Papers are solicited in all areas related to theoretical and computational aspects of dynamics, vibration, identification, control and optimization of structures and multibody systems. Appropriate topics relevant to the symposium include the following: dynamic modeling and vibration of structural elements; advanced computational methods for large scale linear and nonlinear structures (advances in finite element methods, boundary element methods, meshless methods, X-FEM, discrete elements, multi-scale methods, multi-level dynamic substructuring methods); techniques involving parallel processing/computing, high performance computing; application of numerical techniques in studying nonlinear dynamics of beams, arches, cables, plates and shells; dynamic systems involving clearances, impacts and friction; dynamics of micro-scale systems; stability and bifurcation analysis of piecewise linear systems and structures, dynamic response of hysteretic systems; vibration absorbers; rotordynamics of systems with bearing clearances and gear backlash; system identification methods and applications; damage identification methods; active and passive structural damping; smart structures; applications of smart sensors and actuators; optimal sensor and actuator location methods; multi-objective optimization.

The Mini-Symposium aims at highlighting/discussing new developments in the nonlinear dynamics of discrete systems as well as of reduced order models of distributed parameter systems. Papers of theoretical, experimental and applied nature are welcome.

The character of the mini-symposium is broad and includes papers of mathematical background, dynamic stability of discrete and continuous systems (smooth/non-smooth), deterministic and random systems subjected to additive/multiplicative excitation or exhibiting self-exciting vibrations. Solutions employing analytical, semi-analytical, or numerical approaches are expected. Experimental studies as verification of theoretical results or primary research at various scales including nano-mechanics are of the particular interest. Especially welcome are papers on recent and ongoing research as well as papers of multi-disciplinary nature. Papers may include investigations of Hamiltonian/non-Hamiltonian, holonomic and non-holonomic systems, nonlinear interactions, auto-parametric systems, post-critical processes, limit cycles and homo/hetero-clinic orbits, nonlinear normal modes, stochastic resonance phenomena, harmonic synchronization, quasi-periodic and other inter-resonance processes, basins of attractors, maps, chaotic behavior, etc.

Papers dealing with application in physics and engineering area including case studies and technical development support as well as interaction with other areas are notably invited for submission. It is expected that both the classical fields of civil and mechanical engineering and the emerging areas of micro and bio-mechanics will be addressed.

The Mini-Symposium aims at highlighting/discussing new developments in the area of nonlinear dynamics of continuous e discrete structural systems with emphasis on dynamic buckling. Although the static buckling and post-buckling behavior of structures such as bars, plates and shells have received due attention for many decades and still constitute an important research area in engineering, dynamic buckling has received much less attention. Dynamic buckling may be deleterious or advantageous, depending on the application. In the former case, it may lead to damage or collapse of the structure; in the latter case it may enable a desirable change of the structural form as in deployable and morphing structures and metamaterials.

The character of the mini-symposium is broad and may include papers of theoretical, numerical, experimental and of applied nature. In addition to dynamic buckling, topics such as nonlinear resonances, jump phenomenon in a nonlinear oscillatory system, multi-well systems and escape from potential well, dynamic instabilities of discrete and continuous systems (smooth/non-smooth), large amplitude vibrations of systems under deterministic and random loads are welcome. Solutions employing analytical, semi-analytical, or numerical approaches are expected. Experimental studies as verification of theoretical results or primary research at various scales including nano-mechanics are of the particular interest. Papers dealing with application in both the classical fields of civil, mechanical, aerospace and naval engineering and emerging areas are welcome.

The MS is devoted to the various aspects of the dynamics of composite materials, including materials containing beams and plates within the microstructure. Theoretical, numerical and experimental works related to the dynamics of composite materials mainly influenced by the dynamical behaviour are solicited. Micro- as well as macro-mechanics approaches are within the scopes of the MS.

