Engineering Structures最新文献

{"title":"A transformer-based deep learning approach for mechanical response prediction and failure analysis of precast bridge slab joints using strain field","authors":"Qiliang Zhao ,&nbsp;Weijian Zhao ,&nbsp;Linlin Yuan ,&nbsp;Ruoshui Xing ,&nbsp;Bochao Sun ,&nbsp;Yuanzhang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with finite element analysis (FEA) offers a promising approach for predicting structural mechanical and displacement responses. However, existing AI-FEA studies predominantly focus on single-material structures or simplified loading conditions, lacking a systematic framework for evaluating macro-scale responses of composite structures. To address this gap, this study proposes a failure analysis framework based on an enhanced U-shaped Transformer network, which combines the global dependency modeling capacity of attention mechanisms with a U-shaped encoder–decoder design well-suited for extracting strain-field features. The framework is applied to a novel ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)-headed bar joint within accelerated bridge construction (ABC) systems. The enhanced Transformer-based model predicts internal rebar stresses and pull-out displacements by extracting critical features from strain field distributions. To evaluate real-world generalizability, artificial downsampling strategies were applied to simulate resolution limitations and systematic errors inherent in experimental strain measurements. Results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high prediction accuracy for rebar stresses (MAE &lt; 2.7 MPa) and pull-out displacements (MAE &lt; 0.05 mm). Furthermore, discrete stress–displacement states were fitted into a logarithmic model with low weighted orthogonal distance squared sum (W-ODSS), establishing an empirically derived failure model guided by physical observations. This criterion achieved 97.2 % accuracy in failure assessment under diverse adverse conditions. Additional FEA simulations extending beyond the original dataset parameter ranges confirmed the model’s robust predictive performance. While the present study focuses on slab-to-slab connection joints, the proposed methodology shows potential for future extension to other critical engineering scenarios, such as beam–column connections and composite slab joints. More broadly, with the integration of digital image correlation (DIC) or embedded sensing systems, this framework could contribute to advancing digital twin approaches for infrastructure lifecycle management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121407"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Active vibration control in adaptive high-rise structures using model predictive control","authors":"Spasena Dakova,&nbsp;Amelie Zeller,&nbsp;Jonathan Riese,&nbsp;Daniel Briem,&nbsp;Jonas Stiefelmaier,&nbsp;Michael Böhm,&nbsp;Oliver Sawodny","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for sustainable and resource-efficient construction has driven the development of adaptive high-rise buildings, which employ active structural control to reduce material usage while maintaining high load-bearing performance. This paper presents a novel Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy for active vibration damping in adaptive high-rise buildings that departs from conventional tuned mass dampers by employing a distributed actuator system directly integrated into the load-bearing structure. Unlike traditional passive systems, the proposed control strategy continuously modifies structural properties to enhance damping across multiple vibration modes. To ensure practical feasibility, the controller explicitly accounts for actuator force limitations. A comparative study examines different levels of abstraction in the MPC prediction model to balance computational efficiency and control performance. In particular, it evaluates the prediction accuracy and closed-loop system performance of high-order structural models, with and without nonlinear effects, against analytically derived and data-based reduced-order models. The proposed approach is experimentally validated on D1244, the world’s first adaptive high-rise building. Results demonstrate a 62% improvement in vibration damping over the passive case, proving its effectiveness under real-world conditions. These results highlight the significant potential of adaptive buildings to reduce resource consumption in civil engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121317"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Topology optimization of offshore structures based on successive iteration of analysis and design under random excitation","authors":"Ruifeng Chen,&nbsp;Zheng Ni,&nbsp;Xiaopeng Zhang,&nbsp;Zhan Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121405","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121405","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Offshore engineering structures are subjected to complex and extreme random wind-wave-current conditions, making their performance safety and functional effectiveness crucial considerations in structural design. However, the random response analysis of such complex systems often entails a substantial computational burden, which poses significant challenges to the efficiency and convergence of topology optimization under random excitation. This