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ICTB 2021 PLUS 4th International Conference on Timber Bridges

Note: This is a copy of https://www.bfh.ch/en/news/events/ictb-2021/ for archival purposes, and not all links and images are included.

The Bern University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material and Technologies have the pleasure to welcome the international scientific community for timber bridges in Switzerland.

NEW DATE

09.05.2022 until 12.05.2022 – Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland and Online. Hybrid conference with online participation/presentations or being onsite as usual.

Factsheet

  • Start date 09.05.2022
    Add to calendar
  • End date 12.05.2022
  • Place Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland and Online. Hybrid conference with online participation/presentations or being onsite as usual.
  • Status Took place successfully
  • Costs CHF 790 Onsite / CHF 290 Online participant

Contact

ICTB 2021 PLUS | Downloads

ICTB 2021 PLUS

The ICTB 2021 PLUS will be a meeting point for engineers, architects, experts, as well as scientists and students from all over the world in the field of timber bridges, including highway, railway and pedestrian structures. The successful conferences ICTB 2010 in Lillehammer, Norway, ICTB 2013 in Las Vegas, USA, and ICTB 2017 in Skellefteå, Sweden is now being followed up by a forth conference in Switzerland, where you can be a guest or join as online participant.

Within the conference, we would like to show the past, current and future in timber bridge engineering:

  • Railway, roadway or slow traffic timber bridges
  • Design and construction of timber bridges
  • Maintenance of historical timber bridges
  • Quality management
  • Constructive protection, materials and coatings
  • Assessment and monitoring of timber bridges

Your benefits

  • Become an ICTB 2021 PLUS participant or sponsor/exhibitor for your strategic position and relationships
  • Meet and build contacts with experts, producers and scientists from all over the world
  • Share experiences and information in the area of timber bridge research, construction and maintenance
  • Attend a technical tour on recent and historical timber bridges in Switzerland 
  • About 100 people from several countries all over the world attend the conference each time. 

Promotional video ICTB 2021 PLUS

International Scientific Committee

  • Research Engineer, James Wacker, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab., USA
  • Prof. Kjell Arne Malo, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Norway
  • Prof. Roberto Crocetti, Lund University, Sweden
  • Prof. Dr. Caroline Frenette, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada
  • Prof. Hideyuki Nasu, Nippon Institute of Technology, Japan
  • Prof. Mats Ekevad, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden                           
  • Prof. Dr. Antje Simon, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Germany
  • Research Engineer Robert Widmann, Empa – Structural Engineering Research Laboratory, Switzerland
  • Prof. Andreas Müller, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
  • Dr. Bettina Franke, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
  • Prof. Dr. Steffen Franke, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland

Organizational Committee

Bern University of Applied Sciences

The Bern University of Applied Sciences represents an innovative, attractive and young timber main research centre in Switzerland. The focus of the four research institutes at the Bern University of Applied Sciences is on practical solutions. New products, building optimizations and solutions are developed by a team of around 140 scientists together with the industry.

EMPA | Materials Science and Technology

The Empa is the famous building material testing laboratory of Switzerland for over 100 years. The five “Research Focus Areas” concern their work on converting research and technology into marketable innovations.

The research work of the hosts of the ICTB 2021 PLUS comprises projects in e.g. high performing material and connections in hardwood, quality assurance of timber structures, assessment and reinforcement of large span timber structures, long-term behaviour of block-glued glulam members under varying moisture content, and the assessment and non-destructive testing of timber structures. The laboratories and Tech Park at Bern University of Applied Sciences are open to visit for guests in Switzerland.

  • Prof. Andreas Müller
  • Dr. Bettina Franke
  • Robert Widmann
  • Prof. Dr. Steffen Franke

Sponsors

Sponsors

Sponsors PLUS

Immerag
EuroTec
Huesser Holzleimbau
N'H International
VSL

Sponsors PLUS

ProGeo
TimbaTec
rothoblaas
TS3

Funding Partner

Thanks to our funding partners

BAFU
SNF

Keynote Speakers

Modern timber bridges

Rune Abrahamsen (Msc Structural Engineering)
Moelven Limtre AS

More information

The road to durable bridge design: An experience from Québec

Caroline Frenette (Prof. PhD Ing.)
Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

More information

Wooden bridges enrich the world

Frank Miebach (Dipl.-Ing. FH)
Ingenieurbüro Miebach

More information

History, lifetime and quality of timber bridges – View from academic and practice side

Andreas Müller (Professor)
Bern University of Applied Sciences
Institute for Timber, Structure and Architecture

More information

History, lifetime and quality of timber bridges – View from academic and practice side

Robert Widmann
EMPA, Structural Engineering

More information

Infrastructure made of wood - opportunities for decarbonization of the public sector

Stefan Zöllig
Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG

More information

Technical Contribution, Full papers, Presentation

The second call of abstracts has been opend. We are happy to announce that many engineers, architects, researchers and PHD students submitted already numerous abstracts for presentation in the first Call of Abstracts.

The full papers will be reviewed for high quality and completeness of content including state of art, material and methods, results and discussion. The full paper will be upload on a secure conference website during the time of the conference and published in an E-Book as proceedings of the ICTB 2021PLUS conference.

