Ebook: Civil Engineering and Smart Structure Technology

Welcome to the Proceedings of the 2024 International Symposium on Civil Engineering and Smart Structure Technology (CESST 2024)! CESST 2024 aims to bring together researchers, scientists, and industry professionals from all over the world to share the latest advancements and research findings in the fields of civil engineering and smart structure technology, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the development and application of related fields. The conference has established a highly diverse organizing committee, technical committee, and speakers consisting of 25 experts and scholars from 14 countries including the United Kingdom, Portugal, Poland, New Zealand, South Korea, China, Croatia, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Malaysia.

The proceedings encompass a wide range of topics, spanning the boundaries of traditional disciplines and embracing interdisciplinary approaches, these topics include, but are not limited to engineering structure, materials science, management science, mathematical physics, computer information technology, mechanical electronics, optical sensing. The diversity and depth of the papers presented here reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the conference, highlighting the interconnectedness of civil engineering, engineering structure, and smart structures technologies.

The conference received a total number of 121 of full paper submissions. All the papers were evaluated on the basis of their significance, novelty, and technical quality. After careful review, the program committee selected 39 papers for inclusion in the program. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the authors who have contributed their valuable research to these proceedings, their dedication, expertise, and passion have enriched the scholarly discourse in our community. We also express our sincere appreciation to the reviewers for their meticulous evaluation and insightful feedback, ensuring the high quality and scientific rigor of the papers included in this volume.

We hope that the conference proceedings will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts alike, inspiring further advancements and breakthroughs in the field of civil engineering, engineering structure, and smart structures technologies. May this collection of papers ignite new ideas, foster innovation, and contribute to the betterment of our society.

With warm regards,

Conference Chair

Prof. Wenjuan Yao

During the blasting engineering of manual hole digging piles, due to the hardness of rocks and complexity of surrounding buildings, the rock size is large and the blasting depth is low for ordinary blasting, which severely affects the engineering progress. To solve the above problem, this study puts forwards the symmetric bilinear initiating technique to improve the energy utilization rate of explosives based on the relevant literature of matching criteria between explosives and rocks. Firstly, the fluid-solid coupling algorithm in finite element software LS-DYNA3d is applied, to conduct numerical calculation for the detonation wave propagation and rock cracking process in the center detonator initiating and symmetric bilinear initiating, respectively. It is observed that the maximum blasting pressure of the center line under symmetric bilinear initiating technique is 13.5GPa, which is at least twice of that under central detonator initiating. Besides, the rocks under symmetric bilinear initiating technique firstly break in large diameter in the central line and then expand outwards; while rocks under central detonator initiating expand around in the direction perpendicular to blasting hole. Finally, production and application of symmetric bilinear initiating cartridge in pile blasting. The results shows that the blasting footage can increase 166.67% when using the symmetric bilinear initiating technique, the rock fragmentation is low, no need secondary crushing. This study can provide a good reference for the improvement of hard rock blasting in civil engineering.

Aiming at the hoisting construction technology of precast slab components in an assembled composite underground station, the stress and deformation analysis of precast slab under unbalanced hoisting condition is carried out by establishing a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element simulation model. The results show that the unbalanced hoisting mainly affects the stress of the prefabricated plate member, and the small fluctuation of the deformation will not affect the overall quality of the member. The maximum tensile stress value of prefabricated components exceeds the standard value of concrete tensile strength when lifting 1cm unbalanced hoisting. Unbalanced hoisting will significantly increase the cracking possibility of concrete prefabricated components. In view of the above problems, the lifting construction technology is further proposed, and the 360° rotating universal spreader is specifically developed to improve the efficiency and safety of the prefabricated beam plate lifting. It provides theoretical basis and reference for the hoisting and construction of prefabricated panel member in prefabricated subway stations.

This article takes the Lecheng Bridge in the Boao Lecheng Pilot Zone of Qionghai City, Hainan Province as the engineering background. Using MIDAS Civil bridge specific analysis software, a simulation model of a super wide steel box girder self anchored suspension bridge is established. According to four different support removal schemes, the relatively best support removal sequence of self-anchored suspension bridge is explored. The analysis results indicate that the support of the mid span cast-in-place section should be removed after the suspension rod is tensioned, therefore, various schemes for dismantling the support have little impact on the stress of the main beam during the completion stage. Only during the construction process, it has a certain impact on the deformation and stress of the main beam; After the tensioning of the suspension rod is completed, some of the main beams at the cable tower detach from the support, which is beneficial for removing the mid span support. After adopting the above construction plan, the structural stress state of the bridge is good. It can provide reference for the construction of such Bridges in the future.

