Advanced Low-Carbon Binding Systems for Sustainable Construction, Buildings, and Infrastructure

Cement and concrete production account for roughly 7-8% of global CO₂ emissions, while asphalt and pavement construction add further embodied carbon through binder production and energy-intensive processing. As infrastructure demand continues to grow worldwide, the construction sector faces mounting pressure to decouple material performance from carbon footprint. Recent years have seen significant progress in alternative binding chemistries, including alkali-activated and geopolymer systems, carbonatable and magnesium-based binders, and waste-derived supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), alongside functional additives such as calcined clays, industrial by-products, and carbon-based nanomaterials. Parallel developments in low-carbon asphalt binders and pavement materials, including bio-based and recycled-content formulations, further extend this decarbonisation effort beyond conventional cementitious systems. Advances in multiscale and in situ characterisation techniques now allow researchers to link reaction mechanisms and microstructure directly to macroscopic performance, durability, and sustainability outcomes, providing a stronger scientific foundation for scaling these emerging binder technologies toward practical, real-world application.Despite growing interest in low-carbon binding systems, several challenges continue to limit their widespread adoption. The reaction mechanisms of many alternative binders particularly carbonation-driven and waste-derived systems remain incompletely understood, making it difficult to reliably predict performance, durability, and long-term environmental behaviour. Variability in waste-derived precursors, limited standardisation, and a lack of robust structure–property–performance correlations further hinder scale-up from laboratory research to practical construction and pavement applications. This Research Topic aims to address these gaps by bringing together recent advances in material design, binding chemistry, and characterisation that strengthen the scientific basis for low-carbon binder development. This includes the use of novel and existing SCMs, functional additives, and advanced binder chemistries; progress in multiscale and in situ characterisation techniques that reveal reaction and microstructural evolution in real time; and the growing application of machine learning to accelerate mixture design and performance prediction. By consolidating these developments, this Research Topic seeks to support the transition of emerging binder technologies from proof-of-concept toward scalable, durable, and climate-resilient construction and pavement solutions.This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, critical reviews, and short communications covering, but not limited to:o Novel supplementary cementitious materials derived from recycled or waste streamso Functional additives, including calcined clays, industrial by-products, and carbon-based materialso Calcium carbonate–based, magnesium-containing, and other emerging binder chemistrieso Carbonation and CO₂-curing processeso Nano-engineered additives such as graphene derivatives and carbon blacko Bio-based, recycled-content, or low-carbon binder formulations for asphalt, pavement, and road infrastructure, including studies bridging cementitious and asphaltic binder researcho Multiscale or in situ characterisation approaches that reveal binding mechanismso Machine learning applications for mixture design and performance predictionSubmissions that connect material-level findings to durability, life-cycle impact, or field-scale applicability across both building and pavement contexts are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Kien Ngoc Bui, Nghia P. Tran, Dianchao WANG, Huu May Nguyen Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83785/advanced-low-carbon-binding-systems-for-sustainable-construction-buildings-and-infrastructure