8 juli 2025

Just one day before its international congress in Ghent kicks off, IABSE has scheduled a special, explorative workshop at Gent ICC on failures of structures ánd insights to prevent these undesirable incidents.

The full title ‘Structural Failures – Investigations, Causes, Lessons Learned to Mitigate Failures’ says what’s it all about at the Forensic Engineering Workshop on Tuesday 26^th of August 2025. The workshop not only aims to provide an understanding of the origins, causes and consequences of structural failures, it also addresses the lessons learned and how these lessons can improve design practices and elevate the standard of care. All for the greater good of preventing errors that may lead to failures.

In order to meet this end, the workshop will ‘go all the way’ on analysis of structural failure, with international experts bringing in case studies, investigative methods and insights to prevent future failures.

The instructors:

• Huibert Borsje, MSc (TNO, The Netherlands);
• John F. Duntemann, PE, SE (Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, USA);
• dr. Harshavardhan Subbarao (Construma Consultancy Pvt. Ltd., India);
• Karel Terwel, MSc PhD RC (IMd Raadgevende ingenieurs, The Netherlands) and
• prof. Matías A. Valenzuela (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile).

• Practical information and registration
• Photo: reconstruction of the collapse of the ramp-construction of the parking garage in Nieuwegein (the Netherlands), © NOS.