study proposes an efficient topology optimization framework for offshore structures under random excitation environments. Herein, a random response optimization strategy that alternates analysis and design in successive iterations is introduced. The pseudo excitation method (PEM) is adopted to efficiently solve the random response. In the optimization model, the root mean square (RMS) displacement of the dynamic response at a critical location is adopted as the objective function. The sensitivity of the structural random response is derived from the adjoint method, and the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) optimization algorithm is employed to solve the problem. The proposed method is demonstrated to significantly improve optimization efficiency and achieve stable convergence. Optimization design cases involving different offshore structures further illustrate the potential applicability of this method for real-world structures subjected to complex random loads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121405"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the influence of the relative humidity on the thermal response of a concrete plate: A mesoscale phase-field analysis","authors":"Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Luyao Liu ,&nbsp;Xi Chen ,&nbsp;Wei Jiang ,&nbsp;Herbert A. Mang ,&nbsp;Bernhard Pichler","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study contains an investigation of the thermomechanical response and the cracking behavior of a concrete plate, subjected to diurnal temperature changes, with a particular focus on the influence of the relative humidity (<em>RH</em>). The latter contributes to the heterogeneity of the thermal expansion of the concrete constituents and, thereby, has an influence on the mesoscopic cracking behavior. In the present work, a mesoscale thermomechanical phase-field fracture model is established, considering the mesostructure of concrete, consisting of mortar, aggregates, and interfacial transition zones (ITZs). The ITZs are regularized with an auxiliary interfacial phase-field. The mesoscale results are compared with the ones from macroscopic phase-field analyses. It is found that, while the relative humidity exhibits an insignificant impact on the macrostresses, it has a significant influence on the mesostress fluctuations and the fracture damage. Astonishingly, mesocracking even occurs in macroscopically-compressed regions of the plate. This is primarily due to the large <em>RH</em>-dependent expansive thermal eigenstrains in the mortar, which result in tensile stresses in the aggregates and the ITZs, and in an increase of risk of mesocracking. These cracks start in the ITZs. Their propagation and orientation are governed by the local principal stresses. This agrees with the results of microelastic analyses. Therefore, both the mesoscale phase-field simulations and the microelastic models can be employed to predict the initiation of cracking, providing insight into the design and the durability assessment of thermally-loaded concrete structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121316"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simplified support reaction profiles of RC beams under low-velocity impact: From experimental observations to data-driven prediction","authors":"Jian Li,&nbsp;Renbo Zhang,&nbsp;Liu Jin,&nbsp;Dongqiu Lan,&nbsp;Xiuli Du","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121377","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121377","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The vulnerability of engineering structures to extreme dynamic loads necessitates reliable understanding and prediction of impact performance. During impact events, support reactions directly indicate internal force states within reinforced concrete (RC) beams, yet accurately quantifying these local responses remains challenging due to the transient complexities of impact mechanics. Consequently, developing a predictive reaction force model is essential for systematic and simplified assessment of RC beam impact behavior. This study examined representative research on the dynamic reaction force distribution of RC beams under impact loading. Drop-weight impact tests were conducted considering four key parameters: impact velocity, drop mass, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and structural size. By combining new test results with published data, the effects of multiple factors on support reactions were summarized. A simplified reaction force profile model involving nine influential variables was then proposed. To support data-driven modeling, a database of over 300 sets of experimental and simulated data was established. Two approaches were explored: explicit multiple linear regression to derive prediction equations for key inflection points and a machine learning method to evaluate factor importance and predict complete reaction force histories. Predicted profiles agreed well with test results, verifying the feasibility of both methods. The proposed model enables practical evaluation of local impact performance and provides a direct reference for structural design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121377"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Realistic analysis for remaining fatigue life for historic riveted railway