
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring (SDHM) is an interdisciplinary journal that serves as a platform for publishing high-quality research on the performance, safety, durability, and sustainability of structural systems across their full lifecycle. While continuing to emphasize structural durability, fatigue, damage mechanics, and health monitoring techniques, the journal also welcomes original studies in the broader fields of structural engineering.
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
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Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080104 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Modern Inverse Analysis Approaches for Structural Diagnosis and Parameter Identifications)
Abstract In this study, an energy-consistent analytical–numerical framework is proposed to determine the effective shear correction factor for non-homogeneous cross-sections within the Timoshenko beam theory, such as a porous cementitious matrix (e.g., perlite-based material) combined with an embedded steel I-section. The formulation enforces equivalence between the real heterogeneous shear strain energy, governed by a spatial shear modulus field , and its beam-theory representation based on . A pixel/voxel discretization is introduced to evaluate the generalized shear-energy integral and to quantify the deviation of from classical homogeneous benchmarks. The results demonstrate… More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.079454 - 24 August 2026
Abstract This review presents a comprehensive evaluation of jacketing techniques used in reinforced concrete (RC) columns repair and rehabilitation. It critically examines reinforced concrete jacketing, steel jacketing, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) jacketing, fiber-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM) jacketing, and ferrocement jacketing based on recent experimental, analytical, and numerical studies. The paper discusses material characteristics, application methods, and performance under different loading and environmental conditions. Special focus is placed on advancements such as hybrid FRP systems and high-performance composites, which aim to overcome limitations of traditional jacketing techniques. The review also explores non-destructive testing methods for assessing retrofitted structures. More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081608 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Durability Assessment of Engineering Structures and Advanced Construction Technologies)
Abstract Based on three-component (E–N–Z) ambient vibration observations, this study investigates the dynamic characteristics of shallow subsurface conditions and their influence on the seismic response of a high-rise building in a complex urban environment. Ambient vibration measurements were conducted to characterize site dynamic properties and to explore their relationship with structural vibration behavior. Frequency, amplification factor, and site vulnerability index were extracted using the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratio method applied to ambient vibration records. An empirical relationship between the fundamental frequency and sedimentary layer thickness was established using ambient vibration observations and borehole investigation data, and… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.075275 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Health Monitoring of Transportation Infrastructure Structure)
Abstract To explore the impact of seismic action on the stability of saline soil subgrade slopes considering the influence of surface runoff on the strength of saline soil subgrade fillers, this paper first conducted shear tests on saline soil under different moisture contents to determine the influence of moisture content on the shear strength of saline soil. Then, the initial moisture field of the saline soil subgrade was simulated using COMSOL software, and a subgrade moisture content-strength parameter model was established based on the calculated moisture fields under different rainfall intensities. Subsequently, based on the subgrade… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080742 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Intelligent Acoustic-Based Nondestructive Evaluation for Civil and Mechanical Structures)
Abstract The grouting sleeves in prefabricated structures critically depend on the strength development of the grout; however, existing non-destructive testing methods struggle to capture its time-dependent evolution. This study proposes a hybrid prediction framework that combines the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) with a hyperparameter-optimized XGBoost model. Ultrasonic signals were collected at five curing stages (0, 1, 3, 7, and 28 days), from which SAFT-derived features and the area ratios of six color regions were extracted as input variables, with the curing age serving as the model output. Following a correlation analysis with compressive strength, three… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.079382 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Lamb Waves for Structural Health Monitoring: From Fundamentals to Applications)
