ERES 2025
14th International Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures
11-13 June 2025
Edinburgh, UK
Overview
14th International Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures that took place in Edinburgh, UK was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK, represented by Dr Stavros Syngellakis. The meeting was sponsored by WIT Transactions on the Built Environment.
The series of conferences, which started in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1997, is well-established and always attracts a wide, international spread of delegates. It provides a unique forum for the discussion of basic and applied research in the various fields of earthquake engineering relevant to the design of structures.
Opening of the Conference
The conference was opened by Dr Stavros Syngellakis, the Academic Director of Wessex Institute, who welcomed the delegates to the conference, and then gave a short account of the Institute’s aims and activities. His presentation included a tribute to the Institute’s founder, the late Professor Carlos A. Brebbia.
Stavros referred to the importance of the conference series towards fulfilling the objective of the Institute, that is, the transfer of knowledge, with particular emphasis on science and engineering. Another way in which this is achieved is by the publication of papers from conferences through its publishing arm, WIT Press.
The meeting covered a range of themes mostly related to the consequences of earthquakes. Among them, landslides can be particularly catastrophic, assessing the probability of their occurrence is therefore very important. Liquefaction may precede a landslide, thus the potential of it happening also deserves rigorous investigation.
The evaluation of the seismic demand on the structures can be carried out by deterministic or probabilistic methods. Artificial intelligence as well experimentation and numerical analysis provide reliable assessments of the buildings’ integrity potential under earthquakes. Such information may also be collected from surveys of the various factors relating to the buildings’ vulnerability.
The problem of protecting the built environment in earthquake-prone regions involves not only the optimal design and construction of new facilities but also the upgrading and rehabilitation of existing structures including heritage buildings. Advanced modelling of the seismic behaviour of historical structures contributes to the protection of the built heritage.
The aim of seismic performance assessment is to contribute to safe structural design. Contributions to the conference dealt with two such special cases: one concerning the integrity of lining in road tunnels, another the lateral buckling of beams of certain geometry, under unusual constraints and loading conditions.
Invited Speakers
The conference programme was also enhanced by a series of invited presentations:
- “Seismic behaviour of multi-arched and multi-vaulted historical masonry structures”, by Prof. Maria Cristina Porcu, University of Cagliari, Italy
Conference Sessions
- Earthquakes and landslides
- Building performance during earthquakes
- Lifelines and resilience
Conference Publication
Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 217 of the WIT Transactions on The Built Environment (ISSN 1743-3509). Papers presented at the meeting will be 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.
Conference Dinner
The conference dinner was held at "Cannonball Restaurant & Bar," a unique 17th-century, award-winning restaurant with spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. The meal featured traditional Scottish dishes with a modern twist. The private room where the dinner took place reflected Scottish style and offered a unique space for the delegates to socialize and enjoy an excellent meal.
Excursion
The conference took place in the centre of Edinburgh, which was a convenient location for a walking tour of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The tour was led by two very experienced guides, both of whom have published books on the history of Edinburgh.
The delegates visited Edinburgh’s most famous landmark - Edinburgh Castle - dramatically perched atop Castle Rock, offering panoramic views of the city below. The tour then continued along the historic Royal Mile, where the group saw the site of the old Mercat Cross, historically used as the place for public executions and beheadings, a grim reminder of the city’s turbulent past.
Next, they visited Greyfriars Kirkyard, the renowned cemetery linked to the Harry Potter series. Visitors explored gravestones that inspired character names, including Thomas Riddell, believed to have influenced the name of Lord Voldemort. The tour also included a stop at the monument to the philosopher David Hume, whose legacy as a major figure of the Scottish Enlightenment continues to influence modern thought.
Closing of the Conference
The Conference was closed by Stavros who thanked the delegates on behalf of WIT for contributing to yet another successful conference. He looked forward to their participation at the next meeting, which will be reconvened in 2027 in a location and at a date to be announced shortly. In his final remarks, Stavros thanked the conference coordinator Marta Graczyk for all her hard work in the smooth running of the conference and the members of ISAC for their support. Both papers and presentations were of high quality and wide range that notably impressed the advisory committee and the participants equally.
Related Conferences
High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials 2025
Wessex Institute