Special Session Topics

Fabio Biondini 1, Alessandra Marini 2

1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

2. Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy

In line with the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability embraces safety and resilience against natural and human-made hazards, whose potential impact is exacerbated by aging and structural deterioration under climate change, and the reduction of environmental, economic, and social impacts throughout the life-cycle of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructural facilities. To address these issues, structural engineering is undergoing a paradigm shift and a profound transition toward a life-cycle-oriented approach that promotes the design, maintenance and operation of sustainable structures and infrastructure systems by combining multiple performance requirements, such as eco-efficiency, durability, safety, reliability, robustness, functionality and resilience. Thus, a holistic approach is required to synergistically complement typical risk management aspects and sustainability requirements.

This Special Session is aimed at addressing these needs and contributing the life-cycle design and assessment of sustainable structures and infrastructure systems and welcomes contributions in line with the following goals:

- encourage the reduction of emissions and the Green transition of the built heritage for sustainable and equitable economic, social and environmental development, through the implementation of a sustainability concept combining eco-efficiency and life-cycle with safety, reliability, robustness, functionality, and resilience;

- promote the central role of structural engineering in the sustainability implementation process;

- broaden the vision of design and assessment of the built environment by considering structural performance and impacts over the entire life-cycle and with a multi-scale approach, from individual structures to the scale of urban and infrastructure systems;

- increase technical, social, and political awareness of the need for a life-cycle approach to the achievement of effective sustainability and encourage application in professional practice and implementation into regulatory frameworks.

Sponsored by the ReLUIS WP13 Research Project on Life-Cycle ad Sustainability of Structures and Infrastructure Systems (https://www.reluis.it/en). The ReLUIS project is funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection (https://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/en).

Dominika Bysiec 1, Tomasz Maleska 1, Paulina Obara 2

1. Opole University of Technology, OPOLE, Poland

2. Kielce University of Technology, KIELCE, Poland

Lightweight structures used in civil engineering are increasingly used all over the world. The continuing development of lightweight structural systems has enabled structures to carry much greater loads than their own weight. Lightweight structures are civil engineering objects which distinguish themselves from similar structures erected up till now by relatively small amount of construction material and extremely high design parameters such as: large spans of roofs or bridges without middle supports, considerable height of buildings, towers or masts, and extremely large useful surface or free volume of buildings, tanks or reservoirs. It is intended that all the following topics can be included: spatial lattice structures, plate and shell structures, domes and membranes, high-rise buildings, towers, reservoirs, bridges, and thin-walled, tension, cable and pneumatic structures. Innovative structural design methodologies adopting structural optimization schemes to obtain efficient structural forms with improved structural performance, structural sections with enhanced load-carrying capacity compared to conventional structural sections are worth introducing. Any kind of material and structures defined above can be discussed. Therefore, this special session covers the analysis, evaluation, durability, and rehabilitation of all types of lightweight structures with special emphasis on life-cycle design, assessment, maintenance and management of such structures. Presentations on experimental and numerical analyzes of lightweight structures under various loads (static, dynamic) as well as innovative methods of construction and renovation are also welcome in the session.  For this reason, the special session is part of the current trends in life-cycle of lightweight structure engineering.

Filippo Giustozzi 1, Gerardo Flintsch 2

1. RMIT University, Melbourne, VICTORIA, Australia

2. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

This session addresses the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transport infrastructure, focusing on roads and airports. Given the significant environmental impact of transport infrastructure construction, maintenance, and disposal at the end-of-life, integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is crucial for achieving net-zero goals.

Current research is progressing in several key areas to tackle these challenges. Green public procurement (GPP) encourages the use of environmentally friendly materials and technologies in public projects, aiming to lower the carbon footprint from the outset. Additionally, the development and implementation of low-carbon materials, such as recycled concrete, asphalt, and innovative composites, are reducing emissions associated with construction and maintenance activities.

Low-carbon design and maintenance strategies for roads and airports are also critical. These strategies involve optimising design processes to minimise resource consumption and emissions, incorporating renewable energy sources, and implementing efficient maintenance practices that extend infrastructure lifespan while reducing environmental impact.

The session will cover a broad range of topics, from LCA of innovative materials and construction techniques to policy frameworks and case studies of successful applications. It will delve into methodologies for conducting LCAs with the aim of producing EPDs, emphasising their role in decision-making and enhancing transparency in environmental performance reporting. Economic and regulatory implications of these sustainable practices will also be explored, considering both short-term and long-term benefits and challenges.

By bringing together experts, policymakers, and industry practitioners, this session aims to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, advancing sustainable transport infrastructure. Attendees are expected to gain a comprehensive understanding of effectively integrating LCA principles and EPDs in the design and maintenance of roads and airports, driving progress toward net-zero emissions.

