The editors-in-chief of the International Journal of Structural Integrity (IJSI) take advantage of this editorial to, once again, present the scope of the journal, present the recently created IJSI journal awards and introduce the papers of this issue.
This journal is abstracted and indexed by: British Library; EBSCO; EI Compendex; Emerging Sources Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics); QUALIS; ReadCube Discover; Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals; and, Scopus. The 2022 Journal Impact Factor of the International Journal of Structural Integrity is of 2.7, which is published each year by Clarivate Analytics. Additionally, the CiteScore Tracker 2023 of the International Journal of Structural Integrity is of 5.4, which is published each year by Scopus. The IJSI journal has significantly increased its impact in the area of structural integrity and failure analysis when compared to other journals in the area. Naturally, this news is a source of joy, accomplishment and duty for Emerald's editors-in-chief, editorial board members and staff.
IJSI journal aims to bring together academic and industrial research in the area of damage tolerance design, structural integrity and failure analysis. Topics covered by, but not limited to, the journal are as follows: Durability of Metallic and Composite Structures; Design and structural assessment of Metallic and Composite Structures; Advances in Fracture Analysis; Environmental Effects and Structural Performance; Examination of computational codes for Stress Analysis and Damage Tolerance; Structural Performance evaluation of Metals, Composites, Hybrids and Polymers; Repair technologies; Surface Engineering and Structural Performance; Coating Technology and Structural Performance; Structural Ageing; Nanomechanics and nanomaterials; Evaluation of Joining Technologies; Durability of Electronic Materials; Scale Effects and Determination; and, Probabilistic Approach to Damage Tolerance. The IJSI journal also addresses the characterization of the mechanical behaviour of materials, structural details and structures supported by inclusive sustainable digital and green strategies.
This journal is aligned with our sustainable structures and infrastructures goal. The Emerald and editors-in-chief recognise the transformative power of sustainable engineering, design and building practices in creating a world where our planet and its inhabitants can thrive.
IJSI journal awards
In its trajectory to recognise and publish top-quality research, the IJSI has launched three awards. The first two awards honour global leaders (Senior Career Award) and young researchers (Early Career Award) for their outstanding contributions in the field of structural integrity and failure. The third award (IJSI Award for Best Presentation) recognises exceptional work presented at scientific events.
The Senior Career Award 2024 was attributed to:
Prof. Qingyuan Wang, Sichuan University (China), for outstanding achievements in the fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures;
Prof. Sudath Siriwardane, University of Stavanger (Norway), for outstanding achievements in the fatigue and integrity of steel structures; and,
Prof. Olha Zvirko, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), for outstanding achievements in the corrosion science and failure analysis.
The Early Career Award 2024 was attributed to:
Dr Lu-Kai Song, Beihang University (China);
Dr Yasmin Zuhair Issa Murad, The University of Jordan (Jordan); and,
Dr Mohamed El Amine Ben Seghier, Oslo Metropolitan University (Norway).
The 2023 Winners of the IJSI Award for Best Presentation was attributed to:
Joseph Kurebwa for his presentation “Efficient thermo-mechanical modelling for residual stress prediction in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing”, presented at the 17th International Conference on Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment and 2023 International Symposium on Structural Integrity (ESIA17–ISSI2023), 23–25 May 2023, The Lowry, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK;
Giancarlo Ramaglia for his presentation “Vulnerability of arches under various settlements”, presented at the 3rd International Conference on Computations for Science and Engineering, 20–23 September 2023, Pegaso University, Naples, Italy.
2024 second issue
This 2024 s issue of the IJSI focusses on the following topics: steels and aluminium alloys; steel plates reinforcement; experimental investigation; numerical modelling; seismic behaviour of steel beams; stress-strain behaviour of confined concrete; vibration characterization of functionally graded nanoplates; shear resistance of polyurethane concrete; service life; fatigue life prediction; stress concentration; microstructure analysis; welding processes; additive manufacturing; and, Goodman–Smith fatigue limit diagram.
