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Steel Construction Published the List of Highly Influential Articles of 2020
2026 Vol. 41, No. 8
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2026, 41(8): 1-11.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26051303
Abstract
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Abstract:
Modular buildings offer advantages such as high construction efficiency， superior engineering quality， and environmental friendliness. Aligning with the “Good Housing” construction standards， it represents a crucial direction for advancing the transformation of the building industrialization and holds broad application prospects in fields including new construction， urban renewal， post-disaster reconstruction， and temporary emergency responses. This paper reviews the mechanical characteristics of steel， concrete， and composite modular units； analyzes the structural configurations and collaborative load-transfer mechanisms of various inter-module connections； and categorizes the primary types of modular structural systems. Numerical simulation methods for the overall mechanical behavior of modular structures are summarized， and the effects of connection semi-rigidity and floor flexibility are demonstrated. Furthermore， the integrated applications of intelligent technologies including Building Information Modeling （BIM）， Internet of Things， and digital twins throughout the full lifecycle of modular buildings are elaborated. Finally， future development directions are proposed， including novel and efficient inter-module connection systems， efficient and accurate computational models and design standards， enhancement of integration and standardization levels， and the promotion of full-chain intelligent integration.
Modular buildings offer advantages such as high construction efficiency， superior engineering quality， and environmental friendliness. Aligning with the “Good Housing” construction standards， it represents a crucial direction for advancing the transformation of the building industrialization and holds broad application prospects in fields including new construction， urban renewal， post-disaster reconstruction， and temporary emergency responses. This paper reviews the mechanical characteristics of steel， concrete， and composite modular units； analyzes the structural configurations and collaborative load-transfer mechanisms of various inter-module connections； and categorizes the primary types of modular structural systems. Numerical simulation methods for the overall mechanical behavior of modular structures are summarized， and the effects of connection semi-rigidity and floor flexibility are demonstrated. Furthermore， the integrated applications of intelligent technologies including Building Information Modeling （BIM）， Internet of Things， and digital twins throughout the full lifecycle of modular buildings are elaborated. Finally， future development directions are proposed， including novel and efficient inter-module connection systems， efficient and accurate computational models and design standards， enhancement of integration and standardization levels， and the promotion of full-chain intelligent integration.
2026, 41(8): 12-25.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26030201
Abstract:
With the continuous advancement of construction industrialization， modular construction has garnered increasing scholarly attention as a core approach to enabling intelligent construction and green development. To systematically identify the research hotspots and knowledge evolution patterns in this field， this study collected 1238 Chinese and international publications indexed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and Web of Science （WoS） databases from 2001 to 2025 as research samples and conducted a bibliometric and visualization analysis using CiteSpace. By generating keyword co-occurrence clustering maps， co-citation clustering maps， and keyword temporal evolution maps， the research hotspots， knowledge bases， and evolutionary trends in the field of modular construction were systematically examined. The results reveal that research on modular construction has maintained an overall sustained growth trend， with significant differences in research themes and methodological systems between Chinese and international studies. International research （based on the WoS platform’s global perspective） places greater emphasis on life-cycle environmental assessment， generative design optimization， and circular resource regeneration. In contrast，Chinese research （based on the CNKI platform’s local perspective） exhibits a “dual-track approach prioritizing both theoretical mechanism exploration and engineering practice implementation”， delving into the complex structural mechanics of high-rise buildings while also highly valuing policy orientation， standard system construction， and localized applications. In terms of research methodologies， international studies widely adopt sophisticated models such as advanced data algorithms and life cycle assessment （LCA）. For Chinese research， finite element analysis （FEA） is extensively employed to explore structural mechanical mechanisms， while multi-criteria decision-making models such as the analytic hierarchy process （AHP） are commonly applied to address macro-level management issues， presenting complementarity between algorithm-driven approaches and comprehensive decision-making. Overall， both Chinese and international research are jointly advancing towards a new stage of synergistic “digital-intelligent and green” development. Future research hotspots will focus on multi-source data-driven cross-stage intelligent decision-making， the construction of life-cycle circular systems under dual-carbon goals， and the robustness optimization of complex high-rise structural systems.
