Part A

Submit Paper » Background Bayesian inference provides a fundamental probabilistic framework to quantify uncertainty, incorporate evolving information, and make informed decisions. Over the years it has attracted ever-growing interest in various fields of science and engineering. In structural health monitoring (SHM) the approach has been explored for addressing challenges in extracting actionable information from data for structural identification, load estimation, damage diagnosis and prognosis, and remaining useful life prediction, for unknown and potentially changing structure and environment. Amidst emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twin, there are opportunities for exploring Bayesian techniques along deep learning methods to better account for modeling errors and uncertainties. This special collection aims to create a collaborative research platform for academics and practitioners worldwide to present the latest advances in Bayesian inference for SHM, focusing on its applications in monitoring and decision-making, covering the targeted engineering systems of civil infrastructure, mechanical systems, and aerospace structures. ...

Submit Paper » Background Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) focuses on identifying, characterizing, and managing uncertainties in computational models and real-world systems. These uncertainties are classified into aleatory and epistemic types. Aleatory uncertainty, arising from inherent variability in natural systems, is irreducible, such as fluctuations in material properties. Epistemic uncertainty results from incomplete knowledge or assumptions in the modeling process and can be reduced with better information or models. Both types often coexist in practical problems, and quantifying them is essential for reliable predictions in various scientific and engineering disciplines. Forward Uncertainty Quantification (FUQ) is a specialized area within UQ that predicts how uncertain inputs affect model outputs, considering both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. This process is vital for developing robust models that reflect real-world behavior under uncertainty. For example, FUQ helps ensure the safety and reliability of engineering structures by assessing how uncertainties influence their performance, aiding in decision-making, risk management, and optimization. ...

Submit Paper » Background Engineering systems and structures are often subject to a wide range of uncertainties arising from material properties, environmental conditions, manufacturing tolerances, operational fluctuations, etc. Probabilistic analysis is usually applied to describe these uncertainties, although more often than not they also involve epistemic uncertainties arising from modelling the randomness under insufficient information, and/or a lack of modelling details of the physical processes with computational simulators. Accurately quantifying these uncertainties is critical for designing robust and reliable engineering solutions. This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest developments and innovative approaches in the field of uncertainty quantification tailored specifically for engineering applications. ...

Submit Paper » Background This Special Collection (SC) aims to gather contributions to advance the state-of-the-art methods and applications of uncertainty propagation in high-dimensional stochastic systems. Effective uncertainty propagation is critical for rational decision-making, risk assessment, and optimization of engineering systems. Particularly, high-dimensional stochastic systems represent a significant class of problems encountered in various domains. Nevertheless, uncertainty propagation in high-dimensional settings poses significant challenges due to the “curse of dimensionality”. Traditional methods often become computationally prohibitive. Consequently, there is a growing need for advanced techniques to handle the complexity of high-dimensional systems accurately and efficiently. This SC focuses on efficient analytical, data-driven, and computational methods for uncertainty propagation, novel control techniques for stochastic systems, and advanced optimization approaches. Grounded in solid theory, these methods aim for real-world applications, bridging the gap between theory and practice with practical solutions in aerospace, civil engineering, energy systems, and environmental modeling. ...

Submit Paper » Aims & Scope This Special Collection (SC) aims to provide a dedicated space for in-depth exploration and dissemination of advancements in uncertainty modeling and quantification of numerical methods in geotechnical engineering. The primary goal of this SC is to feature emerging developments, which address the calibration of soil or rock constitutive models developed in recent time, data-driven and physics-informed models for soil or rock constitutive relations, database assessment of the variability in geotechnical numerical predictions, and benchmark exercises for geotechnical analyses by commercial software. The contributions are supposed to provide a deeper insight into the calibration and verification of numerical models in geotechnics, as well as the quantification of variability in numerical predictions of geo-structural response (e.g., deformation, capacity or stability). By establishing this SC, we aim to foster a collaborative environment that encourages researchers to contribute high-quality works, sharing insights and innovations in the field of uncertainty in geotechnical numerical methods. ...

Submit Paper » Background This Special Collection (SC) aims to provide a dedicated space for in-depth exploration and dissemination of advancements in vulnerability analysis, risk management, and uncertainty modeling. The primary goal of this SC is to feature emerging developments, which address hazards, risks and respective mitigation strategies towards resilience and sustainability of our infrastructure systems and the built environment. The contributions are supposed to provide key ideas, concepts and technologies to solve major challenges concerned with the high complexity and the multi-disciplinary character of the problems as well as with the comprehensive quantification, efficient processing and management of the involved uncertainties. By establishing this SC, we aim to foster a collaborative environment that encourages researchers to contribute high-quality works, sharing insights and innovations in the multifaceted fields of risk, uncertainty, and decision-making. ...

