Energy and Sustainability 2017

7th International conference on Energy and Sustainability

20 - 22 September, 2017

Seville, Spain

Introduction

Energy and Sustainability 2017 is the 7th International Conference in a very successful series which started in the New Forest, UK, home of the Wessex Institute in 2007; followed by meetings in Bologna (2009); Alicante (2011); Budapest (2013); Kuala Lumpur (2014); and Medellin, Colombia (2015).

The world’s economy is fuelled by energy. Depletion of resources and severe environmental effects resulting from the continuous use of fossil fuels has motivated an increasing amount of interest in renewable energy resources and the search for sustainable energy policies.

The changes required to progress from an economy mainly focussed on hydrocarbons to one taking advantage of sustainable energy resources require considerable scientific research, as well as the development of new engineering systems. Energy policies and management are of primary importance to achieve the development of sustainability and need to be consistent with recent advances in energy production and distribution.

In many cases, the challenges lie as much in the conversion from renewable energies (wind, solar etc) to useful forms (electricity, heat, fuel) at an acceptable cost (including damage to the environment) as in the integration of these resources into an existing infrastructure.

The diverse topics covered by the Conference involve collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions, including studies of materials, energy networks, new energy resources, storage solutions, waste to energy systems, smart grids and many others.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Energy and Sustainability 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Energy policies
• Renewable energy resources
• Sustainable energy production
• Environmental risk management
• Green buildings
• Energy storage
• Energy management
• Biomass and biofuels
• Waste to energy
• Processing of oil and gas
• CO2 capturing and management
• Pipelines
• Energy efficiency
• Smart grids
• Energy
• Energy and transport
• Case studies

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Sustainable City 2017

12th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability

18 - 20 September, 2017

Seville, Spain

Introduction

The 12th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability addresses all the aspects of urban environment aiming to provide solutions leading towards sustainability.  The Sustainable City 2017 conference follows a series of very successful meetings that started in Rio (2000), followed by Segovia (2002), Siena (2004), Tallinn (2006), Skiathos (2008), A Coruña (2010), Ancona (2012), Kuala Lumpur (2013), Siena (2014), Medellin (2015) and Alicante (2016).

The meeting always attracts a substantial number of contributions from participants from different backgrounds and countries. The variety of topics and experiences is one of the main reasons behind the success of the series.  Papers presented at these meetings are archived online in the WIT eLibrary (http://www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they are easily and permanently available to the international scientific community.

Urban areas result in a series of environmental challenges varying from the consumption of natural resources and the subsequent generation of waste and pollution, contributing to the development of social and economic imbalances. As cities continue to grow all over the world, these problems tend to become more acute and require the development of new solutions.

The challenge of planning sustainable contemporary cities lies in considering the dynamics of urban systems, exchange of energy and matter, and the function and maintenance of ordered structures directly or indirectly supplied and maintained by natural systems. The task of researchers, aware of the complexity of the contemporary city, is to improve the capacity to manage human activities, pursuing welfare and prosperity in the urban environment. Any investigation or planning on a city ought to consider the relationships between the parts and their connections with the living world. The dynamics of its networks (flows of energy matter, people, goods, information and other resources) are fundamental for an understanding of the evolving nature of today’s cities.

Large cities are probably the most complex mechanisms to manage.  They represent a fertile ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists, and other professionals able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements.

The Sustainable City Conference addresses the multidisciplinary components of urban planning, the challenges presented by the increasing size of the cities, the amount of resources required and the complexity of modern society.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable City 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Urban strategies
• Planning, development and management
• Urban metabolism
• Quality of life
• The community and the city
• Infrastructure and society
• The S3 city: smart, sustainable and safe
• Eco-town planning
• Spatial conflicts in the city
• Urban transportation and planning
• Architectural issues
• Sustainable energy and the city
• Cultural heritage sites
• Urban conservation and regeneration
• Environmental management
• Flood risk
• Waste management
• Urban air pollution
• Health issues
• Water resources
• Landscape planning and design
• Urbanization of rural areas
• Urban agriculture
• Intelligent environment
• Planning for risk and natural hazards
• Waterfront development
• Case studies

Prigogine Award 2017

The Prigogine Gold Medal 2017 Award Ceremony will take place at the University of Seville on Wednesday 20th September 2017. 

Find out more on the conference webpage.

