Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122177
Xinliang Liu, Zengwei Guo
This paper proposes an effective and reliable approach for the optimal design of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) control in circular cylinders. The slow invariant manifold (SIM) of the coupled cylinder-NESI system is first derived by integrating the Complexification-Averaging (CX-A) technique with the multiscale method. The analysis reveals that the system's motion along the SIM reflects the variation in the steady-state maximum oscillation amplitude of the circular cylinder over a complete oscillation cycle. To determine the local maxima on the SIM, the equilibrium point equations are introduced as constraints, thereby formulating an optimization problem for the coupled cylinder-NESI system. An analytical expression for the optimal stiffness ratio is then derived through the introduction of Lagrange multipliers. The influences of the mass ratio, inerter-to-mass ratio, and relative damping ratio on the predicted results obtained from this analytical expression are subsequently investigated. The results indicate that, within the considered parameter ranges, a smaller mass ratio, combined with moderate inerter-to-mass and relative damping ratios, enables the analytically designed NESI to achieve superior suppression performance on the VIV amplitude of the circular cylinder. The main innovation of this work is the development of a concise and robust analytical method for parameter optimization in the coupled fluid-cylinder-NESI system. Compared with conventional numerical optimization or extensive parametric sensitivity analysis, the proposed method substantially reduces computational cost, thereby improving the efficiency and practicality of the design process.
{"title":"Analytical method for parameter optimization of the coupled cylinder-NESI system under vortex-induced vibration: Based on the method of the slow invariant manifold","authors":"Xinliang Liu, Zengwei Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122177","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122177","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper proposes an effective and reliable approach for the optimal design of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) control in circular cylinders. The slow invariant manifold (SIM) of the coupled cylinder-NESI system is first derived by integrating the Complexification-Averaging (CX-A) technique with the multiscale method. The analysis reveals that the system's motion along the SIM reflects the variation in the steady-state maximum oscillation amplitude of the circular cylinder over a complete oscillation cycle. To determine the local maxima on the SIM, the equilibrium point equations are introduced as constraints, thereby formulating an optimization problem for the coupled cylinder-NESI system. An analytical expression for the optimal stiffness ratio is then derived through the introduction of Lagrange multipliers. The influences of the mass ratio, inerter-to-mass ratio, and relative damping ratio on the predicted results obtained from this analytical expression are subsequently investigated. The results indicate that, within the considered parameter ranges, a smaller mass ratio, combined with moderate inerter-to-mass and relative damping ratios, enables the analytically designed NESI to achieve superior suppression performance on the VIV amplitude of the circular cylinder. The main innovation of this work is the development of a concise and robust analytical method for parameter optimization in the coupled fluid-cylinder-NESI system. Compared with conventional numerical optimization or extensive parametric sensitivity analysis, the proposed method substantially reduces computational cost, thereby improving the efficiency and practicality of the design process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122177"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036873","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122225
Liangliang Wu, Zhifei Shi
Love waves are a type of horizontally polarized surface waves formed by multiple reflections within surface layers. Love waves can be highly destructive within their affected zone. Fortunately, the development of metamaterials offers a new possibility to address this issue. In this study, we propose an analytical formulation based on both multiple scattering theory and unsaturated soil model with the aim of achieving the following three objectives: (i) Modeling the propagation of Love waves in a layered unsaturated half-space under a metasurface consisting of N resonators. (ii) Revealing the mitigation mechanism of resonators and their coupling mechanism with the unsaturated soil. (iii) Generalizing the analytical formulation so that it can be applied to single-phase, saturated and unsaturated soils. In this formulation, the total wavefield consists of the incident wavefield generated by an external source and the scattered wavefield generated by the resonators. The incident wavefield is calculated based on a Green's function obtained from boundary conditions and integral transformations. The scattered wavefield is calculated by combining the Green's function with the inertial force generated by the resonators. The analytical formulation is not restricted by the mechanical and geometric properties of the resonator. We expect that this analytical formulation could provide a deep understanding and conceptual design for mitigating Love waves in unsaturated soils.
