No. 48. Conceptual Design of Structures. - fib Symposium Proceedings - 26-28 September 2019 - Madrid, Spain PDF format

Conceptual design plays a leading role in defining the final performance of structures. Faced with new global challenges and emerging technological opportunities, structural designers are encouraged to develop greater creativity in their projects. Each project, regardless of its size, is an opportunity to create.

Creativity in conceptual design is difficult to foster and share. It is not the result of a sudden moment of inspiration, but rather the outcome of serious, systematic, and ambitious work in the search for the most appropriate solution to a given problem. Conceptual design is, in fact, rarely taught in civil engineering schools. Traditionally, and similarly to other creative fields (e.g. architecture, literature, culinary arts, and painting), successful design processes are context-dependent, experience-based, and principle-driven. However, new educational approaches, a deeper understanding of historical developments, and the emergence of new tools and technologies open new possibilities for creative endeavours.

The International Symposium on Conceptual Design of Structures is a unique event specifically aimed at creative designers of all experience levels. fib—the International Federation for Structural Concrete—is an association founded in the 1950s by eminent engineers, including Torroja, Freyssinet, and Lévy, with the aim of sharing knowledge and promoting the use of structural concrete. Throughout its history, fib has embraced the mission of promoting, communicating, and teaching the value of creativity in engineering.

The Symposium is organised in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Structural Engineering (ACHE). The Torroja Institute in Madrid, Spain—a unique blend of architecture and structure reflecting Eduardo Torroja’s creativity and teaching—serves as the venue of the event.

Four sessions structure the Symposium, each corresponding to a stage in the conceptual design process: Inspiration, Data Collection, Creativity, and Materialisation. Each session includes a keynote lecture, plenary presentations of selected papers, an open discussion with the audience, and a series of hands-on workshops using state-of-the-art tools and methods.