Abstract Material property variability in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites is a major source of uncertainty in quantitative Lamb wave-based delamination imaging. Even minor deviations in elastic properties can alter dispersion characteristics and wave propagation behavior, thereby reducing the reliability of imaging-based assessments. To systematically investigate this effect, the present study examines the influence of subtle material variations on Lamb wave responses through combined numerical modeling and finite element simulations. Time-of-flight features at the excitation frequency are extracted using a continuous wavelet transform with Morlet wavelets, enabling robust identification of mode-dependent arrival information. Within a finite element… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080806 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Durability Assessment of Engineering Structures and Advanced Construction Technologies)
Abstract This paper introduces a novel external prestressing system specifically designed for strengthening hollow slab beams. To validate the system’s feasibility and isolate flexural behavior from interface slip effects, experimental investigations were conducted on monolithically cast specimens representing an idealized, fully bonded state. By integrating theoretical analysis, experimental testing, and finite-element numerical simulation, the study examines the mechanical behavior and design principles of the proposed configuration. Results indicate that the stress development process of the externally prestressed beam (N2) exhibits strong similarity to that of a conventional internally prestressed beam (N1). Notably, the implementation of the More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081014 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Infrastructure Resilience Enhancement Empowered by Intelligent Perception and Advanced Algorithms)
Abstract To utilize waste clay bricks and reduce carbon emissions, recycled brick powder (RBP) was prepared from waste brick-concrete structures and used to produce alkali-activated slag-recycled brick powder foam concrete (ASRFC). This paper evaluated the impact of RBP replacement rates and water-binder ratio on the physical and mechanical properties of foam concrete, including its thermal conductivity, strength, and pore structure. The results demonstrated that the addition of 10% RBP resulted in decreases in the apparent density and thermal conductivity of ASRFC, while flexural strength and the flexural-compressive strength ratio exhibited significant increases. These phenomena can all… More >
Open Access
REVIEW
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080529 - 24 August 2026
Abstract Temperature action is a primary environmental load that infrastructure endures during long-term service, and it is also one of the key causes of structural performance deterioration. With global warming and the increasing frequency of extreme weather, the temperature actions on structures are becoming increasingly complex and severe. Whether current design codes can adapt to environmental climate changes, particularly regarding how to effectively respond to the impact of extreme temperatures, has become a critical concern in engineering. Based on the current structural design codes of major countries and regions (including China, the United States, New Zealand,… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.079495 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Modern Inverse Analysis Approaches for Structural Diagnosis and Parameter Identifications)
Abstract The goal of this paper is to improve the monitoring of civil structures when we pair unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) technology with the current proposed algorithm, particularly to identify cracks in concrete structures. Typically, the current UAV methods are more about creating state maps of these structures, but they struggle with the impact of the drone’s movement on crack detection accuracy. This presents challenges for using intelligent systems for concrete crack detection. The current approach combines advanced technologies with a network of high-definition cameras mounted on inspection UAV systems and distributed in different parts of… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.078468 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: AI-Enhanced Low-Altitude Technology Applications in Structural Integrity Evaluation and Safety Management of Transportation Infrastructure Systems)
Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging techniques have emerged as a promising solution to boost the accuracy and dependability of visual monitoring for railway facilities and peripheral ecological environments, garnering widespread research interest in recent years. Nevertheless, aerial images acquired by UAVs are prone to severe quality deterioration in fog and haze weather scenarios, which greatly hinders the progress and effectiveness of railway routine inspection work. As modern railway systems pursue higher operational safety benchmarks and intelligent rail transit technologies achieve iterative breakthroughs, video monitoring systems have evolved into indispensable core equipment for identifying and early… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.073282 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Smart Sensors and Smart CFRP Components for Structural Health Monitoring of Aerospace, Energy and Transportation Structures)
