Ren Zhenhua’s Team’s Paper Selected as ESI Global Top 0.1% Hot Paper

According to the latest statistics from ESI in March 2024, the paper titled “Effect of Nanographite Conductive Concrete Mixed with Magnetite Sand Excited by Different Alkali Activators and Their Combinations on the Properties of Conductive Concrete,” authored by Professor Ren Zhenhua, Director of the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Ecological Restoration at our School of Civil Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Wang Xiangyu, a National Talent Program awardee and member of the European Academy of Sciences, has been recognized as a top 0.1% hot paper in the field of Engineering by the Essential Science Indicators (ESI). Professor Ren is the first author, and Hunan University of Engineering is the first institution.

The team focuses on key areas of economic and social development, aiming to enhance resource utilization efficiency in the construction sector, reduce carbon emissions, and accelerate the quality improvement of green and low-carbon development in the construction field, thereby contributing to the “Peak Carbon Dioxide Emission & Carbon Neutrality” strategic goals through technological innovation. The hot paper proposes the preparation of high-quality and efficient conductive concrete using mine solid waste and nano-graphite magnetite slag, imparting intelligent properties to concrete. This concrete is utilized in engineering scenarios such as structural health monitoring, snow melting and deicing on roads, radiant heating in buildings, and indoor dehumidification, achieving the goals of turning waste into treasure, transforming harm into benefit, energy conservation, carbon reduction, and promoting green development.

The research underpinning the hot paper was conducted at the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Ecological Restoration, focusing on low-carbon ecological building materials and structural systems, the preparation mechanism and key technologies of special concrete, as well as intelligent disaster prevention and green restoration of engineering structures.

(Reviewed by Wang Jiayi, Gong Qian)