bridges","authors":"Camila Parodi-Figueroa ,&nbsp;Dina D’Ayala ,&nbsp;Wendel Sebastian","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given the lack of historic information regarding traffic conditions and structural details of railway riveted bridges more than 100 years old, most assessments relate to the structure's current condition. Moreover, fatigue assessment procedures are also usually associated with loading models taken from current Codes and Standards that may not represent the bridge's real load history, hence leading to unrealistic remaining fatigue life predictions. This paper proposes a novel approach to assess the remaining fatigue life of historic railway riveted bridges common in the Chilean railway bridge portfolio by introducing three novel elements. First, it considers a typological approach by classifying bridges by their construction details and retrofitting. Secondly, the bridge archetype is analysed in different configurations representing typical historic bridge strengthening sequences. Third, the loading spectrum is defined using real data on train types and freight transited through the Chilean railway network through the ages. Comparison of the results with the ones obtained using loading models prescribed by different standards (EFE, Eurocode and AREMA), shows that the latter tend to overestimate the fatigue damage of the bridge. Finally, reliability analysis methods are employed to determine the probability of failure of the bridge most fatigued connection, and this is compared to the one obtained by applying Miner’s rule. The reliability analysis shows that the failure probability is within acceptable values for all bridge configurations, and that Miner’s rule leads to conservative results when compared to a wide range of reliability indexes, proposed in current literature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121421"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Creep behaviour and confinement effects of circular steel tube confined reinforced concrete (STCRC) stub columns under high level of sustained loading","authors":"Yun-Long Guo ,&nbsp;Yue Geng ,&nbsp;Yu-Yin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Steel tube confined reinforced concrete (STCRC) columns demonstrate superior static/dynamic performance and efficient beam-column joint construction, showing promising future in long-span structures, heavily loaded constructions and high-rise buildings. However, the non-linear creep behaviour of STCRC columns under possible high sustained loads for scenarios such as the upper limit release of the axial load ratio or long-term overloading remains insufficiently investigated, while it differs fundamentally from traditional concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns: the enhanced confinement effects in STCRC columns effectively suppress concrete cracking, while less prone cross-sectional stress redistribution may occur in STCRC columns owing to the less tube stiffness contribution caused by the disconnection at the beam-column joints. Hence, this study experimentally investigates the non-linear creep of circular STCRC stub columns under varying stress levels, concrete strengths, reinforcement ratios and steel tube ratios. Key mechanisms were explored, including the time-varying passive confining pressure and vertical tube stiffness. By comparing creep deformation of STCRC, CFST, and plain concrete specimens, the influence of confinement effects and tube stiffness were then quantified. A non-linear creep model incorporating concrete strength and confinement effects was proposed alongside a validated prediction analysis method. Results indicate that the non-linear creep increases the long-term deformation and longitudinal rebars stress by 57.0 %–85.5 %, rendering conventional linear creep analyses non-conservative. The confinement effects were non-negligible in STCRC columns under high sustained loading, causing obvious lower creep than that of plain concrete. The vertical tube stress caused by interfacial bond and friction always shows relatively small influence on the non-linear creep of STCRC stub columns, leading to 21.2 % higher creep than that of CFST columns. The proposed non-linear creep model and analysis method demonstrate high accuracy in predicting non-linear creep deformations of STCRC stub columns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121378"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-uniform absolute stress field detection of H-shaped steel beam based on multi-acoustic path and multi-frequency longitudinal critically refracted waves","authors":"Yunxuan Gong ,&nbsp;Shujuan Ma ,&nbsp;Chang Lu ,&nbsp;Zuohua Li","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The internal stress field of steel members exhibits spatial distribution in multiple dimensions under complicated boundaries and loads. However, the existing ultrasonic detection method only considers the variation of parallel stress on acoustic velocity and neglects the effects of multi-dimensional stress. Meanwhile, the existing methods measure the average stress along the propagation path. Due to sensor size and propagation path limitations, existing ultrasonic methods fail to detect non-uniform stress fields accurately. A modified method based on multi-acoustic paths and multi-frequency LCR waves for detecting non-uniform stress