The last 2022 issue from your journal, Structures and Buildings, includes five very valuable research papers. These cover quite relevant topics, giving important contributions towards innovation in the construction sector. Multiple approaches are followed, ranging from literature review or analytical research to the development of solutions and materials.
The first paper, by Rokhsati and Emami (2022), is focused on seismic fragility analysis and collapse safety assessment of reinforced concrete buildings. The proposed method showed good results, especially for low-rise buildings.
The second paper, by Abendeh and Bani Baker (2022), deals with the development and characterisation of an innovative material, produced using by-products, aiming for more sustainable and durable solutions. Nowadays, this must be a major goal, towards a more sustainable construction sector.
Regarding steel structures, cold-formed steel solutions are becoming increasingly used, specifically for floors and roofs, in the design of which the stability is a critical aspect. In the paper presented by Chen et al. (2022), a simplified model is proposed to describe the specific situation of web–flange distortional buckling of partially restrained purlins.
Many of the recent developments in the construction sector are based on the combination of various materials that complement each other, allowing a mitigation of their weaknesses and taking full advantage of their best characteristics. Ma et al. (2022) present an analysis on the torsional behaviour of box beams strengthened with fibre-reinforced polymer. The results show the benefits of the composite solution, in terms of torsion and shear performance, when compared with the reinforced concrete box beams.
Another good example of hybrid solutions are sandwich panels. These can be found with various materials and configurations, allowing an adequate performance with a lower or more efficient use of materials. A comprehensive review of the solutions available, their characteristics and performance is given in the paper by Makweche and Dundu (2022).
The editorial team would like to thank the authors for these five relevant contributions, as well as the reviewers and readers. As always, comments are more than welcome, in order to promote the discussion and improve the value of these contributions.
