The Outstanding Paper Award (OPA) is remitted each year to the author(s) of a paper published in the preceding year’s issues of the IABSE Journal Structural Engineering International (SEI), encouraging and rewarding contributions of the highest quality. Starting with the 2011 Outstanding Paper Award, it is presented in the categories ‘Technical Report’ and ‘Scientific Paper’.

Jury
Download the Standing Orders

WINNERS

2024

Category 'Technical Report':

"Chenab Bridge - Constructing the World’s Tallest Railway Bridge"

by Giridhar Rajagopalan; Mandar Karnik; Pekka Pulkkinen, Kilian Karius, and Shashank Rajbhoj. Download the paper for free..

Category 'Scientific Paper:

"IABSE Task Group 3.1 Benchmark Results. Numerical Full Bridge Stability and Buffeting Simulations"

by Giorgio Diana, Prof., Chair of Task Group 3.1, Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy; Stoyan Stoyanoff, Dr, Vice-Chair of Task Group 3.1, Rowan Williams Davies and Irwin Inc (RWDI), Guelph, Canada; Andrew Allsop, Arup Fellow, ARUP, London, UK; Luca Amerio, Dr, ARUP, Milano, Italy; Michael Styrk Andersen, Dr, COWI A/S, Lyngby, Denmark; Tommaso Argentini, Prof.; Filippo Calamelli, Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy; Miguel Cid Montoya, Dr, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, USA; Vincent de Ville de Goyet, Dr, Engineering Office Greisch, Liege, Belgium; Santiago Hernández, Prof.; José Ángel Jurado, Prof., Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos Canalesy Puertos, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain; Igor Kavrakov, Dr, Chair of Modelling and Simulation of Structures, Bauhaus-Universitat, Weimar, Germany; Guy Larose, Dr, RWDI, Ottawa, Canada; Allan Larsen, Dr, COWI, Bridges International, Lyngby ,Denmark; Guido Morgenthal, Prof., Bauhaus- Universitat, Weimar, Germany; Daniele Rocchi, Prof., Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy; Martin N. Svendsen, Dr, Ramboll, Copenhagen, Denmark; Teng Wu, Dr, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, USA. Download the paper for free..

2023

Category ‘Technical Report’:
"Three Supertall Slender Towers in Midtown Manhattan"
by Charles Besjak; Preetam Biswas; Georgi I. Petrov; Yunlu Shen; Bonghwan Kim; Alexandra Thewis; USA. Download the paper for free..

Category ‘Scientific Paper’:
"Investigating the Effects of Climate Change on Structural Actions"
by André Orcesi, France; Alan O’Connor, Ireland; Dimitris Diamantidis, Germany; Miroslav Sykora, Czech Republic; Teng Wu, USA; Mitsuyoshi Akiyama, Japan; Abdul Kadir Alhamid, Japan; Franziska Schmidt, France; Maria Pregnolato, UK; Yue Li, USA; Babak Salarieh, USA; Abdullahi M. Salman, USA; Emilio Bastidas-Arteaga, France; Olga Markogiannaki, Greece; Franck Schoefs, France. Download the paper for free..

2022

Category ‘Technical Report’:
"Hålogaland Bridge—A Landmark in Arctic Norway"
by Assad Jamal and Erik Sundet.

Category ‘Scientific Paper’:
"Round-robin modelling of the load-bearing capacity of slender columns by using classical and advanced non-linear numerical and analytical prediction tools"
by Alfred Strauss, Ana Mandić Ivanković, Vladimir Benko, José Matos, Pierre Marchand, Roman Wan-Wendner, Neryvaldo Galvão, André Orcesi , Jakub Dobrý, Mohammad El Hajj Diab , Krešimir Ninčević, Michael Hauser, Mladen Srbić, and Dominik Skokandić.

