Recent Advances in Civil Engineering: Materials and Structural Innovations

https://doi.org/10.46610/JOCCE.2025.v011i03.003

Abstract

Civil engineering has undergone a substantial transformation in the past two decades with significant advancements in materials, methods, and sustainability-driven approaches. The field is increasingly addressing global challenges, including climate change, urbanization, infrastructure deterioration, and resource scarcity. This review consolidates five key areas of recent civil engineering research—structural design innovations, structural analysis methodologies, demolition planning, high-performance concrete (HPC), and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with steel fibers. Structural design frameworks have evolved toward efficiency-driven and resource-optimized solutions, using combinatorial and systematic approaches that minimize waste and enhance constructability. In parallel, advancements in structural analysis now allow for more accurate simulation of complex behaviors, incorporating nonlinear effects, dynamic loadings, and probabilistic assessments. Another critical area, demolition planning, has shifted from being a destructive afterthought to a lifecycle-oriented engineering practice, emphasizing safety, sustainability, and material recovery. On the materials front, HPC mixes have been engineered with supplementary cementitious materials to deliver enhanced durability, reduced permeability, and improved environmental outcomes. Complementing this, UHPC reinforced with steel fibers has demonstrated exceptional compressive and tensile strength, ductility, and long-term durability, making it a leading material for next-generation infrastructure.