Scientometric Review of Cement-Less Ultra-High-Performance Concrete: Trends, Innovations, and Future Research Directions

Ali Ejaz (1) Center of Excellence in Earthquake Engineering and Vibration, Department of Civil Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. 2) National Institute of Transportation, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islam)
Anat Ruangrassamee (Center of Excellence in Earthquake Engineering and Vibration, Department of Civil Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330)
Muhammad J. Iqbal (National Institute of Transportation, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000)
Mitsuyasu Iwanami (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552)

Civil Engineering Journal
Vol. 12 No. 4 (2026): April

This study presents a comprehensive scientometric review of cement-less ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with the objective of identifying research trends, key contributors, dominant themes, and critical knowledge gaps in this emerging field. A systematic bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database, from which 59 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2014 and 2024 were selected following rigorous screening criteria. Scientometric mapping was performed using VOSviewer to analyze publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, leading journals, influential authors, and active research regions. The findings reveal a sharp increase in research output after 2020, reflecting growing interest in geopolymer-based UHPC due to sustainability concerns. Existing studies predominantly focus on mechanical properties, particularly compressive strength and steel fiber reinforcement, while durability-related aspects such as corrosion resistance, fire performance, and long-term structural behavior remain underexplored. Higher sand-to-binder ratios (up to 0.8) were found to improve packing density and mechanical performance, achieving compressive strengths up to 160.7 MPa, while silica fume contents around 30% enhanced compressive strength by approximately 25% and fracture energy by nearly 50%. The novelty of this work lies in being the first dedicated scientometric assessment of cement-less UHPC, providing a quantitative overview of research evolution while systematically highlighting critical gaps and future research directions to support its effective structural application.