With the continuous advancement of construction industrialization， modular construction has garnered increasing scholarly attention as a core approach to enabling intelligent construction and green development. To systematically identify the research hotspots and knowledge evolution patterns in this field， this study collected 1238 Chinese and international publications indexed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and Web of Science （WoS） databases from 2001 to 2025 as research samples and conducted a bibliometric and visualization analysis using CiteSpace. By generating keyword co-occurrence clustering maps， co-citation clustering maps， and keyword temporal evolution maps， the research hotspots， knowledge bases， and evolutionary trends in the field of modular construction were systematically examined. The results reveal that research on modular construction has maintained an overall sustained growth trend， with significant differences in research themes and methodological systems between Chinese and international studies. International research （based on the WoS platform’s global perspective） places greater emphasis on life-cycle environmental assessment， generative design optimization， and circular resource regeneration. In contrast，Chinese research （based on the CNKI platform’s local perspective） exhibits a “dual-track approach prioritizing both theoretical mechanism exploration and engineering practice implementation”， delving into the complex structural mechanics of high-rise buildings while also highly valuing policy orientation， standard system construction， and localized applications. In terms of research methodologies， international studies widely adopt sophisticated models such as advanced data algorithms and life cycle assessment （LCA）. For Chinese research， finite element analysis （FEA） is extensively employed to explore structural mechanical mechanisms， while multi-criteria decision-making models such as the analytic hierarchy process （AHP） are commonly applied to address macro-level management issues， presenting complementarity between algorithm-driven approaches and comprehensive decision-making. Overall， both Chinese and international research are jointly advancing towards a new stage of synergistic “digital-intelligent and green” development. Future research hotspots will focus on multi-source data-driven cross-stage intelligent decision-making， the construction of life-cycle circular systems under dual-carbon goals， and the robustness optimization of complex high-rise structural systems.
2026, 41(8): 26-35.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26010701
Abstract:
To promote high-performance steel structure residential systems suitable for industrial production， this paper presents a thin protective concrete-encased narrow rectangular concrete-filled steel tube （CFST） column. This component offers several advantages， including industrialized production， prefabricated construction， reduced plastering procedures， and lower maintenance costs throughout its service life. To investigate the overall mechanical properties of this system under static loading， as well as the load transfer and failure modes of the thin concrete cladding， axial and eccentric compression tests were designed and conducted on three thin protective concrete-encased rectangular CFST column specimens. The tests utilized eccentricity as the primary variable， focusing on the analysis of bearing capacity， failure characteristics， and the load-displacement， load-deflection， and load-strain curves of the specimens under varying eccentricity conditions. Additionally， this study examined the cracking and failure of the thin concrete cladding. The test results indicated that： 1）Implementing structural measures to prevent the thin concrete cladding from directly bearing loads at the column end， while ensuring compatibility with the inner steel tube， significantly enhanced the overall compressive stability of the steel tube column. 2）When the eccentricity in the long-side direction of the component was minimal， the relatively small cross-sectional area of the steel tube resulted in the failure mode being governed by the compressive bearing capacity associated with the out-of-plane bending moment. 3）In a fully compressed cross-section state， the thin concrete cladding， when equipped with appropriate anti-cracking measures， did not exhibit cracks or peeling failure under normal service loads. The ultimate failure modes of the specimens consistently manifested as local bulging in the long-side direction of the end steel tube. Consequently， appropriate reinforcing measures should be incorporated into the design.