fields in H-shaped steel beams is proposed. The main innovations in response to the shortcomings of existing methods are as follows. Firstly, by considering the coupling effect of plane stress components on the acoustic time of LCR waves, a new non-uniform absolute stress field detection equation containing three components of plane stress is derived. Then, by moving the position of the second receiver sensor of the one-transmitter-double-receiver (OTDR) sensor group, the acoustic time difference between two different paths of LCR waves is calculated, thereby shortening the acoustic path length of LCR waves and improving the spatial resolution. Finally, a detection model for stress distribution in the thickness direction is established. By changing the center frequency of LCR waves, the propagation of LCR waves at different depths can be controlled, thereby achieving the detection of stress distribution in the thickness direction of steel plates. A non-uniform absolute stress field of the H-shaped steel beam is detected to verify the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate that the relative deviation between the proposed method and the strain gauge method is less than 15 %, which is lower than the existing ultrasonic methods. The proposed method has higher accuracy and spatial resolution in non-uniform absolute stress field detection than existing ultrasonic methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121400"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural performance of modular buildings subjected to fire","authors":"Lalita Lama ,&nbsp;Thomas Gernay ,&nbsp;Huu-Tai Thai ,&nbsp;Tuan Ngo ,&nbsp;Brian Uy","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modular construction is increasingly adopted for mid to high-rise buildings due to its cost, speed and sustainability benefits, making fire safety a critical concern. However, research on composite modular structures under fire remains limited. This study investigates the fire-induced structural performance of a composite modular building with concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns. Validation was conducted at both the component and system levels. A full building model was developed and analysed using SAFIR, a finite element-based software for thermal-structural analysis. A parametric analysis was then performed to explore the effects of fire curves, fire locations, multi-compartment fire spread and vertical spread to the upper module’s floor beams. Results show that the modular building exhibited good overall fire resistance, primarily due to the presence of CFST columns and system redundancy. Corner fires trigger earlier failure due to reduced restraint, while lower-floor fire causes earlier failure due to higher loads. Multi-compartment and vertical fire spread increase vulnerability by raising force demands on fire-exposed and adjacent members. The findings underscore the need for system-level modelling, as isolated analyses miss complex redistribution and failure mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121404"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact-induced torsional failure mechanism and simplified analysis model for double-column bridges subjected to vessel oblique collisions","authors":"Xuepeng Liu ,&nbsp;Yanchen Song ,&nbsp;Qiang Han ,&nbsp;Jianian Wen ,&nbsp;Bo Geng ,&nbsp;Xiuli Du","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current bridge design specifications and codes worldwide typically assume vessel impact forces act at the center of bridge piers, failing to account for the torsional effects on double-column piers resulting from potential oblique vessel collisions at the pile cap end. To address this limitation, a torsion test on a RC column was conducted to investigate the progression of torsional damage and determine the torque-deformation relationship. The experimental results were subsequently used to validate the numerical modeling techniques for simulating torsional failure in RC columns. Furthermore, based on the case of an actual bridge torsional failure caused by an oblique vessel collision, a high-fidelity finite element (FE) model of vessel-bridge oblique collision was developed to reveal failure process and mechanism of the bridge, which remain unrecorded and poorly understood. The damage patterns and residual displacements predicted by numerical simulation were compared with field observations from the accident, and the potential conditions leading to such failures were further investigated. Additionally, a simplified coupled analysis model for oblique vessel collisions with bridges was established using a two-degree-of-freedom system, with methods for determining equivalent masses and spring parameters in the normal and transverse directions derived analytically. The results indicate that the damage pattern predicted by the high-fidelity FE simulation of the double-column pier align closely with field observations, providing reliable insights into the detailed failure mechanisms of actual accidents. Moreover, the responses predicted by the simplified model show excellent agreement with those from the full barge impact model, demonstrating its effectiveness for simulating vessel-bridge oblique collisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"344 ","pages":"Article 121384"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}