{"title":"A multiple scattering formulation of metasurfaces for manipulating Love waves in unsaturated soil","authors":"Liangliang Wu, Zhifei Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Love waves are a type of horizontally polarized surface waves formed by multiple reflections within surface layers. Love waves can be highly destructive within their affected zone. Fortunately, the development of metamaterials offers a new possibility to address this issue. In this study, we propose an analytical formulation based on both multiple scattering theory and unsaturated soil model with the aim of achieving the following three objectives: (i) Modeling the propagation of Love waves in a layered unsaturated half-space under a metasurface consisting of <em>N</em> resonators. (ii) Revealing the mitigation mechanism of resonators and their coupling mechanism with the unsaturated soil. (iii) Generalizing the analytical formulation so that it can be applied to single-phase, saturated and unsaturated soils. In this formulation, the total wavefield consists of the incident wavefield generated by an external source and the scattered wavefield generated by the resonators. The incident wavefield is calculated based on a Green's function obtained from boundary conditions and integral transformations. The scattered wavefield is calculated by combining the Green's function with the inertial force generated by the resonators. The analytical formulation is not restricted by the mechanical and geometric properties of the resonator. We expect that this analytical formulation could provide a deep understanding and conceptual design for mitigating Love waves in unsaturated soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122225"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036946","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}
Self-anchored carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strap cables eliminate bulky metallic anchorages, yet stress concentrations within the curved anchorage zone continue to limit their load-carrying efficiency. This study integrates experimental testing, finite element (FE) simulations, and analytical modeling, aiming to address this limitation through strap geometry optimization and interfacial behavior characterization. Static tensile tests were first performed on straps with wedge angles of 27°, 29°, and 33°. The results showed that reducing the wedge angle significantly improves load capacity, with the 27° strap achieving the highest average fracture stress above 2000 MPa. These experiments were then used to validate a three-dimensional FE model, which subsequently enabled a systematic parametric analysis across wedge angles, strap layers, and interface friction coefficients. The FE-generated database was employed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of an existing orthotropic thick-walled ring formulation. By introducing a correction factor that explicitly accounts for wedge angle and interfacial friction, the model was extended to reproduce load capacities with an error less than 3 % and to capture clear parametric trends. This modified closed-form formulation provides the first friction-sensitive design tool for CFRP straps, offering practical guidance for efficient lightweight cable systems in long-span structures.
{"title":"Development and optimization of a novel pin-loaded CFRP strap: A hybrid experimental-numerical approach","authors":"Weidong Chen , Yanyang Pan , Gongyi Xu , Mingsai Xu , Jing Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Self-anchored carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strap cables eliminate bulky metallic anchorages, yet stress concentrations within the curved anchorage zone continue to limit their load-carrying efficiency. This study integrates experimental testing, finite element (FE) simulations, and analytical modeling, aiming to address this limitation through strap geometry optimization and interfacial behavior characterization. Static tensile tests were first performed on straps with wedge angles of 27°, 29°, and 33°. The results showed that reducing the wedge angle significantly improves load capacity, with the 27° strap achieving the highest average fracture stress above 2000 MPa. These experiments were then used to validate a three-dimensional FE model, which subsequently enabled a systematic parametric analysis across wedge angles, strap layers, and interface friction coefficients. The FE-generated database was employed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of an existing orthotropic thick-walled ring formulation. By introducing a correction factor that explicitly accounts for wedge angle and interfacial friction, the model was extended to reproduce load capacities with an error less than 3 % and to capture clear parametric trends. This modified closed-form formulation provides the first friction-sensitive design tool for CFRP straps, offering practical guidance for efficient lightweight cable systems in long-span structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122293"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184866","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122300
Mingyang Wei , Linlin Song , Jianhua Zhang , Cheav Por Chea , Yan Geng , Xueming Zhang , Dianwei Gao , Zhicheng Liu
Based on the design concept of high energy dissipation and replaceability, as well as the specific characteristics of underground structures, such as difficulties and uncertainties in excavation, a dual stage energy dissipation joint for connection concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) column-exterior wide-flat beam joint was proposed in this paper. Three types of joints were designed and manufactured. Specifically, typical CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as typical joint, TJ), frictional energy dissipation CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as frictional energy dissipation joint, FEDJ), and dual stage energy dissipation CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as dual stage energy dissipation joint, DEDJ). Then, quasi-static seismic performance tests and finite element analyses were conducted to these three joints. After that, the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used to assess the seismic performance of different types of joints. The results indicated that the DEDJ exhibited frictional and rotational energy dissipation characteristics under service level earthquakes, while demonstrating plastic deformation energy dissipation through metal components during design basis and maximal considered earthquakes. TJ showed bending failure at beam ends, whereas failure in DEDJ was concentrated in steel energy dissipation components. FDEJ remained undamaged throughout the test. TJ demonstrated high bearing capacity but suffered from poor ductility, rapid strength/stiffness degradation, and limited energy dissipation capacity. FDEJ maintained stable strength/stiffness with good ductility, though constrained by low bearing capacity and insufficient energy dissipation capability. DEDJ not only achieved the designed bearing capacity target but also synergistically combined advantages from both TJ and FDEJ, exhibiting superior ductility, effective energy dissipation, and slower strength and stiffness degradation compared to TJ. The assessment result of the TOPSIS method showed that the comprehensive performance of the DEDJ was better than that of TJ and FEDJ. the bearing capacity and energy dissipation capability of DEDJ may be compromised when the axial compression ratio increased to 0.5 and the end-to-center ratio of low-yield-point steel reached 1.82.
