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Buildings
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Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards
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Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 9596

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Florin Pavel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, 020396 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: risk and fragility analysis; earthquake; seismology; seismics; earthquake seismology; earthquake engineering; civil engineering; seismotectonics; engineering seismology; earthquake prediction; tectonics; applied geophysics; active tectonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. George-Bogdan Nica

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, 020396 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: dynamics of structures; structural control; earthquake engineering; progressive collapse
Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Urban Transformations Research Centre (UTRC), Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Interests: smart structures; digital twins; immersive technologies; robotic construction; resilience; reliability; structural health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Investigating building vulnerability and risk is crucial in order to evaluate the impact of natural hazards on exposed assets within a country or region. This assessment can be performed using both numerical methods, as well as information collected via the thorough monitoring of buildings and infrastructures or thorough testing. In addition, within the topic of this Special Issue, the impact of climate change on design codes is another topic which will considerably influence the construction industry in the future.

We welcome papers on the following and related topics, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • The evaluation of seismic and wind vulnerability and the risk of buildings;
  • The monitoring of buildings and infrastructures;
  • Simulation and modelling;
  • Structural testing;
  • Databases of natural hazards;
  • The impact of climate change on design codes;
  • The collapse analysis of buildings.

Dr. Florin Pavel
Dr. George-Bogdan Nica
Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • numerical modelling
  • structural health monitoring
  • structural testing
  • seismic vulnerability
  • wind tunnel testing
  • collapse analysis
  • structural testing