Shield tunneling construction can cause ground settlement. In order to explore the law of surface subsidence, this study is carried out based on actual engineering. This study uses Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) combined with ArcGIS geographic tools to make judgments and predictions based on survey data from actual engineering projects. By analyzing the principles of neural networks, build a neural network model suitable for this study; Analyze soil layer information, select suitable data for the input model, input the model for prediction, and compare the accuracy using an adaptive genetic algorithm optimized BP neural network (AGA-BP) and a combination model of deterministic coefficient logistic regression (CF-LR). The research results were compared using ROC curves. After comparison, the accuracy of the CNN model is 0.862, the accuracy of the AGA-BP model is 0.808, and the accuracy of the CF-LR model is 0.778. The standard errors of the three models are 0.037, 0.046, and 0.048, respectively. Compared with the other three, CNN has the highest accuracy and the smallest error. By combining CNN model with ArcGIS for visualization processing, the research results show that the CNN model can identify the risk level of settlement at different positions within the shield tunnel section with high accuracy. The high-risk areas for settlement disasters in the shield tunnel section account for a large proportion and preventive measures need to be taken.

In order to analyze the stress and strain state of the arch consolidated complex joint of the long-span beam arch combined bridge, the spatial stress distribution of the arch beam joint of Yuehu super Bridge is studied. Through the three-dimensional finite element model and the scaled solid model, the stress behavior of the joint part of the arch foot is analyzed. The results show that the maximum edge stress of the main beam is 249.5MPa, and the stress at the root of the arch rib is diffused. The overall deformation gradually increases towards the root of the arch rib. The maximum deformation is 3.6cm at the root of the arch rib, and the overall deformation gradually increases from the junction to the root of the arch rib. The load test is in good agreement with the finite element results. The cast-in bridge panel has no obvious buckling and cracks, and the structural force is reasonable, meeting the requirements of the code. It has important theoretical and practical significance to provide reference for similar projects.

The application of artificial intelligence technology in construction engineering is becoming increasingly widespread, this interdisciplinary application makes every link of construction engineering full of new changes. In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization, the aging and damage problems of buildings have become increasingly prominent. The research aims to establish a building surface damage detection system by integrating unsupervised learning algorithms from machine learning and computer vision technology, in order to achieve rapid identification and repair of damaged parts of buildings and ensure their safety. The study improves the fast region convolutional neural network by using attention mechanism, residual network, etc., and generates anchor boxes using clustering algorithm. The application layer is designed to establish an intelligent damage recognition and repair system. As a result, the detection accuracy of the research system for wall cracks and alkali damage was 97% and 94%, respectively, with a target detection time of 0.1 seconds. The results show that the detection system proposed in the study significantly improves the recognition accuracy and detection speed of damaged parts on building surfaces, and has significant improvements compared to traditional methods. The research results provide technical support for the maintenance and repair of urban buildings, which can improve the safety of buildings.

Non-metallic pipelines have partially replaced metal pipelines due to their corrosion resistance, anti-scaling, and long service life, effectively alleviating pipeline corrosion problems caused by surface system corrosion in oil fields. However, due to the insulation properties of non-metallic pipelines, the detection technology for existing non-metallic pipelines is not mature, and most of the non-metallic pipelines in oil fields are in an invisible and hard to find state. They are easily damaged during construction, which brings great inconvenience to the operation and management of oil field pipelines. To solve the safety accidents and geological hazards caused by the unclear distribution of underground pipelines, this paper conducts corresponding research on the detection technology of buried non-metallic pipelines, analyzes the adaptability of existing non-metallic pipeline detection methods to non-metallic pipelines in oil fields, and proposes a new non excavation pipeline detection method - handheld buried pipeline detection method, which is applied and tested in the Shaanbei gas field. The test results have demonstrated the reliability of the handheld buried pipeline detection method and provided its applicable range.

