Organizers:

• Filippo Medeghini (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany)
• Rutger Vrijdaghs (KU Leuven, Belgium)

Focus:

The session aims to present recent advances in the development, characterization, and structural application of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC). With its increasing use in structural design, significant progress has been made in understanding its long-term response, the influence of fiber orientation and distribution, and the result-ing structural performance, supported by advanced experimental techniques and numerical modelling approaches. A particular focus is on the translation of these scientific developments into design-oriented frameworks, including improvements in testing methodologies, material characterization, and their implementation in standards and guidelines. Con-tributions addressing structural behavior, high-performance SFRC, as well as fatigue and damage mechanisms, will be especially welcome. The session seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice, supporting the reliable and efficient use of SFRC in modern concrete structures and contributing to the ongoing evolution of international design provisions.

Organizers:

• Eline Vereecken (Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium) & David Sanio (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany)
• Irene Josa i Cullere (University College London, Great Britain)
• Iurie Curosu (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany)
• Ramon Hingorani (SINTEF, Norge)

Focus:

The reuse of entire reinforced concrete elements is a premier circular strategy to combat resource scarcity, waste, and high embodied carbon. Transitioning from "cradle-to-grave" models to a circular lifecycle introduces complex technical hurdles, which this session addresses through a broad range of topics, from basic research to industry implementation. We welcome contributions on the following topics:

• Assessment: Technical rigor in evaluating reuse potential, load-bearing capacity, durability, and residual service life using experimental, numerical and probabilistic methods.
• Design & engineering: Systematic design concepts, design for disassembly, and the assessment of connections and structural integrity.
• Processes: Innovative salvaging, deconstruction, and refurbishment techniques, supported by digital material passports and digital twins.
• Evaluation: Ecological and economic assessments, legalities of reclaimed components, and processing methods.

This session invites research and case studies to prove that reinforced concrete structural elements can and must have a second life, and how this can be realized.

Organizers:

• Enrico Baumgärtel (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

This session welcomes research papers that address more sustainable reinforcement in concrete construction and examine the associated challenges as well as ways to address them. The use of non-metallic reinforcement materials in concrete as an alternative to steel reinforcement is becoming increasingly important. The replacement of steel with new, more sustainable materials made from recycled or renewable raw materials is still in its early stages of research and presents complex challenges, which will be addressed in this session. These presentations may cover topics ranging from basic research to practical applications in the construction industry. We welcome submissions on the following topics:

• Experimental studies on sustainable reinforcing materials (e.g., recycled carbon fibers, recycled glass fibers, natural fibers like bamboo, etc.).
• Environmental and economic assessments of sustainable reinforcement.
• Studies on the reuse of the respective reinforcement.
• Practical application of sustainable reinforcements in construction.

Organizers:

• Flávio De Andrade Silva (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Brazil)
• Barzin Mobasher (Arizona State University, USA)
• Bahman Ghiassi (University of Birmingham, UK)

Focus:

The session aims to present recent research on modern manufacturing methods, mechanical characterization, structural applications, and modeling of textile reinforced concrete (TRC). Particular attention will be given to hybrid systems and bond mechanisms. The theoretical framework will address aspects of multi-scale modeling and analytical tools for predicting and designing components under tensile, flexural, and shear loading in TRC composite systems. The environmental sustainability performance of TRC systems will also be discussed. This session would be of interest to researchers, structural engineers, and concrete repair professionals.

Organizer:

• Gaute Mo (Degree of Freedom, Spain)

Focus:

The proposed Special Session would explore how the adaptive reuse of existing concrete structures can become a driver for sustainable transformation in contemporary construction. Using Kunstsilo in Norway as a case study, the session would present the structural conversion of a deteriorated industrial grain silo battery into an internationally recognised art museum through a highly complex engineering intervention. Topics would include the redefinition of structural behaviour in existing reinforced concrete systems, staged construction and load transfer methodologies, post-tensioned concrete solutions, BIM-enabled coordination and the integration of architecture, engineering and construction. The session would also discuss how retaining and upgrading existing concrete structures can significantly reduce embodied carbon while preserving cultural heritage and generating longterm social and urban value. The project offers a compelling example of how concrete structures can be transformed rather than replaced, directly responding to the symposium theme “ReThink Concrete”.

