Synergising expertise towards sustainability and robustness of cement-based materials and concrete structures

This special issue of the Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology features six invited papers that originated from the International RILEM Conference SynerCrete’23, held on Milos Island, Greece, from June 14-16, 2023. These papers were selected by the Scientific Committee after a careful review process, and they were chosen based on the recommendations of the session chairpersons, from a total of 236 accepted contributions. Building on the foundation laid by COST Action TU1404, "Towards the next generation of standards for service life of cement-based materials and structures," which started the SynerCrete conference series in 2018, the 2023 edition continued the mission of bringing together key stakeholders. The aim was to foster collaboration and enhance the exchange of knowledge within the global and interdisciplinary communities. By supporting new developments, this initiative sought to create more robust and sustainable solutions for cement-based materials and concrete structures. The conference offered a valuable opportunity for participants to network, share insights, and explore collaborative possibilities in the field of cement-based materials and structural concrete. The journal papers highlighted in this issue showcase the wide range of contributions from SynerCrete’23 and the intended synergy of diverse expertise.