2026

IABSE Connect - Crash Course: A series of lectures about collapses, failure mechanisms and lessons learned on structural safety.

Recap!

On 12 February 2026, around 70 professionals gathered in Delft at the recently renovated Haskoning office for IABSE Connect: Crash Course, a seminar filled with practical case studies, research, and knowledge sharing on structural safety. The programme showcased the breadth of the field: from forensic investigations and material behaviour to non-linear numerical modelling and sustainable foundation research.

This year's edition aligned with the thematic Crash Course series, which focuses on understanding collapses, failure mechanisms, and improving safety in the design and construction process. Various speakers from both practice and academia presented current cases, including failure mechanisms related to hydrogen embrittlement, fatigue, and timber degradation. International examples were also discussed, with a detailed look at how decisions made during the design process can ultimately influence legal proceedings.

The central theme running through the programme was developing a deeper understanding of structural reliability. By analysing what went wrong in specific projects, participants gained insights into how similar situations can be prevented in the future. The presentations made clear that structural failures often arise from a combination of material behaviour, inaccurate assumptions, changing loading conditions, and sometimes even organisational shortcomings.

Keynotes listed below:

• Fewer errors through understanding past failures, By Dick Hordijk (Hageman Consulting Engineers)
• Hydrogen embrittlement in prestressing steel, By Rob Vergoossen (Haskoning) 
• Learning from collapses By Erik Middelkoop (Haskoning) 
• Fatigue in steel cranes – the hidden risks by Maarten Rikken (APM Terminals) 
• Non-linear FEM and reliability By Prof. Max Hendriks (TU Delft) 
• Sustainable foundations: 300-year-old timber piles By Dr. Giorgio Pagella (TU Delft)

Conclusion:

IABSE Connect 2026 once again demonstrated the richness and diversity of the structural engineering profession. From collapse analyses to advanced numerical modelling and foundation research: structural safety remains a human endeavour, requiring technique, process, and craftsmanship to work hand in hand.

Change of Chair – IABSE NL

IABSE Connect marked the final appearance of Bert Hesselink (Haskoning) as Chair of IABSE NL. He is handing over the chairmanship to Han Krijgsman (ABT). Bert became Chair following the IABSE Symposium 2013 in Rotterdam and succeeded Dik‑Gert Mans in 2014.

2023

Young Engineers Colloquium in Europe, 24-25 November 2023
Proceedings can be downloaded from here.

On the 24 and 25^th of November 2023, the Belgian and Dutch National Groups of IABSE jointly organized their third Young Engineers Colloquium 2023 (YEC2023) at the Aula of Ghent University in Ghent in Belgium. YEC2023 is especially meant for young engineers to exchange knowledge internationally, with  focus on Belgium and the Netherlands. This Colloquium offered young engineers the opportunity to present their interesting research, engineering or construction projects to an audience of fellow engineers from the structural engineering sector. The event was sponsored by 8 Belgian and Dutch sponsors and attended by 68 participants.  The Proceedings can be downloaded from IABSE Members Area. Below are some photos from the YEC 2023 event. The Keynote Lecture was delivered by Prof. José Campos e Matos (ISISE, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal) on the subject “Case study for a KPI-based Quality Control system of roadway bridges”. The Technical Excursion took place visiting several bridges under construction in Ghent and visiting the construction site of the Oosterweel tunnel project in Zeebruges under the guidance in Ghent of prof. em. dr. ir. Philippe Van Bogaert and under the guidance of technical specialists of the contractor TM COTU on site in Zeebruges. Full report will be published in SEI February 2024 issue.

Click Here to view the photos.