Update (11September 2024)

Preparations for APFIS 2024 are progressing, with latest updates including:

• We are still accepting paper submissions – submission details can be found here.
• Several Mini-symposia and Special Sessions are in preparation on a range of contemporary topics. Should you have an interest to contribute (i.e. paper(s) and presentation(s)), then please contact the organiser of the respective Mini-Symposium and/or Special Session. Your involvement is most welcome.
• The registration portal is now live. Please register your attendance by 15 October 2024 to benefit from the Early Bird rates.
• Should you be in need of an invitation letter for registration and/or visa application purposes, then please contact us at apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

Thank you,
APFIS 2024 Chairs

Update (30 July 2024)

We trust your year is progressing well.

Please note that full papers are welcome to be submitted directly until 1st of October 2024 (without the need for an Abstract beforehand). View the submission details.

We really look forward to seeing you later in the year at APFIS 2024. Should you have any questions then please direct them to apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

Best regards,
APFIS 2024 Co-Chairs

Welcome to the website of the Ninth Asia Pacific Conference on FRP in Structures (APFIS 2024). APFIS 2024 will be held in Adelaide, Australia, 8-11 December 2024.

APFIS 2024 is jointly hosted by The University of Adelaide  and University of South Australia. Additionally, APFIS 2024 is the official conference of the International Centre for Composites in Infrastructure (ICCI) and is supported by the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC).

APFIS is an international conference series that is open to researchers, academics, students, manufacturers, consultants, contractors and policy makers. Its aim is to showcase research, development and application of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in the built environment. The inaugural APFIS conference was held in Hong Kong in 2007. Since then, it has been held in Seoul, Korea (2009), Hokkaido, Japan (2012), Melbourne, Australia (2013), Nanjing, China (2015), Singapore (2017), Gold Coast, Australia (2019), and Shenzhen, China (2022, online). The proceedings of past conferences can be found on the IIFC website.

APFIS 2024 will contain a variety of technical and social activities. On the technical front, there will be keynote presentations, panel sessions, mini-symposia, special sessions, and general session presentations. There will also be special issues containing selected conference papers published by Journal of Composites for Construction and Advances in Structural Engineering. On the social front, there will be a welcome reception, conference banquet as well as ample opportunities to network with colleagues and friends. The conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel in the picturesque city of Adelaide and hence delegates (and accompanying partners) are invited to spend time exploring the surrounds. The banquet will be held at the iconic National Wine Centre of Australia.

Please consult this website regularly for up-to-date information about the conference, including the Latest Updates section. Also, all enquiries can be directed to apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

On behalf of the organising committee, we offer you a very warm welcome to Adelaide and we look forward to seeing you at APFIS 2024.

Professor Scott Smith

Chair

Deputy Dean (International)
The University of Adelaide

View researcher profile

Professor Yan Zhuge

Chair

Professor in Structural Engineering
University of South Australia

View researcher profile

Dr Jun-Jie Zeng

Chair

ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher
University of South Australia

View researcher profile

Dr Tafsir Tafsirojjaman

Chair

Lecturer
The University of Adelaide

View researcher profile

The following is a non-comprehensive list of key topics covered by the conference.

Professor Amir Fam

Queen’s University, Canada

View profile: Professor Amir Fam

Biography: Professor Amir Fam is the Vice-Dean (Research) of Smith Engineering at Queen’s University, Canada, and has held the Donald & Sarah Munro Chair and a Canada Research Chair for 20 years.  He is the President of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), Co-Editor of the Canadian Journal of Civil Eng. and Associate Editor of the Journal of Composites for Construction. He is an internationally leading authority in FRP for construction research, including FRP stay-in-place forms. He is the founder of the Rolling Load Simulator (ROLLS) facility for testing bridges, the only one in Canada.  Prof. Fam has >420 refereed publications, including >230 journal papers (h-index of 53, Google Scholar). He is an elected Fellow of 8 professional bodies including Canadian Academy of Engineering, IIFC, ASCE, CSCE and ACI.