• A non-exhaustive list of topics includes:
• Theoretical modelling
• Homogenization
• Experimental investigations
• Linear and nonlinear dynamics of new materials
• Mechanical and thermomechanical properties
• Acoustical properties
• Porous materials
• Wave propagation
• Smart materials
• Metamaterials
• Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS)

Since engineers made efforts to improve vehicle dynamics, the need to model and better understand the development and effects of the contact forces between wheels and ground became obvious. Structural and vehicle dynamics became closely related and have been developed further by fertilising each other. As an early example, wheel shimmy as a self-exited motion, is mentioned, that adverse effects gave birth to the first tyre models and required to include the structural properties of the support of the wheel and axle. This Minisymposium addresses the interaction of structural dynamics and vehicle dynamics of ground based vehicles, such as road vehicles, rail vehicles, and two-wheeled vehicles. To separate from isolated structural design matters of single vehicle components, the focus is set on respective effects on the longitudinal, lateral and vertical dynamic behaviour of the full vehicle. Specific topics will depend on the type of vehicle addressed, but may include stability of motion, vehicle handling/performance, NVH, and the application of control methods.
 

This special session covers theoretical, computational and experimental work on system identification and vibration-based damage detection. Possible applications span the fields of structural dynamics, earthquake, civil, mechanical, aerospace and related engineering fields. Most often, the preceding step of damage assessment is (operational) modal analysis based on linear/nonlinear system identification.  The emphasis in this session is shed onto the robust interpretation of the identification results. Work pertaining to all four levels of damage assessment is welcomed including, detection, localization, characterization of damage severity and prediction of remaining lifetime. Of particular interest is the influence of measurement errors and model uncertainty on the robustness of the identification and the precision of damage prediction. We further welcome contributions relating to the development of new sensor technologies aiming to improve the sensitivity of monitored features to damage.

This mini-symposium covers recent developments and state-of-the-art in theoretical, computational, experimental and practical aspects of structural health monitoring with applications to broadly defined structural systems encountered in the civil, geotechnical, transportation, earthquake, wind, marine, mechanical, aerospace and related engineering fields, such as bridges, buildings, dams, towers, wind turbines, offshore and subsea structures, pipelines, foundations, geotechnical structures, railway tracks, road pavements, composite structures, machinery, aircraft, spacecraft, etc.

Structural control is a broad area of research with sound theoretical bases and focus on experimental and numerical methods. EURODYN is promoting a periodical update of the scientific and technical efforts in civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering. Contributions on active and semi-active control are encouraged for this mini-symposium, but significant implementations of passive control solutions are also welcome.

Vibration suppression in dynamically excited engineering structures and structural components is typically achieved by employing one, or a combination, of the following types of devices: dampers, electromagnetic motors, vibration isolators, and dynamic vibration absorbers. In recent years, several inerter-based vibration suppression configurations emerged by coupling the above devices with an inerter. The latter is a device developing acceleration-dependent force proportional to a constant termed inertance and measured in mass units. It has been shown that inerter-based vibration suppression configurations achieve secondary attached mass reduction and/or improved vibration control efficiency in fixed-based as well as in base isolated structures in several applications in earthquake and in wind engineering. The proliferation of the field of inerter-based vibration control and its promising results creates the premise for this Mini-symposium (MS) which aims to bring together researchers from the fields of structural dynamics, vibration control, energy harvesting, and mechatronics pursuing vibration suppression by coupling traditional energy dissipation devices and configurations with inerter devices. The MS aims to foster synergies across engineering disciplines. Papers on theoretical and computational structural dynamics and control discussing optimal design and/or assessment of inerter-based device configurations are welcome. Contributions discussing the modelling and assessment of new inerter-based devices at the conceptual design stage, experimental testing, as well as their field deployments are also invited. Lastly, submissions identifying practical needs and unexplored areas in the field as well as bridging the gap between traditional structural control approaches and forward-looking adaptive inerter-based devices/configurations for smart structures are prioritized.

Modern, slender footbridges are increasingly prone to vibration serviceability problems. Vibration serviceability has become the principal design criterion for the vast majority of these structures. This Mini-Symposium addresses developments regarding the reliable characterization of footbridge vibrations, serviceability assessment and mitigation techniques. The broad range of topics to be covered in this MS include, but are not limited to, dynamic characterization of footbridges, dynamic loading, human-induced loading, human-structure interaction, dynamic response of footbridges, vibration serviceability assessment criteria and vibration mitigation techniques. We welcome contributions addressing either theoretical developments, numerical analyses and/or experimental studies covering footbridge vibrations issues.