Planned as Standard or as Inspirative Lecture Session.

Organizers:

• Michal P. Drewniok (School of Civil Engineering at University of Leeds, UK)
• Han Fang (School of Civil Engineering at University of Leeds, UK)
• Rupert J. Myers (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London, UK)
• Su Meini (Department of Civil Engineering and Management at The University of Manchester, UK)
• Yuvaraj Dhandapani (School of Mechanical Engineering at  University of Leeds, UK)

Focus:

The UK is committed to achieving the national net-zero carbon goal by 2050. To confidently achieve this target, the future demand of concrete needs to be reduced by 50% by a significant reduction in the amount of Portland clinker used in cement and concrete, rethink structural shape, structural system and improve structural optimization for new designs as well as reuse of existing structures.

The session will mainly include the research on minimization of the use of raw materials in cement and concrete to deliver long lasting and durable solutions, research on material reduction in the design and methods to extend the life span of existing structures. The research will include also recent findings on innovative binders.

Organizers:

• Jakob Vogt (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Johannes Reimer (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

The session explores the historical development of concrete engineering, treating structures both cultural and technical landmarks rather than focusing solely on technical metrics. It highlights the importance of their historical context for modern practice.

A key theme is evaluating cultural values from an engineering perspective. Strategies for long-term preservation are discussed, aiming to balance functional requirements with the protection of a structure’s original character. By examining the development of construction methods and materials – from early reinforced concrete to pioneering prestressing systems – the session illustrates how understanding cultural and historical significance of past innovations informs current approaches to preserving these structures.

By bridging the gap between engineering and preservation, the session provides an interdisciplinary framework for valuing and managing engineering heritage. The goal is to foster appreciation for the legacy of concrete construction and to ensure that future interventions respect structural integrity and historic significance.

Organizers:

• Martin Classen (RWTH Aachen, Germany)
• Yuguang Yang (TU Delft, The Netherlands)

Focus:

Shear and punching shear remain among the most challenging and debated failure mechanisms in reinforced concrete structures, owing to their complex interaction of material behavior, geometry, loading conditions and reinforcement detailing. This session focuses on recent advances in the experimental investigation and modelling of shear and punching shear behavior. Topics include:

• innovative testing methods and measurement techniques,
• experimental characterization of failure mechanisms,
• analytical and mechanical models,
• nonlinear finite element methods as well as model calibration and
• validation against experimental evidence.

Contributions addressing both fundamental mechanisms and practical engineering applications are welcome, including studies supporting the development of design provisions. The session aims to foster discussion on current challenges, emerging methodologies and future research needs toward more reliable prediction, assessment and design of shear-critical reinforced concrete structures.

Organizers:

• Numa Bertola (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg)
• Sylvia Kessler (HSU Hamburg, Germany)

Focus:

This special session will highlight recent advances in structural monitoring and data interpretation for concrete structures and infrastructure. Contributions will address innovative sensing technologies such as distributed fiber-optic sensors, computer vision, contactless sensors, and multi-sensor systems. Particular attention will be given to methods that transform large and heterogeneous datasets into reliable information for structural assessment, damage detection, and maintenance planning. Topics may include physics-informed machine learning, probabilistic data interpretation, digital twins, uncertainty quantification, and value-of-information approaches. Experimental investigations, field applications, and practical case studies are particularly encouraged. The session aims to connect developments in sensing, structural mechanics, and data science, while critically discussing monitoring reliability, robustness, cost, and integration into engineering practice.

Organizers:

• Tetsuya Ishida (The University of Tokyo, Japan)
• Fuyuan Gong (Zhejiang University, China)

Focus:

Concrete structures form the backbone of modern infrastructure, yet aging, deterioration, and growing sustainability demands call for more rational and reliable ways to evaluate their performance. This special session focuses on advances in numerical analysis—including nonlinear finite element analysis, multi-scale and durability modeling, and data-driven simulation—for the performance assessment of concrete structures under mechanical, environmental, and time-dependent actions. Beyond design verification, it explores how numerical methods can elevate maintenance and asset management: predicting deterioration and remaining service life, supporting condition assessment, and integrating with monitoring data and digital twins. By enabling evidence-based, life-cycle-oriented decisions, these approaches help extend service life, reduce material and carbon consumption, and advance a sustainable built environment.

We welcome contributions on numerical methodologies, validation against experimental or field data, and applications linking structural performance evaluation with advanced, sustainable maintenance strategies.

Planned as Inspirative Lecture Session.

Organizers:

• Stephen Foster (UNSW Sydney, Australia)
• Frank Dehn (KIT Karlsruhe, Germany)
• Ehab Hamed (UNSW Sydney, Australia)
• Laura Rossi (KIT Karlsruhe, Germany)

Focus:

This special session will address the urgent need to decarbonise concrete construction through the safe and consistent use of alternative binder concretes. Concrete remains indispensable to modern infrastructure, yet Portland cement production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative systems such as alkali-activated materials, LC³, CSA cement and other emerging low-carbon binders offer substantial emissions reductions, but their wider adoption is constrained by limited design guidance and standardisation. The session will present progress towards a fib Guideline for the Design of Structures with Alternative Binder Concretes, covering some of the following: material classification, structural design principles, bond and anchorage, ultimate and serviceability limit states, durability, detailing, testing, quality control and circularity. It will bring together researchers, practitioners and standards experts to support the transition from laboratory development to reliable structural application.

Planned as (1) Inspirative Lecture Session + (2) Discussion Session.

Organizers:

• Steffen Marx (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Rostislav Chudoba (RWTH Aachen, Germany)

Focus:

This session explores the transformative potential of non-metallic reinforcement in concrete, highlighting innovations that surpass traditional steel in durability, corrosion resistance, and sustainability. Experts will cover a range of critical topics, including the development of novel reinforcing structures, sustainable concrete mixtures, and advanced techniques for designing and applying non-metallic reinforcements. The session will also delve into state-of-the-art construction methods such as 3D printing and extrusion, alongside structural design approaches inspired by bionics, mathematics, and other cutting-edge methodologies. Key challenges, including bond behavior, fire resistance, and recyclability, will be examined in depth. Additionally, the use of numerical modeling and life cycle analysis to achieve optimized performance and sustainability will be explored. Join us to discover groundbreaking solutions driving the future of durable, eco-friendly infrastructure!

Organizers:

• Birgit Beckmann (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Thomas Schubert (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Lena Leicht (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Ghazaleh Taheri (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

This special session is dedicated to advancing innovative methodologies for improving robustness, safety, resilience, and durability of concrete structures subjected to extreme loading, such as impact or blast. Bringing together experts from a variety of disciplines, the session will showcase state-of-the-art research on advanced materials, structural design innovations, and impact mitigation solutions. Key topics include:

• high-performance concrete,
• computational modeling techniques,
• experimental investigations,
• and practical applications in real-world scenarios.

By integrating perspectives from material science, structural mechanics, and applied engineering, the session seeks to present groundbreaking approaches to enhancing structural performance and safety of key infrastructure in critical load situations, such as natural disasters, accidental impacts, and security-related threats. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in insightful discussions and share ideas that promote innovation and progress in the development of resilient reinforced concrete infrastructure.

Organizers:

• Max Götze (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Mário Pimentel (University of Porto, Portugal)
• Chongjie Kang (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

The rapid expansion of wind energy requires reliable, durable and sustainable support structures capable of meeting the demands of increasing turbine sizes and extended service lives. Concrete wind turbine towers play a key role due to their structural performance, durability and suitability for prefabrication. This special session aims to bring together researchers, engineers and industry professionals working on the design, rehabilitation and monitoring of concrete wind turbine towers. Topics of interest include innovative materials and structural concepts, structural health monitoring, and methods for repair, strengthening and lifetime extension.