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

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

36 pages, 9884 KB  
Article
Research on the Fatigue Reliability of a Catenary Support Structure Under High-Speed Train Operation Conditions
by Guifeng Zhao, Chaojie Xin, Meng Wang and Meng Zhang
Buildings 2025, 15(19), 3542; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15193542 - 1 Oct 2025
Viewed by 168
Abstract
As the core component of electrified railway power supply systems, the fatigue performance and reliability of catenary support structures are directly related to the operational safety of high-speed railways. To address the problem of structural fatigue damage caused by increasing train speed and [...] Read more.
As the core component of electrified railway power supply systems, the fatigue performance and reliability of catenary support structures are directly related to the operational safety of high-speed railways. To address the problem of structural fatigue damage caused by increasing train speed and high-frequency operation, this study develops a refined finite element model including a support structure, suspension system and support column, and the dynamic response characteristics and fatigue life evolution law under train operation conditions are systematically analyzed. The results show that under the conditions of 250 km/h speed and 100 times daily traffic, the fatigue lives of the limit locator and positioning support are 43.56 years and 34.48 years, respectively, whereas the transverse cantilever connection and inclined cantilever have infinite life characteristics. When the train speed increases to 400 km/h, the annual fatigue damage of the positioning bearing increases from 0.029 to 0.065, and the service life is shortened by 55.7% to 15.27 years, which proves that high-speed working conditions significantly aggravate the deterioration of fatigue in the structure. The reliability analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation reveals that when the speed is 400 km/h and the daily traffic is 130 times, the structural reliability shows an exponential declining trend with increasing service life. If the daily traffic frequency exceeds 130, the 15-year reliability decreases to 92.5%, the 20-year reliability suddenly decreases to 82.4%, and there is a significant inflection point of failure in the 15–20 years of service. Considering the coupling effect of environmental factors (wind load, temperature and freezing), the actual failure risk may be higher than the theoretical value. On the basis of these findings, engineering suggestions are proposed: for high-speed lines with a daily traffic frequency of more than 130 times, shortening the overhaul cycle of the catenary support structure to 7–10 years and strengthening the periodic inspection and maintenance of positioning support and limit locators are recommended. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the safety assessment and maintenance decision making of high-speed railway catenary systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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25 pages, 11085 KB  
Article
Quantitative Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings Exposed to Landslides Under Extreme Rainfall Scenarios
by Guangming Li, Dong Liu, Mengjiao Ruan, Yuhua Zhang, Jun He, Zizheng Guo, Haojie Wang and Mengchen Cheng
Buildings 2025, 15(11), 1838; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15111838 - 27 May 2025
Viewed by 653
Abstract
Landslides triggered by extreme rainfall often cause severe casualties and property losses. Therefore, it is essential to accurately assess and predict building vulnerability under landslide scenarios for effective risk mitigation. This study proposed a quantitative framework for vulnerability assessments of structures. It integrated [...] Read more.
Landslides triggered by extreme rainfall often cause severe casualties and property losses. Therefore, it is essential to accurately assess and predict building vulnerability under landslide scenarios for effective risk mitigation. This study proposed a quantitative framework for vulnerability assessments of structures. It integrated extreme rainfall analysis, landslide kinematic assessment, and the dynamic response of structures. The study area is located in the northern mountainous region of Tianjin, China. It lies within the Yanshan Mountains, serving as a key transportation corridor linking North and Northeast China. The Sentinel-1A satellite imagery consisting of 77 SLC scenes (from October 2014 to November 2023) identified a slow-moving landslide in the region by using the SBAS-InSAR technique. High-resolution topographic data of the slope were first acquired through UAV-based remote sensing. Next, historical rainfall data from 1980 to 2017 were analyzed. The Gumbel distribution was used to determine the return periods of extreme rainfall events. The potential slope failure range and kinematic processes of the landslide were then simulated by using numerical simulations. The dynamic responses of buildings impacted by the landslide were modeled by using ABAQUS. These simulations allowed for the estimation of building vulnerability and the generation of vulnerability maps. Results showed that increased rainfall intensity significantly enlarged the plastic zone within the slope. This raised the likelihood of landslide occurrence and led to more severe building damage. When the rainfall return period increased from 50 to 100 years, the number of damaged buildings rose by about 10%. The vulnerability of individual buildings increased by 10% to 15%. The maximum vulnerability value increased from 0.87 to 1.0. This model offers a valuable addition to current quantitative landslide risk assessment frameworks. It is especially suitable for areas where landslides have not yet occurred. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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27 pages, 13355 KB  
Article
Advanced Investigation into Active Control Force Requirements for Seismic Damage Mitigation of Inelastic Structures
by Ruben Iacob Munteanu, Vasile Calofir, Karol-Cristian Lemnaru and Cătălin Ponta
Buildings 2025, 15(9), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15091402 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 724
Abstract
This study investigates the effectiveness of active structural control in mitigating seismic damage of inelastic structures. A fuzzy control algorithm is integrated into a custom-developed finite element routine to examine the relationship between maximum control force requirements and the resulting structural damage state. [...] Read more.
