Innovative Materials for Construction

Most of the typical materials employed in todays constructions present limitations especially concerning their durability in either common or severe environmental conditions and their impact on the environment. In response to these issues academic and industrial efforts around the world have been devoted to developing new smart materials that can provide efficient alternatives improve the energy efficiency of buildings or can upgrade repair or protect existing infrastructures. Different and wide technological innovations are therefore quickly fostering advancements in the field of construction materials. A new generation of materials (bricks cement coatings concrete FRP glass masonry mortars nano-materials PCM polymers steel wood etc.) is gaining a prominent position in modern building technology since they can overcome various limits and flaws of conventional materials employed in constructions without neglecting the smart applications of pioneering materials in ancient constructions and historic buildings. Even though the adoption of innovative materials in the construction field has been a successful route in achieving enhanced performance or even new and unexpected characteristics some issues have not been completely solved. On top of them the cost/performance ratio of novel solutions since their introduction must be convenient without compromising quality. Other concerns are related to their sustainability with eco-friendly options possibly exploiting recycled materials or by-products from other productions being the most desirable solution. Finally the use of materials or systems that are unconventional in this field raises the need to update or develop new specifications and standards. This special issue aims at providing a platform for discussing open issues challenges and achievements related to innovative materials proposed for the construction industry.