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Sustainability and Green Construction
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Sustainability and Green Construction

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 15305

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ahmed R. Suleiman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
Interests: self-healing concrete; durability of materials; corrosion of steel in concrete structures; sustainability and green construction; design and construction procedures of structural and geotechnical projects involving special concretes; assessment of aging concrete structures and design of effective repair strategies; modeling durability of reinforced concrete structures
Dr. Ahmed Soliman

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Quebec, Canada
Interests: cement and concrete technology; green materials; alternative cement; smart and nano-modified construction materials; intelligence-based prediction models; performance-based testing techniques; eco-friendly construction materials; bio-based construction materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of environmental challenges and climate changes, many countries have committed to the “2030 Challenge” targeting that all new buildings and major renovations shall be carbon neutral by 2030. Hence, attention is directed to reduce carbon emission for construction materials. Developing low-carbon binding systems, using efficient energy technologies to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel, and recycling various industrial waste materials to save natural resources are serious attempts for construction materials sustainability development. In fact, the serviceability and durability of construction materials are also essential to achieve sustainability. Long lifespan construction materials will exhibit a low life-cycle carbon impact. Therefore, sustainable and green constructions aim to avoid or reduce depletion of natural resources, prevent environmental degradation, reduce energy consumptions, enhance the quality of life, and create healthy built environments that are safe, resilient, and cost-effective. These green construction practices will lead to carbon-neutral construction materials.

This special issue promotes alternative sustainable construction methods to conventional ones through seeking novel and cutting-edge researches.  Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Material selection and sustainable design
  • Structural sustainability
  • Alternative materials, recycled materials, and material resilience
  • Rheology, strength, and durability of green concrete
  • Structural behavior of green concrete structures
  • 3D-printing techniques
  • Energy-efficient buildings
  • Eco-friendly construction strategies
  • Green building practices
  • Sustainable repair and strengthening techniques
  • Carbon upcycling technologies
  • Sustainable structure performance
  • Life-cycle cost assessment of green buildings
  • Modeling sustainable behavior and case studies

Dr. Ahmed R. Suleiman
Dr. Ahmed Soliman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • green construction
  • materials
  • sustainability
  • durability
  • structures
  • performance

