Large-scale structural systems or so-called infrastructures are an important part of modern societies. Experimental tests for such systems are rarely applicable as they require enormous expense, and there are many complexities in scaling down of the prototype. On the contrary, with new developments in computer science, numerical simulation of structural systems becomes increasingly feasible.

Numerical simulation and analysis of infrastructures have also become complex, as extra details are involved in the modeling procedure and connecting the different (and sometimes diverse) domains. Thus, this Special Collection is dedicated to the numerical simulation of large structural systems covering both the theoretical and application papers.

This is a challenging task for all scientists, software developers, and engineers. Many infrastructures were built in previous decades with limited information, and their performance should be re-evaluated according to the new findings and standards. The outcome of this Special Collection can be useful for many agencies and scientists working on safety and risk analysis of large-scale structures.

Overall, 25 submissions were received by the editorial team, and 15 manuscripts have been accepted for publication. Figure 1 shows a “word cloud” data-mined from all accepted papers, indicating repetition of relevant keywords. The accepted papers cover a wide range of structural engineering–related issues. In a very broad classification, one may identify five major categories: (1) modal analysis and vibration characteristics, (2) seismic response of large special infrastructures, (3) fundamental theories in discretized numerical methods, (4) thermal analysis and heat transfer, and (5) dynamic effects of trains and tunnels. Figure 2 provides a big picture and presents an overall summary of all the theoretical, numerical, and case studies used in one of the 15 accepted papers.