Structural Analysis and Optimal Design of Innovative Bio-Based Materials/Structures
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 8
Special Issue Editors
Interests: bio-based materials; timber engineering; hybrid and composite structures; structural durability; seismic design; structural retrofitting
Interests: bio-based materials; timber engineering; hybrid and composite structures; structural durability; seismic design; structural retrofitting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The transition toward sustainable construction practices has underscored the need for advanced bio-based materials and structural systems that possess both high performance and minimal environmental impact. This Special Issue seeks to compile cutting-edge research on structural analyses, life-cycle assessments and optimal design methodologies used to examine innovative bio-based materials, such as wood, hemp, bamboo and Arundo Donax, additionally considering the next generation of structural typologies that they enable. We particularly welcome contributions that demonstrate how these materials and systems can be characterized, modeled and deployed in both new constructions and the retrofitting of existing ones, utilizing digital tools and artificial intelligence to enhance performance and sustainability.
- Bio-based material characterization: The mechanical, physical and durability testing of wood, hemp, bamboo, and Arundo Donax and the composites derived from them.
- Life-cycle assessment (LCA): The quantification of the environmental impact of bio-materials across their extraction, processing, construction, service life and end-of-life phases.
- Optimal design strategies: Multi-objective optimization techniques—including topology, shape and size optimization—integrating sustainability criteria and structural performance.
- Structural analysis and modelling: Numerical finite element and analytical approaches for predicting the behavior of bio-based elements and systems.
- AI-enabled design and simulation: The application of machine learning and data-driven methods for property prediction, structural health monitoring and design automation.
- Bio-based innovative structural systems: The development of novel typologies, hybrid assemblies and modular frameworks for new builds and retrofit scenarios in sustainable architecture.
Dr. Giacomo Iovane
Prof. Dr. Beatrice Faggiano
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- bio-based material
- structural analysis
- life-cycle assessment
- optimal design methodologies
- structural design optimization
- environmental impact assessment
- sustainable architecture
- AI-enabled design and simulation
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