Quality management (QM) mission can be defined as turning technical evidence into reliable life-cycle decisions for concrete infrastructure, which span from performance and competent delivery, inspection, intervention and service-life extension.
This session aims to be highly practice-oriented, assured by the guidance of a chairing team covering the wide spectrum of QM. While materials, design, construction, inspection, documentation, maintenance and ESG agenda will be covered, aspects such as consequence-of-failure-based requirements; competence, responsibility and interfaces; management of deviations; monitoring and inspection evidence; as-built birth certificates; and data quality and interoperability are the main outputs of the session. This session is promoted by the recent new fib TG 3.6 – Quality Management of Concrete Structures, in liaison with IABSE: TG.1.4 on probabilistic modelling, quality control and lifetime assessment; TG.1.6 on risk- and reliability-informed decision-making; and TG.5.4 on life-cycle structure-management systems.

The session is planned with two blocks: an inspirative lecture session followed by a discussion session.

The maintenance and upgrading of existing concrete infrastructure require innovative strengthening solutions combined with reliable monitoring technologies. This special session focuses on recent advances in smart strengthening systems using reinforce-ments with sensor functionality and structural health monitoring (SHM) for reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. Topics include novel strengthening techniques, such as carbon-based reinforcement and shear strengthening, sensor-integrated rein-forcement, distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS/2D-FOS), digital monitoring concepts, and data-driven assessment of structural performance. Contributions addressing ex-perimental investigations, field applications, and long-term monitoring are welcome.
The session aims to bring together researchers to discuss integrated approaches that enhance structural safety, durability, and sustainability while enabling efficient mainte-nance and life-cycle management of existing concrete infrastructure.

One of the most important tasks of structural engineers today is to deal with the safety of the exist-ing concrete bridges. Unlike new structures, existing concrete bridges inherit dated design details and deteriorated conditions that cannot be dealt with using models or design guidelines that are devel-oped for general design purpose. Often, detailed physical models of the dated design details with or without deterioration are the essential key to help structural engineering and researchers to under-stand the phenomenon and eventually come up with more accurate assessment of the bearing ca-pacity of the structure. This special session aims at providing a platform for structural engineers and researchers to sharing experiences on physical based modelling and assessment of typical existing concrete bridges. Both analytical and/or numerical models are welcome to be discussed in this ses-sion.

This session will present investigations about the thermal behavior of FRP and the damage mechanisms of FRPs inside concrete elements or used for strengthening exist-ing steel-reinforced concrete elements. Elevated, as well as low temperatures in freeze-thaw cycles, will be relevant in this session.

As fiber-reinforced polymers consist of fibers and impregnation, properties such as the glass transition temperature play a crucial role in the load-bearing behaviour of structural concrete elements reinforced with FRP during a fire exposure. In addition,  the durability of external Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthening systems of reinforced concrete (RC) structures subjected to freeze-thaw cycles (FT) is largely influenced by the durability and performance of the components involved. The session invites experimental and numerical investigations.

Textile reinforcements made from carbon, glass, basalt or polymer fibres enable thin, durable and resource-efficient concrete elements. Their performance and durability depend on the physical and chemical characteristics of the fibre–matrix interface and resulting bond behaviour. This session presents recent research on surface treatments, coatings and impregnation strategies to improve, tailor and control bond in cementi-tious matrices, while addressing sustainability and recyclability.

Topics include:

• bio-inspired surface structuring and engineered interphases
• impregnation materials based on bio-based polymers, synthetic polymers and mineral systems
• coating and surface treatment technologies
• mechanical performance of textile-reinforced concrete as influenced by bond behavior
• experimental methods for characterizing fiber–matrix bond
• influence of environmental and exposure conditions, such as temperature, moisture, pH value and time, on bond performance
• debonding-on-demand concepts and recycling strategies
• Analytical and numerical simulation approaches of bond behavior of fiber and yarns in inorganic (e.g. cementitious) systems

Bridges are an essential part of the critical infrastructure of countries and continents. Worldwide, the bridge stock is aging. However, simply replacing aging bridges is neither a feasible nor a sensible approach. There are many reasons against this, such as time and cost considerations, the availability of manpower to implement such measures, and the urgent global need to limit the consumption of resources, energy, and land. Therefore, preservation and retrofitting are increasingly taking precedence over demolition and new construction.
In this special session, experts from various countries will have the opportunity to speak and present the standard procedures for managing the bridge stock in their respective countries. True to the motto “Lessons Learned,” we aim to create a space for mutually enriching discussions and exchanges through concise presentations of country-specific approaches, the handling of specific problems, and the identification of advantages and shortcomings of existing regulations. The presentation of best-practice examples is also highly welcome.