To promote high-performance steel structure residential systems suitable for industrial production， this paper presents a thin protective concrete-encased narrow rectangular concrete-filled steel tube （CFST） column. This component offers several advantages， including industrialized production， prefabricated construction， reduced plastering procedures， and lower maintenance costs throughout its service life. To investigate the overall mechanical properties of this system under static loading， as well as the load transfer and failure modes of the thin concrete cladding， axial and eccentric compression tests were designed and conducted on three thin protective concrete-encased rectangular CFST column specimens. The tests utilized eccentricity as the primary variable， focusing on the analysis of bearing capacity， failure characteristics， and the load-displacement， load-deflection， and load-strain curves of the specimens under varying eccentricity conditions. Additionally， this study examined the cracking and failure of the thin concrete cladding. The test results indicated that： 1）Implementing structural measures to prevent the thin concrete cladding from directly bearing loads at the column end， while ensuring compatibility with the inner steel tube， significantly enhanced the overall compressive stability of the steel tube column. 2）When the eccentricity in the long-side direction of the component was minimal， the relatively small cross-sectional area of the steel tube resulted in the failure mode being governed by the compressive bearing capacity associated with the out-of-plane bending moment. 3）In a fully compressed cross-section state， the thin concrete cladding， when equipped with appropriate anti-cracking measures， did not exhibit cracks or peeling failure under normal service loads. The ultimate failure modes of the specimens consistently manifested as local bulging in the long-side direction of the end steel tube. Consequently， appropriate reinforcing measures should be incorporated into the design.
2026, 41(8): 36-45.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26013101
Abstract:
The critical technical bottleneck confronting current modular steel structure systems stems from the lack of universality in their connection joints， which fails to accommodate the structural adaptation requirements under diverse boundary conditions （e.g.， interior columns， exterior columns， and corner columns） within a unified design framework. To effectively address this intractable issue， this study adopts a novel approach and proposes a prefabricated “eight-column and sixteen-beam” joint characterized by central symmetry and axial symmetry. This joint achieves the connection between modular units using a special connector， which consists of a bearing plate， positioning steel plates， T-shaped limiting steel plates， and screw rods， thus enabling a rapid and precise butt joint of modular units. A quasi-static loading test was conducted on a full-scale specimen to evaluate its seismic performance. The failure mechanism， hysteretic behavior， ductility， stiffness degradation， and energy dissipation capacity of the joint were systematically investigated using digital image correlation （DIC） technology. A series of important results were obtained from these experiments. The hysteretic curves of the novel joint presented a full spindle shape without any obvious pinching effect. The equivalent viscous damping coefficient reached 0.417， which strongly demonstrated the excellent energy dissipation capacity of the joint. Furthermore， the ductility coefficient was 3.689， which far exceeded the specified limit for conventional steel structural members. According to the Eurocode （EN） criteria， this joint is classified as a rigid joint. Its failure mode is fully consistent with the scientific seismic design concept of a “strong column-weak beam，” with plastic hinges forming at the beam ends.
The critical technical bottleneck confronting current modular steel structure systems stems from the lack of universality in their connection joints， which fails to accommodate the structural adaptation requirements under diverse boundary conditions （e.g.， interior columns， exterior columns， and corner columns） within a unified design framework. To effectively address this intractable issue， this study adopts a novel approach and proposes a prefabricated “eight-column and sixteen-beam” joint characterized by central symmetry and axial symmetry. This joint achieves the connection between modular units using a special connector， which consists of a bearing plate， positioning steel plates， T-shaped limiting steel plates， and screw rods， thus enabling a rapid and precise butt joint of modular units. A quasi-static loading test was conducted on a full-scale specimen to evaluate its seismic performance. The failure mechanism， hysteretic behavior， ductility， stiffness degradation， and energy dissipation capacity of the joint were systematically investigated using digital image correlation （DIC） technology. A series of important results were obtained from these experiments. The hysteretic curves of the novel joint presented a full spindle shape without any obvious pinching effect. The equivalent viscous damping coefficient reached 0.417， which strongly demonstrated the excellent energy dissipation capacity of the joint. Furthermore， the ductility coefficient was 3.689， which far exceeded the specified limit for conventional steel structural members. According to the Eurocode （EN） criteria， this joint is classified as a rigid joint. Its failure mode is fully consistent with the scientific seismic design concept of a “strong column-weak beam，” with plastic hinges forming at the beam ends.
