Bridges - Challenges of Planning, Design & Construction
- Engage in an exchange with international key players in the bridge construction industry and find out how they see the future of the business.
- Profit from presentations about groundbreaking bridge projects from around the world.
- Use the networking sessions, such as the World Cafés and the exclusive evening get-together to expand your professional network on an international level.

The international VDI Bridges – Challenges of Planning, Design and Construction conference in Rotterdam is the central industry meeting point for the leading players in the bridge construction industry. Here you’ll find out firsthand about the developments and trends that will shape the future of bridge construction. Practical reports of international bridge project will present country-specific challenges and how to overcome them successfully.
Free of charge whitepaper download
Bridge across Schorgast Valley - Design Process of an Exciting Cable Stayed Bridge
Author: Dr.-Img. Bernhard Schäpertöns, Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Schäfer, Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Näßl
Focus areas: digitalization and international bridge projects
The careful construction of bridges and their maintenance is clearly very important, as demonstrated recently by the collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa. That’s why this VDI conference is concerned not just with the traditional challenges to be faced in bridge-building, but also new risks and opportunities that come from increasing digitalization. Themes such as building information modeling (BIM), big data and ‘self-monitoring bridges’, which provide additional safety, will be covered here.
In addition to the use of new technologies, such as drones for bridge inspection, for example, the VDI Bridges – Challenges of Planning, Design and Construction conference will also look at the benefits and disadvantages of new construction materials and the special challenges presented by lightweight bridges. In the process, several practical examples from leading international companies will offer valuable orientation for the realization of your own bridge projects.
08:30 | Registration & welcome coffee |
10:00 | Chair´s welcome and opening address |
I. The Future of Planning Bridges | |
10:15 | The valuable Role of the strong Concept in Bridge Design
Martin Knight, Director, Knight Architects, England |
10:45 | Working on Circular Bridges
Barbara van Offenbeek-Kuipers, Senior Consultant Circular Infrastructure, Rijkswaterstaat – Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, The Netherlands |
II. Facing international Challenges in Bridge Construction | |
11:15 | Crown Bridges – Tram Connection to Laajasalo
Ville Alajoki, Team leader, City of Helsinki, Finland |
11:45 | Making of the Signature Bridge at Delhi – Challenges and Lessons Learned
Venkataramana Heggade, Technical Director, Gammon Engineers & Contractors Pvt Ltd., India |
12:15 | Lunch |
13:45 | Challenges in Bridge Construction: Todays Engineer between Technology, Demand and Reality
Rüdiger Schidzig, Director, SZG – engineering & managing, Germany |
14:15 | The Coastal Highway Route E39 Project – How to cross the deep and wide Fjords of Norway
Mathias Egeland Eidem, Project Manager, Fjord Crossing Project, co-author; Arianna Minoretti, Bridge Section, both: Statens vegvesen - Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Norway |
14:45 | The Brighton i360 Observation Tower and its Implications for Bridge Engineering
Nardo Hoogendijk, Managing Director, Hollandia, The Netherlands |
15:15 | Networking and coffee break |
15:45 | Interactive World Café Session During the interactive World Café Session, we invite you to directly engage with other experts. It is an interactively moderated discussion on different topics. Discuss and identify challenges within your sector as well as problems, needs and solutions. The focus is on the participants – Decide what exactly you would like to discuss and introduce your own experiences and cases. |
17:15 | End of Conference Day One & Time for Refreshments |
Creating Connections – Challenges of building Footbridges in rural Areas Holly Bartelt, Senior Program and Accounts Manager, Bridges to Prosperity, USA | |
Get Together At the end of the first conference day we kindly invite you to use the relaxed and informal atmosphere for in-depth conversations with other participants and speakers. |
III. The Importance of Maintaining our Bridges | |
09:00 | Learning from the Polcevera Viaduct – the Importance of Bridge Assessment and Rehabilitation
Marco Petrangeli, CEO, co-author; Dr. Filippo Del Drago, Structural Engineer, both; INTEGRA, Italy |
09:30 | Digital Transformation of Structural Health Monitoring
Dr.-Ing. Ralf Herrmann, Scientist, co-authors; Dr. Stefan Maack, Scientist, Dr. Matthias Baeßler & Dr. Ernst Niederleithinger, Head of Division,BAM, Germany |
10:00 | Knowing your Bridges – How to get a good Picture of the Bearing Capacity of your Bridges
Heini Raunio, Bridge Specialist, Väylä - Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Finland |
10:30 | Networking and coffee break |
IV. Innovations and New Technologies | |
11:00 | Inspection of Existing Structures by Drones – Recent Trends and Future Perspectives
Finn Raun Gottfredsen, Project Director, COWI, Denmark |
11:30 | Hybrid Bridges: A Field for Innovation in Structural Engineering
Jose Romo, CEO, FHECOR, Spain |
12:00 | Computational Design and large-scale 3D Printing for Bridge Building: Current & Future Applications
Jean-Daniel Kuhn, Managing Director, XtreeE, France and Hyuk Brands, CEO, Haasnoot Bruggen, The Netherlands |
12:30 | Lunch |
V. The Value of Bridge Building Materials | |
13:30 | Design Guidelines for Optimal Use of High Strength Steel in Bridges
José Oliveira Pedro, Assistant Professor – University of Lisbon, Portugal |
14:00 | Pre- and Post-tensioning with Carbon Fibres
Mike Schlaich, Professor at Technische Universität Berlin and schlaich bergermann partner, Germany |
14:30 | The Value of building Bridges with Fiber Reinforced Polymers
Liesbeth Tromp, Lead engineer FRP, Royal HaskoningDHV, The Netherlands |
15:00 | Panel Discussion – How can good Design, Procurement and Realization of Bridges enhance their Value to Society? |
15:30 | Closing remarks |
15:45 | End of conference |
Who should take part in the international VDI “Bridges” conference
This conference is aimed at professionals and management in all areas of bridge construction. The target audience includes, amongst others:
- Building authorities and officials in the areas of bridges, transport and road construction
- Construction companies
- Structure operators and owners
- Engineering companies
- Construction material manufacturers
- Planning offices
International presenters and renowned supporting experts
The program of the Bridges – Challenges of Planning, Design and Construction conference is specifically designed for the needs of the industry. It was created with the help of experienced supporting experts. They include Rüdiger Schidzig, Director of SZG GmbH, Mike Schlaich, Professor at the Technical University of Berlin and Partner at “schlaich bergmann partner“ as well as Joris Smits, Lead Architect & Bridge Designer at Royal Haskoning DHV. The international presenters are from the Netherlands, Finland, India, Germany and the United Kingdom, amongst others.
Book your ticket now
You’d like to discuss the future of bridge construction with international experts? You want to learn about groundbreaking international projects and apply this knowledge to your own bridge projects? Then book your ticket now for the international VDI Bridges – Challenges of Planning, Design and Construction conference.
If you are a public authority, please contact us for a special discount.
Eventnumber: 07KO903
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+49(0)2116214-154
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