2021

Category ‘Technical Report’:
"The Third Bosphorus Bridge: A Milestone in Long-span Cable Technology Development and Hybrid Bridges"
Matthieu Guesdon, Julien Erdem Erdogan, Ivica Zivanovic, Rueil-Malmaison.

Category ‘Scientific Paper’:
"Eco-rubber Seismic-Isolation Foundation Systems: A Sustainable Solution for the New Zealand Context"
Ernesto Hernández, Alessandro Palermo, Gabriele Granello, Gabriele Chiaro, Laura J. Banasiak.

2020

Category ‘Technical Report’:
"Innovative Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Belt Bridge Expansion Joint Using Digital Image Correlation"
Rusi Rusev, Rufus Foster, Tim Abbott, Athanasios Bistolas.

Category ‘Scientific Paper’:
"Once upon a Time in Italy: The Tale of the Morandi Bridge"
Gian Michele Calvi, Matteo Moratti, Gerard J. O’Reilly, Nicola Scattarreggia, Ricardo Monteiro, Daniele Malomo, Rui Pinho, Paolo Martino Calvi.

2019

Category Technical Report:
"Innovative Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Belt Bridge Expansion Joint Using Digital Image Correlation"
J. Winkler, M. D. Havelykke, Denmark. SEI 3/2018, (August)

Category Scientific Paper:
"Shear Performance Mechanism Description Using Digital Image Correlation"
A. Strauss, P. Castillo, B. Krug, R. Wan-Wendner, M. Marcon, Austria.; J. Matos, Portugal; J. R. Casas, Spain. SEI 3/2018, (August)

2018

Category Technical Report:
"The New Old Bridge: Renovation of the Macdonald Suspension Bridge"
D. Radojevic, K. F. Kirkwood, Canada, SEI 1/2017, (Feb) page 32 – 37.

Category Scientific Paper:
"Considerations for Robustness in the Design of Steel and Composite Frame Structures"
P. Stylianidis, D. Nethercot, UK, SEI 2/2017, (May) page 263- 280

2017

Category Technical Report:
"Construction of a Large Composite Gridshell Structure: A Lightweight Structure Made with Pultruded Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer Tubes"
Lionel du Peloux; Frédéric Tayeb; Olivier Baverel, and Jean-François Caron, France, SEI 2/2016, (May.) pp. 160-167.

Category Scientific Paper:
"Post-Tensioned Glass Beams for a 9 m Spannglass Bridge"
Michael Engelmann, Bernhard Weller, Germany, SEI 2/2016 (May), pp. 103-113.

2016

Category Technical Report:
"Diagnosis, Assessment and Repair of the Mathilde Bridge Close to Collapse during a Fire"
Bruno F. Godart, Jacques Berthellemy and Jean Pierre Lucas, France, SEI 3/2015 (August), pp. 331-338.

Category Scientific Paper:
"Design of Soil-Steel Composite Bridges"
Lars Pettersson, Esra Bayoglu Flener, Hakan Sundquist, Sweden, SEI 2/2015 (May), pp. 159-172.

2015

Category Technical Report:
"Hybrid Bridge Structure Composed of Fibre Reinforced Polymers and Steel"
Martijn Veltkamp and Jan Peeters, The Netherlands; SEI 3/2014

Category Scientific Paper:
"Retrofitting of the Historic Castagnara Bridge in Padua, Italy, with Fibre Reinforced Plastic Elements"

2014

Category Technical Report:
“Rehabilitation of the Suspension Bridge over Zambezi River in Mozambique“
António Reis and Claudio Baptista; SEI 1/2013

Category Scientific Paper:
“Vibration Mechanisms and Controls of Long-Span Bridges: A Review“
Yozo Fujino and Dionysius Siringoringo; SEI 3/2013

2013

Category Technical Report:
“The Immersed Tunnel and Bridges of Busan–Geoje Fixed Link”
Sangkyoon Jeong and Jechun Kim; SEI 1/2012

