Generative AI and Computational Intelligence for Structural Engineering and Design Automation
A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: generative AI; LLM; computational mechanics; AI for engineering applications; engineering optimization; smart infrastructure and digital twins; data-driven design and simulation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
- Special Issue Overview
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming structural engineering. Classical machine learning methods provided predictive capabilities, but the recent emergence of Generative AI (GenAI), including GANs, diffusion models, transformers, large language models (LLMs), and autonomous agent systems, enables not only prediction, but also generation, reasoning, and design automation.
Structural engineering problems, especially those involving optimization, uncertainty, and multi-objective trade-offs, are a natural fit for computational intelligence. This Special Issue aims to highlight approaches where AI extends or replaces conventional simulation, optimization, and decision-making processes across a structure’s lifecycle.
Our goal is to bring together research contributions from academia and industry that demonstrate the transformational, real-world applications of machine learning, generative modeling, and computational optimization within structural engineering.
- Aims and Scope
This Special Issue invites high-quality submissions in areas including, but not limited to, the following:
Generative AI for Structural Engineering
- Generative models for the following:
- Structural form-finding and conceptual design;
- Synthetic structural datasets;
- Design space exploration and decision support.
- LLMs and agentic workflows for the following:
- Automated design documentation;
- Structural building code interpretation and compliance checking.
Computational Intelligence and Optimization
- Metaheuristics;
- Multi-objective optimization and surrogate-based optimization;
- Model-based reasoning and autonomous strategy selection;
- Hybrid ML + optimization workflows.
Structural System Applications
- AI for structural analysis, prediction, and uncertainty quantification;
- Real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) and damage detection;
- Digital twins and physics-informed neural networks;
- Design automation and automated code verification.
Trustworthy and Explainable AI
- Explainability;
- Validation, verification, reliability, and safety of AI-generated designs;
- Regulatory and ethical considerations of AI decisions in safety-critical systems.
- Expected Contributions/Why It Matters
This Special Issue will
- Bridge structural engineering and cutting-edge AI research;
- Demonstrate engineering-grade AI and generative design solutions;
- Highlight explainability and accountability in AI-aided decision-making;
- Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration between civil/structural engineering, Computer Science, and AI.
The Special Issue will help accelerate the adoption of AI-driven automation in design offices and engineering consulting firms.
- Types of Manuscripts Accepted
- Original research articles;
- Comprehensive review papers;
- Technical case studies on industry applications;
- Short communications/rapid innovations.
All submissions must be original and will undergo rigorous peer-review according to the journal’s policy.
Dr. Siamak Talatahari
Guest Editor
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
- generative AI for structural engineering
- computational intelligence and optimization
- structural system applications
- trustworthy and explainable AI
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