Innovative Structural Systems for High-Rise and Large-Span Buildings

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 824

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan
Interests: spatial structures; tensile structures; frameless glass structures; reciprocal systems; shape optimization; nonlinear analysis; high-rise buildings

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Interests: spatial structures; structural optimization; 3D printing manufacturing; generative design; structural joints

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10017, USA
Interests: geometry-based structural analysis and design; high-performance construction materials

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal 14300, Malaysia
Interests: computational and experimental analyses of shell and spatial structures; mimicking ideas from nature for possible application to the shape, topology, or configuration of a structure

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal 14300, Malaysia
Interests: structural engineering; structural health monitoring; space structures; forensic engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Structural systems are fundamental to building design. Over the last decade, the architect–engineer approach to structural design has changed significantly with the advancement of computer technology, and digital design methods have rapidly evolved to support the conceptual exploration of new architectural forms and performance. While conventional mechanical analysis relies on linear and nonlinear analytical theories to ensure structural safety, advanced software and AI systems are now being developed to optimize structural shapes for efficiency and performance, leading to increasingly free-form design.

At the same time, innovation in structural systems inspired by natural and historical precedents—in other words, developing structural solutions through human intelligence—remains highly important for practical applications. Additionally, the evolution of structural systems is increasingly driven by the need for more sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and intelligent construction processes.

This Special Issue, “Innovative Structural Systems for High-Rise and Large-Span Buildings”, aims to include new theories of structural analysis and smart manufacturing. Submissions focusing on novel approaches using cables, membranes, timber/wood panels, structural glass panels, and folding structures are encouraged, in addition to work on steel, concrete, and related systems. Submissions should clearly articulate not only the conceptual development of the proposed structural forms but also the mechanical principles and design methodologies that support them. We look forward to receiving contributions that will advance contemporary and future architectural design.

Prof. Dr. Pei-Shan Chen
Prof. Dr. Wenfeng Du
Dr. Damon Bolhassani
Prof. Dr. Choong Kok Keong
Dr. Mustafasanie M. Yussof
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
  • spatial structures
  • high-rise buildings
  • shape optimization
  • topology optimization
  • funicular form-finding
  • hybrid structural systems
  • digital design
  • smart manufacturing

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

31 pages, 18760 KB  
Article
Numerical Study and Design Method of Irregular Steel Beam-to-CFST Column Joints with Inclined Internal Diaphragms
by Peng Li, Jialiang Jin, Yue Sheng, Wei Wang, Weifeng Jiao and Tingting Gou
Buildings 2026, 16(8), 1502; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16081502 - 11 Apr 2026
Viewed by 368
Abstract
With the increasing functional and geometric complexity of modern steel buildings, irregular beam-to-column joints are becoming increasingly common in engineering practice, while their seismic performance and force transfer mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Based on previous full-scale cyclic loading tests on unequal-depth steel beam [...] Read more.
With the increasing functional and geometric complexity of modern steel buildings, irregular beam-to-column joints are becoming increasingly common in engineering practice, while their seismic performance and force transfer mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Based on previous full-scale cyclic loading tests on unequal-depth steel beam (UDSB) and staggered steel beam (SSB) joints incorporating inclined internal diaphragms, this study presents numerical simulations and parametric analyses of irregular steel beam to concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) column joints. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models were developed using ABAQUS and validated against experimental results. The strengthening effects of internal diaphragms and concrete infill were then comparatively investigated. The results indicate that internal diaphragms increase the initial stiffness and load-carrying capacity of the joints to approximately 2.0–2.3 times and 1.16–1.8 times, respectively, compared with joints without diaphragms, whereas concrete infill provides smaller enhancements of about 1.3 times in stiffness and 1.2–1.3 times in strength. In addition, the hysteretic response of joints without diaphragms shows good agreement with the post-fracture behavior observed in the experiments, validating the diaphragm fracture mechanism. A parametric study further demonstrates that, under cyclic loading, the beam depth ratio, staggered floor ratio, column wall thickness, column width, diaphragm thickness, and diaphragm opening diameter have significant influences on joint strength and stress distribution, while the effect of axial load ratio is relatively minor. Finally, a strength prediction method applicable to inclined-diaphragm UDSB and SSB joints is proposed, and corresponding fitted expressions are derived based on the parametric results. The findings provide useful guidance for the seismic design of irregular steel beam–CFST column joints incorporating internal diaphragms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Structural Systems for High-Rise and Large-Span Buildings)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop