On the 30th of November 2023, Associate Professor Rolando Chacon, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), partner and Work package leader in ASHVIN, gave a keynote lecture at ICTWS2023, an international conference dedicated to Thin-walled structures. 

The thin-walled structures community constitute researchers from broad fields covering civil, mechanical and aeronautical branches of engineering, numerous materials (e.g., steel, aluminium, fibre-reinforced plastics, functionally graded materials, nanomaterials), and diverse industries and applications (e.g., construction, automotive, aircraft, marine, space). The emergence of novel structural materials and connection technologies and the ongoing progress in computational tools and design specifications demand the continuous advancement of innovative thin-walled structures in many areas.

With his keynote, that was delivered during the day devoted to data-centric engineering and digital twins, Professor Chacon presented the research in the ASHVIN project related to Encompassing Measurements, Advanced Analysis and BIM for Digital Twinning of Steel Structures. The presentation provided realistic examples of digital twinning of structural types and systems of various kinds (ranging from complex structural shapes to simple elements). A particular focus was paid to those twinned systems including steel structures, since the vast majority of researchers attending the conference were experts in the design of structures with this particular material.