This mini-symposium covers recent developments and state-of-the-art knowledge in the dynamics of slender structural elements and systems, under aerodynamic and aeroelastic excitation. Of interest are systems as ropes, cables, beams, thin shells, bridges, footbridges, towers, masts, large canopies, tall buildings, wind turbines, sport stadia. The excitation mechanisms to be considered cover steady and transient flows interacting at different levels with the structures. Design winds (in the sense of codes and standards), exceptional winds such as tornadoes and bursts, or air flows resulting from industrial activities are expected to provide interesting contributions.

As a first topic, contributions are welcome on mechanical modelling focusing, for instance, on advanced models leading to a better insight into complex structural behaviour, such as structural and additional damping, damage accumulation, fatigue, structural nonlinearities, response to transient wind loads. A second topic concerns the modelling and understanding of fluid-structure interactions, through the development of CFD techniques, wind tunnel experiments or real-scale testing. At last but not least, the mini-symposium also welcomes discussions on procedures for  structural analysis. Among others, some interesting topics cover the consistent development of design approaches based on equivalent static loads and the effect of uncertainties on the dynamic response, with special attention to serviceability issues and to mitigation strategies.

Wind energy structures (on- and off-shore) have recently reached very large dimensions (supporting towers height > 120m, rotor diameters > 120m) and are therefore extremely sensitive to dynamic excitations of all kinds (from wind, waves, earthquake, etc.).

The Mini-Symposium will address all major issues related to dynamics of on- and off-shore wind energy structures (WES) and their main features, both for scientists/researchers as well as for advanced professional engineers.

More specifically, the following topics will be faced, with the main objective of delivering a complete state-of-the-art picture about the very complex dynamic behavior of WES:

- wind mapping (site assessment & classification) and analyses of the site turbulence features

– wind-structure dynamic interaction on WES elements (tower, rotor blades), , computational methods

- on-shore structures: wind-soil-structure interaction, including seismic actions; , computational methods

- off-shore structures (fixed bottom): wind-wave-structure dynamic interaction, nonlinear waves, advanced loading models, "ringing" phenomena (dynamic amplification), computational methods

- off-shore structures (floating systems in deep water): dynamics of platforms, mooring lines and risers, computational methods

- fatigue problems and life-long maintainance

- uncertainty quantification & structural health monitoring for large on- and off-shore WES

- WES for the urban built environment (towards future smart cities)

- Examples of realized and/or designed (ongoing) wind farm projects

Within the context of assessment and preventive conservation of Cultural Heritage Structures, ambient vibration tests and continuous dynamic monitoring are quickly increasing in diffusion and importance. The Mini-Symposium is intended to focus on methodological aspects, recent developments and applications of vibration-based assessment and SHM of historic structures (e.g. churches, monuments, towers, historic bridges and infrastructures). Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Vibration-based post-earthquake and seismic assessment;
• Vibration-based tuning of FE model; 
• Multi-disciplinary strategies of preventive conservation and SHM (involving vibration testing and/or continuous monitoring); 
• Design, implementation and management of dynamic monitoring systems; 
• Effects of environmental and operational variability on modal parameters: 
• Vibration-based SHM strategies under changing environment and/or operational conditions. 

The interaction of elastic waves in structures with adjacent media is a classical research topic, which has been actively explored for decades. The goal of this mini-symposium is to provide a forum for researchers in this field to discuss recent advances and challenges in modelling and analysis of performance of structures exposed to either heavy or light fluid loading. Topics to be covered by this mini-symposium include, but are not limited to:

• Wave propagation in infinite structures under heavy fluid loading
• Forced vibration of and sound emission from finite structures
• Wave propagation in porous air- or fluid-saturated materials
• Periodicity and localisation effects in vibro-acoustics
• Nonlinear effects in vibro-acoustics
• Wave finite element method for multi-component waveguides and its spin-offs
• Asymptotic methods in analysis of dynamics of structures under heavy fluid loading
• Experimental vibro-acoustics

