Intelligent Acoustic-Based Nondestructive Evaluation for Civil and Mechanical Structures

Submission Deadline: 31 August 2026 View: 200 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Dr. Kang Yang

Email: yangkg001@outlook.com

Affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, United States

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Research Interests: structural health monitoring, nondestructive evaluation, anomaly detection, AI

Dr. Bowen Cai

Email: bc1931@msstate.edu

Affiliation: Advanced Composites Institute, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, United States

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Research Interests: acoustic NDE&SHM, smart sensing, DAQ & DSP

Dr. Junzhen Wang

Email: junzhenw@iastate.edu

Affiliation: Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, United States

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Research Interests: nondestructive evaluation, structural health monitoring, guided waves, nonlinear ultrasonics

Associate Professor Ruoyu Chen

Email: chenruoyu@just.edu.cn

Affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212100, China

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Research Interests: nondestructive testing, inversion method, ultrasonic imaging, wave propagation, structural damage detection

Summary

Civil infrastructure and mechanical systems are increasingly challenged by material degradation, environmental loading, and operational fatigue, threatening safety, reliability, and long-term performance. Ensuring structural integrity has therefore become a critical priority. Acoustic-based nondestructive testing (NDT) has emerged as a powerful technique for detecting, locating, and characterizing damage without service interruption.

Recent breakthroughs in acoustic sensing technologies, advanced signal processing, artificial intelligence (AI), and hybrid physics–data-driven modeling have significantly enhanced the sensitivity, robustness, and adaptability of these methods. These developments are enabling high-resolution damage imaging, accurate material characterization, and improved decision-making in complex operational environments, particularly for heterogeneous materials such as concrete, steel, and composites.

This Special Issue will provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share the latest advances in intelligent acoustic-based NDE for civil and mechanical structures, spanning theoretical innovations to engineering applications. Submissions on cutting-edge inversion techniques, ultrasonic wave modeling, and AI-assisted damage detection are highly encouraged.

Topics of Interest (including but not limited to):
· Acoustic wave-based NDE techniques for damage detection and characterization
· Inversion methods for damage imaging and parameter estimation
· Ultrasonic wave propagation modeling in heterogeneous or anisotropic media
· AI-enhanced signal processing and hybrid data–physics models
· Novel acoustic sensor designs and deployment strategies
· Data-driven decision-making frameworks, including supervised/unsupervised learning and deep architectures
· Advanced feature extraction for damage localization and classification
· Numerical modeling (e.g., finite element, spectral element) and laboratory/field validation
· Comparative studies of robustness, sensitivity, and adaptability versus other NDT techniques
· Case studies involving concrete, steel, or composite structures in civil or mechanical systems

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