Over the last decades FRP reinforcement for new concrete structures and FRP strengthening systems for rehabilitation of existing structures, both for non-prestressed and prestressed applications, has become increasingly popular in practice. Design guidance on FRP reinforcement has become more prominent, thanks to Model Code 2020 and Eurocode 2 (annexes J and R). Within the scope of fib TG5.1, this session is dedicated to advancing the use of FRP in structural engineering and welcomes both research and industry perspectives on FRP applications in concrete structures.
The session will bring together leading academics, researchers, and practitioners whose work spans a wide range of FRP-related themes, including: sustainability and durability of using FRPs in concrete, structural behavior of reinforced or prestressed concrete implementing FRPs, strengthening and retrofitting techniques using externally bonded and near-surface mounted FRPs or textile reinforced mortar, development of guidelines and code provisions, and FRP systems and applications.

Civil infrastructure is increasingly affected by ageing, deterioration, environmental actions, and growing demands for safety, resilience, and sustainability. Recently, machine learning has created opportunities for infrastructure monitoring and assessment, but most machine learning models are purely data-driven and may be difficult to trust in engineering practice when their predictions are weakly connected to physical mechanisms. Physics-informed machine learning offers a promising solution by embedding structural mechanics, material behavior, domain knowledge, and monitoring data into learning models, thereby improving interpretability, generalization, and decision relevance. This special session focuses on physics-informed methods for reliable assessment of buildings, bridges, tunnels, and other civil infrastructure systems. Contributions are invited on physics-informed machine learning, damage detection, durability prediction, digital twins, and predictive maintenance. Particular attention will be given to approaches that remain robust under sparse, noisy, or incomplete monitoring data and that demonstrate practical engineering applicability.

Quality management (QM) mission can be defined as turning technical evidence into reliable life-cycle decisions for concrete infrastructure, which span from performance and competent delivery, inspection, intervention and service-life extension.
This session aims to be highly practice-oriented, assured by the guidance of a chairing team covering the wide spectrum of QM. While materials, design, construction, inspection, documentation, maintenance and ESG agenda will be covered, aspects such as consequence-of-failure-based requirements; competence, responsibility and interfaces; management of deviations; monitoring and inspection evidence; as-built birth certificates; and data quality and interoperability are the main outputs of the session. This session is promoted by the recent new fib TG 3.6 – Quality Management of Concrete Structures, in liaison with IABSE: TG.1.4 on probabilistic modelling, quality control and lifetime assessment; TG.1.6 on risk- and reliability-informed decision-making; and TG.5.4 on life-cycle structure-management systems.

The session is planned with two blocks: an inspirative lecture session followed by a discussion session.

The maintenance and upgrading of existing concrete infrastructure require innovative strengthening solutions combined with reliable monitoring technologies. This special session focuses on recent advances in smart strengthening systems using reinforce-ments with sensor functionality and structural health monitoring (SHM) for reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. Topics include novel strengthening techniques, such as carbon-based reinforcement and shear strengthening, sensor-integrated rein-forcement, distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS/2D-FOS), digital monitoring concepts, and data-driven assessment of structural performance. Contributions addressing ex-perimental investigations, field applications, and long-term monitoring are welcome.
The session aims to bring together researchers to discuss integrated approaches that enhance structural safety, durability, and sustainability while enabling efficient mainte-nance and life-cycle management of existing concrete infrastructure.

One of the most important tasks of structural engineers today is to deal with the safety of the exist-ing concrete bridges. Unlike new structures, existing concrete bridges inherit dated design details and deteriorated conditions that cannot be dealt with using models or design guidelines that are devel-oped for general design purpose. Often, detailed physical models of the dated design details with or without deterioration are the essential key to help structural engineering and researchers to under-stand the phenomenon and eventually come up with more accurate assessment of the bearing ca-pacity of the structure. This special session aims at providing a platform for structural engineers and researchers to sharing experiences on physical based modelling and assessment of typical existing concrete bridges. Both analytical and/or numerical models are welcome to be discussed in this ses-sion.