Yaohan Li 1, Junlin Heng 2, You Dong 3, Dan M Frangopol 4

1. Department of Construction and Quality Management, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China

2. Department of Civil Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, United States

Under the influence of climate change, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have escalated globally. Concurrently, rising temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations are accelerating the aging and deterioration of civil infrastructure, thereby increasing the risk of structural failure. These effects pose significant threats to the performance, safety, and reliability of systems throughout their service life. Therefore, adaptation and mitigation strategies that incorporate advanced technologies such as digital twins are urgently needed to enhance the climate resilience of civil infrastructure at private, public, and community levels. In particular, it is essential to integrate these strategies and new approaches within a life-cycle context. Digital twins, when integrated with life-cycle management approaches, offer exceptional capabilities by synergizing models and data to simulate, monitor, assess, predict, and optimize the long-term performance of systems in a changing environment. This special session is designed to bring researchers together to exchange state-of-the-art knowledge and foster collaborations that leverage digital twins alongside traditional life-cycle management to advance climate resilience of civil infrastructure. Our discussions focus on but are not limited to the following areas: (1) Life-cycle performance assessment under deterioration and climate change through predictive models; (2) Novel frameworks, methodologies, and hardware to support interactive structural digital twins for aging infrastructure; (3) Leveraging digital twins for life-cycle assessment to analyze vulnerability, risk, and resilience subjected to extreme events; (4) Integration of digital twins with the metaverse through virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); (5) Advanced uncertainty quantification and modeling; and (6) Life-cycle management associated with climate adaptation, mitigation, and decision-making.

Zhibin Lin 1, Ji Dang 2, Fujian Tang 3, Hong Pan 4

1. Zhibin Lin, Associate Professor, North Dakota State University, Fargo, United States

2. Saitama University, Saitama, Japan

3. Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China

4. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States

Description:

Civil infrastructure faces diverse stresses—aging effects, varying operational conditions, and environmental impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to understand their health state during the service and provide timely conditional assessment. Climate change exacerbates infrastructure degradation, underscoring the urgency of timely health assessments. Recent advancements in sensing technology and data mining have spurred breakthroughs in structural health monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure and particularly, the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches further empower data-driven and AI-enriched SHM, striving for structural integrity, durability, and resilience.

This Special Session aims to bring together leading experts in the field of SHM to explore the latest advancements in this domain. The goal is to create a forum that covers a diverse array of topics while highlighting the unique characteristics that shape our understanding of structural safety and integrity.

Topics for potential contributions include, but are not limited to:

Advancements in structural sensing technology and sensors

Vibration-based SHM

Nondestructive testing and examination, and vibration-based SHM

Signal process, damage detection, and conditional assessment

Structural monitoring, robotics, and computer visions

SHM in broad engineering applications

AI, data-driven, and digital twin approaches in SHM

Dhanada Kanta Mishra 1, Garfield GUAN 2

1. RaSpect AI, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

2. ConHubForm Construction Technology Co Ltd, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Autonomous Inspection and Lifecycle Maintainance Management of Built Infrastructure using AI

Proposal for a Special Session

As infrastructure systems age and grow in complexity, the need for innovative approaches to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness in infrastructure management has become paramount. This special session aims to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to revolutionize the field of infrastructure lifecycle management.

The session will focus on the latest advancements in AI-driven techniques for infrastructure inspection and maintenance, covering the following key areas:

AI-based Inspection and Defect Detection: Leveraging computer vision and machine learning for automated visual inspection, integrating sensor data analysis to enhance condition assessment, and addressing challenges in data availability and integration.

Predictive Maintenance and Decision Support: Developing AI-driven models for deterioration prediction, designing decision support frameworks that optimize maintenance planning, and exploring the integration of AI with emerging technologies like digital twins.

Autonomous Inspection and Maintenance Robotics: Showcasing the application of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based robotic systems for autonomous infrastructure tasks, and addressing the technical, operational, and regulatory challenges in deploying these systems.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Governance: Incorporating insights from fields like computer science, cybersecurity, and policy-making to address the broader implications of AI-driven infrastructure management, and discussing the ethical, legal, and governance frameworks required for responsible deployment.

By bringing together researchers, practitioners, and industry experts, this special session aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of innovative solutions. The session will serve as a platform to identify and address key challenges, showcase practical case studies, and contribute to the advancement of guidelines and standards for the effective integration of AI in infrastructure lifecycle management. We believe this session will be a valuable addition to the conference, providing a forward-looking exploration of the role of AI in optimizing built infrastructure.