Abstract Bridge damage detection is critical to bridge maintenance practices. However, traditional inspection methods are plagued by high labour intensity and low operational efficiency. To enhance the intelligence, objectivity, and efficiency of bridge damage detection, this study proposes an automated approach for the identification and quantitative measurement of concrete defects. Specifically, this method adopts the Visual Geometry Group (VGG) network as the backbone of the U-Net architecture to perform semantic segmentation on images containing typical concrete defects, including spalling, cracks, and exposed reinforcement bars. Subsequently, mathematical morphology algorithms are employed to optimise the segmented images, thereby… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.079457 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advanced Strategies for Structural and Non-Structural Seismic Protection and Damage Prediction in Reinforced Concrete Structures)
Abstract This study investigates the thermo-mechanical behavior and residual strength of full-scale reinforced concrete (RC) beams subjected to ISO-834 fire exposure, emphasizing temperature-dependent material degradation and bond-slip effects. A sequentially coupled numerical framework was developed in ABAQUS, integrating a temperature-indexed Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model for concrete, elastoplastic steel constitutive laws, and a temperature-dependent bond-slip model implemented via nonlinear SPRING2 elements. The model explicitly accounts for post-peak concrete softening, steel yield degradation, and interface deterioration, and was calibrated against full-scale experiments. Experimental measurements included internal and surface temperatures, load–midspan deflection, and residual strength after natural cooling. More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081306 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Low-altitude Intelligence Transportation Systems: Perception, Decision-Making, Planning, and Optimization)
Abstract Noise barriers (NBs) play a significant role in reducing railway noise and preventing foreign-object intrusion. However, surface damage, corrosion, rust, missing components, and local deformation may gradually reduce their structural reliability and threaten railway operation safety. Because NB anomalies are diverse and defect samples are limited, it remains difficult to build a general detector using conventional supervised learning. To address this problem, this study proposes an unsupervised anomaly detection system for railway NBs using UAV imagery. First, a color-prior-based NB localization algorithm is developed in the HSV color space to extract NB regions without cumbersome More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080081 - 24 August 2026
Abstract Spherical hinges are critical load-bearing components in swing bridges, yet their complex contact friction behavior remains insufficiently investigated due to material and contact nonlinearities. Conventional parametric analysis based solely on finite element simulations suffers from low computational efficiency and limited consideration of multi-parameter coupling. In this study, a refined finite element model of an actual multi-lane swing bridge is established, and a support vector regression (SVR) metamodel is developed to efficiently predict contact stress distribution and frictional moments. Compared with existing studies that focus on single-factor parametric analysis, this work introduces a high-accuracy metamodel framework… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.079754 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Health Monitoring of Transportation Infrastructure Structure)
Abstract Concrete stress is a critical indicator for evaluating the performance of concrete structures. To achieve non-contact testing of concrete stress, this study analyzed the propagation of laser-generated Rayleigh waves (R-wave) in concrete. A correlation model was established between the concrete stress and the R-wave velocity. To validate the theoretical analysis, ultrasonic experiments were conducted. The experimental results demonstrated that the stress history of concrete determines whether a stable linear relationship exists between the stress and the R-wave velocity. Additionally, the acoustoelastic coefficient of concrete was found to vary with its age. Based on these findings, More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081510 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Durability Assessment of Engineering Structures and Advanced Construction Technologies)
Abstract Interfacial adhesion failure is the primary limiting factor in the long-term durability of epoxy-emulsified asphalt micro-surfacing pavements. However, while digital image correlation (DIC) has been extensively applied to evaluate the bulk fatigue of traditional hot-mix asphalt and concrete, its specific application to the complex bi-material interface between rigid concrete substrates and cold-mixed, thermosetting epoxy-asphalt overlays remains limited. Consequently, current research lacks real-time data on full-field strain evolution and the transitional damage localisation mechanisms during dynamic fatigue processes under extreme temperature gradients. To this goal, three-point bending fatigue tests were performed at various temperatures (ranging from… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.080823 - 24 August 2026
Abstract The fully grouted sleeve connection is a key joint type in precast concrete structures. Its mechanical performance after high-temperature exposure is critical for the post-fire safety assessment of these structures. This paper experimentally investigates the influence of different peak temperatures on the tensile performance of fully grouted sleeve connections. A total of 36 fully grouted sleeve specimens, 36 single rebar specimens, and their corresponding grout cubes were prepared. All specimens were heated to the target temperatures and then cooled naturally. Afterwards, static tensile tests and compressive strength tests were performed. The results show that, compared… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081186 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Intelligent Monitoring and Life-Cycle Management for Enhancing Engineering Structural Durability and Safety)
