Mechanical Testing and Failure Characterization of Construction Materials: Processing Techniques, Complex Loading and Performance Prediction.

Advanced construction materials are increasingly expected to deliver high mechanical performance, durability, sustainability, and adaptability throughout their service life. Their behavior is governed not only by material composition and internal structure, but also by processing routes and the service conditions to which they are exposed. In practical applications, construction materials may experience complex or coupled loading together with variations in temperature and humidity, resulting in progressive damage, failure, and long-term performance degradation. However, the effects of processing, loading conditions, and environmental exposure are often investigated separately, limiting the development of reliable failure criteria and predictive models. This Research Topic therefore focuses on how processing techniques, complex loading, and temperature–humidity environments affect the mechanical behavior, damage evolution, failure mechanisms, durability, and performance prediction of construction materials.The goal of this Research Topic is to advance the understanding of how processing techniques, complex loading conditions, and temperature–humidity environments influence the mechanical response, damage initiation and evolution, failure modes, and long-term degradation of construction materials. It aims to promote the development of reliable failure criteria, constitutive models, and performance prediction methods applicable to realistic service conditions. This collection encourages the integration of experimental, numerical, and data-driven approaches, including multiscale characterization, in situ monitoring, and advanced modeling techniques, to improve the evaluation and prediction of material behavior. Ultimately, it seeks to support more accurate performance assessment and more reliable structural design in engineering applications.This Research Topic welcomes studies on conventional, advanced, and sustainable construction materials, including cement-based materials, timber and bamboo products, composites, recycled materials, and other building-oriented material systems. Relevant themes include: mechanical performance of construction materials. testing under complex, cyclic, impact, or quasi-static loading; temperature, humidity, and hygrothermal effects; processing and manufacturing techniques; damage initiation and evolution; fracture and failure mechanisms; in situ and multiscale characterization; constitutive and damage modeling; durability and service-life assessment; and performance prediction using physics-based, data-driven, or machine-learning methods. Contributions should demonstrate clear relevance to construction or structural applications. This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:Brief Research Report,Editorial,FAIR² Data,FAIR² DATA Direct Submission,Hypothesis and Theory,Methods,Mini Review,Opinion,Original Research,Perspective and Review. Topic editors: Jiucheng Zhao, Zhenyu Qiu, Shanyue Guan, Jie Wan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86081/mechanical-testing-and-failure-characterization-of-construction-materials-processing-techniques-complex-loading-and-performance-prediction