{"title":"Cyclic performance of dual stage energy dissipation joints for connecting CFST column and exterior wide-flat beam","authors":"Mingyang Wei , Linlin Song , Jianhua Zhang , Cheav Por Chea , Yan Geng , Xueming Zhang , Dianwei Gao , Zhicheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Based on the design concept of high energy dissipation and replaceability, as well as the specific characteristics of underground structures, such as difficulties and uncertainties in excavation, a dual stage energy dissipation joint for connection concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) column-exterior wide-flat beam joint was proposed in this paper. Three types of joints were designed and manufactured. Specifically, typical CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as typical joint, TJ), frictional energy dissipation CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as frictional energy dissipation joint, FEDJ), and dual stage energy dissipation CFST column-exterior wide-flat beam joint (abbreviated as dual stage energy dissipation joint, DEDJ). Then, quasi-static seismic performance tests and finite element analyses were conducted to these three joints. After that, the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used to assess the seismic performance of different types of joints. The results indicated that the DEDJ exhibited frictional and rotational energy dissipation characteristics under service level earthquakes, while demonstrating plastic deformation energy dissipation through metal components during design basis and maximal considered earthquakes. TJ showed bending failure at beam ends, whereas failure in DEDJ was concentrated in steel energy dissipation components. FDEJ remained undamaged throughout the test. TJ demonstrated high bearing capacity but suffered from poor ductility, rapid strength/stiffness degradation, and limited energy dissipation capacity. FDEJ maintained stable strength/stiffness with good ductility, though constrained by low bearing capacity and insufficient energy dissipation capability. DEDJ not only achieved the designed bearing capacity target but also synergistically combined advantages from both TJ and FDEJ, exhibiting superior ductility, effective energy dissipation, and slower strength and stiffness degradation compared to TJ. The assessment result of the TOPSIS method showed that the comprehensive performance of the DEDJ was better than that of TJ and FEDJ. the bearing capacity and energy dissipation capability of DEDJ may be compromised when the axial compression ratio increased to 0.5 and the end-to-center ratio of low-yield-point steel reached 1.82.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122300"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185239","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122319
Jingfeng Zhang , Jie Ma , Jizhuang Guo , Jiaxin Luo , Han Bao , Huaimao Yang
Rockfall impacting bridge accidents are characterized by strong randomness, complex dynamic processes, and severe disaster consequences. Taking actual accident of bridge damaged by rockfall impact as research prototype, an intrusion detection algorithm of fallen rocks intruding into bridge clearance limits is developed. Additionally, a coupled rockfall-bridge damage assessment method integrating trajectory simulation and intrusion detection algorithm is proposed. The irrationality of traditional rockfall impact on bridge analysis has been addressed by establishing an integrated analysis framework which includes rockfall motion simulation, intrusion detection algorithm and bridge dynamic analysis. The major work is as follows: (1) The three-dimensional rockfall trajectory simulation determines the range and stagnation point of fallen rocks, effectively revealing distribution of threats to bridge structure and accurately locating high-risk impact zones; (2) The detection algorithm of fallen rocks intruding into bridge clearance limits enables the determination of collisions risk, the localization of impact locations and the extraction of impact parameters; (3) A high-fidelity finite element model is established to replicate bridge plastic damage and conduct residual performance assessment. The rationality and accuracy of the proposed framework are validated by comparing with actual accident. The proposed analysis framework can provide a scientific tool for transportation route selection, bridge structural protection, as well as disaster risk assessment.
