Dr. Alex Sixie Cao (currently Postdoc at Empa and ETH Zurich) will join as an Assistant Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore - from July 2026. We are currently recruiting multiple PhD students & Postdocs. NTU CEE ↗
Publications
Peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports.
Journal Articles
2026
On the quantification of robustness and its thresholds
Cao, A. S.; Beck, A. T.
Structural Safety, 120, 102688
2026
Dynamic properties of glued laminated timber beams with finger-joints subjected to impact loading
Montalbetti, G.; Cao, A. S.; Frangi, A.
International Journal of Impact Engineering, 214, 105727
2026
Probabilistic modelling of buildings using networks (under review)
Cao, A. S.; Kumalic, A.; Thöns, S.
Structural Safety
2025
Dynamic amplification factors in instantaneously loaded structures
Cao, A. S.; Thöns, S.; Palma, P.; Frangi, A.
Engineering Structures, 345, 121464
2025
Experimentally validated bending capacity models for strip-reinforced timber beams
Cao, A. S.; Steiger, R.; Frangi, A.
Wood Material Science & Engineering, 20(4)
2025
Rate-dependency and hysteresis of timber connections with a single laterally-loaded dowel and a slotted-in steel plate
Sroka, K.; Cao, A. S.; Palma, P.; Frangi, A.
Wood Material Science & Engineering, 20(4)
2024
Modelling progressive collapse of timber buildings
Cao, A. S.; Esser, L.; Frangi, A.
Structures, 62, 106279
2024
Impact loading of glued laminated timber beams without finger-joints
Cao, A. S.; Houen, M.; Frangi, A.
Computers & Structures, 296, 107278
2024
A pressure-sensitive rheological origin of high friction angles of granular matter observed in NASA–MGM project
Cheng, X. H.; Xiao, S. Z.; Yang, S.; Zhao, N. F.; Cao, A. S.
Chinese Physics B, 33, 068301
2023
Catenary action in strip-reinforced wood and timber beams
Cao, A. S.; Grönquist, P.; Frangi, A.
Construction and Building Materials, 385, 131422
2022
Lateral stiffening systems for tall timber buildings – tube-in-tube systems
Binck, C.; Cao, A. S.; Frangi, A.
Wood Material Science & Engineering, 17(4), 309–316
2021
Self-camber of timber beams by swelling hardwood inlays for timber-concrete composite elements
Müller, K.; Grönquist, P.; Cao, A. S.; Frangi, A.
Construction and Building Materials, 308, 125024
2021
A theoretical study of the dynamic response of planar timber frames with semi-rigid moment-resisting connections subjected to wind loads
Cao, A. S.; Stamatopoulos, H.
Engineering Structures, 240, 112367
2021
A unified constitutive model for pressure sensitive shear flow transitions in moderate dense granular materials
Cheng, X. H.; Xiao, S. Z.; Cao, A. S.; Hou, M. Y.
Scientific Reports, 11, 19669
2019
A review and analysis of granular shear experiments under low effective stress conditions
Cheng, X. H.; Xiao, S. Z.; Cao, A. S.; Hou, M. Y.
Granular Matter, 21, 104
Conference Papers
2026
Quantifying the robustness of networks using methods from system reliability
Cao, A. S.; Byun, J. E., Beck, A. T.
ICONHIC 2026, Chania, Greece
2026
Non-stationary risk acceptance in light of climate change
Cao, A. S.
ICONHIC 2026, Chania, Greece
2026
Decision-value analysis of risk mitigation strategies for bridges subjected to climate change
Castro-Giraldo, S.; Friis, T.; Cao, A. S.; Thöns, S.
IABSE Symposium 2026, Copenhagen, Denmark
2025
Modelling Vehicular Impact for Threat-Dependent Progressive Collapse Assessments
Montalbetti, G.; Cao, A. S.; Frangi, A.
ICPS7 2025, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2025
System effects of timber connections comprising multiple fasteners
Cao, A. S.; Thöns, S.; Jockwer, R.; Palma, P.
ICOSSAR 2025, Los Angeles, USA
2025
Influence of attacker’s prior knowledge on the performance of redundant systems
Iannacone, L.; Cao, A. S.
ICOSSAR 2025, Los Angeles, USA
2025
Development of a technical specification on numerical design of timber structures – Verification and Validation of Numerical Models
Töpler, J.; Cao, A. S.
CompWood 2025, TU Wien, Austria
2024
Case study of a tall timber building subjected to ground-floor column-loss scenarios
Cao, A. S.; Ullmann, S.; Frangi, A.
10th Forensic Engineering Congress, ASCE, Seattle, USA
2024
Progressive collapse of a timber frame building subjected to single- and multi-column damage scenarios