After the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, geological hazards frequently occur, and landslides are the most widespread disasters in the reservoir area. The rapid landslide induced by rainfall is an important natural disaster in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. The rapid landslide induced by rainfall is an important natural disaster in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Rainfall can cause changes in pore water pressure. To study the slope stability with the pore water pressure, Yangjialing landslide located in Three Gorges Reservoir area is performed using stress-seepage-slope stability coupled analysis after water drawdown. Meanwhile the phreatic line from the simulation results is compared with the analytical solution. Lower permeability and higher drawdown velocity will result in a higher pore water pressure and it is harmful to the slope stability. The zone with smaller permeability will spend longer time to change from saturated state to unsaturated state if the water level descends at the same speed. Through the research of this paper, the main factors of landslide are obtained, which lays a theoretical foundation for the prevention of landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.

The core problem of tunnel stability in the process of tunnel excavation lies in the controllable degree of stress release of the surrounding rock stratum, and stress release rate not only affects the judgment of the tunnel support timing, but also has a significant impact on the lining stress and stability, so determination of the critical value of the stress release rate still lacks detailed and reliable research. In this paper, the influence degree of different stress release rates on the stress of tunnel lining is analyzed by elastic-plastic element method, and the critical value of stress release rate corresponding to the cracking of tunnel lining is determined. The results show that the horizontal stress of the lining gradually decreases with the increase of the stress release rate, and the critical value of the stress release rate is determined to be 61% based on the design value of the tensile strength of the lining concrete. The critical stress release rate can reasonably determine the construction timing of tunnel lining, to ensure the tunnel lining can maintain a stable working state.

This research focuses on the field of intelligent building material spraying, aiming to design an intelligent spraying system based on the S7-1500 controller and ROS laser navigation robot. Through in-depth research on the overall system architecture, implementation of key technologies, algorithm flow, program design, and actual application effects, this paper elaborates on how the system achieves efficient, accurate, and intelligent building material spraying operations. This paper innovatively introduces key common technical elements such as PLC, real-time data perception, cloud storage, intelligent spraying, control of spraying process parameters, ROS, and consistency of the spray coating quality into the building material spraying process, and explores the relevant application technologies in detail. The comparison of actual application data shows that the system has achieved remarkable results in terms of spraying efficiency, quality, and cost control, improving the degree of production automation and reduce labor costs, providing strong support for the intelligent development of the building material spraying industry.

This study presents a reliability analysis of cylindrical shell structures utilizing an improved Backpropagation (BP) neural network algorithm. Traditional BP neural networks often struggle with slow convergence and the risk of falling into local minima, which can undermine the accuracy of structural reliability predictions. To address these issues, an enhanced version of the BP neural network is proposed, which incorporates optimization techniques such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) to fine-tune the network’s parameters. The proposed method is applied to model the structural reliability of cylindrical shell structures under various load conditions. The results demonstrate that the improved BP algorithm significantly enhances the convergence speed and prediction accuracy, offering a more reliable assessment of the structure’s performance under uncertain loading and environmental factors. This method provides a promising tool for the design and safety evaluation of cylindrical shell structures in engineering applications.

Borehole acoustic testing is a comprehensive testing program that utilizes ultrasonic characteristics such as changes in acoustic wave bands, comparative analysis of waveforms, and energy attenuation in the rock mass to determine the structure, strength, macroscopic defects, and physical properties. Using the acoustic principle to test the rock mass within a specific depth range in the borehole, the test results combined with the on-site geologic description and laboratory rock mass results to establish the relevant geologic model, which can quickly get the integrity, physical properties, and mechanical parameters of the dam foundation rock mass. The application of quantitative indexes provides a more accurate and reliable basis for the determination and optimization of foundation rock mass, which can quickly respond to the design technical requirements, reduce the amount of excavation, reduce the amount of concrete pouring, and have an essential role in promoting the shortening of the construction period and the reduction of the cost, and this kind of research provides a reference case for the optimization of the excavation of other dam projects.

Passive surface wave surveys have become extensively utilized in shallow subsurface engineering exploration, where effective extraction of dispersion curves from ambient noise constitutes the fundamental basis for exploration applications. Current dispersion curve extraction methods primarily target active-source surface wave investigations, while their performance in ambient noise analysis remains insufficiently examined. To evaluate the effectiveness and imaging accuracy of phase-shift and frequency-wavenumber (f-k) domain methods for extracting dispersion curves from ambient noise, this study conducted dispersion energy imaging using synthetic seismic records. Two geological models were employed: a three-layer velocity-increasing model and a three-layer model containing a low-velocity interlayer. The imaging results were verified through comparison with theoretical dispersion curves, with additional validation from ambient noise data collected at the Chuangshi section of Qingdao Metro Line 6. Results indicate that both phase-shift and f-k methods can effectively extract ambient noise dispersion curves, with the phase-shift method demonstrating superior suitability. The phase-shift method produces dispersion energy maps with clearer peak energy, narrower energy ridges, and effective dispersion curve extraction across broader frequency ranges. These characteristics facilitate higher-precision extraction of ambient noise dispersion curves and acquisition of enhanced-quality geological information.