Professor Peng Feng

Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

View profile: Professor Peng Feng

Professor Branko Glisic

Princeton University, USA

View profile: Professor Branko Glisic

Professor Rebecca Gravina

University of Queensland, Australia

View profile: Professor Rebecca Gravina

Biography: Rebecca Gravina is Professor and Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Chair of Structural Engineering at the University of Queensland in Brisbane. She also held the position Professor of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Professor Gravina obtained her PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Adelaide and prior joining academia she worked as a consulting Structural Engineer with ARUP in Melbourne. She has 25 years plus experience in academia and consulting engineering. Her research field concerns the long-term performance and durability of reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PC) structures, sustainability of infrastructure, rehabilitation of existing structures with Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP), multi-functional self-healing cementitious composites, recycled materials in concrete, and engineering education. Professor Gravina is the Editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of Civil Engineering, co-author of the textbook 'Prestressed Concrete' by Warner, Foster, and Gravina, Board Director of the Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels (ACRS), Executive Director of the International Institute for FRP in Construction, and Member of the Concrete Institute of Australia. Her research is well recognised by industry, and she continuously collaborates with civil infrastructure companies and agencies to support innovation and technology transfer.

Professor Sujeeva Setunge

RMIT University, Australia

View profile: Professor Sujeeva Setunge

Professor Yufei WU

Shenzhen University, China

Biography: Yu-Fei Wu is currently a Distinguished Professor in College of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Shenzhen University, China. His research interests lie in the broad field of structural engineering. He has published 200+ SCI indexed journal papers, with an H-index of 68 (Google Scholar). Professor Wu is the inventor of numerous new structural theories and technologies, and has received prestigious research awards including the Moisseiff Medal from American Society of Civil Engineers, and State Scientific and Technological Progress Award of China. He is listed as one of "China's Highly Cited Scholars" by Elsevier, and has been ranked in the top 100 in the world for "lifetime impact" and the top 50 for "annual impact" in civil engineering by Stanford University's ranking of the world's top 2% scientists in recent years.

View profile: Professor Yufei WU

Keynote title:

A low-carbon, economical, high-performance FRP reinforced concrete marine floating structure

Abstract: This presentation introduces a new biomimetic sustainable marine floating structure that is being developed by a team led by the speaker from Shenzhen University. The aim of the project is to develop a new type of economical but resilient ocean floating structure. The system is characterized by high sustainability, low construction and maintenance costs, and the ability to survive in harsh marine environments, including typhoons. The team has intellectual property rights for all key technologies, including stronger, more durable, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly compression-cast concrete materials, bionic honeycomb floating units, flexible floating unit connectors, new marine energy harvesting systems, new mooring systems, and the survival technology in rough sea conditions.

Professor Tao YU

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

Biography: Prof. Tao YU is a Professor in Structural Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. YU’s research is mainly in the field of infrastructure applications of composite materials, with focuses on innovative hybrid structures enabled by fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) and FRP-seawater sea-sand concrete (SSC) structures. Prof. YU is the Senior Vice President of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the SCI-indexed journal Advances in Structural Engineering, and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Composites for Construction published by ASCE. Prof. YU has received many prestigious awards, including the IIFC Distinguished Young Researcher Award.

View profile: Professor Tao YU

More keynote speakers will be announced soon.

Organising Committee

Additional names are being added as they become available.

International Scientific Committee

Additional names are being added as they become available.

Full papers are welcome for direct submission until 21st October 2024 without an Abstract submission/acceptance.

“Papers will be peer reviewed and all accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings. The proceedings will be licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.

Paper submissions are to be addressed to apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

Paper submission

Full papers are welcome for direct submission until 21st October 2024 without an Abstract submission/acceptance.

Instructions to authors
Authors are advised to carefully consult the following instructions in order to ensure consistency of style and format of conference papers. Papers will be returned for revision if they are not in compliance with the instructions.

APFIS2024 Instructions to authors

Paper template
All papers are to be prepared using the following template.

APFIS2024 Paper template

Copyright and licence agreement
A completed (and signed) Copyright and Licence Agreement is to be submitted with each paper.

APFIS2024 Copyright and Licence Agreement

Creative commons attribution 4.0 International public licence

Paper submission
Paper(s) as well as completed Copyright and Licence Agreement forms are to be submitted to: apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

Please indicate one of these "Key Topics", which aligned most with your paper in the body text of your paper submission email.

Accepted Mini-Symposia (MS) and Special Sessions (SS) are listed as follows. Please contact the respective session organisers to contribute a paper and presentation to a session. Contributions are most welcome to researchers, students, industry and government representatives.

Sustainability of FRP Composites and Concrete Materials (MS-1)

Organisers
Ali Hadigheh (The University of Sydney, ali.hadigheh@sydney.edu.au);
Hongjian Du (National University of Singapore, ceedhj@nus.edu.sg)

About
The mini-symposium will focus on the latest research and advancements in sustainability within the field of FRP composites and concrete materials and structures.