This mini-symposium particularly focuses on the modelling and in-depth understanding of the following fundamental problems in civil and mechanical engineering:

• moving loads on systems with spatially varying properties (such as railway tracks);
• modelling and analysis of vehicle-structure interaction, including stability analysis; this concerns conventional railway systems, but also high-speed and ultra-high-speed transportation systems
• frictional contact problems between moving bodies and elastic structures;
• pantograph-catenary interaction modelling and analysis, including tribological aspects;
• dynamics of underground tunnels and environmental impact;
• non-smooth dynamics of granular materials embedded in structures under the excitation of moving loads;

Contributions outside these specific focal areas, but related to the topic of the mini-symposium, are also very welcome.

This Mini-Symposium focuses on the dynamic interaction between structural vibrations and wave propagation in unbounded and bounded media. The aim is to share recent developments in mechanical and numerical modeling, the experimental identification of properties and in experimental evidence. Relevant topics include, e.g., the effects related with uncertainties on the data, non-linear behavior of materials and interfaces, scattering of waves in heterogeneous media and at structures in the propagation medium, effects of incident waves, large scale wave-structure-interactions.

Industrial infrastructure involves a variety of structural typologies that interact within a delimited area. These facilities produce, store and deliver some of the most vital products (e.g. oil, gas, chemicals, electricity, etc.) required for a modern community to function and thus they are categorized as high-importance structures. Safeguarding the integrity of industrial facilities against natural hazards is of paramount importance, considering that the impact of a failing structure is likely to result in a sequence of unwanted events, spanning from business disruption to uncontrolled leakage, major fire incidents, human injuries or even fatalities. Despite the strict criteria enforced during design, construction and operation by the pertinent codes of practice and regulations, industrial disasters are still occurring, often resulting in consequences that the community as a whole is not adequately equipped to tolerate.

This mini-symposium aims to bring together experts from all around the world to discuss and exchange ideas related to the assessment and mitigation of industrial structures under natural hazards. The mini-symposium welcomes theoretical methods, numerical modeling, experimental investigation of structural behavior, and performance-based assessment procedures for structures and infrastructure under natural hazards. Topics to be covered by MS 23 include, but are not limited to:

• Experimental and numerical investigation of the structural performance of industrial assets
• Vulnerability of lifelines under natural hazards
• Performance of oil and gas pipelines under permanent and transient ground displacements
• Performance of industrial facility structures (e.g. liquid storage tanks, pressure vessels, pipe-racks, piping) under natural hazards
• Performance of telecommunication and transmission towers under natural hazards
• System-level performance of industrial facilities
• Mitigation measures

Civil structures subjected to strong earthquakes need to dissipate large amounts of energy. This energy dissipation is achieved through development of inelastic deformation in the “dissipative zones” of structural members. This means that conventional systems suffer significant inelastic deformations (costly damages) in main structural elements (steel beams, columns and concrete slabs) and residual storey drifts after a strong seismic event. Repair work in these cases is most of the time not feasible, or too expensive. Other consequent effect is the long interruption of functionality of the building, leading to additional costs and discomforts for building owners and occupants. 

Reduction of the damage of structural and non-structural elements after a disaster becomes a fundamental aspect for improving the long-term sustainability and resource conservation. The resources spent in the reconstruction after a disaster can be significantly reduced through innovative structural systems for new buildings and retrofit measures for existing buildings, dropping environmental and economic costs in a life cycle perspective. 

The interest on the development of dissipative systems and components in earthquake risk mitigation of civil structures has greatly increased in the last two decades. The introduction of these elements aims to dissipate the seismic energy through their plastic deformation, leaving main structural elements undamaged. 

This mini-symposium aims to bring together the recent developments in the field of seismic protection of steel structures using dissipative systems and components. A particular interest will be given to the outcomes of full scale experimental research.