Current testing methods used in highway projects typically meet the necessary requirements for construction, but they tend to focus on assessing the production and construction parameters of asphalt rather than providing an accurate representation of its microstructural characteristics. As a result, these traditional methods may not fully capture the intrinsic properties of asphalt that significantly influence its long-term performance. Consequently, as technology advances, an increasing number of researchers are focusing on studying the mechanisms of asphalt at the microscopic level, aiming to better understand its pavement performance. This study utilizes Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) to conduct both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the chemical functional groups and thermal properties of various asphalts. By examining the changes in the microscopic properties of asphalt before and after aging, the research seeks to understand how these molecular-level characteristics impact the macroscopic performance of asphalt in road applications. Specifically, the study focuses on identifying how alterations in chemical composition and molecular weight distribution influence factors such as durability, flexibility, and resistance to environmental stressors. The insights gained from this analysis aim to establish a scientific foundation for further investigations into the factors affecting asphalt’s road performance, ultimately guiding the development of more durable and resilient asphalt formulations.

When the early-age concrete is exposed to a negative temperature environment, the internal relative humidity will continue to change under the action of ambient temperature and humidity, affecting its physical properties, which in turn leads to changes in the performance of the concrete structure. Based on this, the variation law of relative humidity at different depths from the upper surface of the concrete with different initial humidity under sealed and unsealed conditions of early-age concrete in cold regions was studied by experiments. The results show that the influence of ambient temperature on the internal relative humidity of concrete is greater than that of ambient humidity. The temperature-relative humidity change process of each specimen during the test can be divided into five stages. For the same initial humidity of the specimen, the closer to the upper surface, the greater the relative humidity change, the greater the impact of the environment; At the same depth from the upper surface, the higher the initial humidity, the greater the relative humidity change, and the greater the environmental impact.

Steam curing is a commonly used method of concrete curing that accelerates the hardening process of concrete and improves early strength by supplying steam to concrete components. This method is widely used in the production of prefabricated components, bridge construction, tunnel construction and other fields. In this paper, taking Wuxi-Jiangyin Intercity Rail Transit Line S1 as the research object, the influence of heat hydration on the gravitational field distribution of short-line prefabricated segmental beams under steam curing was studied by finite element simulation, and the precautions in the process of steam curing were analyzed. The results show that the temperature change results of the components under the finite element simulation are basically consistent with the actual law, the stress changes of the concrete in the steam curing process are within the safe range, and there is no risk of cracking in the concrete during the steam curing process, so the steam curing method is suitable for the maintenance of short-line prefabricated segmental beams.

Due to the “high traffic volume, heavy axle load, and severe channeling” in modern road traffic, the use of modified asphalt in road engineering can improve the high-temperature stability, low-temperature crack resistance, and anti-aging performance of the road surface, thereby extending the service life of the road and significantly enhancing the quality of road engineering. This paper studies the factors affecting the compatibility of modified asphalt and its performance analysis. Through experimental analysis, the study investigates the impact of the type of SBS modifier, the selection of base asphalt, the use of additives, and the preparation process on the performance of modified asphalt. The research finds that the type, dosage, and kind of base asphalt of the SBS modifier, as well as the use of additives, significantly affect the compatibility and performance of modified asphalt. Appropriately increasing the dosage of stabilizers and compatibilizers can improve the compatibility and performance of modified asphalt, but it needs to be controlled within a certain range to avoid excessively affecting the performance.

