Cement-based 0-3 type piezoelectric composites, fabricated from white cement, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) powder and small amounts of carbon black, are exploited for potential applications in civil engineering. The nature of the aging and poling behavior of the carbon black/PZT/cement composites is investigated. It is shown that the use of a conductive carbon black phase can facilitate the poling process at room temperature. The influences of the carbon black on the piezoelectric and dielectric properties are studied as well. It is demonstrated that the piezoelectric sensitivities of the composites can be dramatically enhanced by incorporation of small amounts of carbon black, due to its conductive properties. With a poling field of 4 kV/mm and poling time of 20 min, the d, ε, tan δ and K values of the composite containing 70 vol.% PZT and 1.0 vol.% carbon black are 28.5 pC/N, 202.6, 0.19 and 12.2%, respectively. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.