The Potential of Utilizing Agricultural Waste as Construction Materials: A Bibliometric Study and Applications

The construction industry is increasingly focused on utilizing agricultural waste to ensure the long-term durability of structures. The production of ordinary Portland cement, a widely used artificial product in construction, contributes to harmful emissions. Simultaneously, the agricultural industry faces challenges in managing its waste. To address sustainability concerns in both sectors, researchers have explored incorporating agricultural waste into cementitious systems. This work applied bibliometric analysis based on the Scopus database to compile 181 of the related documents for analysis. Through metadata analysis and author keywords, the study investigates the co-occurrence of phrases related to agricultural waste. Visual maps generated by the VOS viewer software illustrate connections between researchers’ countries and keywords. The findings reveal strong research collaboration among top authors, with India, China, and Malaysia leading in contributions. Highly cited documents and keyword associations are also investigated to determine ongoing research interests. The bibliometric analysis revealed strong research collaboration networks among leading authors, primarily driven by contributions from India, China, and Malaysia. Moreover, by analyzing highly cited documents and keyword co-occurrences, the study identified the key research themes and emerging areas of interest in the field of utilizing agricultural waste as construction materials. Furthermore, previous research demonstrates that agricultural waste materials can serve as viable alternatives to cement and fine aggregates, offering technical advantages, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits in applications such as soil stabilization, pavement, and brick production. This bibliometric analysis systematically maps the research landscape on utilizing agricultural waste as construction materials, identifying key trends, knowledge gaps, and promising applications that can guide future research and industry adoption in this emerging field.