Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.4
3.1
Journals
Buildings
Special Issues
Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods
share announcement

Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1386

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhen Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Structural Mechanics, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
Interests: structural mechanics; AI-assisted structural diagnosis; multi-source monitoring data fusion; resilience assessment; segmental tunnel linings; structural joints and connections; fire performance of timber connections; construction safety control
Dr. Jing Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 201418, China
Interests: timber structures; fire engineering; AI-assisted structural diagnosis; steel structures; seismic safety assessment; multi-hazard performance based design
Dr. Shaojun Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, 200092 Shanghai, China
Interests: smart structural design; skeleton structures; modular structures; steel structures; structural stability; spatial structures; structural fire safety; smart firefighting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid urbanization, decarbonization targets, and increasing hazard exposure are driving the need for innovative structural systems and advanced construction methods that deliver higher performance with lower cost, carbon, and disruption. This Special Issue in Buildings (Building Structures Section) aims to showcase recent advances in the mechanics, design, fabrication, and on-site implementation of novel building structural systems and construction methods.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Advanced connections and joints.
  • Innovative structural forms and systems.
  • Modular/prefabricated and industrialized construction.
  • Construction-stage behavior and safety control.
  • Rapid and lightweight repair, strengthening, and retrofit methods.
  • Performance-based analysis and design under seismic/wind/fire scenarios.
  • Monitoring-informed assessment and digital framework.
  • Sustainability- and lifecycle-oriented structural performance evaluation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zhen Liu
Dr. Jing Luo
Dr. Shaojun Zhu
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Buildings 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 2600 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

  • innovative structural systems
  • advanced construction methods
  • modular and prefabricated construction
  • retrofit and strengthening
  • performance-based design
  • seismic, wind and fire performance
  • sustainability and lifecycle performance

