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Innovative Performance-Based Risk Assessment and Bio-Composite Applications for Disaster-Resilient Structures
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Innovative Performance-Based Risk Assessment and Bio-Composite Applications for Disaster-Resilient Structures

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1289

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicola Chieffo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: multi-hazard risk; earthquake engineering; urban-scale risk assessment; masonry aggregates; existing buildings; natural fibre
Dr. Cigdem Avci-Karatas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Transportation Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Yalova University, Yalova 77200, Türkiye
Interests: structural engineering; earthquake engineering; buckling-restrained braces (BRBs); seismic energy dissipation; disaster risk reduction; smart materials; advanced machine learning in structural applications; sustainable urban transformation; composite and hybrid structural systems
Dr. Elisa Bertolesi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
Interests: structural engineering; strengthening materials; structural health monitoring; heritage structures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards have underscored the need for more resilient and sustainable building solutions. This Special Issue aims to gather original research and review papers focused on performance-based risk assessment methodologies for building structures that are subjected to various types of hazards, including seismic events, windstorms, floods, and fire. Emphasis is placed on analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches that quantify structural vulnerability and inform design or retrofit strategies. In parallel, the integration of bio-composite materials is gaining attention as a sustainable alternative for enhancing structural performance and reducing environmental impact. This Special Issue also welcomes contributions exploring the mechanical properties, durability, and application potential of bio-based materials in disaster risk mitigation.

We invite researchers and practitioners to submit high-quality contributions that advance the state of the art in both structural risk assessment and the innovative use of bio-composite materials.  Interdisciplinary approaches and case studies are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Nicola Chieffo
Dr. Cigdem Avci-Karatas
Dr. Elisa Bertolesi
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. 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

  • performance-based assessment
  • structural vulnerability
  • disaster risk mitigation
  • bio-composite materials
  • sustainable construction
  • resilient buildings
  • performance-based assessment
  • seismic retrofit
  • smart materials
  • advanced modeling techniques

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4576 KB  
Article
Study on Engineering Geopolymer Composites (EGCs) Under Sustained Thermal Environment: Linking Strain-Hardening Characteristics, Static/Impact Load Mechanical Properties, and Evolution Mechanism
by Shuo Wang, Wei Wang, Haoxing Liu, Ao Huang and Hongqiang Ma
Buildings 2025, 15(20), 3792; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15203792 - 21 Oct 2025
Abstract
This study focuses on the performance evolution of Engineering Geopolymer Composites (EGCs) in long-term thermal environments, investigating the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of alkali-activated fly ash–slag composites under sustained 60 °C thermal conditions. The research results indicate that sustained exposure to 60 [...] Read more.
This study focuses on the performance evolution of Engineering Geopolymer Composites (EGCs) in long-term thermal environments, investigating the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of alkali-activated fly ash–slag composites under sustained 60 °C thermal conditions. The research results indicate that sustained exposure to 60 °C significantly enhances the static and impact loading compressive strength of EGCs; however, single-slag or high-alkalinity systems exhibit strength retrogression due to insufficient long-term thermal stability. After exposure to elevated temperatures, the tensile strain-hardening curve of EGCs becomes smoother, with a reduced number of cracks but increased crack width, leading to a transition from a distributed multicrack propagation pattern to rapid widening of primary cracks. Due to the bridging effect of PVA fibers, sustained elevated temperature significantly enhances the peak impact load stress of the S50-6 sample. Microscopic analysis attributes this improvement to the matrix-strengthening effect caused by accelerated C-(A)-S-H gel polymerization and refined pore structure under continuous heat, as well as the energy dissipation role of the fiber system. The study recommends an optimal EGC system formulation with a fly ash–slag mass ratio of 1:1 and a Na2O concentration of 4–6%. This research provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the performance evolution and strength stability of EGC materials under sustained elevated temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Performance-Based Risk Assessment and Bio-Composite Applications for Disaster-Resilient Structures)
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22 pages, 3041 KB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Study Assessing the Synergistic Effect of Metakaolin and Waste Glass on the Concrete Mechanical and Structural Properties
by Ali Jahami, Hektor Frangieh, Joseph Assaad, Ahmad Alkhatib, Cigdem Avci-Karatas and Nicola Chieffo
Buildings 2025, 15(17), 3185; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173185 - 4 Sep 2025
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Abstract
This study presents a rigorous experimental and numerical investigation of the synergistic effect of metakaolin (MK) and waste glass (WG) on the structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams without stirrups. A two-phase methodology was adopted: (i) optimization of MK and WG replacement [...] Read more.
This study presents a rigorous experimental and numerical investigation of the synergistic effect of metakaolin (MK) and waste glass (WG) on the structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams without stirrups. A two-phase methodology was adopted: (i) optimization of MK and WG replacement levels through concrete-equivalent mortar mixtures and (ii) evaluation of the fresh and hardened properties of concrete, including compressive and tensile strengths, elastic modulus, sorptivity, and beam shear capacity. Five beam groups incorporating up to 30% MK, 15% WG, and 1% steel fiber were tested under four-point bending. The results demonstrated that MK enhanced compressive strength (up to 22%), WG improved workability but reduced ductility, and the combined system achieved a 13% increase in shear strength relative to the control. Steel fibers further restored ductility, increasing the ductility index from 1.338 for WG-only beams to 2.489. Finite Element Modeling (FEM) using ABAQUS with the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model reproduced experimental (EXP) load–deflection responses, peak loads, and crack evolution with high fidelity. This confirmed the predictive capability of the numerical framework. By integrating material-level optimization, structural-scale testing, and validated FEM simulations, this study provides robust evidence that MK–WG concrete, especially when fiber-reinforced, delivers mechanical, durability, and structural performance improvements. These findings establish a reliable pathway for incorporating sustainable cementitious blends into design-oriented applications, with direct implications for the advancement of performance-based structural codes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Performance-Based Risk Assessment and Bio-Composite Applications for Disaster-Resilient Structures)
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Other

