HPSM/OPTI/SUSI 2022

International Conference on High Performance and Optimum Structures and Materials Encompassing Shock and Impact Loading

Post Conference Report

11–13 July 2022
Online

Overview

HPSM/OPTI/SUSI 2022

With the main objective to preserve our delegates’ wellbeing, but also with the belief that the international contacts among the scientific community should not be stopped, WIT decided that this conference should not take place as scheduled in Madrid, Spain, but take place as an online event instead.

This scientific event was a new edition of the High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials Conference and followed that originated in Southampton as long ago as 1989 and Structures under Shock and Impact that started in Cambridge, Massachusetts, also in 1989.

The use of novel materials and new structural concepts is nolonger restricted to highly technical areas such as aerospace, aeronautical applications or the automotive industry but affects all engineering fields including those such as civil engineering and architecture. The conference addressed issues involving advanced types of structures, particularly those based on new concepts. It also addressed the topic of design optimisation.

The performance of structures under shock and impact loads was another objective of the meeting. The increasing need to protect civilian infrastructure and industrial facilities against unintentional loads arising from accidental impact and explosion events as well as terrorist attacks was reflected in the sustained interest worldwide in this topic.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Prof Santiago Hernandez, Wessex Institute Board of Directors, who welcomed the delegates to the event on behalf of all Chairs.

Invited Speakers

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

  • Optimization of steel and timber hall structures
    by S. Kravanja, T. Zula

  • Full-scale RC slabs with external reinforced polymer: field test and numerical comparison
    by R. Castedo, A.P. Santos, C. Reifarth,, M. Chiquito, L.M. Lopez, A. Perez-Caldentey, S. Martinez-Almajano & A. Alanon

  • Group Analytic Network Process for the sustainability assessment of bridges near shore
    by I.J. Navarro, J.V. Marti & V. Yepes

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference were classified under the following headings:

  • Innovative materials and products

  • Structural optimization

  • Blast and impact loads

  • Performance and stability of structures

 

Q&A Live Zoom Sessions

Conference delegates were invited to participate in a Q&A live zoom session which took place on 12th July 2022. This friendly session was a great opportunity for participants to interact with each other and put questions to authors about their papers.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference are published in Volume 209 of the WIT Transactions on the Built Environment (Electronic ISSN: 1743-3509). Papers presented at the meeting are available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.

Closing of the Conference

We are very sorry that we were not able to meet our delegates in person this time, but hope that we will be able to do so at a future event.