The global transition toward a circular and low-carbon economy demands a paradigm shift in how resources are utilized within the construction industry. As concrete remains the most consumed construction material worldwide, its environmental footprint has become a major sustainability concern, stemming from cement production, resource extraction, and waste generation.

This special issue aims to highlight recent advances in the use of waste-derived materials in concrete, spanning from processing and microstructural evolution to mechanical performance and long-term durability. Particular attention is given to both organic and inorganic solid wastes, as well as emerging approaches that integrate data-driven modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), and life-cycle assessment (LCA) to optimize material design and predict environmental impacts.

By bringing together interdisciplinary research from chemistry, materials science, and civil engineering, this issue seeks to provide a holistic understanding of the processing-performance-sustainability relationship in waste-based concretes and to accelerate their transition from laboratory innovation to industrial-scale application.

Topics covered include, but are not limited to:

• Processing and valorization of organic and inorganic solid wastes for concrete and cementitious composites
• Chemical and physical mechanisms governing hydration, rheology, and durability of waste-derived materials
• Low-carbon binders and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) derived from industrial by-products and natural wastes
• Rheology of low-carbon and waste-incorporated concretes
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for modeling, predicting, and optimizing processing-structure-performance relationships
• Variability analysis and uncertainty quantification in waste-derived raw materials and mix compositions
• Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental impact analysis of waste-based concrete at both laboratory and industrial scales
• Durability and long-term performance of concrete containing waste-derived materials
• Industrial applications and regional case studies demonstrating practical feasibility and sustainability potential
• AI- and data-assisted decision frameworks for circularity, upscaling, and performance optimization in waste-based concrete systems

Guest Editors:

Prof. Yaxin Tao

Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, China

Website: https://geotec.tongji.edu.cn/tyx/main.htm

Prof. A. V. Rahul

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, India

Website: https://old.iittp.ac.in/dr-a-v-rahul

Dr. Mareike Thiedeitz

Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Website: https://ifb.ethz.ch/pcbm/people/senior-scientists-postdocs/mareike-thiedeitz.html

Mr. Lei Xu

Laboratory of Construction Materials, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

Website: https://people.epfl.ch/lei.xu/?lang=en

Submissions and Publication:

1. Acceptable paper types: Original Research Report/Communication/Review/Progress Report.
2. Please prepare your manuscript using the Manuscript Template, and see the full Submission Guidelines for further details.
3. Please submit your manuscript via the ScholarOne Manuscripts system before Apr. 25, 2026, and please select “Waste-derived Materials in Concrete”.
4. Once a themed issue paper is accepted, it will be quickly released online on the SciOpen platform, without waiting for other papers of this issue.

Open Access Sponsorship

As a fully open-access journal, MRSE will provide maximum exposure for published articles, making the research available to all to read and share. In addition, MRSE will waive the Article Processing Charge (APC) for the invited contributions.

Contact

Prof. Yaxin Tao, taoyaxin@tongji.edu.cn

Prof. A. V. Rahul, rahulav89@gmail.com

Dr. Mareike Thiedeitz, thiedeitz@ibi.baug.ethz.ch

Mr. Lei Xu, lei.xu@epfl.ch

Editorial Office of Materials Reports: Solidwaste and Ecomaterials, mrse@mater-rep.com