Science Explorer Back to mapMap
Discussion
Topic · Civil and Structural Engineering

Structural Analysis and Optimization

Structural Analysis and Optimization is a research topic within Civil and Structural Engineering. Science Explorer counts 35k research works in it since 1950. 10.0% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers focuses on the analysis and design of tensegrity structures, including form-finding methods, deployable structures for space applications, rigidity matroids, wrinkling analysis, structural optimization, dynamic behavior, and control and simulation. The papers cover a wide range of topics related to the mechanical properties and applications of tensegrity structures.

  • Tensegrity
  • Form-Finding
  • Deployable Structures
  • Rigidity Matroids
  • Space Applications
  • Wrinkling Analysis
  • Structural Optimization
  • Dynamic Behavior
  • Control and Simulation
  • Mechanical Properties
Research works
35k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
3.5k
per year above
Top-10% rate
10.0%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2018-21 → 2022-25
+30%
the tick is no change
Largest producer
China
49% of the 10 largest, 2022-now
Structural Analysis and Optimization

Which countries lead Structural Analysis and Optimization research?

By volume, China and the United States publish the most (2.4k and 644 works in 2022-now).

By volume, 2022-now

  1. 1 China 2.4k works
  2. 2 United States 644 works
  3. 3 India 478 works
  4. 4 Japan 249 works
  5. 5 Italy 247 works
  6. 6 United Kingdom 221 works
  7. 7 Germany 211 works
  8. 8 Iran 171 works
  9. 9 France 136 works
  10. 10 Russia 135 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

China: 48.7%United States: 13.3%India: 9.8%Japan: 5.1%6 others listed: 23.1%49%largest
China2,367 · 48.7%United States644 · 13.3%India478 · 9.8%Japan249 · 5.1%6 others listed1,121 · 23.1%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Structural Analysis and Optimization research?

By volume in 2022-now, Harbin Institute of Technology publishes the most Structural Analysis and Optimization research, followed by Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

By volume, 2022-now

  1. 1 Harbin Institute of TechnologyChina 112 works
  2. 2 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 59 works
  3. 3 Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina 58 works
  4. 4 Dalian University of TechnologyChina 53 works
  5. 5 Southeast UniversityChina 53 works
  6. 6 China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationChina 53 works
  7. 7 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 52 works
  8. 8 Zhejiang UniversityChina 52 works
  9. 9 Nanjing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsChina 51 works
  10. 10 Tianjin UniversityChina 47 works

Who are the leading researchers in Structural Analysis and Optimization?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Structural Analysis and Optimization include Kai You Wang, Lei Jiang and Seeram Ramakrishna.

  1. 1 Kai You Wang China 224k citations
  2. 2 Lei Jiang China 214k citations
  3. 3 Seeram Ramakrishna Singapore 186k citations
  4. 4 Qiang Zhang China 184k citations
  5. 5 Pulickel Madhavapanicker Ajayan United States 173k citations
  6. 6 Kalyanmoy Deb United States 171k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

What are the most cited papers in Structural Analysis and Optimization?

The most cited paper in Structural Analysis and Optimization is "The finite element method. Linear static and dynamic finite element analysis" (Thomas Zimmermann, 1987), with 5,132 citations. Next come "A Simple Higher-Order Theory for Laminated Composite Plates" (4,150) and "Theory of Elasticity (3rd ed.)" (4,036).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 The finite element method. Linear static and dynamic finite element analysis Thomas Zimmermann · Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering Nov 1987 5,132
2 A Simple Higher-Order Theory for Laminated Composite Plates Junuthula Narasimha Reddy · Journal of Applied Mechanics Dec 1984 4,150
3 Theory of Elasticity (3rd ed.) Stephen P. Timoshenko, J. N. Goodier, Hanley N. Abramson · Journal of Applied Mechanics Sep 1970 4,036
4 Concepts and applications of finite element analysis Ed Sieveka · Finite Elements in Analysis and Design Nov 1985 3,803
5 Mechanics of Composite Materials Robert Morris Jones, C. W. Bert · Journal of Applied Mechanics Open access Sep 1975 3,214
All 98 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Where is Structural Analysis and Optimization research done?

The largest centres of Structural Analysis and Optimization research in 2022-now are Beijing (China), Shanghai (China), Xi'an (China) and Nanjing (China). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Qinhuangdao, Pasadena and Darmstadt.

Largest cities, 2022-now

  1. 1 BeijingChina 426 works
  2. 2 ShanghaiChina 190 works
  3. 3 Xi'anChina 167 works
  4. 4 NanjingChina 160 works
  5. 5 HarbinChina 151 works
  6. 6 TokyoJapan 100 works
  7. 7 HangzhouChina 98 works
  8. 8 TianjinChina 86 works
  9. 9 WuhanChina 71 works
  10. 10 TehranIran 68 works

Where it is the local speciality

  1. QinhuangdaoCN · 28.6 works11×
  2. PasadenaUS · 23.8 works8.4×
  3. DarmstadtDE · 20.4 works6.7×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Structural Analysis and Optimization than the world average.

See Structural Analysis and Optimization on the map

Where is the best place to study Structural Analysis and Optimization?

Among universities, judged by research, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, RMIT University and Harbin Institute of Technology score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%20%40%mean 25.66%fractional works in this field (log) →share of work in the world top 10% →Khalifa University o…RMIT UniversityTianjin UniversityHarbin Institute of …
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the first ten of the table below, at the default weights. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

Excellenceshare of its work in the world top 10%, 2022-now and all time averaged
40%
Specialisationhow much of its work is in this field, counted up to 10× the world share
10%
Sizeits output in this field, on a log scale
30%
Growthoutput growth, counted from -20% to +20%
10%
Internationalshare of its work with a co-author abroad
10%
Each slider sets a weight; the share it gets of the score is beside it.
#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1Khalifa University of Science and TechnologyUnited Arab Emirates 71.143.6%8.4×11 +207.2%
2RMIT UniversityAustralia 68.938.1%6.7×14 +71.2%
3Harbin Institute of TechnologyChina 68.121.1%12.2×112 +36.1%
4Tianjin UniversityChina 61.526.4%6.8×47 +62.0%
5Dalian University of TechnologyChina 58.017.0%10.1×53 +78.5%
6Anhui Jianzhu UniversityChina 57.040.6%18.7×9 +689.0%
7Politecnico di TorinoItaly 56.511.3%12.1×30 +33.5%
8Nanjing University of Aeronautics and AstronauticsChina 56.016.3%10.2×50 +64.8%
9Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina 55.917.6%3.6×58 +17.9%
10Chongqing UniversityChina 55.924.6%6.4×39 +102.8%

Universities only. The score blends excellence (40%), size (30%), specialisation (10%), growth (10%), international reach (10%), 2022-now; growth compares 2018-21 with 2022-25 and counts up to +20%, since a jump from a small base is mostly noise.

Every institution in Structural Analysis and Optimization, country by country

Is Structural Analysis and Optimization research growing?

Output in 2022-2025 was 30% higher than in 2018-2021, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Structural Analysis and Optimization.

still counting19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is Structural Analysis and Optimization as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.031% in 2024.

still counting0.050%0.10%Structural Analysis and Optimization0.031% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Structural Analysis and Optimization over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Year by year.

still counting5%10%15%Structural Analysis and Optimization10.0% in 2025200020102020

Of each year's works in it, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for their field and year. A field is the world for its own topics, so there is no other line to hold it against.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.

Discussion

Ask a question or share a note about Structural Analysis and Optimization. Posts are plain text and can be reported.