This session supports the symposium theme “ReThink Concrete: Structures for Sustainable Transformation” by addressing concrete wind turbine towers as essential infrastructure for the global energy transition. It provides a platform for exchanging advances in innovative design, monitoring, rehabilitation and digital asset management. By promoting service-life extension, resource efficiency and resilient structural solutions, the session contributes to the sustainable transformation of concrete infrastructure.

Organizers:

• Irfan Pottachola (TNO, The Netherlands)
• Tomohiro Miki (Kobe University, Japan)
• Vittoria Borghese (TNO, Netherlands)
• Camillo Nuti (AICAP, Italy, and Fuzhou University, China)
• Wenjuan Lyu (TU Delft, The Netherlands)
• Farid Vahdatikhaki (University of Trente, The Netherlands)
• Cristoforo Demartino (Roma Tre University, Italy)

Focus:

Bridge infrastructure faces pressure from ageing assets, climate demands, limited budgets, and the need to reduce embodied carbon. Addressing this requires industrial and circular approaches. Industrialisation can improve speed, scalability, and predictability through repeatable products, and processes. Circularity promotes sustainability through life extension, reuse of existing elements, and design approaches that preserve value for future reuse. Digitalization acts as a key enabler of both, providing information and decision support to deploy industrial solutions and enable safe, verifiable reuse at scale.

This session explores the methods, technologies, and practical experiences needed to realize these ambitions. Topics include portfolio-based asset management, product platform approaches, Digital product passports and data ecosystems for circularity, AI-supported decision support, and data-driven methods for assessing residual capacity and enabling safe reuse of structural bridge elements.

The session aims to advance discussion on how industrialization, circularity, and digitalization can be combined to deliver scalable and sustainable bridge renewal.

Organizer:

• Iurii Vakaliuk (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

This special session focuses on AI-augmented design-space exploration to solve engineering problems for concrete structures. Contributions are invited on methods that help engineers generate, screen, compare, and explain structural design alternatives before detailed verification: parametric modeling and studies, statistical sampling, sensitivity analysis, surrogate models, neural networks, Bayesian and evolutionary optimization, uncertainty-aware ranking, and large language models for code-informed workflows and computational automation. Applications may include various structures like beams, slabs, shells, bridges, and low-carbon structural concepts, provided the emphasis remains on digital decision support and design methodology. The session invites researchers and practitioners to exchange transferable methods, case studies, and open challenges for bringing AI-supported design exploration into concrete engineering practice.

Organizers:

• Steffen Müller (LASUV, Dresden, Germany)
• Felix Kaplan (Landesbetrieb Straßenwesen Brandenburg, Germany)

Focus:

The collapse of the “Carolabrücke” in Dresden has brought the issue of stress corrosion cracking and its risks to infrastructure into sharp focus. This special session will discuss the findings regarding the damage mechanisms and the investigative approaches applied to the structure. Other key topics include options for ensuring safe ongoing operation, such as monitoring systems or structural reinforcements.

Planned as Inspirative Lecture Session.

Organizers:

• Shravan Muthukrishnan (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Viktor Mechtcherine (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Abdelhak Kaci (CY Cergy Paris University, France)
• Freek Bos (TU Munich, Germany)
• Costantino Menna (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)

Focus:

The construction industry has made real strides in reducing concrete's carbon foot-print — through wider adoption of supplementary cementitious materials, and alkali-activated binder systems. But sustainability gains can go further: using less concrete per structure, achieved through geometrically optimized designs that place material only where it is structurally needed. Such forms, however, push conventional construction methods to their limits. Digital fabrication changes that equation entirely. This special session gathers leading experts to examine how digital fabrication can serve as a genuine engine of sustainable construction. Discussions will span low-carbon formulations for printable concretes, rheology-driven process optimization, structural efficiency through freeform and topology-optimized geometries, lifecycle assessment, circular economy strategies, and AI-assisted quality control for waste minimization.