BEM/MRM 40

40th International Conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods

12 - 14 September, 2017

New Forest, UK

Introduction

The annual conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods (BEM/MRM) started in 1978 and is now in its 40th version.  It is well established as the recognised international forum for the latest advances in those techniques and their application in science and engineering.

The continued success of the meeting is a result of the strength of the research on boundary elements and mesh reduction techniques being carried out all over the world. The conference has continually evolved in line with the latest developments in the field since the successful development of boundary integral techniques into BEM was reported in the first meeting held in Southampton in 1978.

The objective of the research papers presented at the meetings is the further development of techniques that reduce or eliminate the type of meshes required by first generation computational methods, such as finite differences or finite elements. This has steadily been achieved through the development of BEM as a computational tool and continues through more recent research into advanced techniques, leading to further mesh reduction aiming to produce truly meshless methods.

The meeting also encourages the presentation of papers on the use of BEM and, in particular, the description of new applications. Problems related to interface with other techniques, processes such as finite elements, the solution of large systems of equations and the direct coupling of BEM to design and manufacturing are also welcome.

All the meetings since 1978 have produced a series of edited volumes in which the major developments in the field have been presented. This valuable collection has been in digital form since 1993 with the papers available Open Access in the Wessex Institute’s eLibrary website (http://www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they can be easily accessed and downloaded.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at BEM/MRM 40. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Advanced formulations
• Advanced meshless and mesh reduction methods
• Structural mechanics applications
• Solid mechanics
• Heat and mass transfer
• Electrical engineering and electromagnetics
• Computational methods
• Fluid flow modelling
• Damage mechanics and fracture
• Dynamics and vibrations
• Engineering applications
• Interfacing with other methods
• Coupling with design and manufacturing
• Solution of large systems of equations

Find out more on the conference webpage.

SAFE 2017

7th International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering

6 - 8 September, 2017

Rome, Italy

Introduction

This seventh Conference on Safety and Security Engineering follows the success of the first six meetings held in Rome (2005), Malta (2007), Rome (2009), Antwerp (2011), Rome (2013) and Opatija in Croatia (2015). The purpose of the Conference is to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of the most recent research and industrial developments in the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security engineering.

Safety and Security Engineering, due to its special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and application that brings together in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. The conference covers areas such as crisis management, security engineering, natural disasters and emergencies, terrorism, IT security, man-made hazards, risk management, control, protection and mitigation issues, and many others.

The meeting aims to attract papers in all related fields, in addition to those listed under the Conference Topics, as well as case studies describing practical experiences.  Due to the multitude and variety of topics included, the list is only indicative of the themes of the expected papers.  Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts in all areas of Safety and Security, with particular attention to integrated and interdisciplinary aspects.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at SAFE 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Risk analysis and assessment
• System safety engineering
• Incident monitoring and management
• Information and communication security
• Fire safety
• Disaster management
• Emergency response
• Critical infrastructure protection
• Counter terrorism issues
• Human factors and behaviour
• Occupational health and safety
• Transportation safety and security
• Modelling and experiments
• Security surveillance systems
• Safety standards and regulations
• Cyber security / E security
• Loss prevention
• BIM in Safety and Security

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Urban Transport 2017

23rd International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment

5 - 7 September 2017

Rome, Italy

Introduction

The International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment has successfully been reconvened for nearly 25 years, always attracting a wide international spread of delegates. It is well-established as the premier event of its type.

The continuing requirement for better urban transport systems and the need for a healthier environment has added to the increasing success of this annual meeting which attracts international delegates from many different countries. Innovative systems, new approaches and original ideas need to be thoroughly tested and critically evaluated before they can be implemented in practice, which highlights the importance of the meeting. Moreover, there is a growing need for integration with telecommunications systems and IT applications in order to improve safety, security and efficiency. The Meeting also addresses the need to solve important pollution problems associated with urban transport in order to achieve a healthier environment.

The variety of topics covered by the conference reflects the complex interaction of the urban transport systems with their environment and the need to establish integrated strategies. The aim is to arrive at optimal socio-economic solutions while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current transportation systems.

