Introduction
After a very interesting preparation period, complicated by the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the Organising Committee is pleased to confirm that the IABSE Congress Ghent 2021 will be held from 22 to 24 September 2021. The Congress is organised by the Belgian and Dutch Groups of IABSE in co-operation with Ghent University. We now feel pretty sure that it will be the first big international IABSE event hosted mainly onsite in two long years. The Congress will be held in the buildings of Ghent ICC (International Convention Centre), a highly facilitated Congress venue. Still, since not everybody will be able to travel yet, we will organise a hybrid format, allowing participants unable to travel to Ghent to attend from home and interact in all on-site events.
The organisation has had to adapt continuously to the situation, but we now hope that our Congress will be a festive conclusion to this difficult period and the start of a new period of IABSE events, where we are once again able to participate, network and meet other people in person. The city of Ghent, the capital of East Flanders, has been given several pretty names—“medieval Manhattan”, “historical heart of Flanders”, “a city of all times”, “one of the most beautiful historical cities in Europe”. The city combines an impressive past with a vivid present. You will hardly ever find such a diversity of architectural styles and treasures, most of which are protected as national heritage by UNESCO. Strolling through Ghent often coincides with an adventurous travel through history. But above all, Ghent is alive! Here pounds the young heart of a dazzling city of culture with music, theatre, film and visual arts. A city where cultural perspectives are constantly renewed and enlarged, where culture is a feast and where feasting is a form of culture. It will provide the perfect background for once again meeting old and new IABSE friends.
We invite all of you to the heart of Europe to experience another great IABSE event.
Themes & Topics
Apart from all topics that are typical for IABSE congresses, this 2021 Congress will focus on the following:
structural safety and reliability with respect to climate change;
circularity, re-use and sustainability of structures;
emission -free building of structures;
enhancing the resilience of civil infrastructure to hurricane and thunderstorm hazards under a changing climate;
structural bearings and anti-seismic devices: innovation, standards and testing requirements;
extending the service life of existing concrete infrastructure through advanced assessment methods;
concepts and methods for the performance assessment of existing structures.
Keynote Speakers
The organisation has chosen to focus on quality rather than quantity.
Jacqueline Cramer, Utrecht University (NL)—The transition to sustainable concrete in the Netherlands through network governance.
Michael J. Cook, Buro Happold (UK) and Imperial College (UK)—Urgent Steps to Achieve a Net-Zero Carbon Construction Industry: Lessons from the IABSE (UK) Henderson Colloquium 2020.
Junho Song, Seoul National University (S. Korea)—Risk intelligence of structural systems: concepts and recent developments.
Luc Hellemans, Lantis (BE), Oosterweel—from an underground and even underwater road infrastructure plan to an urban transformation project.
Technical Tours
A large variety of Technical Tours is offered. All tours require separate registration.
Project Melopee (Ghent)—a primary school, after-school care centre, a nursery and sports facilities for the school and its neighbourhood combined in one building. Designed as steel portal frames with composite steel–concrete floors, this slender structure offers views on the square, the street, the quay and the park.
Project New Locks at Terneuzen (The Netherlands). The first ship will pass the New Lock (Nieuwe Sluis), in Terneuzen at the end of 2022. This lock will be one of the largest in the world, with the same size of lock chamber as the Panama Canal locks.
Project Toots Subway Station (Brussels). This requires the use of numerous foundation techniques, such as slurry walls, jet grouting and soil freezing. Part of the trajectory of the tunnel passes underneath a nineteenth century listed building that requires advanced monitoring of settlement throughout the execution.
Project Oosterweel (Antwerp). The existing Antwerp ring road R1 is part of the TEN-T core network. At present, the R1 is not completely closed: in the Northwest a part is missing, which is being added now.
New Station (Mechelen). This also includes the renovation of two Vierendeel Bridges. The renovation consists of grit blast cleaning, replacement of all corroded, broken or missing parts and the installation of a new type of slab track.
Young Engineers Programme
All participants born in or after 1987 will benefit from a reduction in their registration fee. In addition, any main author born in or after 1987, who personally presents his or her own paper at the Congress, will be considered for additional recognition: two contributions from young authors—oral or poster—will each receive a prize of 2000 Swiss francs.
On 22 September 2021, an evening networking event will be organised to promote the interaction of Young Engineers with IABSE Fellows and Congress attendees.
Social Programme
A Welcome Reception will be organised on the first day of the congress. This reception will take place at the ICC Congress Venue from 6 pm until 8 pm.
The Congress Dinner is organised for Thursday 23 September. The venue is the “Oude Vismijn”, which is in the middle of the old city centre. The venue gives a view of the most touristic places such as “de Graslei” and “het Gravensteen”. (An individual gala event ticket is required, and the cost is not included in registration.)
Castle of the Counts
Post-event Tour—Day Tour of Antwerp Historic Centre
Saturday 25 September 2021 (9 am–4:35 pm), €50 pp.
Antwerp is a vibrant and cosmopolitan harbour city of 0.6 million people with an eventful history and an open mind. The harbour was of capital importance to Napoleon and during the liberation days of 1944. Today it is known as the world’s leading centre of the diamond trade.
Travel by train from Ghent Sint-Pietersstation (near the Congress Venue) to Antwerp diamond district and admire the renewed railway station (chosen in 2014 as the most beautiful railway station in the world). Travel by tram to the city’s historic centre and walk through narrow streets to have a sandwich lunch near the pedestrian tunnel below the river Scheldt. Then visit the market place and sixteenth century town hall, cathedral (entry not allowed) and river embankment. Return by Groenplaats, and tram and train to Ghent.
Includes: individual return train and tram tickets, sandwich lunch, coffee break and licensed tour guide.
Not included: entrance to buildings (no interior visits), other food or beverages, insurance.
Requires: easy walking shoes, raincoat.
Registration
Register at: www.iabse.org/Ghent2021
Early Bird registration (prices in euros)
*Participants born in or after 1987.
Regular registration (prices in euros)
*Participants born in or after 1987.
Additional registration options (prices in euros)
Registration includes access to the Opening and Closing Ceremony, all parallel sessions, Congress Proceedings, Welcome Reception and Registration for the onsite Congress includes access to the online platform. A Non-member PLUS registration and a Young Engineer registration include a one-year IABSE Membership. All prices are tax inclusive. We understand that circumstances can change. At any point prior to the event, you are welcome to contact us in writing to nominate a substitute delegate at no extra charge. A full refund less a €100 service fee will be issued if the event is cancelled. Changes of registration type are possible till four weeks before the event upon payment of a 100 € service fee. Non-payment does not constitute cancellation.
Project Melopee (Ghent)
Renovated Vierendeel bridge in Mechelen
Three Towers of Ghent
Ghent Alterpiece or “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”
