The structural performance of civil engineering infrastructures exposed to elevated temperatures has been investigated in many recent works. Some of these studies evaluated the residual mechanical behavior of masonry prisms subjected to high temperatures, as these specimens are simplified models (2–5 units in height) that can be easily produced and tested, in terms of operational and economic factors. However, there is no previous literature review on the mechanical properties of fire-damaged masonry prisms. Therefore, this paper presents an investigation of the current state-of-the-art on this topic. It provides a careful review of recent knowledge on the failure mechanisms, residual compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and stress–strain behavior of masonry prisms made with different types of units, mortars, and/or grout after exposure to different types of thermal treatments. Based on the revised information, future research directions on the scientific field of masonry infrastructures are reported.

The growing demand for sustainable construction practices has driven research into self-sensing materials incorporating recycled waste for smart SHM (Structural Health Monitoring) systems. However, previous works did not investigate the influence of rheological behavior and piezoresistive properties of sustainable cementitious sensors containing red mud (RM) on the strain monitoring of concrete beams. To address this gap, this study presents an experimental analysis of the rheological, mechanical, and self-sensing performance of mortars incorporating carbon black nanoparticles (CBN) and varying levels of RM (25–100% sand replacement by volume), followed by their application in monitoring strain in a reinforced concrete beam under dynamic loading. The results showed that increasing RM content led to higher viscosity and yield stress, with a 60% reduction in consistency index. Compressive strength increased by up to 80%, while mortars with RM content higher than 50% showed high electrical conductivity and reversible resistivity changes under load cycles. Mortars containing 50–100% RM demonstrated improved piezoresistive response, with a 23% increase in gauge factor, and the best-performing sensor embedded in a concrete beam exhibited stable and reversible fractional changes in resistivity, closely matching strain gauge data during dynamic loading conditions. These findings highlight the potential of RM-based smart mortars to enhance sustainability and performance in SHM applications.

O uso do biochar em materiais de construção civil surge como uma potencial solução para melhorar propriedades mecânicas e físicas, além de contribuir para a sustentabilidade ambiental. Este trabalho revisa as aplicações do biochar em materiais cimentícios, como argamassa e concreto, incluindo sua utilização como substituto de agregados e cimento, bem como filler e aditivo, através de publicações indexadas entre 2020 e 2025. Diante disso, nota-se que o biochar melhora a resistência à compressão, reduz a retração autógena e aumenta a durabilidade dos compósitos cimentícios. Adicionalmente, explora-se o potencial do biochar em materiais sensores, devido à sua condutividade elétrica, reforçando sua versatilidade tecnológica. Com base na análise bibliográfica, destaca-se a viabilidade técnica e ambiental do uso do biochar na construção civil, alinhando-se aos princípios da economia circular e da redução de emissões de gases de efeito estufa. Este panorama busca incentivar novos estudos e aplicações práticas.