Wang et al. (2024) presented a method for calculating the maximum number of steel plates attached to the bottom of reinforced concrete beams. In this investigation, the authors first developed an experimental investigation and then the failure model of reinforced concrete beams with different number of steel plates is simulated by the numerical model. According to the authors, this study does not require a large number of experimental samples, which has a certain economy.
Rashidiyan et al. (2024) focussed on investigating the seismic performance of non-straight beams in steel structures and exploring the mechanism by which plastic hinges are formed within these beams. According to the authors' research, this investigation fills a critical gap in understanding the behaviour of non-straight beams and provides valuable information for structural engineers involved in the design and analysis of steel structures.
Xue et al. (2024) investigated the fitting techniques for notch fatigue curves, seeking a more reliable method to predict the lifespan of welded structures. In this study, the notch stress approach is extensively adopted due to its accurate prediction of component fatigue life, most researchers and designers have overlooked the importance of its curve fitting methods.
Zou (2024) has carried out research work on understanding the applications of fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) in partially confined concrete, with a specific focus on improving economic value and load-bearing capacity. According to the author, the study contributes methodological innovation by refining stress–strain models specifically for partially confined concrete, addressing the limitations of existing models, where the combination of experimental and simulated assessments using DIC and FEM technologies provides robust empirical evidence, advancing the understanding and optimization of FRP-concrete structure performance.
Yadeta et al. (2024) suggested a simple mathematical model for evaluation of the equivalent chloride ion diffusion coefficient considering crack width, average crack spacing and crack extending lengths for cracked reinforced concrete structures, which is used to incorporate existing crack in service life prediction models. In this research work, the authors conclude that the pre-cracked samples exhibited shorter concrete cover cracking times, particularly with wider cracks when compared to the uncracked samples, as well as the load-bearing capacity of the reinforcement bars decreased owing to the pre-cracks, causing structural deflection and a shortened yield plateau.
Kumar et al. (2024) proposed a systematic methodology to evaluate the free vibration characteristics of elastic foundation-supported porous functionally graded nanoplates using the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. According to the authors' findings, this novel approach allows for a better understanding of the interconnected effects of material composition, porosity and foundation support on free vibrations, paving the way for the development of tailored nanomaterials with specific vibrational properties for advanced engineering and technology applications.
Khajuria et al. (2024) developed a study on the influence of CMT-MAG and MAG welding-processes on microstructure and mechanical behaviour of C-Mn E410 structural-steels, where a substantial improvement in YS (∼9%), %elongation (∼38%) and room temperature impact toughness (∼29%) of 0.04wt.%C E410 steel is achieved with CMT-MAG over MAG welding, and almost ∼10, ∼12.5 and ∼16% increment in YS, %elongation and toughness of 0.17wt.%C E410 steel is observed with CMT-MAG.
Tang et al. (2024) presented an extension of the application of the original Goodman-Smith octagonal fatigue limit diagram, which is commonly used for the assessment of structure fatigue stress in engineering. Based on this study, the authors applied the modified diagram in order to ensure the safety and durability of the main welded structures of railway vehicles.
Wu et al. (2024) suggested a new shear test device that the defect that the traditional oblique shear test cannot test the interface shear performance under the condition of fixed normal force. According to the authors, based on the polyurethane concrete (PUC) bond-slip measured curves, the relationship between bond stress and slip at different stages was analysed, and the bond-slip analytical model at different stages was established.
In the last paper, Zhao et al. (2024) presented a research work related to ultra-high cycle fatigue and ultra-slow crack growth behaviour of additively manufactured AlSi7Mg alloy, where both manufacturing defects and inclusions can act as initially fatal fatigue microcracks, and the fatigue sensitivity level decreases with the location, size and type of the maximum defects.
Co-editors-in-chief and members of the editorial board of the IJSI are very grateful to the editors, authors and reviewers who contributed to this issue. A special thanks to the Emerald staff for all the effort and work spent in preparing this issue.
