Selected Papers from the 4th International Conference Steel and Composites for Engineering Structures (4thICSCES)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 238

Special Issue Editors


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Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering ABC, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: structural analysis; masonry; earthquake engineering; FEM; limit analysis; historical constructions; elastomeric seismic isolators; FRP-FRCM reinforcement; genetic algorithms (GA); homogenization theory; rubber vulcanization
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Guest Editor
Department of Construction, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
Interests: structural design; masonry; earthquake engineering; FRP-FRCM reinforcement; historical constructions; FEM; dynamic analysis; structural health monitoring; genetic algorithms (GA)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that we announce a new Special Issue of Buildings, entitled "Selected Papers from the 4th International Conference Steel and Composites for Engineering Structures (4thICSCES)". 

The 4th International Conference of Steel and Composite for Engineering Structures (4thICSCES) will be held in Piacenza, Italy, on 9-12 July 2025. The conference will be jointly hosted by the Piacenza's Regional Campus Arata of Politecnico di Milano.

This Special Issue features expanded papers invited by the 4th ICSCES organizers, based on selected conference contributions. 

This Special Issue will offer an exceptional multidisciplinary forum where academics and industry researchers can showcase the latest advancements, challenges, and trends in the fields of steel and composites, modeling and simulation, and structural health monitoring for engineering structures. In this Special Issue, researchers will be able to exchange their experiences and research findings through original research articles, case studies, and comprehensive review papers. 

The main topics of this Special Issue cover all aspects related to steel structures and their connections; masonry as a composite material; timber as a composite decking material; composites in geo-materials; FRP in steel repair; corrosion; sustainable steel and composite structures; concrete as a composite material; reinforced asphalts; composite structures in civil engineering; reinforced rubber products; FRP for structural rehabilitation; FRCM/TRM/SRG for structural rehabilitation; laminated composites with uncertainties; natural fiber composites; big data analytics and artificial intelligence; computational fracture mechanics; computer-aided design and manufacturing; inverse problems; performance and optimization; artificial intelligence; homogenization; micro- and macro-modeling; beam, plate, and shell computational models; Finite, Distinct, and Particle Element Methods; composite structure design and application; electro-thermal properties of composites; modeling of sandwich structures; modeling of CNT–polymer composites; analysis of natural fiber composites; probabilistic modeling of composites; control and vibration; NDT for composites; optic fibers in testing and monitoring; health monitoring in existing structures; safety, security, and reliability; the failure of composites; health monitoring techniques in composites; the durability of composite materials; impact problems; inspection techniques for composites; nano-, micro-, and macro-composite stability; variable stiffness composite laminates; functionally graded materials and structures; micromechanics; and the multi-scale modeling of graphene. 

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Journal of Composites Science.

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Milani
Dr. Erica Magagnini
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

  • steel
  • composite materials
  • modeling
  • simulation
  • structural health monitoring
  • reinforced concrete, masonry
  • experimentation on materials and structures

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 8879 KB  
Article
Parametric Modelling and Nonlinear FE Analysis of Trepponti Bridge Subjected to Differential Settlements
by Giovanni Meloni, Mohammad Pourfouladi and Natalia Pingaro
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010047 - 22 Dec 2025
Abstract
The Trepponti bridge in Comacchio (Italy) is a significant masonry landmark characterised by a complex geometry. Its structure comprises five irregularly connected segments, creating pronounced geometric discontinuities. Accurately modelling this configuration is challenging due to the highly complex mechanical behaviour of masonry. This [...] Read more.
The Trepponti bridge in Comacchio (Italy) is a significant masonry landmark characterised by a complex geometry. Its structure comprises five irregularly connected segments, creating pronounced geometric discontinuities. Accurately modelling this configuration is challenging due to the highly complex mechanical behaviour of masonry. This study presents a robust computational strategy for the nonlinear structural assessment of such heritage bridges. The methodology integrates a parametric meshing environment (PoliBrick plugin) with nonlinear finite-element analysis in Straus7. An initial discretisation is generated through PoliBrick, undergoes geometric optimisation to produce an analysis-ready model. The bridge is homogeneously modelled and meshed through macro-blocks obeying a Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. Material parameters are defined according to the LC1 knowledge level stipulated by the Italian structural code. Differential settlement scenarios are simulated by imposing controlled vertical displacements on individual and paired piers. This approach enables evaluation of structural displacement, stress distribution, and crack propagation. The analyses reveal a markedly asymmetric structural response, identifying two specific piers as critical vulnerable elements. The proposed framework demonstrates that parametric meshing effectively reconciles accurate geometric representation with computational efficiency. It offers a practical tool for guiding the conservation and safety evaluation of irregular vaulted masonry bridges. Full article
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