Call for papers: Future of calcined clays for low-carbon and durable concrete construction
Introduction
The increase in the use of carbon-neutral construction materials has made calcined clay-based binders a highly attractive research area for the development of eco-friendly concrete today. Global cement’s carbon footprint reduction and long-term durability enhancement are among the researchers’ focus on calcined clays, LC³ systems, and alternative supplementary cementitious materials; thus, their involvement in impactful scholarly discussions is unavoidable. Nevertheless, the transformation of technically sound research into a publication-ready manuscript that caters to the journal’s requirements entails careful structuring, delineation of the contribution, as well as synchronisation with the editors’ scope.
The PhD Assistance Research Lab takes on the role of an end-to-end supporter for researchers who need help with submissions for the special issue “Future of Calcined Clays for Low-Carbon and Durable Concrete Construction.” Our service is structured in a way that it helps the authors to make an effective presentation of their research, to strengthen the scientific arguments, and finally to make sure that the journal standards are met while the originality and the technical depth of the work are preserved.
Scope
The first section of this special issue will cover the basic and applied research of calcined clay–based cementitious materials. Contributions in material development, characterisation, performance evaluation, environmental assessment, and field implementation are welcome. The issue will promote interdisciplinary approaches that help to change the standard from high to low carbon concrete technologies, and also encourage worldwide usage of calcined clays in many different construction settings.
Know More About This Issue
Calcined clays are a potential option to drastically lower the greenhouse gas emissions of cement mortar systems by substituting a part of the clinker, and also keeping up with the performance criteria. The successful introduction of calcined clays depends on several factors, such as mineralogy of the clay, activation methods, formulation of the blend, and eventual durability. This special issue offers researchers and practitioners a forum for presenting their innovations, experimental results, and practical case studies related to both the opportunities and difficulties of working with calcined clay-based binders. The overall knowledge is intended to speed up the acceptance of the industry and to create a support system for sustainable construction practices around the globe.
Key Themes
- Other sources of clay, such as low-grade or non-kaolinitic clays that can serve as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
- Thermal treatment and processing of clays that consist of determining the optimal temperatures and employing different grinding techniques
- Evaluation and characterisation methods for the reactivity of calcined clays
- Cements blended with composites (e.g., LC³): hydrating mechanisms, phase composition, and microstructure evolution
- Clays that have been thermally activated and geopolymer systems with the help of calcined clay as the carrier
- The compressive strength and durability, the performance of concrete containing calcined clay
- Decay by carbonation of low-clinker calcined clay concrete
- Life-cycle analysis of calcined clay binders from both environmental and economic perspectives
- On-site implementations and case studies of large-scale implementations that are practical
How We Support Your Submission
Publishing in a specialised journal issue is not just about having strong experimental results; it requires a clear presentation of the novelty, a careful discussion of the methods employed, and the implications for sustainable construction practice expressed in a well-thought-out manner. Our research support services are available to help authors throughout the entire submission process. These include:
- Refining of research focus to be in line with the special issue’s theme of low-carbon and durable concrete
- Manuscript structuring for clear communication, coherence, and scientific impact
- Literature review augmentation to show the researcher’s contribution with calcined clay and LC³
- Technical writing, data visualisation, and result interpretation enhancement
- Journal formatting, ethical, and submission guidelines compliance assurance
- Reviewer comments response support during the peer-review process
Journal Guidelines:
- The submission of articles to the journal is reserved for original, unpublished works, and the authors go through a peer review process.
- Among the various academic types, the journal accepts manuscripts that fall under the titles of research paper, case study, review, briefing, discussion, and book review.
- A research article’s length might be 5,000 words maximum, while up to 2,000 words for all other formats (not counting abstract and references).
- It is a must for the manuscript to use UK English and be either Word or LaTeX-formatted.
- The title should be explicit (max. 90 characters); the abstract should be 150-200 words with no references.
- The references must comply with the Harvard (author–date) style.
- All contributors must adhere to the authorship and ethics policy, and any potential conflicts of interest must be declared.
- While AI tools are not permitted to produce any content, however, they can be used for editing purposes with prior notification.
- It is imperative that figures, tables, and supplementary materials are properly identified and cited.
Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: 01 May 2026
Full Manuscript Submission Deadline: 01 Oct 2026
To ensure successful and timely submission to the special issue “Future of calcined clays for low-carbon and durable concrete construction,” researchers are encouraged to leverage the expert services of the PhD Assistance Research Lab, offering comprehensive support from conceptualisation to final manuscript submission within the specified deadline.
Reference
Dhandapani, Y., & Irassar, E. F. (Eds.). (n.d.). Future of calcined clays for low-carbon and durable concrete construction (Call for papers). Advances in Cement Research. ICE Publishing. Future of calcined clays for low-carbon and durable concrete construction