Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering

Optimizing Fibre Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete for Durable Structural Applications

The construction industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions and natural resource depletion, with conventional concrete production playing a central role due to its reliance on energy-intensive cement manufacturing and the extensive use of virgin aggregates. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure expansion, particularly across Asia, have further increased the demand for concrete while significantly accelerating the generation of construction and demolition waste. This growing waste stream presents serious environmental, economic, and logistical challenges, including landfill pressures, depletion of natural resources, and increased lifecycle emissions. In response, sustainable concrete technologies have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional construction practices. Approaches such as recycled aggregate concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, and the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials aim to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining the mechanical and durability performance required for structural applications. These developments are increasingly recognized as essential for advancing resilient and resource-efficient built environments.

The transition toward low carbon and circular construction practices is critical for achieving climate targets and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the built environment. Although recycled aggregate concrete offers clear environmental benefits by reducing waste disposal and conserving natural resources, its widespread adoption in structural applications remains limited. Concerns related to mechanical strength, durability, and long-term reliability continue to hinder its acceptance in practice. Similar challenges arise when balancing sustainability objectives with safety and performance requirements in real-world construction. Recent advances in fibre reinforcement, optimized mix design strategies, carbon sequestration techniques, and improved curing methods have demonstrated significant potential to overcome these limitations by enhancing strength, ductility, durability, and environmental performance. In parallel, data-driven approaches such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly being applied to optimize material design and predict performance outcomes. Despite this progress, research efforts often remain fragmented, focusing on isolated material properties or laboratory-scale studies. There is a pressing need for integrative research that connects material innovation with structural behaviour, durability, and lifecycle sustainability, particularly within the diverse climatic, economic, and regulatory contexts of Asian construction.

This Article Collection aims to bring together high-quality, interdisciplinary research that advances sustainable concrete technologies for low carbon and circular construction. The Collection welcomes original research articles, comprehensive review papers, and well-documented case studies addressing both fundamental and applied aspects of sustainable concrete materials. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, recycled aggregate concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, supplementary cementitious materials, carbon sequestration and carbonation in cement-based systems, durability and long-term performance under aggressive environmental conditions, lifecycle assessment and lifecycle cost analysis, structural behaviour and large-scale experimental validation, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in concrete mix optimization. Contributions that examine practical implementation challenges, regional construction practices, and industry or policy perspectives are also encouraged. While particular emphasis is placed on challenges and innovations emerging from Asia, submissions offering broader international perspectives and transferable solutions are equally welcome. By integrating material science, structural engineering, and sustainability assessment, this Collection seeks to support the transition toward environmentally responsible construction practices.

Keywords: Fibre reinforced recycled concrete; Low-carbon concrete; Durability performance; Structural applications; Sustainable construction

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is [31 October 2026].

Please contact Zhan Yu at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select "Optimizing Fibre Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete for Durable Structural Applications" from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Dr. Thanongsak Imjai is a Design Director at Asian Built Tech (Thailand) Co., Ltd., with extensive experience in structural engineering, construction management, and infrastructure design. He earned his PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Sheffield, UK, following Master’s degrees in Structural Engineering from the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Thammasat University, Thailand. His expertise spans reinforced and prestressed concrete, FRP composite structures, durability assessment, and large-scale infrastructure projects. Dr. Imjai has led and contributed to numerous high-profile building and transportation projects and has published internationally on advanced concrete and composite structural systems.