8th SMAR Conference at TU Dresden

The 8th International Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment, and Rehabilitation of Civil Structures (SMAR) took place at TU Dresden from August 26 to 28. More than 500 international participants used the conference as a forum for professional exchange on current developments in monitoring within the fields of masonry construction, timber construction, steel construction, and materials research.
As the organizer of the two mini-symposia “Advances in Monitoring, Assessment, and Rehabilitation of Timber Structures” and “Non-destructive Testing and Monitoring of Timber Structures,” Prof. Robert Jockwer played a key role in shaping the program. The event kicked off with his presentation titled “Development of the new Eurocode 5 part on assessment of existing timber structures,” which focused in particular on the challenges involved in assessing and designing existing timber structural members that have been subjected to long-term loading. In addition, he provided insights into the current work of the newly established CEN TC250 SC5 WG12 working group, which is primarily focused on developing guidelines for condition assessment and the reusability of existing structural members.
Other interesting presentations introduced innovative methods for determining mechanical properties and assessing the condition of timber components in historic and modern buildings. These included visual inspections, dynamic and microwave-based measurement techniques, computed tomography, and vibration analyses. Using practical examples from various countries, it was also demonstrated how these methods can be combined with numerical models, monitoring, and statistical approaches.
Julius Schmidt provided technical support to ensure the successful organization of the SMAR Conference 2026 at TU Dresden.