Smart Construction and Operation for Infrastructure
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editors
Interests: smart construction; digital Innovation; digital transformation; BIM
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: construction 4.0; sustainable construction; responsible AI; green AI
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid advancement of digital technologies and intelligent systems is transforming infrastructure development, facilitating smarter, safer, and more sustainable practices. This Special Issue seeks to gather state-of-the-art research on the integration of advanced technologies across the entire infrastructure lifecycle—from design and construction to operation and maintenance. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that address pressing global challenges such as climate resilience, urbanization, and resource efficiency while aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Original theoretical and empirical studies, case studies, and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:
- AI-driven automation, robotics, and 3D printing in construction;
- Edge computing and embedded systems for real-time site monitoring;
- Integration of BIM and IoT for collaborative project delivery;
- Digital twin applications for construction simulation and resource optimization;
- Predictive analytics for hazard identification and mitigation;
- Ethical and legal frameworks for AI in high-risk environments;
- AI/ML-based predictive maintenance for civil infrastructure;
- Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and circular economy in infrastructure;
- Hybrid AI models (e.g., federated learning, reinforcement learning) for system optimization;
- Servitization and the infrastructure service ecosystem;
- Blockchain for ESG reporting and compliance;
- Applications of large language models in infrastructure management.
Dr. Yan Liu
Dr. Qian Zhang
Dr. Zigeng Fang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- smart construction technologies
- intelligent infrastructure management
- AI in construction
- building information modeling (BIM)
- digital twin
- predictive maintenance
- servitization in construction
- sustainable infrastructure
- infrastructure lifecycle optimization
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