Yasutoshi Nomura 1, Hitoshi Furuta 2, Nacati Catbas 3, Kei Kawamura 4, Hisao Emoto 5

1. Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, SHIGA, Japan

2. Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan

3. University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida

4. Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan

5. Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

In recent years, the efficient and accurate assessment of structural integrity has become increasingly important and urgent. To mitigate maintenance loads and costs, significant attention has been directed towards smart maintenance leveraging AI and data science. Smart maintenance encompasses a range of nondestructive testing methods, including ultrasonic, electromagnetic, laser, and radar technologies, as well as advanced image processing techniques.

In this session, we will explore the applicability and real-world applications of Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Systems, and Data Science to infrastructure challenges such as inspection, monitoring, and maintenance. This session aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and practical implementations in the field. We invite discussions on a variety of topics, including but not limited to:

Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection

Bayesian approaches for probabilistic assessment and decision-making

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems and their integration with smart technologies

Development and application of smart sensors and IoT devices for real-time monitoring

Data fusion and advanced analytics for enhancing maintenance strategies

Case studies demonstrating successful AI-driven maintenance solutions

Innovative nondestructive testing methods and their effectiveness

Challenges and future directions in AI and data science applications for infrastructure

This session will provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to share their insights, discuss challenges, and present cutting-edge solutions aimed at improving the longevity and reliability of infrastructure through smart maintenance techniques.

Laura Ierimonti 1, Simon Laflamme 2, Ayan Sadhu 3, Ilaria Venanzi 1

1. University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

2. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA

3. Western University, London, Ontario, Canada

Recently, numerous catastrophic events occurred worldwide involving bridges, dams, and other critical infrastructures, leading to significant damages, disruptions, and even losses of lives. The evaluation and management procedures for these structures are often outdated and inadequate for current design and maintenance requirements, and shall be conducted within a short timeframe using limited financial and human resources to guarantee effective and timely actions.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to generate appropriate tools to support decision-making processes aimed at improving the safety and resilience of infrastructures. Effective resource allocation is crucial for developing efficient approaches for optimal infrastructure management planning, risk mitigation strategies, and recovery actions. In this sense, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can support risk assessment and decision-making procedures.

It is not uncommon for traditional design and management approaches to be supplanted by life-cycle analysis-based methodologies, which enable consideration of a broader range of performance metrics over a system’s lifetime. Life-cycle analysis allows accounting for uncertainties in the design, considering the effects of multiple concurrent or interacting hazards, and addressing potential deterioration and progressive damage. It follows that the integration of SHM systems within these life-cycle analysis procedures could be useful at quantifying benefits of SHM. For example, such advance models can be leveraged to understand how an SHM system can be used to reduce structural condition uncertainties over multiple hazards conditions.

This special session focuses on SHM-based risk analysis methodologies for aging bridges, and on approaches for optimal management and decision-making from a life-cycle perspective. Accordingly, this special session promotes dialogue between consultants and researchers engaged in SHM, bridge risk assessment and management, bringing together technical advancements as well as case studies and field experiences.

Yiannis Xenidis 1, Elisabete R. Teixeira 2

1. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

2. ISISE-UM Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering-University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal

In the EU ecosystems are alarmingly degrading, thus increasing the impact of natural disasters and preventing from efficiently reaching carbon capture and storage goals. The, recently adopted by the EU’s Council, Nature Restoration Law is the first European-wide, comprehensive law aiming at restoring ecosystems, habitats and species in order to enable the long-term and sustained recovery of biodiverse and resilient nature, contribute to achieving the EU’s climate mitigation and climate adaptation objectives, and meet international commitments.

Civil engineering has a novel role to play in this context as for the first time in history, it is required to be implemented reversely: Instead of adjusting human life to the natural environment, the call is now to restore nature towards securing human life. While life cycle civil engineering is discussed, promoted, and implemented for many years, the results are obviously not satisfactory, hence the need for immediate action and maybe a shift of paradigm regarding civil engineering research, education, and practice.

The scope of the Special Session is to discuss at a global scale the whole spectrum for a more effective life cycle civil engineering towards restoring nature. That said, contributions are welcome on the broad fields of research, education, and practice on the following specific topics:

Impact of natural disasters and climate change on civil engineering works.

Carbon management in the whole lifecycle of infrastructure.

Alignment of urban planning and execution of urban plans to serve nature's long-term protection.

Civil engineering works design for resilience, disassembly, prefabrication, whole life care and structures’ life extension.

Local authorities’ capabilities to address lifecycle engineering and the respective standards to disaster resilience measures and risks' management.

Sociotechnical systems and human factors in built environment systems.