In the field of asphalt material science, accurate observation and analysis of the microstructure of polymer-modified asphalt are crucial for understanding its performance and optimizing production processes. This study systematically investigates the sample preparation methods for fluorescent microscopy of polymer-modified asphalt. By analyzing the impact of different preparation methods on the observation of the micromorphological structure of modified asphalt, this study compares the hot-drop asphalt slide formation method and the frozen asphalt formation method with section extraction. The research found that covering with a cover slip can improve image clarity, but heating the bottom of the slide can change the phase state of asphalt. Based on the experimental results, the slide-cover method of sample preparation is recommended, which is simple to operate, has clear imaging, and good repeatability in observation. The final sample preparation process includes pouring heated modified asphalt onto a slide, covering with a cover slip by free-falling method, and observing after cooling at room temperature. This study not only provides a standardized sample preparation method for the microstructural analysis of modified asphalt but also highlights the potential of fluorescence microscopy in interdisciplinary applications, especially in the collaborative research of material science, chemical engineering, and transportation engineering. It offers important technical support for the performance evaluation and application of modified asphalt.

Reinforced concrete columns have good load-carrying capacity, that are widely used in structures. However, the internal steel reinforcement can easily corrode as well. It has a large influence on electromagnetism, etc., which is not suitable for use in high salt corrosion areas and areas with little electromagnetic interference. In recent years, the emergence of BFRP-reinforced concrete columns is expected to solve the above dilemma. In this study, seven groups of concrete column specimens with different reinforcement (rebar, BFRP, BFRP steel hybrid bar) were tested for compressive load capacity, and the three types of concrete columns belong to the material damage, and the load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete columns is greater than that of hybrid bar columns and much greater than that of BFRP bars, so the BFRP bars and hybrid bar columns can only be used in the low load-bearing structure, and how to improve their load carrying capacity is an important direction for future research. Therefore, BFRP bars and hybrid bars can only be used in low load-bearing structures, and how to improve their load-bearing capacity is an important direction for future research.

With China actively promoting the construction process of “sponge cities”, permeable concrete urgently needs further development. This article obtains the macroscopic effective porosity and permeability coefficient through macroscopic permeability tests, and the microscopic effective porosity and permeability coefficient through microscopic X-CT tests. Fit the experimental results to obtain the relationship between macro effective porosity and permeability coefficient function, and the relationship between micro effective porosity and permeability coefficient. Based on the constant uniform pressurized laminar flow pipeline model and the Blick nonlinear laminar flow pipeline model, the relationship formula obtained from the validation fitting is reliable. Through analysis, it is concluded that the critical value of seepage state change inside pervious concrete is that the area proportion of nonlinear seepage holes should reach 75 %, and the number proportion of nonlinear seepage holes should exceed 11 %. Under this condition, a nonlinear laminar flow system similar to network structure will be formed inside pervious concrete, thus significantly improving the permeability.

Ensuring the seismic resilience of concrete structures in public buildings is a critical challenge in modern structural engineering, requiring innovative and interdisciplinary solutions. This study introduces a comprehensive framework that integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) and deep learning techniques to optimize seismic performance. By leveraging LLMs to analyze vast datasets of structural, material, and seismic information, and employing hybrid deep learning models for precise seismic response predictions, this approach bridges structural engineering, machine learning, and data science. The framework also incorporates reinforcement learning to dynamically optimize structural designs, enabling adaptive strategies for improving resilience under diverse seismic scenarios. Experimental validation on multiple datasets demonstrates significant improvements in prediction accuracy, structural performance, and computational efficiency compared to traditional methods. This research highlights the transformative potential of combining advanced computational intelligence with domain-specific expertise, paving the way for innovative applications in seismic engineering and public infrastructure design.

To address issues such as the subsidence of loess upon water contact, uniform gradation, and difficulties in cement stabilization, a sodium sulfate-mineral powder composite was developed as a loess stabilizer. The mechanical strength of stabilized soil samples was evaluated under different dosages in both standard curing and dry curing conditions using unconfined compressive strength tests. The evolution of internal structural damage under pressure was analyzed using XRD and SEM methods. The research results indicated that the optimal ratio of sodium sulfate, lime, and mineral powder is 1:1:0.1, with the optimal dosage of the stabilizer being 9% of the total mass. Exceeding this dosage resulted in swelling and cracking of the samples. The sodium sulfate-mineral powder-lime stabilized loess exhibited a significant increase in mechanical strength compared to cement-stabilized soil. Under water immersion conditions, the standard curing sample strength reached 5.89 MPa, showing a 3.92% increase compared to the dry pressing condition. Some sodium sulfate reacts with moisture to form ettringite, which helps optimize the gradation curve of the stabilized soil, while lime and mineral powder enhance the cohesion of soil particles through hydration reactions, leading to improvements in both the mechanical strength and durability of the stabilized loess samples.