We invite papers that focus on the recent advances on experimental methods in earthquake engineering covering topics on laboratory and in-situ testing, and monitoring. The mini-symposium is open to a variety of topics, including (but not restricted): shake table tests, hybrid testing, pseudo-dynamic testing (PDT) and quasi-static testing. The main goal is to present state-of-the-art developments on measuring methods and reanalyzing of test data for infrastructure, such as: buildings, bridges, monuments, geotechnical systems, structures of the chemical industry, pipelines, etc. Experimental papers on other hazards are also welcome, while there is special interest in new materials and novel rehabilitation techniques. The symposium wishes to attract researchers active in the area of experimental earthquake engineering and also to become a forum for information exchange and debate for both researchers and practicing engineers.

Machine learning revolves around models such as Neural Networks (NN) that require big data and efficient algorithms for their identification and training. If the volume of data is not sufficiently large, it may not be possible to train the NN to reproduce the desired behavior. In the framework of computational science and engineering, although computationally taxing simulations typically generate big data, the quantities of interest (QoI) ultimately deduced from the simulation results are typically a much smaller amount of data. In the context of uncertainty quantification (UQ), the fundamental challenge is in characterizing the map from input to QoI in a manner that is conducive to inference and design. In these problems, a large number of expensive function evaluations is required to explore both the design variables and the uncertain input parameters. These problems are best classified under the heading of “small data”.
 
The mini-symposium is devoted to uncertainty quantification and probabilistic learning in computational dynamics. It concerns probabilistic and statistical methodologies for uncertainty quantification, scientific machine learning, optimization, robust design, and reliability analysis, in linear and nonlinear computational dynamics and vibrations, including solid dynamics, structural dynamics, and coupled systems, such as soil-structure interaction, fluid-structure interaction, structural acoustics, vibroacoustics, etc. 
 
The mini-symposium concerns theoretical methods, modeling, numerical and computational simulations, data analysis and data sciences, experimental identification, and optimization. All applications to linear and nonlinear problems in dynamics, as well as multiscale and multiphysics problems, are relevant for this mini-symposium.    

The engineering community has long recognized that proper evaluation, modelling, and assessment of the effects of uncertainties in environmental actions are fundamental to ensure the desired performance of engineered structural and mechanical systems. Evaluation of the uncertainty in the computed response of structural and mechanical systems due to model uncertainties is also of paramount importance in order to improve safety and optimize the use of economic resources. The probabilistic study of the dynamic behavior of structural and mechanical systems requires the characterization of the random processes describing the input excitation and the structural response. For this purpose, modern research has focused on the advancement of theoretical models, analytical methods, numerical techniques, and practical methodologies for real world applications in several areas of engineering, including the civil and mechanical fields.

This minisymposium (MS) is organized to highlight some of the recent advancements in the fields of stochastic dynamics and reliability analysis of structural and mechanical systems subject to random environmental excitations. The broad range of topics to be covered by this MS include, but are not limited to, stochastic finite element method, random vibration theory, statistical simulation techniques, reliability analysis, probabilistic response analysis, uncertainty characterization and evaluation of environmental actions, applications of random vibration theory and reliability methods in earthquake, wind, tsunami, offshore, and/or hurricane engineering. Contributions addressing both theoretical developments and practical applications from different sub-fields of structural engineering are welcome. This MS aims to provide an overview of state-of-the-art methods, standards, theoretical advances, and case studies, and to identify ways for further developments of rational approaches to mitigate single and/or multiple natural hazards, with explicit consideration of uncertainties.

Differently from the design of new buildings/structures, the assessment of civil engineering structures requires to define reliable models in presence of uncertainties, often not negligible, about geometrical parameters and material properties. This is particularly true for non engineered structures, as old masonry buildings, and/or in case of relevant structural modifications occurred since they were built, that may hardly be completely detected during the in-site investigation process. 
The physiological uncertainties about environmental loads (earthquake, wind, traffic) have also to be taken into account for both new structures and for existing ones, for which the task may be even more challenging due to combination with model uncertainties. 
Uncertainties quantification on materials at nano to macro scale is also a challenge in terms of identification and structural characterization in artificial as well as biological materials.  
Starting from the specialized expertise of researchers in the theoretical, numerical and experimental fields, the mini-symposium aims to collect new ideas to model all these kind of uncertainties and to encourage the exchange of methodologies and criteria between the different fields, but also to disseminate the more recent scientific results and apply them to sample case-histories.  

