• Circular economy in construction
• Alternative construction materials and construction methods for circular construction
• Circular structural design
• New technologies in recycling of construction materials
• High value-added products with recycled secondary raw materials
• Reuse of structural components and structures
• Smart recycling of raw materials
• Structural concrete analysis and design
• Modular construction
• Demountable structural components and structures

Recent projects

• Infrastructure for the test of time on building materials and structural elements under sustained loading (01/01/2025 - 31/12/2025) - Co-promotor
• Development of a novel eco-friendly concrete with reduced thermal conductivity (15/10/2024 - 15/10/2028) - Promotor
• ENACT: Exploring nano- and microstructures in advanced coated concrete for improved building thermal efficiency (01/01/2023 - 31/12/2026) - Co-promotor
• Use of recycled CDW fines for developing eco-friendly alkali activated materials (22/08/2022 - 22/08/2026) - Promotor
• Concrete Circularity Center (01/09/2021 - 31/08/2023) - Promotor
• Manufacture, properties and enhancement of GGBS-RCP-based geopolymers (30/03/2021 - 30/03/2025) - Promotor
• Investigation of some Workability Issues Impeding the Large-scale Application of UHPC (11/03/2019 - 27/06/2024) - Promotor
• Constitutive modeling and finite element analysis of concrete with high quality recycled concrete aggregates(RCAs) (21/01/2019 - 23/05/2025) - Promotor
• Thermally Treated Cutter Soil Mixing Residue (CSMR) as Construction and Building Materials (08/01/2019 - 23/11/2022) - Promotor
• Recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW) through geopolymer technology (11/12/2018 - 21/12/2022) - Promotor

Recent publications

• launch Guo, X., Vitse, J., Sultan, A., Li, J., Hallez, H., Vandeginste, V. with Vandeginste, V. (corresp. author) (2025). Durable VO2-based Coatings: Effects of Concrete Curing on Wettability, Adhesion, and Thermochromic Properties. In: IOP Conference Series articles. Presented at the Central Europe towards Sustainable Building 2025, Prague, Czech Republic, 16 Sep 2025-19 May 2025.
• launch Zhang, D., Zhu, H., Yang, Q., Mao, M., Li, J. with Yang, Q. (corresp. author) (2025). Hydration kinetics, mechanical, and photocatalytic self-cleaning performance of permeable concrete reinforced with nano-TiO2 hydrosol. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, 472, Art.No. ARTN 140830. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.140830
• launch Zhang, D., Zhu, T., Yang, Q., Mao, M., Li, J. with Mao, M. (corresp. author) (2025). Role of fly ash as fine aggregate replacement in the properties of concrete: A comprehensive study of rheological, mechanical, and microstructural properties. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, 458, Art.No. ARTN 139599. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.139599
• launch Kan, L., Gan, Y., Lv, L., Dai, L., Dai, W., Lin, Y., Li, J., Zhang, Z. with Zhang, Z. (corresp. author) (2025). Thermal impacts on eco-friendly ultra-lightweight high ductility geopolymer composites doped with low fiber volume. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, 458, Art.No. ARTN 139607. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.139607
• launch Zhang, D., Zhang, S., Wang, Y., Mao, M., Li, J., Yang, Q. with Yang, Q. (corresp. author) (2024). High-temperature behaviour of geopolymer composites containing carbon fibre and nano-silica: Mechanical, microstructure, and air-void characteristics. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, 451, Art.No. ARTN 138690. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.138690
• launch Vitse, J., Zhang, D., Li, J. with Li, J. (corresp. author) (2024). Effect of Increasing Slag Content on the Workability and Mechanical Properties of CDW-GGBS Based Geopolymer Composites. In: Proceedings of the RILEM Spring Convention and Conference 2024 (RSCC 2024): vol. 55, (62-70). Presented at the RILEM Spring Convention and Conference, Milan, 07 Apr 2024-12 Apr 2024. ISBN: 978-3-031-70277-8. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-70277-8_8
• launch Zhang, D., Vitse, J., Vandeginste, V., Yang, Q., Li, J. with Li, J. (corresp. author) (2024). Study on the Fracture Performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Recycled Powder-Based Geopolymer Composites. In: Proceedings of the RILEM Spring Convention and Conference 2024 (RSCC 2024): vol. 55, (71-79). Presented at the RILEM Spring Convention and Conference, Milan, 07 Apr 2024-12 Apr 2024. ISBN: 978-3-031-70277-8. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-70277-8_9
• launch He, G., Kong, D., Chen, X., Fan, S., Meng, T., Li, J. with Kong, D. (corresp. author) (2024). Preparation of C-S-H gels by mechanochemistry and its influences on properties of super-retarded cement-based materials with sucrose. CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES, 153, Art.No. ARTN e105734. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2024.105734
• launch Dai, D., Lai, Z., Yu, H., Meng, T., Xu, Q., Li, J., Vandevyvere, B., Shen, H. (2024). Mechanical Properties, Microstructure, and Mechanism of Nanosilica-Modified Low-Carbon Magnesium Silicate Hydrate Cement. Journal Of Materials In Civil Engineering, 36 (11), 04024374-1-04024374-11. doi: 10.1061/JMCEE7.MTENG-18127
• launch Zhang, D., Zhu, T., Yang, Q., Vandeginste, V., Li, J. with Li, J. (corresp. author) (2024). Influence of ground granulated blast furnace slag on recycled concrete powder-based geopolymer cured at ambient temperature: Rheology, mechanical properties, reaction kinetics and air-void characteristics. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, 438, Art.No. ARTN 137190. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.137190