The goal: Consolidate today's knowledge, identify critical research gaps, and define a shared roadmap for making digital fabrication a cornerstone of sustainable building practice.

Organizers:

• Linh Cao Hoang (Technical University of Denmark)
• Jeff Larsen (Technical University of Denmark)
• Uffe Ravn (COWI, Denmark)

Focus:

Assessing the serviceability and safety of reinforced concrete structures increasingly relies on numerical modeling. However, the nonlinear behavior of reinforced concrete means that linear-elastic FEM is often insufficient, while advanced non-linear FEM can be computationally demanding, time-consuming, and prone to numerical instability. This special session invites contributions on design-oriented analysis methods that bridge the gap between overly simplified models and highly specialized non-linear simulations. The focus is on practical, efficient, and robust approaches that enable engineers to evaluate the behavior and capacity of reinforced concrete structures with limited modeling effort and computational cost. Topics may include

• stress-field methods,
• optimization-based analysis,
• simplified non-linear modelling strategies,
• and related approaches

for the practical assessment and design of reinforced concrete structures.

Organizers:

• Costantino Menna (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)
• Vittoria Laghi (Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany)

Focus:

This special session aims to rethink reinforcement strategies for 3D concrete printing by exploring hybrid or composite approaches based on additive manufacturing that combine cementitious materials printing with metal, polymeric, fiber-based reinforcing systems. While 3DCP enables formwork-free and digitally controlled construction, the integration of reinforcement, ductility, robustness, and reliable load transfer remains a key challenge for structural applications. The session will address additive and digitally fabricated reinforcement solutions, including

• metallic reinforcement produced by WAAM or related techniques,
• polymeric and fiber-reinforced inserts,
• printed connectors,
• composite or compound wall systems,
• and post-integrated reinforcement concepts.

Contributions are expected to discuss technological feasibility, mechanical performance, interface behavior, bond and anchorage, durability, sustainability, and design implications. The session intends to bridge material innovation, structural mechanics, digital fabrication, and life-cycle considerations, promoting new concepts for reinforced and ductile 3D printed concrete structures.

Organizers:

• Lin Wan-Wendner (KU Leuven, Belgium)
• György Balázs (BME – Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary)
• Sándor Sólyom (BME – Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary)
• Jan Vorel (Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic)

Focus:

In the context of sustainable construction and circular economy principles, this session invites contributions focusing on the extension of service life and structural reuse through hybrid structures combining concrete, timber, and/or steel as well as strengthening techniques using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials.

The session emphasizes three key objectives:

1. hybrid and composite structures combining concrete, timber, steel, or FRPs, and assessment of their mechanical capacity through experimental or numerical methods;
2. extending the service life of structural elements through advanced strengthening and reinforcement techniques;
3. enabling structural reuse by enhancing the robustness, adaptability, and demountability of connections.

Contributions are encouraged on topics including composite structures combining major construction materials, advanced strengthening approaches such as the use of FRPs for both primary elements and connections, innovative connection systems that facilitate flexibility and reuse, and multi-scale, multi-physics modeling frameworks to accurately predict composite behavior and structural interactions.

Organizers:

• Tomoki Shiotani (Kyoto University, Japan)
• Hwa Kian Chai (The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

Focus:

This special session focuses on advancing quality control and performance evaluation for additively manufactured cementitious composites, notably 3D concrete printing (3DCP). While 3DCP offers unparalleled architectural flexibility and sustainability, it introduces distinct microstructural complexities like material anisotropy, localized print defects, and early-age structural variations. To ensure long-term structural integrity and support widespread industrial-scale adoption, robust quality assurance frameworks are crucial.

