Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.6
3.1
Journals
Buildings
Special Issues
Cold-Formed Steel Structures: Innovations in Analysis, Design and Performance
share announcement

Cold-Formed Steel Structures: Innovations in Analysis, Design and Performance

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 2195

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, Newcastle NE1 8ST, UK
Interests: steel structures; thin-walled structures; optimization of steel sections; innovative steel products and systems; fire safety of buildings; aluminum structures; lightweight concrete; enhanced plasterboard; modular building systems; advanced numerical modelling; fibre composites for retrofitting and rehabilitation of structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Irindu Upasiri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo 10250, Sri Lanka
Interests: 3D-printed structures; fire and energy performances of structures; cold-formed steel structures; machine learning methods in structural engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sifan M. Ibrahim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Interests: innovative construction materials; cold-formed steel structures; advanced numerical modelling; fire safety of buildings; steel–concrete and steel–timber composite structures; 3D-printed concrete structures; sustainability in construction; AI-aided structural design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Heshachanaa Rajanayagam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
Interests: modular buildings and prefab components (structural, energy, fire and acoustic performance); steel, concrete and timber interlocking and connection systems; modern methods of construction (MMC) and net zero carbon buildings; emergency shelters and FlatPack modular buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cold-formed steel (CFS) members have become an integral part of modern construction, serving as both primary and secondary load-bearing elements in a wide range of building applications. Their widespread adoption is driven by unique advantages, including a high strength-to-weight ratio, efficient material usage, adaptability in cross-sectional shapes, precise dimensional control, recyclability, and overall construction efficiency. Recent developments in advanced manufacturing, automation, and digital fabrication have further enhanced the versatility of CFS systems. In parallel, progress in high-fidelity finite element modelling, artificial intelligence-driven optimisation, and performance-based design methods has significantly advanced our understanding of their behaviour under diverse loading and environmental conditions.

The 21st century has also brought new challenges, ranging from climate change and resource scarcity to demands for resilient, low-carbon infrastructure, which are reshaping the research landscape. CFS technology is becoming increasingly intersected with modular and off-site construction, hybrid structural systems (e.g., steel–concrete and steel–timber), and additive manufacturing. Research is also moving towards holistic performance evaluation, integrating structural, thermal, acoustic, fire, and sustainability metrics into unified design approaches.

This Special Issue seeks to showcase the latest research and innovations in cold-formed steel that address these evolving demands and expand the boundaries of structural engineering. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Structural optimisation and AI-assisted design of cold-formed steel members.
  • Innovative and hybrid CFS products, including steel–timber and steel–concrete systems.
  • Structural response under bending, shear, web crippling, compression, combined actions, and dynamic loading.
  • Advanced numerical modelling, digital twins, and simulation-based design.
  • Seismic and impact resilience of CFS structures.
  • Fire, energy, and thermal performance of cold-formed steel-framed panels.
  • Novel connection and fastening technologies for modern construction systems.
  • Modular, prefabricated, and 3D-printed CFS applications.
  • Sustainability, life-cycle assessment, and climate adaptation strategies for CFS structures.

Contributions exploring interdisciplinary approaches or emerging technologies relevant to cold-formed steel are strongly encouraged.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Keerthan Poologanathan
Dr. Irindu Upasiri
Dr. Sifan M. Ibrahim
Dr. Heshachanaa Rajanayagam
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

  • cold-formed steel structures
  • experimental study
  • advanced numerical modelling
  • machine learning
  • extreme loadings
  • design innovation
  • connections

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 (2 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

26 pages, 4938 KB  
Article
Machine Learning Prediction of Shear Strength in Cold-Formed Steel Modular Construction-Optimised (MCO) Beam
by Drew Thomas Gray, Lenganji Simwanda, Mohamed Sifan, Keerthan Poologanathan and Thushanthan Kannan
Buildings 2026, 16(8), 1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16081497 - 10 Apr 2026
Viewed by 560
Abstract
The rapid growth of modular construction has increased the demand for accurate and computationally efficient methods for predicting the shear performance of cold-formed steel members. Modular construction-optimised beams, characterised by a mono-symmetric triangular hollow flange geometry, exhibit shear behaviour that is not well [...] Read more.
The rapid growth of modular construction has increased the demand for accurate and computationally efficient methods for predicting the shear performance of cold-formed steel members. Modular construction-optimised beams, characterised by a mono-symmetric triangular hollow flange geometry, exhibit shear behaviour that is not well represented by existing analytical formulations. This study proposes an explainable machine learning framework to predict the ultimate shear capacity of cold-formed steel modular construction-optimised beams using a validated finite-element dataset comprising 105 parametric models. Six supervised machine learning algorithms are trained and evaluated using resampling-based validation and statistical performance metrics. Categorical boosting achieved the best predictive performance, with a coefficient of determination of 95.9% and a mean absolute percentage error of 6.49% under 50 repeated train and test splits. Model transparency is supported using Shapley Additive Explanations, which confirm thickness and yield strength as the most influential inputs within the investigated domain. In addition, prediction uncertainty was quantified using empirical 95% prediction intervals, and the modelling workflow was strengthened by explicitly defining reproducibility and no-leakage conditions. Overall, the proposed framework provides an efficient and interpretable finite element surrogate tool for rapid design-oriented estimation of modular construction-optimised beam shear capacity within the defined parameter ranges and loading configuration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold-Formed Steel Structures: Innovations in Analysis, Design and Performance)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

36 pages, 15100 KB  
Article
A Progressive, Resident-Modifiable Light-Gauge Steel Framing Housing Design for Post-Disaster Reconstruction: The Case of Mandalay, Myanmar
by Inkham Sai, Yi Hong, Shaofeng Wu, Chun Lin and Zan Liu
Buildings 2026, 16(4), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16040855 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1023
Abstract
Post-disaster reconstruction in resource-constrained contexts is often delayed by limited material supply, skilled labor, and planning capacity. Following the Mw 7.7 earthquake that struck near Mandalay, Myanmar, in March 2025, extensive housing damage and displacement underscored the need for economical and rapidly constructible [...] Read more.
Post-disaster reconstruction in resource-constrained contexts is often delayed by limited material supply, skilled labor, and planning capacity. Following the Mw 7.7 earthquake that struck near Mandalay, Myanmar, in March 2025, extensive housing damage and displacement underscored the need for economical and rapidly constructible reconstruction housing that can also support longer-term recovery. This study proposes a progressive and resident-modifiable housing scheme based on light-gauge steel framing, integrating the seismic design principle of strong-column–weak-beam to improve structural reliability during aftershocks and future events. The proposed system combines a standardized light-gauge steel framing (LGSF) structural frame with locally accessible enclosure and infill materials, allowing rapid assembly of an initial modular unit to meet urgent shelter needs while enabling progressive upgrading of façades and interior space over time to enhance habitability and resilience. Validation analyses focusing on construction efficiency and mechanical performance indicate that the strong-column–weak-beam LGSF scheme, when paired with local materials, offers favorable applicability in terms of buildability, cost-effectiveness, and seismic behavior under realistic conditions in Mandalay. The study provides a feasible technical solution and design approach for progressive post-disaster reconstruction housing in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold-Formed Steel Structures: Innovations in Analysis, Design and Performance)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop