The construction industry is facing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, increase efficiency, and embrace automation. While these challenges create significant opportunities for innovation, the sector remains inherently conservative and risk-averse, often limiting the adoption of new technologies. In the field of concrete admixtures, discussions continue to focus primarily on workability and hydration control, with comparatively little attention given to their potential to enhance engineering performance, including strength, durability, and resilience through advanced material solutions.

This session is aiming at showcasing how today’s advanced admixture technologies are already delivering measurable contributions to more sustainable and higher-performing concrete. It will also explore emerging developments and the steps needed to achieve broader industry acceptance and unlock their full potential. Presenters are asked to provide insights into the capabilities of modern admixture technologies, challenge common misconceptions, and explore how these solutions can support the future of sustainable concrete construction.

Climate change has become a significant threat to the safety of concrete structures.  The average rise in the temperature of the concrete exacerbates most forms of deterioration by accelerating physical processes (diffusion of aggressive agents, corrosion of reinforcement, etc.) and by increasing problems associated with thermal expansion.  Fluctuations in relative humidity and more pronounced alternation between dry and wet periods are also aggravating factors. Furthermore, these average trends are subject to increasingly high levels of uncertainty. The standard assumptions regarding the statistical distributions of environmental parameters, in addition to those due to changes in loads and extreme events, must be reviewed and taken into account in a necessary reassessment of structural risk and loss of durability. Topics may include updated risk analyses, structural resiliency strategies, emerging structural risks, adapting design approaches, structural reassessment and monitoring, asset management under climate scenarios.

Ensuring the performance of civil infrastructure is increasingly a challenge to be addressed at the network level, rather than for isolated structures. This calls for a systems thinking perspective, embedding single-asset design within broader, network-level objectives.

This special session addresses this perspective by considering structural health monitoring (SHM) as an exemplary subject, integrating the complementary goals of the stakeholders involved: the designer’s definition of monitoring requirements, the contractor’s implementation and validation during construction, and the owner’s requirements for long-term, network-wide asset management. Each contribution addresses a distinct, non-overlapping mission within the same programme, together forming a complete account of how SHM is conceived, delivered and operationalised across a major infrastructure network.

As a foundational application, the session introduces the SHM project developed for the HS2 railway network in the United Kingdom. The outcome is a short booklet gathering these perspectives under this single denominator.

To overcome the material-intense nature of traditional construction methods, new approaches to the design, manufacturing, automation and control of concrete structures must be explored. Fundamental interdisciplinary research can pave the way for new approaches by exploring the integration of computational design, additive manufacturing, automated fabrication, and system control. As a formable material, concrete is particularly well-suited to smart concrete structures featuring innovative typologies, novel forms and enhanced material efficiency. Building on the research conducted within German interdisciplinary research centres in computational design and construction (ExC IntCDC), additive manufacturing (TRR 277) and adaptive structures (CRC 1244), this minisymposium invites international contributions on novel approaches to smart concrete structures in architecture and engineering. Key focus areas include computational design, additive manufacturing, automated fabrication and construction as well as smart sensing and actuation concepts. Proofs of concepts may range from laboratory scale experiments to full-scale (1:1) demonstrators and prototypes.

To enable future-proof concrete structures and meet binding global climate targets, the construction sector must radically rethink traditional building paradigms. Lightweight construction serves as a critical lever for decarbonization, yet it must be rethought beyond mere material reduction toward minimizing the environmental footprint along the entire structural life cycle. This special session explores the emerging approaches enabling this transformation through synergies between innovative mate-rial systems, computational design, and advanced manufacturing that minimize ecological impacts.
We invite global contributions demonstrating workflows that decouple structural performance from high carbon footprints. Key focus areas include material- and fabrication-driven structural optimization, alongside resource-efficient, circular manufacturing methods. By coupling smart material systems, digital design, and advanced manu-facturing, these next-generation methodologies enable the physical realization of a new generation of lightweight concrete structures, shifting the building lifecycle toward a highly scalable, circular, and low-carbon paradigm.

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.

The construction industry is facing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, increase efficiency, and embrace automation. While these challenges create significant opportunities for innovation, the sector remains inherently conservative and risk-averse, often limiting the adoption of new technologies. In the field of concrete admixtures, discussions continue to focus primarily on workability and hydration control, with comparatively little attention given to their potential to enhance engineering performance, including strength, durability, and resilience through advanced material solutions.

This session is aiming at showcasing how today’s advanced admixture technologies are already delivering measurable contributions to more sustainable and higher-performing concrete. It will also explore emerging developments and the steps needed to achieve broader industry acceptance and unlock their full potential. Presenters are asked to provide insights into the capabilities of modern admixture technologies, challenge common misconceptions, and explore how these solutions can support the future of sustainable concrete construction.

Climate change has become a significant threat to the safety of concrete structures.  The average rise in the temperature of the concrete exacerbates most forms of deterioration by accelerating physical processes (diffusion of aggressive agents, corrosion of reinforcement, etc.) and by increasing problems associated with thermal expansion.  Fluctuations in relative humidity and more pronounced alternation between dry and wet periods are also aggravating factors. Furthermore, these average trends are subject to increasingly high levels of uncertainty. The standard assumptions regarding the statistical distributions of environmental parameters, in addition to those due to changes in loads and extreme events, must be reviewed and taken into account in a necessary reassessment of structural risk and loss of durability. Topics may include updated risk analyses, structural resiliency strategies, emerging structural risks, adapting design approaches, structural reassessment and monitoring, asset management under climate scenarios.

Ensuring the performance of civil infrastructure is increasingly a challenge to be addressed at the network level, rather than for isolated structures. This calls for a systems thinking perspective, embedding single-asset design within broader, network-level objectives.

This special session addresses this perspective by considering structural health monitoring (SHM) as an exemplary subject, integrating the complementary goals of the stakeholders involved: the designer’s definition of monitoring requirements, the contractor’s implementation and validation during construction, and the owner’s requirements for long-term, network-wide asset management. Each contribution addresses a distinct, non-overlapping mission within the same programme, together forming a complete account of how SHM is conceived, delivered and operationalised across a major infrastructure network.

As a foundational application, the session introduces the SHM project developed for the HS2 railway network in the United Kingdom. The outcome is a short booklet gathering these perspectives under this single denominator.

To overcome the material-intense nature of traditional construction methods, new approaches to the design, manufacturing, automation and control of concrete structures must be explored. Fundamental interdisciplinary research can pave the way for new approaches by exploring the integration of computational design, additive manufacturing, automated fabrication, and system control. As a formable material, concrete is particularly well-suited to smart concrete structures featuring innovative typologies, novel forms and enhanced material efficiency. Building on the research conducted within German interdisciplinary research centres in computational design and construction (ExC IntCDC), additive manufacturing (TRR 277) and adaptive structures (CRC 1244), this minisymposium invites international contributions on novel approaches to smart concrete structures in architecture and engineering. Key focus areas include computational design, additive manufacturing, automated fabrication and construction as well as smart sensing and actuation concepts. Proofs of concepts may range from laboratory scale experiments to full-scale (1:1) demonstrators and prototypes.

To enable future-proof concrete structures and meet binding global climate targets, the construction sector must radically rethink traditional building paradigms. Lightweight construction serves as a critical lever for decarbonization, yet it must be rethought beyond mere material reduction toward minimizing the environmental footprint along the entire structural life cycle. This special session explores the emerging approaches enabling this transformation through synergies between innovative mate-rial systems, computational design, and advanced manufacturing that minimize ecological impacts.
We invite global contributions demonstrating workflows that decouple structural performance from high carbon footprints. Key focus areas include material- and fabrication-driven structural optimization, alongside resource-efficient, circular manufacturing methods. By coupling smart material systems, digital design, and advanced manu-facturing, these next-generation methodologies enable the physical realization of a new generation of lightweight concrete structures, shifting the building lifecycle toward a highly scalable, circular, and low-carbon paradigm.

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.