This session will present investigations about the thermal behavior of FRP and the damage mechanisms of FRPs inside concrete elements or used for strengthening exist-ing steel-reinforced concrete elements. Elevated, as well as low temperatures in freeze-thaw cycles, will be relevant in this session.

As fiber-reinforced polymers consist of fibers and impregnation, properties such as the glass transition temperature play a crucial role in the load-bearing behaviour of structural concrete elements reinforced with FRP during a fire exposure. In addition,  the durability of external Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthening systems of reinforced concrete (RC) structures subjected to freeze-thaw cycles (FT) is largely influenced by the durability and performance of the components involved. The session invites experimental and numerical investigations.

Textile reinforcements made from carbon, glass, basalt or polymer fibres enable thin, durable and resource-efficient concrete elements. Their performance and durability depend on the physical and chemical characteristics of the fibre–matrix interface and resulting bond behaviour. This session presents recent research on surface treatments, coatings and impregnation strategies to improve, tailor and control bond in cementi-tious matrices, while addressing sustainability and recyclability.

Topics include:

• bio-inspired surface structuring and engineered interphases
• impregnation materials based on bio-based polymers, synthetic polymers and mineral systems
• coating and surface treatment technologies
• mechanical performance of textile-reinforced concrete as influenced by bond behavior
• experimental methods for characterizing fiber–matrix bond
• influence of environmental and exposure conditions, such as temperature, moisture, pH value and time, on bond performance
• debonding-on-demand concepts and recycling strategies
• Analytical and numerical simulation approaches of bond behavior of fiber and yarns in inorganic (e.g. cementitious) systems

Bridges are an essential part of the critical infrastructure of countries and continents. Worldwide, the bridge stock is aging. However, simply replacing aging bridges is neither a feasible nor a sensible approach. There are many reasons against this, such as time and cost considerations, the availability of manpower to implement such measures, and the urgent global need to limit the consumption of resources, energy, and land. Therefore, preservation and retrofitting are increasingly taking precedence over demolition and new construction.
In this special session, experts from various countries will have the opportunity to speak and present the standard procedures for managing the bridge stock in their respective countries. True to the motto “Lessons Learned,” we aim to create a space for mutually enriching discussions and exchanges through concise presentations of country-specific approaches, the handling of specific problems, and the identification of advantages and shortcomings of existing regulations. The presentation of best-practice examples is also highly welcome.

Over the last decades FRP reinforcement for new concrete structures and FRP strengthening systems for rehabilitation of existing structures, both for non-prestressed and prestressed applications, has become increasingly popular in practice. Design guidance on FRP reinforcement has become more prominent, thanks to Model Code 2020 and Eurocode 2 (annexes J and R). Within the scope of fib TG5.1, this session is dedicated to advancing the use of FRP in structural engineering and welcomes both research and industry perspectives on FRP applications in concrete structures.
The session will bring together leading academics, researchers, and practitioners whose work spans a wide range of FRP-related themes, including: sustainability and durability of using FRPs in concrete, structural behavior of reinforced or prestressed concrete implementing FRPs, strengthening and retrofitting techniques using externally bonded and near-surface mounted FRPs or textile reinforced mortar, development of guidelines and code provisions, and FRP systems and applications.

Civil infrastructure is increasingly affected by ageing, deterioration, environmental actions, and growing demands for safety, resilience, and sustainability. Recently, machine learning has created opportunities for infrastructure monitoring and assessment, but most machine learning models are purely data-driven and may be difficult to trust in engineering practice when their predictions are weakly connected to physical mechanisms. Physics-informed machine learning offers a promising solution by embedding structural mechanics, material behavior, domain knowledge, and monitoring data into learning models, thereby improving interpretability, generalization, and decision relevance. This special session focuses on physics-informed methods for reliable assessment of buildings, bridges, tunnels, and other civil infrastructure systems. Contributions are invited on physics-informed machine learning, damage detection, durability prediction, digital twins, and predictive maintenance. Particular attention will be given to approaches that remain robust under sparse, noisy, or incomplete monitoring data and that demonstrate practical engineering applicability.