Smart and Multifunctional Coatings Used in Cementitious Concrete

Dear Colleagues,

A large number of new materials have emerged in the construction industry this century; however, cement-based concrete still holds the position of the dominant material in the field of construction and civil engineering due to its apparent merits of being easy to obtain, having a low manufacturing cost, and being widely applicable. Concrete structures bearing the characteristics of extensive use and long-term service run the risk of rapid deterioration originating from the corrosion effect of complex environments, water erosion and infiltration, vibration response brought forth by earthquake, etc. This degrades durability and serviceability, thus inducing premature failure of concrete. Great efforts are thus urgently needed to develop effective methods and technologies to ensure the safety of aging concrete infrastructure. Advanced coatings covering the concrete surface are expected to solve these issues, adding functionality and making concrete smarter.

Researchers are devoting their time to developing concretes with smart coatings, which can help concrete infrastructure greatly improve its durability, usability, serviceability, and other essential performance. This dramatically weakens the adverse effects from the environment and significantly reduces the maintenance cost during the service life and consumption of energy resources. The realization of these functional features will provide a promising technical concept for the construction of intelligent building environments in modern urban agglomerations. Compared with ordinary concrete, the functionality of concrete coated with smart coatings is mainly reflected in the features of corrosion protection, self-cleaning, self-healing, photocatalysis, hydrophobicity, electromagnetic shielding, impact and explosion mitigation capabilities, fire resistance, carbonation resistance, electrical conductivity, and thermal energy storage.

Despite significant scientific advances in smart coatings applied to concrete infrastructure, there are still challenges in terms of development and application. This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in smart and multifunctional coatings used in cementitious concrete, especially for the current research gaps, basic properties, and practical performance.

The potential topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Synthesis technology for smart coatings used in cementitious concrete;
• Durability and sustainability;
• Testing method and characteristic technique;
• Thermal energy storage coating;
• Corrosion protection and inhibitors;
• Elastic coatings for impact mitigation;
• Hydrophobic surface;
• High temperature insulation;
• Chloride penetration isolation;
• Anti-icing coating;
• Electromagnetic shielding coating;
• Structural performance and modeling.

Assoc. Prof. Yushi Liu
Prof. Yingzi Yang
Guest Editors

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• smart coatings
• multifunctional
• concrete protection
• intelligent infrastructure