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5150 KiB  
Article
Fresh, Hardened, and Microstructural Properties of Ambient Cured One-Part Alkali-Activated Self-Consolidating Concrete
by Dima Kanaan, Amine el Mahdi Safhi, Ahmed R. Suleiman and Ahmed M. Soliman
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2451; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032451 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1849
Abstract
Several studies have investigated the properties of alkali-activated materials (AAM), considering it as a substitute of cementitious concrete. However, the studies on alkali-activated self-consolidating concrete (AASCC) are extremely limited. This paper investigated the properties of AASCCs utilizing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) [...] Read more.
Several studies have investigated the properties of alkali-activated materials (AAM), considering it as a substitute of cementitious concrete. However, the studies on alkali-activated self-consolidating concrete (AASCC) are extremely limited. This paper investigated the properties of AASCCs utilizing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as the main precursor. Single, binary, and ternary AASCCs were produced using fly ash Class-F (FA) and silica fumes (SF) as a replacement for GGBFS. The fresh properties including filing ability, passing ability and stability, as well as the hardened properties including unconfined compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, electrical resistivity, absorption, and sorptivity of the ambient cured one-part AASCC mixtures with different precursor blends were investigated. In addition, the microstructural properties of 90-day AASCC blends were studied by various microscale analysis methods. This paper demonstrated that the higher fraction of sodium carbonate/silicate activators, ranging from 20% to 25%, contributed to delayed reaction kinetics and satisfactory fresh and mechanical properties in all systems due to their nature. Slag replacement with variable SF or FA class-F ratios, instead, could indeed adjust the particle size distribution of the total binder material and improve the fresh concrete characteristics in binary and ternary systems. Finally, the formation of various reaction products and binding gels, i.e., C-(N)A-S-H, was found to have a significant impact on several transport mechanisms, including capillary sorptivity, permeable pores, and bulk electrical resistivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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17 pages, 1639 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Incorporation of Tire-Derived Aggregates (TDA) in Rigid Pavement Mix Designs
by Ahmad M. Abu Abdo and Hany El Naggar
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11775; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811775 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1894
Abstract
Owing to the extensive worldwide generation of solid wastes, such as rubber tires, and the resulting adverse environmental impacts, the incorporation of these waste materials in construction projects has become a widespread aim. However, concerns have arisen regarding the effects of rubber waste [...] Read more.
Owing to the extensive worldwide generation of solid wastes, such as rubber tires, and the resulting adverse environmental impacts, the incorporation of these waste materials in construction projects has become a widespread aim. However, concerns have arisen regarding the effects of rubber waste on the mechanical properties of Portland cement concrete (PCC) mixes. Thus, this study investigates the effects of replacing natural coarse aggregates with tire-derived aggregates (TDA). In PCC mixes, natural aggregates were replaced by 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% TDA by volume, and the properties of these specimens were tested in the laboratory. The results obtained were then used as inputs for the KENPAVE software, to evaluate induced stresses, deflections, and cracking indices in rigid pavement slabs, with eleven different thicknesses, ranging from 200 to 300 mm in 10 mm increments. Stresses under different loading conditions decreased as PCC slab thickness and TDA content increased. Increased deflection and cracking indices resulting from adding TDA could be counteracted by increasing the PCC slab thickness by 10 mm. Moreover, environmental impacts and cost analyses were examined via PaLATE 2.0, which showed that the use of TDA could reduce energy consumption, harmful emissions, and material costs. Overall, this study indicates that the use of TDA in PCC mixes has benefits that can make it a good candidate for sustainable, ecofriendly rigid pavement construction projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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12 pages, 4146 KiB  
Article
Performance of Concrete Pavement Incorporating Portland Limestone Cement in Cold Weather
by Ahmed Yasien, Ahmed Ghazy and Mohamed Bassuoni
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010183 - 24 Dec 2021
Viewed by 2564
Abstract
The City of Winnipeg (COW) and the University of Manitoba (UM), Canada, have partnered since 2015 to conduct research on the use of portland limestone cement (PLC), comprising up to 15% limestone filler, in transportation infrastructure such as pavements and bridges. Laboratory tests [...] Read more.
The City of Winnipeg (COW) and the University of Manitoba (UM), Canada, have partnered since 2015 to conduct research on the use of portland limestone cement (PLC), comprising up to 15% limestone filler, in transportation infrastructure such as pavements and bridges. Laboratory tests have substantiated the equivalent or superior resistance of concrete made from PLC, relative to that made from general use (GU) cement (Type I) to durability exposures including acids, sulfate salts and chloride-based deicing salts. Subsequently, a field trial was done in 2018, which involved casting two concrete pavement sections made from PLC and GU cement in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The current paper reports on the construction and long-term (three years/winter seasons) properties of these pavement sections including fresh properties, strength, absorption and chloride ions penetrability, as well as microstructural features. Cores were taken from mid-slabs and at joints, which are the most vulnerable locations to damage in concrete pavements. The field trial results showed that concrete pavement sections made with PLC had equivalent or superior performance compared with those made of GU in terms of fresh, hardened and durability properties. Thus, it presents a viable option for sustainable construction of concrete flatwork in cold regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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21 pages, 16074 KiB  