This study investigates the effectiveness of active structural control in mitigating seismic damage of inelastic structures. A fuzzy control algorithm is integrated into a custom-developed finite element routine to examine the relationship between maximum control force requirements and the resulting structural damage state. Consequently, a series of nonlinear dynamic simulations was conducted on 3D inelastic numerical models representing five building typologies—three residential, one office, and one school using seismic inputs from two historical earthquakes. Structural damage was quantified using the Park–Ang damage index. Key findings show that active control can reduce structural damage of inelastic structures, but its effectiveness depends on seismic input and the complexity structural layout. Lower forces are adequate for low-rise or simple buildings, while taller or complex structures require substantially higher forces, which may be challenging to apply in real applications. Moreover, the results emphasize how local seismic conditions and variations in building dynamic characteristics impact the demands in control forces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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36 pages, 16024 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Buttress System of a Great Ottoman Mosque Against Gravity Loads and Horizontal Seismic Forces: The Case of the Istanbul Süleymaniye Mosque
by Rabia İzol, Muhammet Arif Gürel, Çağrı Mollamahmutoğlu and Fatih Avcil
Buildings 2025, 15(8), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15081360 - 19 Apr 2025
Viewed by 1528
Abstract
Historical mosques are some of the most valuable structures in Islamic societies. It is of primary importance to protect these structures and ensure their safe transmission to future generations. This study investigates the adequacy of the buttress system of the Süleymaniye Mosque in [...] Read more.
Historical mosques are some of the most valuable structures in Islamic societies. It is of primary importance to protect these structures and ensure their safe transmission to future generations. This study investigates the adequacy of the buttress system of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, regarded as the ‘symbol structure of Ottoman Architecture’, against gravity and horizontal earthquake loads. Although several structural studies have been conducted on this unique building, the absence of any research on the buttress system, which clearly plays a significant role in its survival through many earthquakes, served as the main motivation for this study. After presenting the material properties, a finite element model of the structure was created. Finite element models were also developed for two hypothetical scenarios in which the outer depths of the buttresses were reduced by fifty percent or eliminated. The models and all analyses were performed using ABAQUS software. Gravity load analyses indicated that the mosque does not face any issues related to stresses or displacements. Nonlinear static analyses revealed that, with the current buttress dimensions, the structure can resist horizontal loads up to about 70% of self-weight along the Qibla axis and about 90% along the axis perpendicular to the Qibla. These findings are some of the most significant results obtained thus far in studies investigating the horizontal earthquake resistance of the mosque. Through performance analyses, it was determined that the structure can meet the limited damage performance criterion only with the current buttress depths; however, it cannot satisfy this performance level with reduced buttress dimensions. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the buttress system of the Süleymaniye Mosque is highly effective against gravity loads and transverse seismic forces and that it was designed not only with practical experience but also with a solid understanding of structural behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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15 pages, 10525 KB  
Article
Waveform Complexity and Positioning Analysis of Acoustic Emission Events during the Compression Failure Process of a Rock Burst Prone Sample
by Wenlong Zhang, Jiajia Yu, Xiufeng Xu, Jianju Ren, Kaide Liu and Huifang Shi
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051331 - 8 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1510
Abstract
The localization results of acoustic emission (AE) events can reflect the location and pattern of burst-prone rock failures. However, event localization heavily depends on the quality of the original waveform of the sensor. Therefore, this study analyzed the AE waveform of a rock [...] Read more.
The localization results of acoustic emission (AE) events can reflect the location and pattern of burst-prone rock failures. However, event localization heavily depends on the quality of the original waveform of the sensor. Therefore, this study analyzed the AE waveform of a rock sample under compression to evaluate its failure localization and quality. From the research results, it could be seen that the initial failure was relatively calm, with clear take-off points, which can be better used for accurate AE event positioning. However, the later failure was severe, causing the take-off points of most sensors to be very unclear, and positioning methods that rely on take-off points cannot be used for positioning, let alone simply using the positioning results of the built-in software. This research result reminds researchers who use AE signals for event localization to first examine the quality and status of the original waveform, providing a basis for obtaining accurate localization results, in order to further accurately study the subsequent failure patterns. The above facts indicate that the initial failure is small and scattered, while the later failure is large and concentrated, with certain fractal characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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24 pages, 20752 KB  
Article
An Updated Perspective of the Impact of the 1940 Vrancea Earthquake on Design and Construction Practices in Romania
by Florin Pavel
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1152; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041152 - 19 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3942
Abstract
This study presents an updated view of the effects of the 1940 Vrancea earthquake. Recently compiled studies in the literature from the time of the event, as well as other studies, present the opportunity to gain additional and relevant information regarding this large-magnitude [...] Read more.
This study presents an updated view of the effects of the 1940 Vrancea earthquake. Recently compiled studies in the literature from the time of the event, as well as other studies, present the opportunity to gain additional and relevant information regarding this large-magnitude event. The effects of this earthquake on various locations in Romania are compared to those observed after the subsequent large Vrancea earthquake of 1977. An assessment of the economic losses caused by the seismic event is also attempted. The seismic vulnerability of some building typologies commonly used before 1940 is assessed by employing the earthquake damage data and the well-known macroseismic method. The impact of this event on the design and construction practices in Romania is evaluated using the collected information as well. Finally, the policy of repair and strengthening of buildings applied after the event is also discussed, and case studies are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buildings and Infrastructures under Natural Hazards)
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