Bayesian methods have emerged as a powerful tool for the rational updating, filtering and inversion of models of dynamical systems, offering a comprehensive description of all associated uncertainties. This mini-symposium focuses on such methods for model parameter estimation and state estimation applied to sensor data from structures, including optimal experimental design or sensor placement investigations, as well as on their application for stuctural health monitoring, condition assessment and reliability updating problems. Contributions pertaining to new algorithmic developments as well as novel applications and experimental/field investigation of theories are especially welcomed.
 

Performance-Based Engineering (PBE) has become the established philosophy for design, construction, and maintenance/management of engineered systems. It is also the basis for the development of modern design codes. PBE moves away from the prescriptive perspective of past and current design codes and focuses on the engineering system performance from the viewpoints of different stakeholders. In structural engineering, this modern concept and the assessment and design methodologies derived from it allow for cost-effective design, construction, and maintenance/management of facilities. PBE approaches require to estimate accurately the mechanical response of structures subject to dynamic loadings, and to account rigorously for the uncertainties in material/mechanical and geometric properties, modeling assumptions, loading environment, and construction methodologies. Thus, PBE needs advanced analysis methods that can balance accuracy and cost efficiency requirements.

This session provides an opportunity to present current research findings in the development of methods to assess the performance of real-world structural and civil infrastructure systems subject to single or multiple natural and man-made hazards. Contributions related to different sub-fields of structural engineering (such as earthquake, tsunami, wind, hurricane, blast, and fire engineering) are welcome. The main objective of this session is to bring together researchers and engineers active in these topical areas to share their experiences and latest developments and results. Papers that address conceptual, theoretical, computational, and/or methodological developments in performance assessment/prediction, performance-based design, and performance-based optimum design, as well as novel and/or large-scale real-world applications, are especially suited for this session.

Dynamic virtualisation is an emerging field in order to model and assess the performance of engineering structures that operate in dynamic environments. The development of the respective trusted virtual models involves a number of challenges that seek their solution through innovative and efficient technologies. New methods are needed for dynamic verification & validation for applications with significant nonlinear effects, including friction in joints, large deformations, and hysteretic behaviour. Hierarchies of models need to be developed where test-validated sub-models can be assembled into full-structure models such that the full model can be considered validated (fit-for-purpose) with quantifiable confidence. New uncertainty quantification and propagation (UQP) tools are required that are powerful enough to complement the new state-of-the-art techniques for V&V and model assembly. Algorithms need to be formulated for characterisation and prediction of the expected envelope of environmental and operational variations for a structure under real-life conditions. Enhanced and accelerated test protocols and forms of modelling need to be created that can capture real effects such as fatigue loading, but require less time and effort. These challenges form the research platform for the European Consortium “Dynamic virtualisation: modelling performance of engineering structures (DyVirt)”, which is a European Union funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Innovative Training Network (ITN) led by the University of Sheffield (UK).

This mini symposium is supposed to bring together latest developments on dynamic virtualisation from inside and outside the European research consortium. Early stage researchers from the consortium will present their most recent developments. Contributions from outside the consortium are invited to discuss further developments in a broader context and to explore novel pathways to solve our challenges.

The proper treatment of uncertainties is a fundamental prerequisite for determining reliable system response and reliability estimates. Considering the complexity of real-world engineering problems, potent mathematical tools are employed for sophisticated modeling of the excitations and the associated engineering systems. Nonlinearities, hysteresis, joint time-frequency representations, as well as generalized/fractional calculus are expected to raise the complexity of the governing equations, whereas the consideration of stochasticity leads to the formulation of particularly challenging problems from a computational perspective. The objective of this MS is to present recent advances and emerging cross-disciplinary approaches in the broad field of computational methods for stochastic engineering dynamics with a focus on uncertainty modeling and propagation. Further, this MS intends to provide a forum for a fruitful exchange of ideas and interaction among diverse technical and scientific disciplines. Specific contributions related both to fundamental research and to engineering applications of computational stochastic dynamics and signal processing methodologies are welcome. A non-exhaustive list includes joint time-frequency analysis tools, sparse representations and, stochastic/fractional calculus modeling and applications, nonlinear stochastic dynamics, stochastic model/dimension reduction techniques, Monte Carlo simulation methods, and risk/reliability assessment applications.

