The Section “Materials Simulation and Design” focuses on all aspects of inorganic and organic material properties, advances in the synthesis, processing, characterization, testing and design of materials and engineering systems, applications in technology, and the modeling and simulation of a broad range of materials, including ceramics, metals, glasses, semiconductors, polymers, biological materials, composites, etc. Papers on solid materials, interfaces, and material issues associated with surfaces, defects, and the microstructure are of particular interest.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Materials Simulation and Design”:

“Modeling Cyclic Crack Propagation in Concrete Using the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method Coupled with the Cumulative Damage-Plasticity Constitutive Law”
by Omar Alrayes, Carsten Könke, Ean Tat Ooi and Khader M. Hamdia
Materials 2023, 16(2), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020863
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/863

“Assessment of Convolutional Neural Network Pre-Trained Models for Detection and Orientation of Cracks”
by Waqas Qayyum, Rana Ehtisham, Alireza Bahrami, Charles Camp, Junaid Mir and Afaq Ahmad
Materials 2023, 16(2), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020826
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/826

“Electronic, Optical, Mechanical, and Electronic Transport Properties of SrCu₂O₂: A First-Principles Study”
by Sheng Jiang, Chaohao Hu, Dianhui Wang, Yan Zhong and Chengying Tang
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1829; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051829
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1829

“Application of the ps−Version of the Finite Element Method to the Analysis of Laminated Shells”
by Cheng Angelo Yan and Riccardo Vescovini
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1395

“The Characteristic Microstructures and Properties of Steel-Based Alloy via Additive Manufacturing”
by Chunlei Shang, Honghui Wu, Guangfei Pan, Jiaqi Zhu, Shuize Wang, Guilin Wu, Junheng Gao, Zhiyuan Liu, Ruidi Li and Xinping Mao
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072696
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2696

“Band Gaps and Optical Properties of RENiO₃ upon Strain: Combining First-Principles Calculations and Machine Learning”
by Xuchang Tang, Zhaokai Luo and Yuanyuan Cui
Materials 2023, 16(8), 3070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083070
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/8/3070

“Inductive Determination of Rate-Reaction Equation Parameters for Dislocation Structure Formation Using Artificial Neural Network”
by Yoshitaka Umeno, Emi Kawai, Atsushi Kubo, Hiroyuki Shima and Takashi Sumigawa
Materials 2023, 16(5), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16052108
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2108

“On the Springback and Load in Three-Point Air Bending of the AW-2024 Aluminium Alloy Sheet with AW-1050A Aluminium Cladding”
by Stanisław Kut, Grzegorz Pasowicz and Feliks Stachowicz
Materials 2023, 16(8), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16082945
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/8/2945

“Heat Transfer Analysis of Warm Guss Asphalt Concrete for Mini-Trench Overlaying”
by Kyung-Nam Kim, Yeong-Min Kim, Sang-Yum Lee and Tri Ho Minh Le
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072808
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2808

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field. Proposals may be submitted via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Materials Simulation and Design and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (materials@mdpi.com).

Materials Editorial Office