The conference started in Southampton in 1995; continuing in Barcelona (1996); Acquasparta, Italy (1997); Lisbon (1998); Rhodes (1999); Cambridge, UK (2000); Lemnos, Greece (2001); Seville (2002); Crete (2003); Dresden (2004); Algarve (2005); WIT Campus in the New Forest (2006); Coimbra (2007); Malta (2008); Bologna (2009); Limassol (2010); Pisa (2011), A Coruña (2012), Kos (2013), Algarve (2014), Valencia (2015) and Crete (2016). All papers are included in the WIT Transactions and archived in the Wessex Institute’s eLibrary at http://www.witpress.com/elibrary, where they are permanently and easily available to the international community.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Urban Transport 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Urban transport planning and management
• Urban strategies
• Public transport systems
• Environmental impact
• Economic and social impact
• Safety and security
• Dangerous goods transport
• Travel behaviour studies
• Traffic control
• Traffic accidents
• Transportation modelling and simulation
• Infrastructure development
• Intelligent and advanced transport systems
• City logistics
• Inter-modal transport systems
• Mass transport strategies
• Freight transport
• Railway systems
• Port and city
• Mobility and public space
• Innovative electric transportation
• Eco-mobility transport systems
• Integrated network systems
• Traditional and alternative fuels and energy
• Smart city transport
• Public policies and governance

Find out more on the conference webpage.

River Basin Management 2017

9th Conference on River Basin Management Including all aspects of Hydrology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Flood Plains and Wetlands

19 - 21 July, 2017

Prague, Czech Republic

Introduction

River Basin Management 2017 is the 9th Conference in the series which marks the growing international interest in the planning, design and management of river basin systems.

River Basin Management includes all aspects of Hydrology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Flood Plains and Wetlands. Riverine systems are coming under increasing pressure due to anthropological and natural causes. Prominent amongst the problems affecting them is water scarcity and quality, which requires the development of improved methods for better river management.

Changes in the landscape, use of the land and climate conditions lead to a continuous revaluation of river basin management objectives. This requires the development of better measuring tools as well as the use of increasingly accurate computer software.

Catastrophic events such as floods and associated landslides, erosion and sedimentation can have serious effects not only on life and property but also on the basin ecology. Frequently these problems are aggravated by the unforeseen consequences of man made changes in the river basin. This has led in recent years to work on river restoration and rehabilitation with various degrees of success.

The first River Basin Management conference took place in Cardiff, UK in 2001, followed by meetings in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (2003); Bologna, Italy (2005); Kos, Greece (2007); Malta (2009); Riverside, California (2011); The New Forest, UK (2013), home of the Wessex Institute and A Coruna, Spain (2015).

The objective of this series of conferences is to bring together practitioners and researchers in academia and industry in the hope that their interaction will foster mutual understanding and lead to better solutions for river basins.

The papers corresponding to all the conferences have been archived in digital form at http://www.witpress.com/elibrary where they are permanently available to the international community.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at River Basin Management 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Water resources management
• Flood risk management
• Ecological and environmental impact
• Erosion and sediment transport
• Hydrological modelling
• River restoration and rehabilitation
• Hydropower issues and development
• River and watershed management
• Water quality issues
• Organic contamination management
• Agricultural pollution
• Transboundary water issues
• Estuaries and deltas
• Climate change
• Water quality and health
• Socio-economic issues
• Water governance and policies
• Data acquisition, management and analysis
• Remote sensing
• Hydraulic structures
• Experimental measurements
• Rain water management
• Water energy nexus
• Drought assessment and management
• Ecosystem services

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Water Resources Management 2017

9th International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management

18 - 20 July, 2017

Prague, Czech Republic

Introduction

The ninth International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management will present recent technological and scientific developments, associated with the management of surface and sub-surface water resources.

Water is essential for sustaining life on our planet and its uneven distribution is a source of permanent conflict.  The growth of human population combined with the irregularity in precipitation and water availability may restrict even further the access to water in certain regions of the world.  This problem is made more severe by anthropogenic activities that affect its quality.

The Conference provides a platform for professionals involved in water resources management to exchange knowledge and gain an insight into the state of the art in the current technology, techniques and solutions in sustainable water management as they have been developed and applied in different countries.  Participants include a wide variety of stakeholders from research and academia, to industrial sectors as well as government organisations.

The first conference on Water Resources Management was held in Halkidiki, Greece in 2001, followed by Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (2003); the Algarve, Portugal (2005); Kos, Greece (2007); Malta (2009), Riverside; California (2011) the New Forest, UK, home of the Wessex Institute (2013); and A Coruna, Spain (2015).