This session explicitly addresses the deployment of advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) and evaluation methodologies, by focusing on feasibility of innovating data-driven instrumentation and data analysis protocols for tracking material evolution, processing conditions, print-process variations, and post-printing characteristics, aiming to achieve higher cost-efficiency of the manufacturing process and strategic mitigation of structural failures due to subpar quality. The session aspires to gather leading global researchers, engineers, and practitioners to discuss standardized protocols, real-time monitoring strategies, and material characterization, bridging the critical gap between digital fabrication and reliable structural engineering.

Planned as Inspirative Lecture Session.

Organizers:

• Saim Raza (Empa, Switzerland)
• Moslem Shahverdi (Empa, Switzerland)

Focus:

This special session explores the structural performance and application potential of 3D-printed concrete (3DPC), focusing on both experimental advances and material innovations. As digital fabrication technologies mature, understanding the mechanical response of printed elements, especially in demanding applications (extreme loading events), is vital. The session includes studies on load-bearing behavior of 3D printed concrete under high impact loading, mechanical and bond performance between cast and 3D printed concrete, and structural optimization of 3D printed concrete structures.

Organizers:

• Xiujiang Shen (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria)
• Qiuni Fu (University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

Focus:

Steel dowel connectors are increasingly used to achieve efficient force transfer, composite action, and structural integration in modern construction. Owing to their simplicity, robustness, and excellent mechanical performance, they have been applied in steel–concrete, timber–concrete, steel–UHPFRC, hybrid, modular, prefabricated, and demountable structures. Recent developments further highlight their potential for sustainable and circular construction, including recycled, low-carbon, and high-performance materials.

This special session aims to bring together researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to exchange recent advances in steel dowel connector systems and related connection technologies. Contributions are welcome on experimental, numerical, and analytical studies of steel dowel connectors and related connection technologies, including load transfer mechanisms, interface behavior, composite action, fatigue and seismic performance, durability, reliability-based design, sustainability assessment, design recommendations, and practical engineering applications. The session seeks to promote interdisciplinary discussion on innovative, sustainable, and resilient structural systems.

Organizers:

• Chongjie Kang (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Agnieszka Jędrzejewska (Silesian University of Technology, Poland)
• Roman Wan-Wendner (Ghent University, Belgium)
• Tim Noack (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

Ontologies and knowledge graphs provide a semantic approach to modelling engineering knowledge and making it machine-interpretable. They enable the integration of heterogeneous data sources, such as building information models (BIM), databases, technical standards, sensor data, and documents, thereby creating a reliable knowledge base for digital engineering.

At the same time, recent advances in artificial intelligence—particularly generative AI and large language models (LLMs)—are transforming engineering workflows by supporting design, knowledge retrieval, code compliance checking, and decision-making. Combined with ontologies and knowledge graphs, these technologies can provide more accurate, explainable, and trustworthy AI systems grounded in engineering knowledge.

Therefore, we aim to create a platform for knowledge exchange on AI- and ontology-supported design of concrete structures. The special session will bring together researchers and practitioners to present recent advances and discuss how AI, generative AI, ontologies, and knowledge graphs can support the design, construction, maintenance, and lifecycle management of concrete structures.

Organizers:

• Giulio Zani (Università di Bologna, Italy)
• Irene Matteini (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

Focus:

This special session focuses on reinforced concrete heritage as a field for training, knowledge transfer, and professional capacity building. Complementing existing fib 2027 sessions on assessment, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and conservation, it ex-plores how engineers, architects, technicians, and practitioners can be trained to re-sponsibly understand and intervene on existing reinforced concrete structures.

Contributions may address university courses, VET training modules, interdisciplinary and innovative teaching approaches, pilot projects, field surveys, advanced diagnostic investigations, structural assessment exercises, conservation-oriented design, digital documentation, and practice-based learning. The session welcomes experiences that bridge academic education, vocational training, professional practice, heritage institu-tions, and collaboration with building owners, public authorities, and other relevant stakeholders.

Its goal is to discuss how RC heritage can become a shared pedagogical and profes-sional platform, linking historical knowledge, structural safety, sustainability, and inter-vention ethics. The expected outcome is a clearer agenda for competence develop-ment in the sustainable transformation of existing concrete structures.