Abstract The chloride ion penetration resistance of manufactured sand concrete (MSC) critically determines the durability of marine concrete structures. However, its accurate prediction is challenging due to high uncertainty from complex influencing factors. To address this, a back-propagation neural network model optimized by a hybrid Whale Optimization Algorithm and Adaptive Moment Estimation strategy (WOA-Adam-BPNN) was developed to predict the electrical flux. The model was trained and tested on 245 experimental datasets covering eight key parameters and validated across four typical mix proportions. Results show that the WOA-Adam hybrid strategy effectively combines global search capability with adaptive More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081450 - 24 August 2026
Abstract Differential settlement control in highway widening projects on soft soil remains a major challenge. This study investigates the mechanisms of differential settlement in widened embankments and develops an intelligent prediction framework by integrating high-fidelity numerical simulations with physics-constrained deep learning. First, comprehensive numerical simulations were performed using a Hardening Soil (HS) model considering structural degradation in PLAXIS 2D. This work revealed the redistribution of additional stress under widening loads and elucidated the evolution mechanisms of plastic zone development and interface shear behavior at the junction of new and existing subgrades. A reasonable step width range… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081767 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Sustainable and Resilient Civil Infrastructure with Intelligence and Digital Transformation)
Abstract To address the challenge that the baseline state of FE models for operational highly statically indeterminate bridges is difficult to evaluate accurately, this paper proposes an intelligent multi-parameter inversion and updating framework driven by measured dynamic strains and a LSTM neural network. First, to tackle the complex environmental interferences coupled within short-term monitoring strain signals, a moving-window baseline detrending and refined thermal effect decoupling algorithm is employed. This successfully strips away long-term dead loads and temperature drift, extracting pure mechanical strain sequences with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Second, to overcome the mode omission issue caused… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.083367 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Durability Assessment of Engineering Structures and Advanced Construction Technologies)
Abstract In response to the common interlaminar shear and delamination defects in the pavement of long-span steel bridges, this paper investigates the interface fatigue failure mechanism of the “SMA-13 + epoxy resin + orthotropic steel plate” system. Static direct shear tests indicate that the optimal application rate of epoxy resin is 1.5 kg/m2, and that elevated temperatures cause the failure mode to transition from brittle fracture to ductile creep. Based on full-factorial dynamic shear fatigue tests, this study discarded subjective empirical thresholds and innovatively proposed the “geometric tangent method” to quantitatively define fatigue life. Analysis of variance More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.087157 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Monitoring, Assessment and Safe Operation of Energy Infrastructure)
Abstract To address the issue of angular deviation in inclined single-axis photovoltaic tracking mounts during long-term operation-caused by wind disturbances, mechanical transmission gaps, installation inaccuracies, and environmental factors-a angle sensor based on reflective fiber-optic ranging principles has been developed for monitoring the rotation angle of the main shaft. This sensor employs a structural conversion approach of “using straight lines to replace curves”, transforming the shaft’s rotational angle into linear displacement of a mirror via a gear-rack mechanism, and generating corresponding output voltage signals through variations in reflected light intensity to measure rotation angles. Due to factors… More >
Open Access
ARTICLE
Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.20, No.5, 2026, DOI:10.32604/sdhm.2026.081046 - 24 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: AI-driven Monitoring, Condition Assessment, and Data Analytics for Enhancing Infrastructure Resilience)
Abstract Quality attainment in public construction projects is paramount for effective project management. This study employs Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in the initial phase to discern noncollinear critical defects from inspections across 1015 projects. The identified components are categorized into three aspects: Inspection Records and Occupational Safety and Health (Aspect I), Concrete Quality (Aspect II), and Construction Team Quality Management (Aspect III). Subsequently, a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) network, trained on 13 PCA-identified critical defects, transforms input data into a probability, indicating project quality. The MLP model exhibits exceptional performance with 91.3% accuracy, 90.2% precision, and 96.1% More >