Papers presented at the Water Resources Management meetings are permanently available to the international community in digital format at http://www.witpress.com/elibrary

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Water Resources Management 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Water management and planning
• Water rights and accessibility
• Water markets economics and policies
• Climate change
• Sedimental soil erosion
• Irrigation
• Water resources in arid regions
• Ground water
• Urban water management
• Hydraulic engineering
• Water quality and pollutant control
• Water quality and health
• River basin management
• Flood risk management
• Hydroinformatics
• GIS and remote sensing
• Trans-boundary water management
• Water, food and energy
• Socio-economic aspects
• Water resources strategies
• Innovative technologies
• Water and the community
• Integrated water analysis
• Wetlands as water sources

Find out more on the conference webpage.

ERES 2017

11th International Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures

5 - 7 July, 2017

Alicante, Spain

Introduction

ERES 2017 is the eleventh international conference in the series on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures organised by the Wessex Institute.  The Meeting provides a unique forum for the discussion of basic and applied research in the various fields of earthquake engineering relevant to the design of structures.

Major earthquakes and associated effects such as tsunamis continue to stress the need to carry out more research on those topics. The problems will intensify as population pressure results in buildings in regions of high seismic vulnerability. A better understanding of these phenomena is required to design earthquake resistant structures and to carry out risk assessment and vulnerability studies.

The problem of protecting the built environment in earthquake-prone regions involves not only the optimal design and construction of new facilities, but also the upgrading and rehabilitation of existing structures including heritage buildings. The type of highly specialized retrofitting employed to protect the built heritage is an important area of research.

This conference will address these problems continuing to expand on the development of previous meetings in the series. Papers presented at ERES are an invaluable record of the state of the art in this field. Most of them are now freely available on the Wessex Institute eLibrary (http://www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they are a permanent record demonstrating the quality of the research presented at the ERES conference series.

The conference began in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1997, followed by Catania, Italy (1999); Malaga, Spain (2001); Ancona, Italy (2003); Skiathos, Greece (2005); Bologna, Italy (2007), Cyprus (2009), Tuscany, Italy (2011), A Coruña, Spain (2013), and Opatija, Croatia (2015).

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at ERES 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Seismic hazard and tsunamis
• Building performance during earthquakes
• Vulnerability
• Earthquake prediction
• Seismic isolation and energy dissipation
• Performance based design
• Experimental studies
• Dynamic analysis
• Passive protection systems
• Case studies
• Numerical analysis
• Monitoring and early warning systems
• Lifelines and resilience
• Forensic engineering
• Safety engineering
• Heritage structures
• Earthquakes and landslides
• Liquefaction
• Innovative technologies
• Paraseismic devices

Find out more on the conference webpage.

CMEM 2017

18th International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements

4 - 6 July, 2017

Alicante, Spain

Introduction

CMEM 2017 is the 18th International Conference in this well established series on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements. These successful meetings provide a unique forum for the review of the latest work on the interaction between computational methods and experiments.

This series of conferences started in Washington DC (1981) followed by a meeting on board the Queen Elizabeth II Ocean Liner (1984); Porto Carras, Greece (1986); Capri (1988); Montreal (1991); Siena (1993); Capri (1995); Rhodes (1997); Sorrento (1999); Alicante (2001); Sani Beach, Greece (2003); Malta (2005); Prague (2007); the Algarve (2009), the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute, UK (2011), A Coruña, Spain (2013) and Opatija, Croatia (2015).          

The principal intention of the conference has always been to provide to the international technical and scientific community, an opportunity to discuss the interaction between experimental measurements and computational methods with all associated topics. Foremost consideration and importance are devoted to their reciprocal and advantageous integration.

The continuous improvement in computer efficiency, coupled with diminishing costs and the rapid development of numerical procedures have generated an ever-increasing expansion of computational simulations that permeate all fields of science and technology. As these procedures continue to grow in magnitude and complexity, it is essential to validate their results to be certain of their reliability. This can be achieved by performing dedicated and accurate experiments, which have undergone a constant and enormous development. At the same time, current experimental techniques have become more complex and sophisticated so that they require the intensive use of computers, both for running experiments as well as acquiring and processing the resulting data.