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

30 pages, 2668 KB  
Article
Numerical Study and Parametric Insights of Mechanized Shaft Excavation in Soft Clay
by Sebastian Rivera, Zeren Tang, Chunjing Ma, Ba Trung Cao and Xian Liu
Buildings 2026, 16(10), 2045; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16102045 - 21 May 2026
Viewed by 89
Abstract
The excavation of deep shafts using Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine (VSM) technology in stratified soft soils involves complex soil-structure interaction (SSI) mechanisms that are often oversimplified by conventional numerical approaches. This study develops a robust three-dimensional numerical framework to investigate ground deformation induced [...] Read more.
The excavation of deep shafts using Vertical Shaft Sinking Machine (VSM) technology in stratified soft soils involves complex soil-structure interaction (SSI) mechanisms that are often oversimplified by conventional numerical approaches. This study develops a robust three-dimensional numerical framework to investigate ground deformation induced by VSM operations, explicitly incorporating the phased construction sequence, segmental lining installation, and site-specific stratigraphy. The model is calibrated and validated against high-resolution field monitoring data, employing a prediction envelope approach and statistical performance metrics (RMSE and R2). The results suggest that ground response during VSM excavation is predominantly stiffness-controlled under the investigated conditions. Mobilized shear stresses remain significantly below the available soil capacity, indicating that deformation under serviceability conditions is driven by progressive strain accumulation. Horizontal displacement profiles suggest a relatively stable depth of influence, indicating that the excavation process amplifies deformations within a pre-established domain without significant deep-seated propagation. Sensitivity analyses indicate soil stiffness modules (E50,Eoed,Eur) and the SSI interface factor (Rinter) as the primary drivers of deformation magnitude. Furthermore, stratigraphic contrasts specifically clay-sand sequences, act as a mechanical filter, concentrating strains in soft layers while limiting vertical propagation through stiffer strata. The proposed framework provides a mechanically coherent basis for serviceability-oriented design, deformation prediction, and risk-mitigation strategies for mechanized shafts in saturated soft ground. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods)
16 pages, 4866 KB  
Article
Design of Low-Heat and Crack-Resistant Mass Concrete: Mix Proportioning and Influence of Critical Parameters
by Guangyao Zhai, Xiaoliang Xu, Yinguang Wang, Yang Xiao and Yanqiang Chen
Buildings 2026, 16(10), 2028; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16102028 - 21 May 2026
Viewed by 160
Abstract
Mass concrete is prone to cracking induced by high early-age temperature rise and significant shrinkage stress, which severely compromises structural durability and safety. Aiming to achieve “low temperature rise and high crack resistance,” this study systematically optimized raw material selection and conducted experimental [...] Read more.
Mass concrete is prone to cracking induced by high early-age temperature rise and significant shrinkage stress, which severely compromises structural durability and safety. Aiming to achieve “low temperature rise and high crack resistance,” this study systematically optimized raw material selection and conducted experimental investigations on mix proportioning and the influence of critical parameters. The proposed design was subsequently validated through a field application. The results indicate that a fly ash content of 35% effectively improves workability, mitigates early-age shrinkage and reduces the heat of hydration. The incorporation of a high-performance expansive agent not only retards the hydration process and delays the temperature peak but also generates compensatory expansion at early ages, significantly reducing shrinkage during the cooling phase. Additionally, a polypropylene fiber dosage of 1.2 kg/m3 was found to optimally balance workability with crack resistance enhancement, resulting in less than 5% reduction in early-age strength. Field applications demonstrate that the concrete with the optimized mix proportion exhibits excellent workability and rapid early strength development. Specifically, the expansive agent delayed the temperature peak to 78 h and generated significant chemical expansion, effectively compensating for shrinkage caused by cooling. The findings provide critical insights into the construction-stage behavior of mass concrete, enabling improved safety control through better prediction and mitigation of early-age thermal and shrinkage effects. This study offers theoretical and technical support for the design of mass concrete characterized by low temperature rise and high crack resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 9507 KB  
Article
Damage Evolution of Initial Tunnel Support and Structural Safety of Lining Under Complex Oil–Gas Corrosive Environment
by Baijun Yue, Yu Wang, Xingping Wang, Quanwei Zhu, Junqian He and Yukai Wu
Buildings 2026, 16(9), 1694; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16091694 - 25 Apr 2026
Viewed by 342
Abstract
Tunnels excavated in non-coal oil- and gas-bearing strata may experience the seepage and intermittent ingress of an oil–gas–water mixture during construction, creating aggressive corrosive conditions that can compromise the integrity of primary support and the safety margin of the final lining. However, the [...] Read more.
Tunnels excavated in non-coal oil- and gas-bearing strata may experience the seepage and intermittent ingress of an oil–gas–water mixture during construction, creating aggressive corrosive conditions that can compromise the integrity of primary support and the safety margin of the final lining. However, the coupled degradation mechanism of primary support and its cascading effect on lining safety under such conditions remain poorly understood. Based on the Huaying Mountain Tunnel project, this study investigates the corrosion-driven damage evolution of primary support and its implications for the structural safety of the secondary lining under wet–dry cycling exposure. Accelerated wet–dry cycling tests were performed on concrete specimens using an on-site crude-oil–formation-water mixture collected during tunnelling, with exposure levels ranging from 0 to 120 cycles. Laboratory observations were then combined with inverse identification of degradation-dependent material parameters to establish a corrosion-informed mechanical description, which was implemented in numerical simulations for structural response assessment. Results show a staged evolution of mechanical properties, with an initial increase followed by progressive deterioration. After 120 cycles, compressive strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus decreased by approximately 18.9%, 23.1%, and 17.4%, respectively. Degradation is more pronounced in the corroded zone, with tensile capacity and stiffness deteriorating earlier than compressive resistance. Numerical results indicate that corrosion leads to significant stress redistribution and damage development. The sidewall tensile stress reaches 2.80 MPa after 120 cycles, exceeding the post-corrosion capacity, while the safety factor drops below the code threshold at 90 cycles. The overall safety probability decreases from 1.0 to 0.4, accompanied by a degradation in safety grade from Level I to Level IV. These findings provide a quantitative basis for deterioration assessment, safety verification, and maintenance planning for tunnels subjected to oil–gas corrosive environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 14742 KB  
Article
Study on Construction Techniques and Key Joints of Giant Arch Suspension Building
by Yuenan Jiang, Chengcheng Xu, Suola Shao and Wenping Wu
Buildings 2026, 16(7), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16071313 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 421
Abstract
Arch-suspended structures represent a distinctive form of hybrid suspension system. By combining an arch with a suspended floor system, this structural typology leverages the inherent advantages of both components while mitigating the limitations of each when used independently. This synergy effectively reduces peak [...] Read more.
Arch-suspended structures represent a distinctive form of hybrid suspension system. By combining an arch with a suspended floor system, this structural typology leverages the inherent advantages of both components while mitigating the limitations of each when used independently. This synergy effectively reduces peak internal forces and flexural deformations in structural members. Although widely applied in bridge engineering, research on arch-suspended building structures remains scarce. This paper investigates the construction techniques employed for a large-scale arch-suspended building. The stability of temporary support systems during construction is verified, and the mechanical behavior of critical joints—including the composite slab hanging pillar, arch support, and arch roof—is examined through both experimental testing and numerical simulation. The results demonstrate that a partitioned and segmented construction method is feasible for such complex structures. Structural internal forces and deformations can be effectively controlled by installing tubular temporary supports on both sides of the hanging pillars and lattice temporary supports at the base. Step-by-step unloading of these temporary supports ensures their stability throughout the construction process. Furthermore, the welds in the composite slab hanging pillar effectively transfer tensile forces from the middle plate to the side plates, enabling composite action and collaborative load-bearing among the steel plates. When subjected to loads of 2 times and 4.3 times the design load, localized plasticity was observed in the arch support and arch roof, respectively, while the overall structural integrity remained secure. This study provides a valuable reference for the design and construction of innovative long-span building structures, offering insights that can inform the development and practical application of arch-suspended systems in future architectural projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Structural Systems and Construction Methods)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop