Special Collections and Issues

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Background Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) focuses on identifying, characterizing, and managing uncertainties in computational models and real-world systems. These uncertainties are classified into aleatory and epistemic types. Aleatory uncertainty, arising from inherent variability in natural systems, is irreducible, such as fluctuations in material properties. Epistemic uncertainty results from incomplete knowledge or assumptions in the modeling process and can be reduced with better information or models. Both types often coexist in practical problems, and quantifying them is essential for reliable predictions in various scientific and engineering disciplines. Forward Uncertainty Quantification (FUQ) is a specialized area within UQ that predicts how uncertain inputs affect model outputs, considering both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. This process is vital for developing robust models that reflect real-world behavior under uncertainty. For example, FUQ helps ensure the safety and reliability of engineering structures by assessing how uncertainties influence their performance, aiding in decision-making, risk management, and optimization. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Large-scale systems are prevalent across critical infrastructure, manufacturing, offshore, automotive, aerospace, energy, and other sectors. These systems are inherently complex, and are characterized by the interactions among various components within the system and between the system and its environment. These systems are plagued with uncertainties stemming from various sources including incomplete or unreliable information, lack of data, and partially known physics. There is a growing demand for advanced techniques that can efficiently manage large-scale system complexity and result in robust and reliable design solutions with limited computational resources, ultimately minimizing failures with catastrophic consequences. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Background Engineering systems and structures are often subject to a wide range of uncertainties arising from material properties, environmental conditions, manufacturing tolerances, operational fluctuations, etc. Probabilistic analysis is usually applied to describe these uncertainties, although more often than not they also involve epistemic uncertainties arising from modelling the randomness under insufficient information, and/or a lack of modelling details of the physical processes with computational simulators. Accurately quantifying these uncertainties is critical for designing robust and reliable engineering solutions. This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest developments and innovative approaches in the field of uncertainty quantification tailored specifically for engineering applications. ...

Submit Paper » Background This Special Collection (SC) aims to gather contributions to advance the state-of-the-art methods and applications of uncertainty propagation in high-dimensional stochastic systems. Effective uncertainty propagation is critical for rational decision-making, risk assessment, and optimization of engineering systems. Particularly, high-dimensional stochastic systems represent a significant class of problems encountered in various domains. Nevertheless, uncertainty propagation in high-dimensional settings poses significant challenges due to the “curse of dimensionality”. Traditional methods often become computationally prohibitive. Consequently, there is a growing need for advanced techniques to handle the complexity of high-dimensional systems accurately and efficiently. This SC focuses on efficient analytical, data-driven, and computational methods for uncertainty propagation, novel control techniques for stochastic systems, and advanced optimization approaches. Grounded in solid theory, these methods aim for real-world applications, bridging the gap between theory and practice with practical solutions in aerospace, civil engineering, energy systems, and environmental modeling. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Aims & Scope This Special Collection (SC) aims to provide a dedicated space for in-depth exploration and dissemination of advancements in uncertainty modeling and quantification of numerical methods in geotechnical engineering. The primary goal of this SC is to feature emerging developments, which address the calibration of soil or rock constitutive models developed in recent time, data-driven and physics-informed models for soil or rock constitutive relations, database assessment of the variability in geotechnical numerical predictions, and benchmark exercises for geotechnical analyses by commercial software. The contributions are supposed to provide a deeper insight into the calibration and verification of numerical models in geotechnics, as well as the quantification of variability in numerical predictions of geo-structural response (e.g., deformation, capacity or stability). By establishing this SC, we aim to foster a collaborative environment that encourages researchers to contribute high-quality works, sharing insights and innovations in the field of uncertainty in geotechnical numerical methods. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Engineering systems are increasingly complex. They need to meet advanced requirements for mission-critical fields with a low failure tolerance. As unexpected failures during the designed lifespan of a system may lead to catastrophic consequences, their reliability modeling and assessment are of utmost importance. The reliability modeling should achieve the assessment at a reasonable confidence level to help decision-makers arrive at sound decisions in practice. ...

Submit Paper » Fuel cells are a vital component of renewable energy warranting significant consideration and ever-increasing applications. With the increase in the application of these systems, the need for safety analysis also increases. These systems can fail due to several reasons that can result in economic losses and catastrophes. Increasing the life expectancy of fuel cells is an important aspect that needs substantial attention. Hence, to avoid sudden failures and achieve better life expectancy the discovery, identification, and implementation of enhanced health indicators for effective diagnosis and prognosis is critical. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Background This Special Collection (SC) aims to provide a dedicated space for in-depth exploration and dissemination of advancements in vulnerability analysis, risk management, and uncertainty modeling. The primary goal of this SC is to feature emerging developments, which address hazards, risks and respective mitigation strategies towards resilience and sustainability of our infrastructure systems and the built environment. The contributions are supposed to provide key ideas, concepts and technologies to solve major challenges concerned with the high complexity and the multi-disciplinary character of the problems as well as with the comprehensive quantification, efficient processing and management of the involved uncertainties. By establishing this SC, we aim to foster a collaborative environment that encourages researchers to contribute high-quality works, sharing insights and innovations in the multifaceted fields of risk, uncertainty, and decision-making. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Background The reliability of civil engineering structures is paramount for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Ensuring robust behavior, particularly in the face of extreme events, is crucial for longevity and adaptability. This Special Collection focuses on a pivotal aspect of structural resilience: the control of vibrations, specifically addressing uncertainties. Scholars are invited to contribute original research papers exploring the nuanced interplay between vibration control and broader resilient civil engineering structures. This thematic issue serves as a guide for risk and reliability analysis, emphasizing the vital role of vibration control devices in reinforcing stability amidst uncertainty. ...

Submissions for this archived call are closed. Background Understanding the data and reaching accurate conclusions are of paramount importance in the present era of Big Data. Machine learning has been widely used in academia and industry to analyze voluminous and intricate datasets to uncover hidden patterns and reach incisive insights. Whilst machine learning approaches have extraordinary potential and are increasingly employed to aid in various complicated tasks, their results are not wholly reliable due to the challenges introduced by data uncertainty (aleatory uncertainty) and model uncertainty (epistemic uncertainty). It is essential to accommodate uncertainties and provide uncertainty estimates to uncover beneficial information for a better decision-making process. To this end, the development and application of novel uncertainty quantification methods in tandem with different machine-learning-enhanced techniques are crucial to yield useful information and amplify the interpretability and reliability of the results. With this in mind, this SC will gather contributions presenting state-of-the-art breakthroughs in uncertainty quantification for machine learning. ...