{"title":"A coupled rockfall-bridge damage assessment method integrating trajectory simulation and intrusion detection","authors":"Jingfeng Zhang , Jie Ma , Jizhuang Guo , Jiaxin Luo , Han Bao , Huaimao Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rockfall impacting bridge accidents are characterized by strong randomness, complex dynamic processes, and severe disaster consequences. Taking actual accident of bridge damaged by rockfall impact as research prototype, an intrusion detection algorithm of fallen rocks intruding into bridge clearance limits is developed. Additionally, a coupled rockfall-bridge damage assessment method integrating trajectory simulation and intrusion detection algorithm is proposed. The irrationality of traditional rockfall impact on bridge analysis has been addressed by establishing an integrated analysis framework which includes rockfall motion simulation, intrusion detection algorithm and bridge dynamic analysis. The major work is as follows: (1) The three-dimensional rockfall trajectory simulation determines the range and stagnation point of fallen rocks, effectively revealing distribution of threats to bridge structure and accurately locating high-risk impact zones; (2) The detection algorithm of fallen rocks intruding into bridge clearance limits enables the determination of collisions risk, the localization of impact locations and the extraction of impact parameters; (3) A high-fidelity finite element model is established to replicate bridge plastic damage and conduct residual performance assessment. The rationality and accuracy of the proposed framework are validated by comparing with actual accident. The proposed analysis framework can provide a scientific tool for transportation route selection, bridge structural protection, as well as disaster risk assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122319"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185248","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}
To efficiently and accurately capture the hysteretic behavior of structural components, this study proposed the data-driven surrogate modeling method that combines mechanical principles and the improved Transformer architecture, offering an alternative to traditional experimental and simulation approaches. First, to address key challenges in hysteresis identification, including complex nonlinearity, long-sequence inputs, and exposure bias, the standard Transformer architecture was improved. ProbSparse Self-Attention and distillation operation were introduced to enhance training efficiency and prediction performance for long-sequence inputs, while the two-stage training strategy was adopted to mitigate exposure bias during the hysteretic response prediction. Given the scarcity of hysteresis data, this study selected easily replaceable column-foundation connection specimens and established the systematic hysteresis database by combining loading experiments with numerical simulations. Subsequently, based on the improved Transformer model, the hysteretic surrogate model for the identical component was established. The model was validated using the hysteresis dataset of column-foundation connection, with R² values reaching 0.99, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict hysteretic responses under various displacement excitations. Furthermore, by considering the effects of intrinsic component features through mechanical analysis and integrating the improved Transformer model, the hysteresis surrogate model applicable to similar components was established. Case studies demonstrated that the model could accurately predict hysteresis behavior of components with varying intrinsic detailing features under different external displacement excitations. Finally, to facilitate practical application, a new material model capable of embedding the trained surrogate models was developed on the OpenSees platform.