Organizers

• Jascha Vent (MKP GmbH, Germany)
• Frederik Wedel (MKP GmbH, Germany)

Focus:

Digital twins are evolving from data visualization platforms towards intelligent decision-support systems for bridge lifecycle management. A key challenge is the integration of reliable prognostic capabilities that combine physics-based deterioration models, structural mechanics, monitoring data and artificial intelligence to predict future structural performance. This special session presents recent advances in predictive digital twins for bridges, with a particular focus on integrating hybrid prognostic models into operational asset management workflows. Topics include

• deterioration and durability modeling,
• structural safety assessment,
• structural health monitoring,
• machine learning for anomaly detection and prognosis,
• uncertainty quantification,
• sensor data fusion,
• hybrid modelling approaches,
• validation using real bridge data,
• and practical implementation within digital twin environments.

The session aims to connect researchers and practitioners working on the next generation of digital twins that enable condition forecasting, risk-informed maintenance planning and data-driven decision making for resilient and sustainable bridge infrastructure.

Organizers:

• Miriam Kroschel (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Bertram Richter (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Kerstin Speck (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Steffen Marx, (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) has become a powerful technology for structural health monitoring (SHM), enabling continuous, high-resolution measurements of parameters such as strain, temperature, and vibration over extended lengths. Its ability to capture global and local structural behavior using a single optical fiber makes DFOS well-suited for monitoring complex structures. This special session brings together experts to present recent advances, experiences, and applications of DFOS in SHM. Topics will include deployments of DFOS in various structures, sensor integration and installation strategies, integration of DFOS data within existing SHM frameworks, and case studies demonstrating the benefits and challenges of DFOS in real-world applications. The session will also explore novel signal processing and data analysis techniques to extract information about structural behavior and support decision-making. The overall objective of this session is to present the latest advances in distributed fiber optic sensing and discuss their potential for structural health monitoring.

Organizers:

• Steffen Marx (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Gonglian Dai (Central South University, China)
• Miao Su (Changsha University of Science & Technology, China)
• Lorenz Ostwald (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Chongjie Kang (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

This special session provides a comprehensive overview of the development of high-speed railway bridges (HSRB), reflecting the work of the fib Working Party 1.1.1 “Bridges for High-Speed Trains”. The presentations will cover the full lifecycle of HSRB:

• review past projects, focusing on structural health monitoring (SHM) of existing bridges and key lessons learned,
• ongoing projects,
• current design guidelines,
• and concepts and emerging research directions.

The aim is to present an integrated narrative that connects historical experience with current practice and future innovation. By bringing together insights from design, monitoring, and research, the session offers valuable perspectives for advancing the performance, safety, and sustainability of HSRB systems in the context of increasing demands on high-speed rail infrastructure.

Organizers:

• Zhanchong Shi (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)
• Marco Domaneschi (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)
• Kang Gao (Southeast University, China)
• Liberato Ferrara (Politecnico di Milano, Italy)

Focus:

Vision-based sensing has emerged as an efficient and economical approach for monitoring the condition and performance of concrete structures. Recent developments in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and imaging technologies have significantly improved the capability to detect structural damage, quantify deformation, identify dynamic characteristics, and support condition assessment. This special session focuses on the latest developments in vision-based damage detection and structural health monitoring of concrete infrastructure. Topics include crack/corrosion detection and characterization, displacement and strain measurement, vibration-based monitoring, digital image correlation (DIC), UAV-assisted inspection, deep learning, multi-modal sensing, and long-term structural monitoring. Contributions covering laboratory validation, field implementation, benchmark datasets, and practical engineering applications are especially encouraged. The session aims to provide an international forum for exchanging innovative methodologies and promoting the integration of computer vision into next-generation monitoring and maintenance of concrete infrastructure.