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48 pages, 2294 KB  
Systematic Review
Evolution of Risk Analysis Approaches in Construction Disasters: A Systematic Review of Construction Accidents from 2010 to 2025
by Elias Medaa, Ali Akbar Shirzadi Javid and Hassan Malekitabar
Buildings 2025, 15(20), 3701; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15203701 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 295
Abstract
Structural collapses are a major threat to urban safety and infrastructure resilience and as such there is growing research interest in understanding the causes and improving the prediction of risk to prevent human and material losses. Whether caused by fires, earthquakes or progressive [...] Read more.
Structural collapses are a major threat to urban safety and infrastructure resilience and as such there is growing research interest in understanding the causes and improving the prediction of risk to prevent human and material losses. Whether caused by fires, earthquakes or progressive failures due to overloads and displacements, these events have been the focus of investigation over the past 15 years. This systematic literature review looks at the use of formal risk analysis models in structural failures between 2010 and 2025 to map methodological trends, assess model effectiveness and identify future research pathways. From an initial database of 139 documented collapse incidents, only 42 were investigated using structured risk analysis frameworks. A systematic screening of 417 related publications yielded 101 peer-reviewed studies that met our inclusion criteria—specifically, the application of a formal analytical model. This discrepancy highlights a significant gap between the occurrence of structural failures and the use of rigorous, model-based investigation methods. The review shows a clear shift from single-method approaches (e.g., Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA)) to hybrid, integrated models that combine computational, qualitative and data-driven techniques. This reflects the growing recognition of structural failures as socio-technical phenomena that require multi-methodological analysis. A key contribution is the development of a strategic framework that classifies models by complexity, data requirements and cost based on patterns observed across the reviewed papers. This framework can be used as a practical decision support tool for researchers and practitioners to select the right model for the context and highlight the strengths and limitations of the existing approaches. The findings show that the future of structural safety is not about one single “best” model but about intelligent integration of complementary context-specific methods. This review will inform future practice by showing how different models can be combined to improve the depth, accuracy and applicability of structural failure investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Performance-Based Risk Assessment and Bio-Composite Applications for Disaster-Resilient Structures)
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