and an inventory of concrete-based protection structures was developed. The results highlight that concrete is already used in Panama for coastal resilience through structures such as breakwaters, dolos, and Xbloc units. However, as the country still needs to expand its coastal protection infrastructure, there is a crucial opportunity to implement lower-impact, sustainable concrete alternatives that minimize environmental burdens while ensuring long-term durability and performance. Sustainable options, including supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), recycled aggregates, and CO₂ injection technologies, demonstrate strong mitigation potential, with national initiatives such as Vertua, Greentec, and Argos pozzolan offering early pathways. The conclusions emphasize the need to expand sustainable concrete applications, integrate nature-based solutions, and strengthen Panama’s regulatory and technical capacity to achieve resilient, low-carbon coastal infrastructure. Full article

21 pages, 2893 KB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction of Adiabatic Temperature Rise of Concrete Containing Fly Ash Using On-Site Measurement and Multi-Scale Modeling

by Nawaf S. Alsulami and Hung-Liang (Roger) Chen

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110574 (registering DOI) - 24 Oct 2025

Abstract

In this study, an experimental adiabatic temperature rise (ATR) measurement and a multi-scale analytical approach were investigated for concrete containing Class F fly ash (FA). A half-meter (0.5 m) insulated cube was developed to measure the ATR. ATR calorimetry was used to verify the applicability of the 0.5 m insulated cube. The ATRs were obtained by calculating the heat loss from the cube. Besides the insulated cube and adiabatic calorimetry, a multi-scale hydration model was programmed to predict the ATR from the chemical composition of the cementitious materials and mix designs. The model consists of two parts; the first part is for the Portland cement (PC) hydration reaction, and the second part is for the FA reaction. The analytical model was verified using ordinary PC and FA concrete mixes, and the ATR predictions compared well with the experimental measurements. The proposed methods proved to be a reliable alternative approach to obtain the ATR of a concrete mix containing FA. The developed 0.5 m insulated cube offers a more practical and economical approach for estimating the ATR while maintaining accuracy comparable to large-scale cubes, making it suitable for both field and laboratory applications. The study integrates on-site measurements with multi-scale analytical modeling to provide a better understanding of the hydration behavior and temperature development in FA-blended concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Composites Modelling and Characterization)

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14 pages, 6264 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigations of Edge Cutting Effects on Mechanical Behaviors of 3D Braided Composites with Different Braiding Angles

by Yafei Bai, Zhen Zhang, Tao Liu, Ziyi Wu, Haolong Zhang, Ruixing Zhu, Yue Chen, Yiwei Ouyang and Jingjing Dong

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110573 (registering DOI) - 24 Oct 2025

Abstract

Three-dimensional braided composites (3DBCs) exhibit broad application prospects in the aerospace field due to their excellent mechanical properties. Considering that composites require cutting processing during real applications, this study employs a combination of experimental and finite element analysis methods to investigate the influence of edge cutting on the compressive and flexural properties of 3DBCs. In the finite element model, full-scale mesostructural models with intact and edge-cut structures were constructed based on identical unit cell size parameters. The findings reveal that the effect of edge cutting on composite mechanical properties depends on the braiding angle, primarily because the deformation resistance of braided yarns varies with different braiding angles. However, the influence mechanisms of edge cutting on braided composites with large braiding angles differ between compressive and flexural loading modes. The results of this study can provide a reference for the practical application of 3DBCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Numerical Simulation of Composite Material Performance)

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J. Compos. Sci., Volume 9, Issue 11 (November 2025) – 3 articles

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