Sustainable Marine Structures

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026

Guest Editor:

 

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of ocean and coastal areas, coupled with the urgent need to limit human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, demands innovative approaches to infrastructure materials. The global surge in plastic waste—exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic through billions of discarded face masks—presents both an environmental crisis and an opportunity for sustainable material innovation.

This Special Issue, Sustainable Materials and Recycling Innovations for Marine and Coastal Infrastructure, invites cutting-edge research that addresses the dual challenge of developing resilient marine and coastal structures while promoting circular economy principles. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that explore the valorization of pandemic-derived and plastic wastes—such as face masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other polymeric materials—into sustainable construction materials for marine and coastal applications.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Recycling of face mask fibers and PPE waste for concrete and cementitious composites;
• Mechanical performance, ductility, and energy absorption of waste-derived fiber-reinforced concrete;
• Sustainable materials for marine and offshore structures;
• Durability and long-term performance of recycled-material concrete in marine environments;
• Coastal and marine infrastructure incorporating recycled aggregates and fibers;
• Life-cycle assessment and environmental impact of sustainable construction materials;
• Innovative recycling technologies for the maritime sector;
• Structural health monitoring of sustainable marine infrastructure;

Despite extensive research on the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete, critical gaps remain regarding post-peak behavior, fracture energy, toughness indices, and energy dissipation capacity—properties essential for evaluating structural resilience under dynamic loads, seismic activity, and impact conditions. This Special Issue particularly encourages studies that systematically assess ductility, energy absorption, and deformation capacity alongside conventional strength parameters.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to advance sustainable materials for marine and coastal infrastructure.

Peng. Mehdi Rezaie and Dr. Mahdi Majedi asl
Guest Editors

Keywords:

• Sustainable construction materials
• Recycled face mask fibers
• Fiber-reinforced concrete
• Marine and coastal infrastructure
• Plastic waste valorization
• Ductility and energy absorption
• Mechanical properties of concrete
• Circular economy in construction
• Pandemic waste management
• Sustainable materials for maritime sector

 

Manuscript Submission Information:

Please visit the Submissions Guidelines page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Manuscripts should be submitted online through the online submission system. Additionally, please include a cover letter specifying that the manuscript is intended for the Special Issue "Sustainable Materials and Recycling Innovations for Marine and Coastal Infrastructure "when submitting it online. Manuscripts can be submitted until the submission deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract can be sent to the Editor Elsie Gu elsie@nassg.org for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process.