Exploitation of digital tools for effective lifecycle civil engineering.

Professional and academic training on civil engineering for restoring nature.

Robby CASPEELE 1 , Jian-Bing Chen 2 , De-Cheng FENG 3 , Xiao-Hui Yu 4 , Hao ZHOU 5 , Xiao-Dan REN 2 , Xiang-Ling GAO 2 , Lu-Chuan DING 2

1. Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

2. Tongji University, Shanghai, China

3. Southeast University, Nanjing, China

4. Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China

5. South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

Disasters recorded from 2000 to 2019 are estimated to have caused economic losses of US$2.97 trillion and approximately 1.23 million lives. Most of these losses can be attributed to structural collapses because of extreme or abnormal events such as earthquakes, fires, explosions, terrorist attacks, vehicle impacts, floods, landslides, and even human-induced errors. As the world faces trends of increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, it is arguably now more important than ever to design sufficiently reliable and robust structures that can resist the accidental loads. Considering that the extreme events are low probability/high-consequence phenomena and can occur anytime during the full life cycle of civil engineering structures,  design and assessment should take into account collapse-resistance against these events, both in case of newly constructed as well as existing structures. Moreover, in the framework of optimal decision making, it is necessary to assess the structural reliability, robustness, and risk against collapse in a quantitative way.

This special session (SS) aims at bringing together scientists, academics and practicing engineers addressing theoretical aspects, experimental results, numerical modeling, and practical recommendations for collapse-resistant performance of structures in design and assessment of new and existing structures subjected to accidental loads. The scope covers among others:

Reliability analysis and fragility modeling of engineering structures and systems under accidental loads;

Alternate load path modeling, aging or deterioration effects, system reliability and risk analysis in relation to structural robustness;

Advancements of stochastic mechanics in reliability calculations, robustness quantification and risk assessment of critical civil infrastructures;

Damage/fracture mechanics-based deterministic and stochastic failure/collapse analysis;

Reliability-based design optimization and performance-based design of structures against collapse;

Impact of climate change on the safety and decision-making of multi-hazard and civil engineering structures throughout their service life cycle.

Both theoretical developments and applications involving different structural systems are particularly welcomed in this session.

Jaap Bakker 1, Han Roebers 2

1. Rijkswaterstaat, Utrecht, UTRECHT, Netherlands

2. Province of North Holland, Haarlem, North Holland, the Netherlands

Life Cycle thinking and acting have become increasingly important for anyone who takes part in designing, building, maintaining and operating civil structures and networks. After a period of industrialisation with huge developments of all kinds of large-scale construction projects in the post-war period in the last century, the ageing of the civil assets has become a significant concern. While society is mainly dependent on these assets, they are gradually strained by the passage of time and changing societal demands, making them technically and functionally obsolete. The tremendous investments needed are an economic challenge and an environmental burden. The scarcity of human labour and material resources and the cultural value of several civil structures add to the challenge. LCM addresses this complex and dynamic interplay of performance, risks and cost over the life cycle of civil structures. Life cycle thinking and acting are vital to ensure that civil structures are fit for future needs, resilient to expected and unexpected events, and cost-effective over time.

This special session aims on methodologies and techniques that support life cycle desicion making. This may include quantification methods for future risks, quantifation methods for future performance and quantification of future cost over the life cycle. But this may also include methodologies to combine desicion parameters needed to manage these parameters and to support integral desicion support based on combinations of LCM factors.

Helena Gervasio 1 , Jose Matos 2 , Xin Ruan 3 , Michael Dawson 4

1. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, COIMBRA, Portugal

2. Civil Engineering Department, University of Minho, Guimaraes, 2, Portugal

3. College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

4. Sustainability, Australian Steel Institute, Pymble, NSW, Australia

The effects of climate change, induced by global warming, are leading to huge economic, environmental and social impacts worldwide. The world is considered to be in a state of climate emergency, and urgent decarbonisation measures are required to control the temperature rise and mitigate such effects. In this context, EU targets for decarbonisation are to reduce, at least 55% of GHG emissions until 2030, and then to become climate-neutral, by 2050.

This special session focuses on the life cycle design and assessment of structures and infrastructures with low embodied and operational carbon. Accordingly, the special session aims to bring researchers together to exchange knowledge and foster collaborations to mitigate the effects of climate change and promote a more sustainable construction sector. The discussions focus on but are not limited to the following areas: (i) low-carbon materials, (ii) design for adaptability and disassembly, (iii) assessment of life cycle carbon emissions of buildings/bridges, (iv) carbon assessment based on digital tools, and (v) life cycle carbon design and assessment towards increasing resilience.