Introduction

The IABSE Conference held in Davos in 1992 covered the philosophy, the conceptual background and the basic elements of the Eurocodes, under development at that time. The conference in Davos addressed all those working towards unified codes in structural engineering in Europe, as well as those who wished to be informed on the ongoing development. Since then, much progress has been achieved and most parts of the Eurocodes have been finalised. During the same time, national codes in many countries have been revised or are undergoing revision. Major codes exist or are under revision for example in the USA, Canada, Japan, India, China, and Australia. Many countries face the dilemma of choosing between parts from one or more of these codes while using existing national codes in parallel.

In the light of the globalisation of the construction market as well as of code writing, research and education, the joint IABSE-fib Conference addresses all persons worldwide interested to learn from each other, to exchange feedback from practical experience and to contribute to future harmonisation of structural codes. Nevertheless, differences in geographical, climatic, environmental and social conditions as well as different safety or serviceability standards have to be considered.

The main objective of this IABSE-fib Conference 2010 in Cavtat is to obtain an overview of the present state of codes worldwide including the underlying legal and economical aspects. Based on feedback from practical applications and using the results of theoretical and experimental research, conclusions should be drawn for the development of future codes, striving for international harmonisation in the ever more globalised market.
In addition to traditional topics related to safety and serviceability, new and special topics have emerged concerning for example robustness, assessment of existing structures, sustainability, aesthetics or the extensive use of information technology in the design process. Finally, the transition between codes and practice is made possible by adequate teaching of the fundamentals underlying the codes.

The Organising and Scientific Committees invite you to attend and exchange your views with people from all over the World.

Manfred A. Hirt

Joost Walraven

Jure Radić

Chair of the Scientific Committee

Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee

Chair of the Organising Committee