Category Scientific Paper:
"Codes for Safety Assessment of Existing Bridges—Current State and Further Development”
Dawid F. Wisniewski, Joan R. Casas and Michel Ghosn; SEI 4/2012

2012

Category Technical Report:
"Creating the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, New Zealand“
P. Ch. Mulqueen SEI 4/11

Category Scientific Paper:
"Swiss Federal Roads Office Guidelines for Integral Bridge"
W. Kaufmann and M. Alvarez, SEI 2/2011

2011: 'The Aerodynamic Behaviour of the Deck of Stonecutters Bridge, Hong Kong'
Doris M.S. Yau and Michael C.H. Hui, China. Published in SEI 2/2010

2010: 'Design of Mechanically Reinforced Glass Beams: Modelling and Experiments'
A. B. Ølgaard, J. H. Nielsen and J. Forbes Olesen, Denmark. Published in SEI 2/2009

2009: 'Design and Experimental Investigation of the Joints of Inclined Struts for the Widening of Bridge Deck Slabs'
Philippe Menétrey and Eugen Brühwiler, Switzerland. Published in SEI 4/2008

2008: 'Pedestrian Lateral Action on lively Footbridges: A New Load Model'
Fiammetta Venuti, Luca Bruno and Paulo Napoli, Italy. Published in SEI 4/2007

2007: Time Variant Structural Performance of the Certosa Cable-Stayed Bridge'
Fabio Biondini, Italy, Dan M. Frangopol, USA and P. Girogio Malerba, Italy. Published in SEI 3/2006

2006: 'Temperature in the Box Girder of the Normandy Bridge'
Jean-Michel Lucas, Michel Virlogeux and Claude Louis, France. Published in SEI 3/2005

2005: 'Mechanical Properties and Remaining Strength of Corroded Bridge Wires'
Shun-Ichi Nakamura, Keita Suzumura and Toshimi Tarui, Japan. Published in SEI 1/2004

2004: 'Elasto-Plastic Model for Timber-Concrete Composite Beams with Ductile Connection'
Andrea Frangi and Mario Fontana, Switzerland. Published in SEI 2/2003

2003: 'Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Historical Churches'
Stefano Sorace and Gloria Terenzi, Italy. Published in SEI 4/2002

2002: A Re-definition of Stiffness of Reinforced Concrete Elements and its Implications in Seismic Design
Tom Paulay, New Zealand. Published in SEI 1/2001

2001: Aerodynamics of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge - 60 Years Later
Allan Larsen, Denmark. Published in SEI 4/2000

2000: Design and Construction of the Millennium Dome
Ian Liddell and Paul Westbury, UK. Published in SEI 3/1999

1999: Tension Chord Model for Structural Concrete
Peter Marti, Manuel Alvarez, Walter Kaufmann and Viktor Sigrist, Switzerland. Published in SEI 4/1998

1998: Rehabilitation of the Mexico City Cathedral
Roberto Meli and Roberto Sanchez-Ramirez, Mexico. Published in SEI 2/1997

1997: Economic Considerations of Displacement-Based Seismic Design of Structural Concrete Buildings
Luis Garcia, Colombia. Published in SEI 4/1996

1996: Tuned Vibration Absorbers for "Lively" Structures
Hugo Bachmann and Benedikt Weber, Switzerland. Published in SEI 1/1995

1995: Solar Thermal Electricity Generation
Jörg Schlaich, Germany. Published in SEI 2/1994

1994: Traffic Loads on Bridges
Ton Vrouwenvelder and Paul Waarts, The Netherlands. Published in SEI 3/1993

1993: Carbon-Fibre-Reinforced Polymers: Modern Materials in Bridge Engineering
Urs Meier, Switzerland. Published in SEI 1/1992

1992: Gibraltar Strait Crossings - A Challenge to Bridge and Structural Engineers
Philip Chow and T.Y. Lin, USA. Published in SEI 2/1991