  • Please hand in your presentation as *.ppt or* or PDF (16:9) until 25th April 2022 in case of technical issues
  • Registration is compulsory for presenters
  • Technical presentation time will be 15 minutes plus 5 minutes for Q&A
  • Presentation can be done online and onsite at the conference venue
Template for Abstract/Fullpaper (DOCX, 146 KB)

Conference Programme

Technical tour and social events for onsite participation

The topography of Switzerland requires a great number of bridges thereunder many famous and innovative timber bridges. The history from still existing Swiss timber bridges stretches from the “Kapellbrücke” in Lucerne (1333) via the “Grubenmann bridge” (1767) and hundreds more historical covered bridges to modern bridges like Neumatt bridge (2013).

Most of the historical bridges are used for pedestrians and cyclists as well as road traffic up to 16 tonnes; whereas modern timber bridges can carry traffic loads up to 40 tonnes. The conference tour will give a short impression of famous, efficient and innovative timber bridges in Switzerland as well as a technical discussion with planers, engineers or owners.

  • 09.05.2022 Technical tour to recent and historical timber bridges start/end Biel/Bienne (included)
  • 09.05.2022 Welcome evening with apéro at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (included)
  • 11.05.2022 Visit OMEGA Museum including Dinner
  • 13.05.2022 Optional tour to wildlife bridges in Rynetel and Neuenkirch (optional ticket)

Besides bridges, Biel/Bienne shows various examples of wooden buildings. Two innovative examples are currently in planning and erection. The first one is the new headquarter for the Swatch Group and Omega designed by the world-famous Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, (swatchgroup.com). The second one is the new campus of the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The project – named “trèfle” - has been designed by a pool of architects from Zurich. It is proposed to present/visit wooden buildings on a short tour in the evening of the conference.

Fees + Registration

Onsite participant
Regular fee

CHF 790
  • all onsite and online sessions and exhibitor presentations
  • proceedings and presentations
  • lunches and coffee breaks
  • technical timber bridge tour, Monday 9 May 2022
  • welcome event, Monday 9 May 2022
  • conference dinner at OMEGA-Museum, Wednesday 11 May 2022

Online participant
Regular fee

CHF 290
  • all technical sessions and exhibitors on online platform
  • proceedings and presentations

Onsite participant
Student fee

CHF 290
  • all onsite and online sessions and exhibitor presentations
  • proceedings and presentations
  • lunches and coffee breaks

Online participant
Student fee

CHF 140
  • all technical sessions and exhibitors on online platform
  • proceedings and presentations

Technical Tour
Student fee

CHF 60
  • technical timber bridge tour, Monday 9 May 2022

Social Event
Student fee

CHF 140
  • welcome event, Monday 9 May 2022
  • conference dinner at OMEGA-Museum, Wednesday 11 May 2022

Accompanying person

 CHF 240
  • technical timber bridge tour, Monday 9 May 2022
  • welcome event, Monday 9 May 2022
  • conference dinner at OMEGA-Museum, Wednesday 11 May 2022
Optional Tour
Swiss Wildlife Bridges 		CHF 30
  • optional wildlife bridges tour Rynetel and Neuenkirch, Friday 13 May 2022

Regulations and special options for your registration

  • ONSITE participant registration for conference ICTB 2021 PLUS is binding. In case of non-attendance, withdrawal after 10 April 2022 or expulsion from conference ICTB 2021 PLUS the full registration fee is due.
  • ONLINE registration for conference ICTB 2021 PLUS is binding. Withdrawal of the registration as online participant is possible until 2 Mai 2022 (cancellation fee of 50 CHF).
  • Students need proof of valid evidence of student status, copy of student ID.

Any further questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.

Venue

The inhabitants of the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne are lucky to live in a region where others come for their holidays. With the largest interconnected lake and river area in Switzerland on its doorstep; all around is wonderful, unspoiled countryside.

On the other side, the watch industry like Rolex, the world's leading watch brand, as well as the Swatch Group, the world's biggest watchmaking group are part of the town just as is the sports centre of Switzerland with the WTA tournament "ladies open" or the Olympic sports center in Magglingen. The city has numerous cultural attractions and hosts international events every year. Two museums, in a leafy alley setting – Neues Museum Biel and Pasquart, make up the city’s «Museum mile». Biel/Bienne can easily be reached with public transportation from the international airports Zurich, Geneva and Basel within 90 minutes.

Further informations about Biel/Bienne

Video from: https://biel-seeland.ch

Accommodation

If you have not yet booked your accommodation, we recommend making a reservation at one of the hotels listed below, where we have blocked some rooms:

MERCURE HOTEL PLAZA BIEL

You may book directly with the hotel (www.accorhotels.com, E-Mail: h6166@accor.com) at the cost of CHF 165.00 per night. Please refer to the key word “The 4th International Conference on Timber Bridges ICTB 2021”

City Hotel Biel Bienne

You may book directly with the hotel (www.cityhotel-biel.ch, E-Mail: info@cityhotel-biel.ch) at the cost of CHF 100.00 (Single Room) / CHF 139.00 (Double Room) per night. Please refer to the key word “The 4th International Conference on Timber Bridges ICTB 2021”

Hotel Artist

You may book directly with the hotel www.artist-biel.ch, E-Mail: info@artist-biel.ch). We have no contingent reserved at this hotel. Room bookings are upon availability.

Corona Regulations

In accordance with the Federal Council decision of 16 February 2022, the certificate and mask requirement has been lifted as of 17 February 2022. This applies to all areas of BFH (teaching, work, remaining operations). Masks may of course continue to be worn on a voluntary basis. In certain situations this is also advisable, e.g. for the protection of vulnerable persons or in confined spaces.

Further informations