{"title":"Data-driven surrogate modeling of hysteretic responses combining mechanical principles and the improved Transformer","authors":"Yunqing Zhu , Luqi Xie , Jing Wu , Yinghao Wei , Wu Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To efficiently and accurately capture the hysteretic behavior of structural components, this study proposed the data-driven surrogate modeling method that combines mechanical principles and the improved Transformer architecture, offering an alternative to traditional experimental and simulation approaches. First, to address key challenges in hysteresis identification, including complex nonlinearity, long-sequence inputs, and exposure bias, the standard Transformer architecture was improved. ProbSparse Self-Attention and distillation operation were introduced to enhance training efficiency and prediction performance for long-sequence inputs, while the two-stage training strategy was adopted to mitigate exposure bias during the hysteretic response prediction. Given the scarcity of hysteresis data, this study selected easily replaceable column-foundation connection specimens and established the systematic hysteresis database by combining loading experiments with numerical simulations. Subsequently, based on the improved Transformer model, the hysteretic surrogate model for the identical component was established. The model was validated using the hysteresis dataset of column-foundation connection, with <em>R</em>² values reaching 0.99, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict hysteretic responses under various displacement excitations. Furthermore, by considering the effects of intrinsic component features through mechanical analysis and integrating the improved Transformer model, the hysteresis surrogate model applicable to similar components was established. Case studies demonstrated that the model could accurately predict hysteresis behavior of components with varying intrinsic detailing features under different external displacement excitations. Finally, to facilitate practical application, a new material model capable of embedding the trained surrogate models was developed on the OpenSees platform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122245"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075460","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-14DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122336
Jiaqi Shi , Wei Wang , Zhiyang Xie , Min Sun
Accurate and efficient evaluation of post-welding mechanical properties in high strength steel cruciform joints is critical for structural safety but remains challenging due to spatial heterogeneity induced by welding thermal effects. To address this, this study combines systematic experiments with machine learning methods. Monotonic tensile tests are performed on 326 specimens extracted from critical zones of Q550GJC thick-plate cruciform joints with two distinct geometries to obtain heat-affected mechanical indices. Based on the model benchmarking results, a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model is proposed using Manhattan distances from specimen centers to weld seams as input features. Employing strategies including label logarithmic transformation and dynamic learning rate adjustment, and rigorously validated through spatially clustered 6-fold cross-validation, the model achieves accurate predictions of yield strength and ultimate strength with R² exceeding 0.86. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis shows that a small set of key weld passes, concentrated in the core region with pronounced cumulative heat input and in late-stage welding passes, contribute more than 50 % to the predicted mechanical properties. Following identification of applicability domain between the new dataset and the training set using Mahalanobis distance, the model is applied to predict mechanical properties across the entire critical zone. This study supplements the experimental database for Q550GJC welded joints, integrated with a data-driven paradigm, and provides insights for optimizing high strength steel welding processes.
{"title":"Machine-learning assisted prediction of the heat-affected material mechanical properties of Q550GJC high strength steel thick-plate in cruciform welded joints","authors":"Jiaqi Shi , Wei Wang , Zhiyang Xie , Min Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122336","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122336","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate and efficient evaluation of post-welding mechanical properties in high strength steel cruciform joints is critical for structural safety but remains challenging due to spatial heterogeneity induced by welding thermal effects. To address this, this study combines systematic experiments with machine learning methods. Monotonic tensile tests are performed on 326 specimens extracted from critical zones of Q550GJC thick-plate cruciform joints with two distinct geometries to obtain heat-affected mechanical indices. Based on the model benchmarking results, a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model is proposed using Manhattan distances from specimen centers to weld seams as input features. Employing strategies including label logarithmic transformation and dynamic learning rate adjustment, and rigorously validated through spatially clustered 6-fold cross-validation, the model achieves accurate predictions of yield strength and ultimate strength with R² exceeding 0.86. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis shows that a small set of key weld passes, concentrated in the core region with pronounced cumulative heat input and in late-stage welding passes, contribute more than 50 % to the predicted mechanical properties. Following identification of applicability domain between the new dataset and the training set using Mahalanobis distance, the model is applied to predict mechanical properties across the entire critical zone. This study supplements the experimental database for Q550GJC welded joints, integrated with a data-driven paradigm, and provides insights for optimizing high strength steel welding processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122336"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170801","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-06DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122294
Xiao-Wu Liu, Xue-Chun Liu, Xuesen Chen, Kun Meng, De-Fang Liu
A novel prefabricated F3T-shaped thin concrete-encased steel column (F3T-TCES) was proposed to address corrosion, fire resistance, and local buckling in special-shaped steel columns. Axial compression tests were performed on nine F3T-TCES columns to investigate the effects of six stirrup configurations. All specimens exhibited strength failure modes. Type E and Type F stirrup could effectively limit crack propagation and delay crack development. The material utilization coefficients of all specimens are greater than 1.0, demonstrating full utilization of material strengths. Type F stirrup required no on-site welding and provided the highest construction efficiency, and is therefore recommended. A refined finite-element model was established in ABAQUS and validated against the test results. Parametric studies reveals that increasing web thickness is more effective in enhancing the peak load than increasing flange thickness. The combination of Q355 steel with C30 to C50 concrete ensures stable axial compressive behavior and high material utilization coefficients. Stirrup spacing had a slight effect on the axial resistance, and 100 mm spacing is recommended. Increasing the steel flange concrete cover from 45 mm to 70 mm significantly reduces concrete cracking. Peak resistance and design resistance formulas considering the confined concrete strength enhancement coefficient k were proposed and validated. A database containing 962 samples was established, and five different machine learning models were trained to predict the peak resistance and initial stiffness. The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model achieved the highest accuracy and is recommended for engineering prediction.