The conference aims to address a wide variety of topics related to experimental and computational methods with emphasis on new applications and the latest developments.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at CMEM 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Computational and experimental methods
• Fluid flow
• Structural and stress analysis
• Materials characterization
• Electromagnetic problems
• Structural integrity
• Destructive and non-destructive testing
• Heat transfer and thermal processes
• Advances in computational methods
• Automotive applications
• Aerospace applications
• Applications in industry
• Ocean engineering and marine structures
• Fluid structure interaction
• Bio-electromagnetics
• Hybrid methods
• Process simulations
• Environmental modelling and applications
• Computer modelling
• Validation of computer modelling
• Data and signal processing
• Virtual testing and verification
• Simulation and forecasting
• Measurements in engineering

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Sustainable Development & Planning 2017

9th Conference on Sustainable Development & Planning

27 - 29 June, 2017

Bristol, UK

Introduction

The 9th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Planning builds upon a series that started in 2003 in Skiathos, Greece, followed by other meetings in Bologna (2005), Algarve (2007), Cyprus (2009), New Forest – home of the Wessex Institute, UK (2011); Kos, Greece (2013), Istanbul (2015) and Penang (2016).

It has become apparent that planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without comprising the ability of future generations.

Problems related to development and planning, which affect rural and urban areas, are present in all regions of the world. Accelerated urbanisation has resulted in deterioration of the environment and loss of quality of life. Urban development can also aggravate problems faced by rural areas such as forests, mountain regions and coastal areas, amongst many others. Taking into consideration the interaction between different regions and developing new methodologies for monitoring, planning and implementation of novel strategies can offer solutions mitigating environmental pollution and non-sustainable use of available resources.

Energy saving and eco-friendly building approaches have become an important part of modern development, which places special emphasis on resource optimisation. Planning has a key role to play in ensuring that these solutions as well as new materials and processes are incorporated in the most efficient manner.

Sustainable Development and Planning 2017 will bring together academics, policy makers, practitioners and other stakeholders from across the globe to discuss the latest advances in the field. The conference will discuss new academic findings and their application in planning and development strategies, assessment tools and decision making processes.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable Development and Planning 2017. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Regional planning
• City planning
• Sustainability and the built environment
• Cultural heritage
• Environmental management
• Environmental policies and planning
• Education for Sustainable Development 
• Sustainable tourism
• Resources management
• Impact assessment of urban expansion
• Sustainable supply chains
• Rural developments
• Sustainable solutions in emerging countries
• Transportation
• Energy resources and savings
• Urban utilities networks
• Climate change
• Urban mining
• Urban architecture
• Waste management
• Urban flooding and drainage
• Smart systems
• Sustainable development indicators
• UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Governance
• Resilience
• Social and political issues
• Community planning
• Planning for equality
• Quality of life
• Case studies

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Materials Characterisation 2017

8th International Conference on Computational Methods and Experiments in 

Material and Contact Characterisation

21 - 23 June, 2017

Tallinn, Estonia

Introduction

The aim of the conference is to facilitate interaction between the research and industrial community and discuss the latest developments in this rapidly advancing field. The meeting responds to the demand for high quality production for both industry and consumer, which has led to rapid developments in materials science and engineering. This requires the characterisation of the properties of the materials.

Of particular interest to industry and society is the knowledge of surface treatment and contact mechanics of these materials to determine the in-service behaviour of components subject to contact conditions. Modern society requires systems that operate at conditions that use resources effectively. In terms of components durability, the understanding of surface engineering wear frictional and lubrication dynamics has never been so important.

Current research is focussed on modifications technologies that can increase the surface durability of materials. The characteristics of the system reveal which surface engineering methods should be chosen and as a consequence it is essential to study the combination of surface treatment and contact mechanics.

Combinations of different experimental techniques as well as computer simulation methods are essential to achieve a proper analysis. A very wide range of materials, starting with metals through polymers and semiconductors to composites, necessitates a whole spectrum of characteristic experimental techniques and research methods.

The conference is a result of a series of meetings that started as early as 1993 in Southampton on contact mechanics and previous meetings on the wider field of material characterisation dating from the 2003 conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The papers presented at all those conferences are permanently archived in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they are easily accessible in Open Access format to the international scientific community.

Conference Topics

The following list covers the topics to be presented at the meeting. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Computer methods and simulation
• Experimental and measurement techniques
• Mechanical characterisation and testing
• Materials under extreme conditions 
• Polymers and plastics
• Advances in composites
• Micro and macro characterisation
• Corrosion and erosion
• Damage, fatigue and fracture
• Recycled materials
• Materials and energy
• Surface problems and contact mechanics
• Surface modification and treatments
• Thick and thin coatings
• Tribomechanics and wear mechanics
• Biomechanical characterisation
• Biomechanical applications
• Case studies

Find out more on the conference webpage.