Submit Paper » Background The reliability of civil engineering structures is paramount for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Ensuring robust behavior, particularly in the face of extreme events, is crucial for longevity and adaptability. This Special Collection focuses on a pivotal aspect of structural resilience: the control of vibrations, specifically addressing uncertainties. Scholars are invited to contribute original research papers exploring the nuanced interplay between vibration control and broader resilient civil engineering structures. This thematic issue serves as a guide for risk and reliability analysis, emphasizing the vital role of vibration control devices in reinforcing stability amidst uncertainty. ...

Submit Paper » Background Understanding the data and reaching accurate conclusions are of paramount importance in the present era of Big Data. Machine learning has been widely used in academia and industry to analyze voluminous and intricate datasets to uncover hidden patterns and reach incisive insights. Whilst machine learning approaches have extraordinary potential and are increasingly employed to aid in various complicated tasks, their results are not wholly reliable due to the challenges introduced by data uncertainty (aleatory uncertainty) and model uncertainty (epistemic uncertainty). It is essential to accommodate uncertainties and provide uncertainty estimates to uncover beneficial information for a better decision-making process. To this end, the development and application of novel uncertainty quantification methods in tandem with different machine-learning-enhanced techniques are crucial to yield useful information and amplify the interpretability and reliability of the results. With this in mind, this SC will gather contributions presenting state-of-the-art breakthroughs in uncertainty quantification for machine learning. ...

Please find attached the Call for Papers for the Special Collection on Non-Deterministic Model Updating and Structural Health Monitoring for Existing Structures. Click to download the CFP Submit Paper » Guest Editors Masaru Kitahara, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo, kitahara@bridge.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp Sifeng Bi, Lecturer, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, sifeng.bi@strath.ac.uk Matteo Broggi, Deputy Head, Institute for Risk and Reliability, Leibniz University Hannover, broggi@irz.uni-hannover.de Takayuki Shuku, Associate Professor, Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Management Program, Okayama University, shuku@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp Aims & Scope This Special Collection (SC) aims to gather contributions presenting the state-of-the-art on uncertainty analysis in model updating and structural health monitoring (SHM) for existing structures. Over the past few decades, civil infrastructures have been aging in many countries, and more and more infrastructures are being assessed as structurally deficient. Such structural deficiencies in key infrastructures come with massive consequences such as structural failures and even human deaths. The development of a framework for the safe operation and maintenance of infrastructures is thus required. To this end, SHM has attracted increasing attention in recent years, aiming at condition assessment and service life monitoring of existing structures, often on the basis of structural vibration data. SHM strategies can be mainly classified into two categories, i.e., model-based and data-driven methods. Model-based SHM employs physics-based models in combination with inverse analysis techniques to infer a set of model parameters, such that the best possible fit is gained between model outputs and measurements. This approach is generally referred to as model updating. Data-driven SHM, on the other hand, only exploits the monitoring data without use of physics-based models to infer structural condition. This approach is often rooted in signal processing, pattern recognition or machine learning techniques. Regardless of whether model-based or data-driven approach is used, uncertainties are practically inevitable in both the measuring and modeling processes due to very limited number of sensors, variation in environmental and operational conditions, simplification and approximation of complex physical behavior, and so on. Uncertainties may cause large deviations in model updating and SHM results and thus need to be appropriately dealt with by non-deterministic approaches, i.e., either probabilistic or non-probabilistic approaches. Considering the above issues, this SC reports the latest advances and challenges related to uncertainty analysis in model updating and SHM, encompassing not only the theoretical and computational aspects but also the practical and application aspects, especially for large-scale civil infrastructures. The concept of model updating and health monitoring have been widely accepted and used in many different fields such as geotechnical engineering, and the scope of this SC is not limited to structural engineering. ...

Please find attached the Call for Papers for the Special Collection on Resilience of Power Infrastructure System. Click to download the CFP Guest Editors Wei Zhang, Associate Professor, University of Connecticut, wzhang@uconn.edu Ge (Gaby) Ou, Assistant Professor, University of Florida, gaby.ou@essie.ufl.edu Youngjib Ham, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, yham@tamu.edu Zongjie Wang, Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut, zongjie.wang@uconn.edu Aims & Scope Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and flooding, are expected to be more “common” under a more variable climate system. With threats from stronger hurricanes, wildfires, snowstorms, etc., power infrastructure systems are experiencing critical threats, leading to many community residents and industrial facilities without power for days, weeks or longer. With the interdependency with other infrastructure systems, such as the communication, water, and transportation systems, the damages or failures of critical components of power infrastructure system could potentially create cascading effects and create disastrous damages to communities, which might take years to recover. The main objective of this special collection is to bring together researchers working on different aspects of the resilience of power infrastructure systems. State-of- the-art knowledge and expertise from the researcher, engineers, operators, and owners are expected to be synthesized to enhance the resilience of power infrastructure systems when confronting extreme weather events in their life cycles. ...