2026, 41(8): 46-57.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26040201
Abstract:
To investigate the influence mechanism of frame-grid configuration on the seismic performance of multi-ribbed composite walls， three 1/2-scale specimens with different grid layouts—nine-grid （Q-1）， six-grid （Q-2）， and four-grid （Q-3）—were designed and fabricated. Quasi-static loading tests and finite element simulations were conducted to systematically compare the failure modes， hysteretic behavior， stiffness degradation， bearing capacity， ductility， and energy dissipation capacity of the three wall types. The results showed that Q-1 exhibited the best overall seismic performance， with cumulative energy dissipation 15.2% and 28.5% higher than that of Q-2 and Q-3， respectively， and the highest initial stiffness. Q-2 demonstrated good deformation capacity， with an ultimate inter-story drift ratio 9.03% higher than that of Q-1 and a peak load 33.09% higher than that of Q-3. Q-3 achieved the highest ductility coefficient （2.273） but suffered from the lowest bearing capacity and energy dissipation， with its peak load reaching only 80.5% of that of Q-1. The developed finite element model accurately simulated the mechanical behavior of the walls， with errors for both yield load and peak load all below 5%. The proposed shear capacity formula， derived from limit equilibrium theory， was validated against 21 numerical cases， with 87% of the cases showing relative errors within 8%. Based on these findings， design recommendations are provided： the nine-grid configuration is recommended for high-rise buildings； the six-grid configuration is suitable for mid-to-high-rise buildings requiring high ductility； and the four-grid configuration， if used， should have its reinforcement ratio increased by 25%-35% and its joint details optimized.
To investigate the influence mechanism of frame-grid configuration on the seismic performance of multi-ribbed composite walls， three 1/2-scale specimens with different grid layouts—nine-grid （Q-1）， six-grid （Q-2）， and four-grid （Q-3）—were designed and fabricated. Quasi-static loading tests and finite element simulations were conducted to systematically compare the failure modes， hysteretic behavior， stiffness degradation， bearing capacity， ductility， and energy dissipation capacity of the three wall types. The results showed that Q-1 exhibited the best overall seismic performance， with cumulative energy dissipation 15.2% and 28.5% higher than that of Q-2 and Q-3， respectively， and the highest initial stiffness. Q-2 demonstrated good deformation capacity， with an ultimate inter-story drift ratio 9.03% higher than that of Q-1 and a peak load 33.09% higher than that of Q-3. Q-3 achieved the highest ductility coefficient （2.273） but suffered from the lowest bearing capacity and energy dissipation， with its peak load reaching only 80.5% of that of Q-1. The developed finite element model accurately simulated the mechanical behavior of the walls， with errors for both yield load and peak load all below 5%. The proposed shear capacity formula， derived from limit equilibrium theory， was validated against 21 numerical cases， with 87% of the cases showing relative errors within 8%. Based on these findings， design recommendations are provided： the nine-grid configuration is recommended for high-rise buildings； the six-grid configuration is suitable for mid-to-high-rise buildings requiring high ductility； and the four-grid configuration， if used， should have its reinforcement ratio increased by 25%-35% and its joint details optimized.
2026, 41(8): 58-65.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26050601
Abstract:
Quality control in steel modular buildings relies heavily on dimensional accuracy management. Dimensional deviations of modular units during both factory production and on-site installation directly impact structural safety， construction efficiency， and cost. This study systematically reviewed relevant standards for steel modular buildings in China and conducted a comparative analysis of dimensional tolerance provisions for modular units and installation-stage deviations in typical standards to identify key similarities and discrepancies. Based on dimensional chain theory， a 6 m × 3 m × 3 m module unit was used as a case study to verify the prescribed dimensional tolerances. The results indicate that： 1）Steel modular buildings impose significantly higher requirements on manufacturing precision than traditional steel structures. Direct application of the component dimensional tolerances from the Standard for Acceptance of Construction Quality of Steel Structures （GB 50205—2020）， even with optimized manufacturing processes， fails to meet the box-unit precision requirements of most specialized modular building standards. Therefore， dedicated manufacturing dimensional tolerances for modular building components are necessary. 2）During the on-site installation stage， despite discrepancies in tolerances for critical parameters such as inter-module connection and horizontal positioning， the limits established for overall verticality deviation remain reasonable for their applicable height ranges. Based on these findings， this study explored the underlying causes of standard inconsistencies and outlined potential pathways for integrating intelligent technologies and a hierarchical control framework for dimensional deviations into the existing framework. This research provides a theoretical reference for future standard revisions and practical engineering applications in steel modular buildings.