The symposium will cover a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Waste management and recycling: Strategies for effective management of composite materials and concrete waste.
• Circularity: Approaches to enhance the circular economy of the built environment.
• Innovative materials and technologies: Explore new materials and technologies that enhance the sustainability and productivity of FRP composites and low-carbon concrete.
• Life cycle analysis and environmental impact study.
• Integrated Design Approaches: Best practices for designing and manufacturing low-carbon composites and concrete materials to achieve sustainable construction goals.
• Additive manufacturing of recycled products.
• Regulatory and policy frameworks: Understanding the regulatory landscape and policy frameworks supporting sustainable practices.

Structural Deficiencies and FRP Solutions (MS-2)

Organisers
Zhong-Kui Cai (Nanjing Tech University, zhongkuicai@njtech.edu.cn);
Zhiqiang Dong (Southeast University)

About
This mini-symposium discusses common and complicated structural deficiencies, followed by innovative solutions that employ FRP materials or other advanced methods. Furthermore, practical applications of FRP products in major engineering projects will also be presented. The topics of this mini-symposium include but are not limited to:

• Landslide disasters and applications of FRP anchor bolts.
• Column buckling issues and confinement of FRP and/or steel.
• Coastal corrosion problems and retrofitting by FRP materials.
• Earthquake fragility and seismic resilience upgrading methods.

Advances in FRP-concrete Hybrid Structures (MS-3)

Organisers
Hongwei Lin (Beijing Jiaotong University, hwlin@bjtu.edu.cn);
Jia-Qi Yang (China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), yangjq1986@163.com)

About
FRP-concrete hybrid structures is an important field of FRP application in civil and infrastructure engineering. The topics of this mini-symposium includes but not limited to:

• Behaviour of FRP-to-concrete interfaces.
• FRP confined concrete.
• FRP-concrete hybrid structural members.
• Numerical analysis of FRP-concrete hybrid structures.
• Hybrid structures of FRP-novel cementitious materials.
• Practical application of FRP-concrete hybrid structures.

Advances in FRP/UHPC-enabled novel structural members (MS-4)

Organisers
Shishun Zhang (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, shishun@hust.edu.cn);
Guan Lin (Southern University of Science and Technology, ling@sustech.edu.cn);
Cheng Jiang (Western Sydney University, cheng.jiang@westernsydney.edu.au).

About
This mini-symposium aims to showcase the latest advancements in the field of FRP/UHPC-enabled novel structural members. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Novel design concepts and fabrication methods for FRP/UHPC structural members.
• Experimental studies on the mechanical behavior of FRP/UHPC structural members.
• Numerical modeling and simulation of FRP/UHPC structural members.
• Applications of FRP/UHPC structural members in infrastructure, building construction, and other fields.
• Case studies of successful implementations of FRP/UHPC structural members.

Research and Applications of FRP in Underground Spaces and Geotechnical Anchoring (SS-1)

Organiser
Yue Liu (University of Science and Technology Beijing, yueliu@ustb.edu.cn).

High Performance Composite Materials in Protective Structures (SS-2)

Organiser
Jun Li (University of Technology Sydney, Jun.Li-2@uts.edu.au).

Application of FRP to Structural Reinforcement (SS-3)

Organiser
Xuan Chen (Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology, chenxuan@xauat.edu.cn).

Please find as follows a tentative program. A more advanced draft will be available when papers and registrations are advanced.

If you do however need more information with which to book your attendance at (and travel to) the conference, then please do connect with apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.

Please click here to register your attendance at APFIS 2024

The schedule of conference fees (noting that every effort is being made to deliver an economical and high-quality conference experience), as well as terms and conditions, are provided as follows.

The registration fee includes:

Conference venue

Sunday 8 – Wednesday 11, December 2024

Hilton Adelaide
233 Victoria Square
Adelaide, SA 5000

Banquet dinner venue

National Wine Centre of Australia
Corner of Hackney Rd &, Botanic Rd, SA 5000

National Wine Centre

Accommodation

A very competitive room rate at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel (i.e. the conference hotel) is available, and accommodation can be booked. When booking, kindly note the Group Name (i.e. APFIS2024) and Group Code (i.e. GAPFI).

Book conference accommodation at the Hilton Hotel

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities

There are sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available at the APFIS 2024 conference. Please direct enquiries to apfis2024@adelaide.edu.au.