{"title":"Experimental investigation and interpretable machine learning prediction of the axial compressive behavior of prefabricate F3T-shaped thin concrete-encased steel columns","authors":"Xiao-Wu Liu, Xue-Chun Liu, Xuesen Chen, Kun Meng, De-Fang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122294","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A novel prefabricated F3T-shaped thin concrete-encased steel column (F3T-TCES) was proposed to address corrosion, fire resistance, and local buckling in special-shaped steel columns. Axial compression tests were performed on nine F3T-TCES columns to investigate the effects of six stirrup configurations. All specimens exhibited strength failure modes. Type E and Type F stirrup could effectively limit crack propagation and delay crack development. The material utilization coefficients of all specimens are greater than 1.0, demonstrating full utilization of material strengths. Type F stirrup required no on-site welding and provided the highest construction efficiency, and is therefore recommended. A refined finite-element model was established in ABAQUS and validated against the test results. Parametric studies reveals that increasing web thickness is more effective in enhancing the peak load than increasing flange thickness. The combination of Q355 steel with C30 to C50 concrete ensures stable axial compressive behavior and high material utilization coefficients. Stirrup spacing had a slight effect on the axial resistance, and 100 mm spacing is recommended. Increasing the steel flange concrete cover from 45 mm to 70 mm significantly reduces concrete cracking. Peak resistance and design resistance formulas considering the confined concrete strength enhancement coefficient <em>k</em> were proposed and validated. A database containing 962 samples was established, and five different machine learning models were trained to predict the peak resistance and initial stiffness. The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model achieved the highest accuracy and is recommended for engineering prediction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122294"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184799","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122275
Feng Wang , Jiaxin Shen , Xin Yang , Yunqiang Qiao , Jiaying Wang , Jiawu Li , Yi Hui
The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a rectangular section is significantly influenced by the aspect ratio. Different aspect ratios lead to different flow patterns around the section, thereby causing distinct vibration phenomena. To better understand the evolution law of the characteristics when VIV occurs, a 10:1 rectangular section is selected as the research object. Based on the time-series data of "Static-Developing-Stable" derived from the synchronous vibration-pressure measurement test, the different stages of vibration are identified. The Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) method, based on Takens' embedding theorem, and the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) method are introduced to analyze time-series data at different stages, clarifying the evolution laws of the section's characteristics. The results indicate that during the VIV, the section is initially excited by vortex shedding frequencies approaching the natural frequency, leading to modal competition. Following the onset of the vibration, the spatial distribution of both mean surface pressure and fluctuating pressure remains largely unaffected by the vibration stages. Once the vortex shedding frequency is equal to the structural natural frequency, the vibration enters a stable stage. During this stable stage, the distributed forces on the middle and trailing edges significantly amplify the vortex-induced forces. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of EOF modes exhibits a "wavelike" variation in the trailing zone, which indicates localized increases in the fluctuating pressure. The spectral characteristics of the principal components can reflect the different stages of vibration.