Since the late 1970s numerical simulation methods have been developed in order to consider earthquake-induced problems. In the beginning, such approaches performed linear analyses that are generally appropriate to describe low amplitude ground motions, without considering the non-linear effects of the systems. In this regard, novel resilient design procedures need advanced approaches to understand multiple scenarios from baseline elastic to high-amplitude responses. In addition, new issues need to be addressed, for example soil-foundation-structure-interaction problems, modeling of non-linear materials and systems, structural instabilities and many other challenging aspects. This mini-symposium focuses on case studies solved with numerical simulation approaches. Applications and new findings will be presented highlighting the effectiveness of current simulation techniques in earthquake engineering.

The purpose of this mini-symposium is to constitute a forum for the exchange of knowledge concerning latest research developments in the field of Vibration Absorption. This mini-symposium particularly focuses on the modelling and in-depth understanding of the following fundamental problems in civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering:

• Novel absorber concepts (inerters, negative stiffness elements);
• Meta-materials;
• Active Noise and Vibration absorption;
• design, manufacturing, testing of novel materials for vibration control of civil structures and infrastructure
• Seismic isolation absorption concept for foundations of structures
• Controllable rocking motion of columns
• Retrofitting concept for existing structures
• Configurable pile arrays for ground‐induced vibration mitigation;
• Applications of vibration absorption in aerospace, seismic protection, low frequency noise absorbers

Contributions outside these specific focal areas, but related to the topic of the mini-symposium, are also very welcome.

The aim of this MS is to discuss the new advances in modelling of Cultural Heritage (CH) with specific applications to historical masonry monuments. Theoretical, numerical and experimental works related to the dynamics of CH are solicited. Topics to be covered, but not limited to, are:

• Vulnerability analysis
• Seismic assessment of historical constructions
• Nonlinear systems and analysis techniques for structural assessment of CH
• Multi-scale analysis
• Homogenization techniques
• Destructive and non-destructive tests on masonry structures
• SHM of historic buildings in earthquake-prone regions;
• Innovative sensing technologies for SHM of historic structures;
• Damage detection, localization and/or quantification in architectural heritage structures;
• Influence of environmental and operational conditions on damage sensitive features;
• Illustrative case-studies.

There is a general interest towards the use of innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions which enable the design of engineering structures able to withstand reliably dynamic operational and environmental loads. Virtual models of these engineering structures are widely used from the preliminary design stages to the operating structural life-time assessment. However, one of the key challenges in developing reliable models of such systems is using an appropriate damping model for the structural components and joints. Another key challenge in developing virtual models and effective structural health monitoring strategies concerns quantifying damping and its variability experimentally, both in laboratory and in operating conditions.
This MS invites contributions on fundamental work, advanced techniques and industrial applications showcasing recent progress in modelling and experiments on damping (including friction, constrained layer damping and other damping methods).  Topics of interest include:
*    Experimental techniques to characterize damping
*    Validation of damping models
*    Damping and friction mechanisms in mechanical joints
*    New damping strategies.

This mini-symposium welcomes  original research articles, review articles, and short communications covering the assessment, repair, reinforcement, and conservation methods and materials of existing building stock. The mini-symposium will reflect the application possibilities of new sustainable materials and methods, advanced materials, natural-fiber composites, mortars, alloys, and metals, inspiring the creation of next-generation solutions beyond conventional construction materials and traditional intervention methods and materials. We welcome reports from innovative applications and case studies and test projects. Computational and analytical manuscripts are also of interest provided they are design- or application-oriented. Reinforcement and conservation techniques and materials from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations are particularly welcome. Articles with a focus on the effects of climate change, natural and man-made hazards, and combined hazards in existing building stock are invited.