Article
An Investigation of Suitable Healing Agents for Vascular-Based Self-Healing in Cementitious Materials
by Yasmina Shields, Tim Van Mullem, Nele De Belie and Kim Van Tittelboom
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 12948; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132312948 - 23 Nov 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2012
Abstract
Self-healing cementitious materials can extend the service life of structures, improve safety during repair activities and reduce costs with minimal human intervention. Recent advances in self-healing research have shown promise for capsule-based and intrinsic healing systems. However, limited information is available regarding vascular-based [...] Read more.
Self-healing cementitious materials can extend the service life of structures, improve safety during repair activities and reduce costs with minimal human intervention. Recent advances in self-healing research have shown promise for capsule-based and intrinsic healing systems. However, limited information is available regarding vascular-based self-healing mechanisms. The aim of this work is to compare different commercially available healing agents regarding their suitability in a self-healing vascular network system by examining a regain in durability and mechanical properties. The healing agents investigated include sodium silicate, two polyurethanes, two water repellent agents and an epoxy resin. Sealing efficiencies above 100% were achieved for most of the healing agents, and both polyurethanes and the epoxy resin showed high regain in strength. The results obtained from this study provide a framework for selecting a healing agent given a specific application, as a healing agent’s rheology and curing properties can affect the optimal geometry and design of a vascular network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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23 pages, 8045 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Informational Modeling Study of Sustainable Self-Compacting Geopolymer Concrete
by Iman Faridmehr, Moncef L. Nehdi, Ghasan Fahim Huseien, Mohammad Hajmohammadian Baghban, Abdul Rahman Mohd Sam and Hassan Amer Algaifi
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7444; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137444 - 2 Jul 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 2698
Abstract
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) became a strong candidate for various construction applications owing to its excellent workability, low labor demand, and enhanced finish-ability, and because it provides a solution to the problem of mechanical vibration and related noise pollution in urban settings. However, the [...] Read more.
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) became a strong candidate for various construction applications owing to its excellent workability, low labor demand, and enhanced finish-ability, and because it provides a solution to the problem of mechanical vibration and related noise pollution in urban settings. However, the production of Portland cement (PC) as a primary constituent of SCC is energy-intensive, contributing to about 7% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Conversely, the use of alternative geopolymer binders (GBs) in concrete can significantly reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In addition, using GBs in SCC can produce unique sustainable concrete with unparallel engineering properties. In this outlook, this work investigated the development of some eco-efficient self-compacting geopolymer concretes (SCGCs) obtained by incorporating different dosages of fly ash (FA) and ground blast furnace slag (GBFS). The structural, morphological, and mechanical traits of these SCGCs were examined via non-destructive tests like X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The workability and mechanical properties of six SCGC mixtures were examined using various measurements, and the obtained results were analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, an optimized hybrid artificial neural network (ANN) coupled with a metaheuristic Bat optimization algorithm was developed to estimate the compressive strength (CS) of these SCGCs. The results demonstrated that it is possible to achieve appropriate workability and mechanical strength through 50% partial replacement of GBFS with FA in the SCGC precursor binder. It is established that the proposed Bat-ANN model can offer an effective intelligent method for estimating the mechanical properties of various SCGC mixtures with superior reliability and accuracy via preventing the need for laborious, costly, and time-consuming laboratory trial batches that are responsible for substantial materials wastage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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Review

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18 pages, 340 KiB  
Review
Zero-Cement Concrete Resistance to External Sulfate Attack: A Critical Review and Future Needs
by Dima Kanaan, Ahmed M. Soliman and Ahmed R. Suleiman
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2078; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042078 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2889
Abstract
The durability of zero-cement concrete or alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is a subject of controversy, especially when exposed to sulfate attacks. This can be due to the different elemental and microstructural compositions of the broad alkali-activated systems that exhibit different degradation mechanisms in sulfate-rich [...] Read more.
The durability of zero-cement concrete or alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is a subject of controversy, especially when exposed to sulfate attacks. This can be due to the different elemental and microstructural compositions of the broad alkali-activated systems that exhibit different degradation mechanisms in sulfate-rich environments. Various parameters, such as properties of raw source materials (nature, fineness, and mineralogy), activators (type and concentration), mixture design, curing regime, types of sulfate salt and sulfate ion concentrations, and weathering conditions, are considered to have a significant impact on zero-cement concrete sulfate attack resistance. Furthermore, the adequacy of the standard sulfate immersion tests raises more concerns about the reported behavior. This paper presents a critical review of the current aging protocol associated with ordinary cement resistance and zero-cement concrete or AAMs to external sulfate attack. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Green Construction)
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