Organizers:

• Hans-Gerd Maas (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Birgit Beckmann (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Frank Liebold (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Milad Davoudkhani (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Thomas Schubert (TU Dresden, Germany)
• Lena Leicht (TU Dresden, Germany)

Focus:

Concrete is a heterogeneous material whose mechanical behaviour is strongly influenced by its internal structure, damage evolution and crack development. Advanced imaging techniques provide valuable tools to observe and quantify these processes with high spatial and temporal resolution as well as high accuracy. This session focuses on experimental methods such as digital image correlation (DIC), computed tomography (CT), high-speed camera systems, ultrasonic tomography and three-dimensional image or volume correlation in the context of concrete material testing. These techniques enable the characterization of deformation fields, crack initiation and propagation, internal defects, pore structures and damage mechanisms under static, cyclic and dynamic loading conditions. By combining mechanical testing with modern imaging methods, a deeper understanding of the relationship between material composition, microstructure and structural performance can be achieved. The session aims to bring together recent developments, methodological challenges and practical applications of advanced imaging techniques for the characterization of concrete materials.

Organizers:

• Giulio Mariniello (University of Naples – Federico II, Italy)
• Sylvia Kessler (Helmut Schmidt University, Germany)

Focus:

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly creating opportunities across the full structural engineering lifecycle, from design, analysis and code navigation to assessment, inspection, monitoring, rehabilitation and infrastructure management. This special session invites contributions that investigate how LLMs and AI-assisted workflows can support engineering tasks while preserving technical correctness, validation, traceability and human responsibility. Topics may include LLM-supported design and verification, access to standards and fib knowledge, retrieval-augmented generation, decision support, BIM and digital twin integration, inspection and monitoring workflows, maintenance planning, benchmarking, reproducibility, failure modes, and safety-critical limitations. The session welcomes academic, industrial and public-sector contributions, with particular interest in case studies and critical analyses that clarify both the benefits and the risks of using LLMs in structural engineering practice.

Organizers:

• Xiujiang Shen (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria)
• Lingzhen Li (Nanyang University of Technology, Singapore)
• Elyas Ghafoori (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany)

Focus:

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have two distinct mechanical properties, superelasticity and shape memory effect. The latter property is often used in seismic and vibration-control devices, where their superelastic behaviour enables self-centering connections, dampers, and reduced residual deformation after earthquakes. The former property can be utilized to generate prestressing in structures. There are different sorts of SMA: some are only superelastic and some have only shape memory affect, and others have both properties.

SMAs have been widely explored for different structural applications such as seismic and vibration-control devices or prestressed strengthening in concrete, steel, masonry, glass, and composite structures, among others. This special session focuses on all sorts of SMAs that are used in construction, in particular, nickel–titanium (Nitinol), copper-based, iron-based SMAs among others. We aim to bring together recent advances in SMA-based technologies, with a focus on materials behavior, interface mechanics, com-posite action, structural applications, and design methodologies.

Organizers:

• Elyas Ghafoori (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany)
• Marlon Hilscher (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany)
• Julien Michels (Empa, Switzerland)

Focus:

Iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMAs), commercially known as Memory®-Steel, are a class of intelligent metallic materials that offer new opportunities for both repair and strengthening of existing concrete structures and developing innovative solutions for new construction. Activated by heating after installation, Fe-SMA elements generate prestress without hydraulic jacks or complex prestressing equipment, enabling robust and easy-to-install systems. This special session will bring together research and practice on applications in concrete construction, including pre-stressed flexural and shear strengthening of existing buildings and bridges, near-surface-mounted bars, strips, prestressed confinement, crack control, bond behavior, durability, monitoring and design approaches. Novel concepts for new structures are also encouraged, including prestressed precast concrete elements and prestressable connectors. The session aims to discuss how Fe-SMA systems can extend service life, reduce intervention effort in existing structures, enable novel prestressed solutions for new and precast construction, and support resilient, resource-efficient ageing concrete infrastructure and buildings.

Planned as Inspirative Lecture Session with an inspirative talk by Julien Michels, Marlon Hilscher, and Elyas Ghafoori: "Iron-based shape memory alloys for construction: from research to application".