Non-Destructive Acoustic Emission Techniques and Vibration-Informed Data-Driven Methods for Damage Detection in Marine Concrete Structures

 

Submission Deadline

30 June 2026

 

Guest Editor(s)

Dr. Bai Zhang  Website  E-Mail: baizhang1120@csust.edu.cn

School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410205, China.

 

Dr. Yao-Rong Dong  Website  E-Mail: yaorong099@163.com

School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China.

 

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on advancing non-destructive acoustic emission (AE) techniques integrated with structural vibration analysis, data-driven methodologies, and optimization strategies to enhance the durability assessment and damage detection of marine concrete structures under dynamic environmental loads. Marine environments subject infrastructure to severe challenges, including wave-induced vibrations, cyclic mechanical stresses, and corrosive agents, demanding innovative solutions for real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) and predictive maintenance.

While geopolymer-based concretes (as sustainable alternatives to traditional materials) and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites offer potential advantages in marine applications, their long-term performance depends critically on the interplay between vibration-acoustic coupling, interfacial degradation, and damage initiation under dynamic loading. This issue emphasizes the synergy between AE-based signal characterization, vibration modal analysis, machine learning-driven pattern recognition, and multi-objective optimization frameworks to address these challenges. Contributions are encouraged to explore:

1. The interaction between AE signatures and structural vibration modes (e.g., resonance effects on crack propagation, vibration-modulated AE signal features)
2. Dynamic testing methodologies leveraging high-frequency AE sampling, time-frequency signal processing, and vibration-embedded SHM systems
3. Data-driven models linking vibrational response (e.g., modal frequencies, damping ratios) to damage evolution in FRP-concrete interfaces
4. Field-applicable frameworks for wave-load-induced vibration monitoring using hybrid AE-vibration sensors

We invite original research and reviews bridging experimental, computational, and field studies, with emphasis on:

• AE signal processing for vibration-informed damage diagnosis

• Vibration-acoustics coupling in dynamic load environments

• Machine learning for vibration-based damage prediction

• Optimization of structural designs to mitigate vibration-driven degradation

• Case studies demonstrating dynamic testing protocols in marine infrastructure

 

Keywords

Non-destructive testing (NDT)

Acoustic emission (AE) techniques

Structural vibration analysis

Vibration-acoustics coupling

Dynamic testing

Structural health monitoring (SHM)

Wave-induced dynamic loading

Machine learning for damage prediction

FRP-concrete interfacial degradation

Data-driven signal processing