{"title":"Temporal sequencing analysis of vortex-induced vibration in a 10:1 rectangular section","authors":"Feng Wang , Jiaxin Shen , Xin Yang , Yunqiang Qiao , Jiaying Wang , Jiawu Li , Yi Hui","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122275","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122275","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a rectangular section is significantly influenced by the aspect ratio. Different aspect ratios lead to different flow patterns around the section, thereby causing distinct vibration phenomena. To better understand the evolution law of the characteristics when VIV occurs, a 10:1 rectangular section is selected as the research object. Based on the time-series data of \"Static-Developing-Stable\" derived from the synchronous vibration-pressure measurement test, the different stages of vibration are identified. The Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) method, based on Takens' embedding theorem, and the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) method are introduced to analyze time-series data at different stages, clarifying the evolution laws of the section's characteristics. The results indicate that during the VIV, the section is initially excited by vortex shedding frequencies approaching the natural frequency, leading to modal competition. Following the onset of the vibration, the spatial distribution of both mean surface pressure and fluctuating pressure remains largely unaffected by the vibration stages. Once the vortex shedding frequency is equal to the structural natural frequency, the vibration enters a stable stage. During this stable stage, the distributed forces on the middle and trailing edges significantly amplify the vortex-induced forces. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of EOF modes exhibits a \"wavelike\" variation in the trailing zone, which indicates localized increases in the fluctuating pressure. The spectral characteristics of the principal components can reflect the different stages of vibration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122275"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184797","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}
Pub Date : 2026-04-15Epub Date: 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122262
Yeeun Kim , Kihak Lee , Jiuk Shin
To mitigate blast-induced progressive collapses of building structures, blast damage assessment of main structural elements (e.g., column) is crucial. However, field tests and numerical simulations for evaluating blast resistant performance have been expensive and time-consuming. Due to these limitations, many researchers have developed machine-learning models. The model have been learned from a large amount of experiments and numerical simulation-based dataset, which required expensive computational time. This paper presents a novel machine learning approach trained and tested from a reduced dataset to predict blast resistant performance for RC columns. A multi-step machine learning model integrating two distinct models was established as follows: (1) prediction of column failure modes (shear & flexure failure) utilized as the input to the second model, and (2) prediction of blast-induced damage levels for the RC column. A learning dataset associated with the blast column damage was generated from the finite element simulations validated with the previous experimental results. The numerical simulation-based dataset varies with simple column details (longitudinal and transverse rebar details, and axial loading ratio) and blast loading scenarios (scaled distance). To resolve the limitation of the conventional learning models, the reduced dataset with 200 data points was utilized to develop best-fit models for each column damage level, and their models were combined using four different combination methods: (1) sequential prediction method (method-1), (2) maximum positive probability prediction method (method-2), (3) maximum negative probability prediction method (method-3), and (4) combined method between methods-1 and 2 (method-4). Among them, the combined method has the highest prediction performance. As compared to the general method model trained from a large amount of dataset (703 data), the proposed combination method (method-4) can reduce the data points by 71.5 % and enhance the average of accuracy for each blast damage level by 14.3 %.
{"title":"Reduced dataset-based machine learning model for blast damage assessment of reinforced concrete columns","authors":"Yeeun Kim , Kihak Lee , Jiuk Shin","doi":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.engstruct.2026.122262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To mitigate blast-induced progressive collapses of building structures, blast damage assessment of main structural elements (e.g., column) is crucial. However, field tests and numerical simulations for evaluating blast resistant performance have been expensive and time-consuming. Due to these limitations, many researchers have developed machine-learning models. The model have been learned from a large amount of experiments and numerical simulation-based dataset, which required expensive computational time. This paper presents a novel machine learning approach trained and tested from a reduced dataset to predict blast resistant performance for RC columns. A multi-step machine learning model integrating two distinct models was established as follows: (1) prediction of column failure modes (shear & flexure failure) utilized as the input to the second model, and (2) prediction of blast-induced damage levels for the RC column. A learning dataset associated with the blast column damage was generated from the finite element simulations validated with the previous experimental results. The numerical simulation-based dataset varies with simple column details (longitudinal and transverse rebar details, and axial loading ratio) and blast loading scenarios (scaled distance). To resolve the limitation of the conventional learning models, the reduced dataset with 200 data points was utilized to develop best-fit models for each column damage level, and their models were combined using four different combination methods: (1) sequential prediction method (method-1), (2) maximum positive probability prediction method (method-2), (3) maximum negative probability prediction method (method-3), and (4) combined method between methods-1 and 2 (method-4). Among them, the combined method has the highest prediction performance. As compared to the general method model trained from a large amount of dataset (703 data), the proposed combination method (method-4) can reduce the data points by 71.5 % and enhance the average of accuracy for each blast damage level by 14.3 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11763,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Structures","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 122262"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184794","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}