Sustainable Civil Engineering: Innovative Methods for Structures, Elements and Materials

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue of the journal Sustainability, entitled “Sustainable Civil Engineering: Innovative Methods for Structures, Elements and Materials”. Earthquakes, demolition activities and urban development projects have a significant impact on the generation of waste materials. Earthquakes can lead to the widespread destruction of buildings and infrastructure, resulting in large amounts of debris and waste materials such as broken bricks, concrete and other building materials. Demolition work, whether undertaken to renovate existing buildings or to make way for new developments, also contributes to the generation of waste materials as buildings are demolished and materials removed. Urban development projects, including the construction of new buildings, roads and infrastructure, also generate significant amounts of waste during the construction process. These activities contribute to the overall accumulation of waste, which emphasizes the importance of effective waste management strategies to mitigate their environmental impact.

Environmental and civil engineering are closely intertwined and work together to manage the environmental consequences of infrastructure growth, achieve sustainability goals and protect natural resources. Their collaborative, interdisciplinary methods are essential to tackling complicated environmental problems and promoting a more sustainable built environment. With growing concerns about environmental sustainability, civil engineers are tasked with incorporating environmentally conscious methods into their plans. This includes using environmentally friendly materials, utilizing energy-efficient technologies and designing structures that reduce the ecological footprint.

The Special Issue, entitled “Sustainable Civil Engineering: Innovative Methods for Structures, Elements and Materials“ examines the development and application of innovative frameworks and methods that optimize the design, construction, and performance of infrastructure. These models include advanced computational algorithms, simulation techniques and experimental approaches that improve the structural integrity, durability and sustainability of buildings. Examples include computational modelling and the simulation of complex structural behavior using finite element analysis or computational fluid dynamics in order to optimize designs and predict performance under different loading conditions. In addition, experimental models such as scale models and material testing facilities allow researchers to study the behavior of structures and materials in controlled environments, facilitating the development of novel materials and design techniques. In addition, the integration of data-driven modelling and machine learning algorithms enables the predictive maintenance to be undertaken and the performance of infrastructure assets to be monitored, increasing resilience and longevity. By using innovative modelling, civil engineers can advance the state of the art in structural design and materials science, ultimately leading to safer, more efficient and more sustainable infrastructure systems.

This Special Issue, resulting from the collaboration of colleagues from several countries within the IM4StEM project (https://im4stem.eu/en/home/), emphasizes the essential link between the environment and civil engineering, particularly with regard to the use of intelligent methods in this field.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• machine learning applications;
• structural integrity, durability and sustainability;
• finite element analysis;
• infrastructure systems;
• waste materials;
• geopolymer composites used as low-carbon construction materials;
• in-service life calculation of new and existing structures;
• ecofriendly construction materials.

Dr. Marijana Hadzima-Nyarko
Dr. Dorin Radu
Dr. Borko Đ. Bulajić
Dr. Emmanuel Karlo Nyarko
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.

• finite element analysis
• structural integrity, durability and sustainability
• infrastructure systems
• waste materials