Quality control in steel modular buildings relies heavily on dimensional accuracy management. Dimensional deviations of modular units during both factory production and on-site installation directly impact structural safety， construction efficiency， and cost. This study systematically reviewed relevant standards for steel modular buildings in China and conducted a comparative analysis of dimensional tolerance provisions for modular units and installation-stage deviations in typical standards to identify key similarities and discrepancies. Based on dimensional chain theory， a 6 m × 3 m × 3 m module unit was used as a case study to verify the prescribed dimensional tolerances. The results indicate that： 1）Steel modular buildings impose significantly higher requirements on manufacturing precision than traditional steel structures. Direct application of the component dimensional tolerances from the Standard for Acceptance of Construction Quality of Steel Structures （GB 50205—2020）， even with optimized manufacturing processes， fails to meet the box-unit precision requirements of most specialized modular building standards. Therefore， dedicated manufacturing dimensional tolerances for modular building components are necessary. 2）During the on-site installation stage， despite discrepancies in tolerances for critical parameters such as inter-module connection and horizontal positioning， the limits established for overall verticality deviation remain reasonable for their applicable height ranges. Based on these findings， this study explored the underlying causes of standard inconsistencies and outlined potential pathways for integrating intelligent technologies and a hierarchical control framework for dimensional deviations into the existing framework. This research provides a theoretical reference for future standard revisions and practical engineering applications in steel modular buildings.
2026, 41(8): 66-69.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26080135
Abstract:
An analysis was conducted on the lateral drift of frame structures， as well as the relationship between the story ductility factor of frames and the ductility factor （rotational capacity） of steel beams. First， the elastic drift limit was discussed. When steel beams were designed to resist gravity loads， the elastic drift limit was found to be related to the steel strength grade. For Q355 steel， a limit of 1/200 was considered suitable. Subsequently， the relationship between the story ductility factor and the beam ductility factor was analyzed， and the calculated results were compared with formulas proposed by Italian scholars. Finally， a recommended calculation formula was proposed.
An analysis was conducted on the lateral drift of frame structures， as well as the relationship between the story ductility factor of frames and the ductility factor （rotational capacity） of steel beams. First， the elastic drift limit was discussed. When steel beams were designed to resist gravity loads， the elastic drift limit was found to be related to the steel strength grade. For Q355 steel， a limit of 1/200 was considered suitable. Subsequently， the relationship between the story ductility factor and the beam ductility factor was analyzed， and the calculated results were compared with formulas proposed by Italian scholars. Finally， a recommended calculation formula was proposed.
2026, 41(8): 70-73.
doi: 10.13206/j.gjgS26061835
Abstract:
The differential equations governing the buckling behavior of axially compressed members describe three buckling modes in the elastic region： flexural buckling， torsional buckling， and flexural-torsional buckling， providing a theoretical foundation for design codes. This paper systematically presents the design formulas for flexural， torsional， and flexural-torsional buckling of axially compressed members under both the 17 steel standard and the American steel standard， with the stability coefficients for all three modes being derived from the flexural buckling column curve.
The differential equations governing the buckling behavior of axially compressed members describe three buckling modes in the elastic region： flexural buckling， torsional buckling， and flexural-torsional buckling， providing a theoretical foundation for design codes. This paper systematically presents the design formulas for flexural， torsional， and flexural-torsional buckling of axially compressed members under both the 17 steel standard and the American steel standard， with the stability coefficients for all three modes being derived from the flexural buckling column curve.
