The Second SPP100+ Annual Meeting in Dresden
The second annual meeting of SPP 100+ spanned three productive days in Dresden, bringing together researchers and project teams to share the latest advancements through well elaborated and interesting project presentations, discuss future plans, and establish next steps within SPP 100+.
The event started with an engaging keynote presentation by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Steffen Marx, who delivered an in-depth talk titled "What We Need to Know About the Carola Bridge." His keynote highlighted various technical and structural insights about the historic Carola Bridge in Dresden, shedding light on its engineering aspects, historical significance, and unique characteristics. The first day concluded with an organized workshop titled "Scan-to-FEM," where participants engaged in hands-on activities and discussions focused on the Scan-to-Finite Element Method, exploring how it can be applied to bridge engineering and other structural analyses.
The second day began with another keynote by Prof. Michael Todd, titled "The Use of Detection Theory and Bayesian Design in SHM with Application to Ultrasonic Guided Waves." Prof. Todd’s presentation offered an in-depth look at how Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) can benefit from detection theory and Bayesian methodologies, particularly in applications involving ultrasonic guided waves. This session provided attendees with valuable insights into the ways SHM can be innovatively applied to monitor structural integrity and prevent failures, resonating well with the themes of the SPP100+ initiative. The day continued with a visit to the OpenLAB, followed by a tour of the Hentschke Bau production halls in Bautzen. This excursion provided attendees with a real-world perspective on production processes and innovative applications in structural engineering, further enriching their experience.
On the third and final day of the meeting, a cluster workshop took place, encouraging collaboration within focused groups. In this workshop, project teams participated in table discussions within their respective clusters, fostering idea exchange and setting actionable goals tailored to each project’s unique objectives. The annual meeting concluded with a dedicated PhD workshop aimed at developing essential soft skills, particularly in the areas of presentation and public speaking. This session provided early-career researchers with guidance on effective communication and presentation techniques, essential for sharing complex research with diverse audiences.
The second annual meeting of SPP100+ successfully combined keynote lectures, project presentations, hands-on workshops, and collaborative sessions to foster knowledge-sharing and skill-building, leaving participants with a sense of inspiration and momentum for the future.