Guest Editor(s)
Prof. Dr. Zuhua Zhang
Email: zhangzuhua@tongji.edu.cn
Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: low-carbon cementitious materials, advanced engineering materials, safe utilization of solid waste
Assist. Prof. Tao Yang
Email: taoyang1121@ycit.edu.cn
Affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: low-carbon cementitious materials, solid waste utilization
Prof. Dr. Yanru Wang
Email: yanru.wang@qut.edu.cn
Affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: low-carbon cement and concrete, geopolymer, durability
Prof. Dr. Zhenming Li
Email: zhenmingli@hit.edu.cn
Affiliation: Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) , Shenzhen, China
Homepage:
Research Interests: alkali-activated materials, solid waste recycling, low carbon concrete
Prof. Dr. Erich D. Rodriguez Martinez
Email: erich.rodriguez@ufsm.br
Affiliation: Department in Structures and Civil Construction, Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil), Santa Maria, Brazil
Homepage:
Research Interests: alternative cements, geopolymers, ultra-high performance concrete
Summary
Alkali-activated materials, also widely called as geopolymers, are emerging as versatile alternatives to Portland cement, offering pathways to reduce embodied carbon, valorize industrial by-products and construction wastes, and develop binders with tailored mechanical, durability, thermal, and functional performance. Despite substantial progress, broader implementation remains constrained by feedstock variability, activator-related cost and safety, limited standardization, uncertain long-term durability, and the gap between laboratory formulations and industrial production.
This Special Issue aims to present advances that connect fundamental reaction chemistry and multiscale characterization with performance-based design, environmental assessment, processing, and full-scale application. It welcomes original research, reviews, and case studies on alkali-activated slags, fly ashes, calcined clays, mine tailings, metallurgical slags, recycled concrete fines, and other locally available aluminosilicate resources. This issue seeks to accelerate reliable, safe, and economically viable deployment across the cement and construction industries under diverse environmental, regulatory, and regional raw-material conditions worldwide.
Suggested themes include:
· Reaction kinetics and gel chemistry;
· Precursor reactivity and variability;
· One-part and low-alkali binders;
· Waste-derived activators;
· Shrinkage, cracking, rheology, and curing;
· Carbonation, chloride, sulfate, freeze–thaw, fire, and long-term durability;
· Fiber-reinforced, lightweight, high-performance, and multifunctional composites;
· Additive manufacturing and precast technologies;
· Data-driven mixture design and multiscale modelling;
· Carbon capture, life-cycle assessment, circularity, standards, scale-up, and field demonstrations.
Keywords
low-carbon cement, geopolymer, alkali-activated materials, chemico-activated cementitious materials, sustainability, construction, durability
Login
Register
Submit a Paper
Propose a Special lssue