Dr Fragkoulis Kanavaris 
ARUP, United Kingdom

Dr. Kanavaris will present on “Cracking of Concrete Structures: Design, Consequences, and Mitigation“

Prof. Elsabe Kearsley
University of Pretoria, South Africa

Prof. Kearsley will present on “The Influence of Drying Shrinkage on the Long-term Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Structures“

Prof. Dr.-Ing Sylvia Keßler
Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg, Germany

Prof. Dr.-Ing Keßler holds the professorship for Engineering Materials and Building Preservation at the Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg (HSU/UniBw H). Her education includes a diploma in civil engineering from RWTH Aachen University and a PhD from the Technical University of Munich. Her research focuses on service-life design and methods for estimating the remaining service life, integrating non-destructive testing and monitoring techniques for condition assessment. A key aspect of her work is evaluating the reliability of these testing methods to enhance their practical application. Additionally, she investigates the role of digitalization and Building Information Modeling (BIM) in optimizing maintenance strategies. Her research also extends to sustainability assessment, considering the entire life cycle of reinforced concrete structures to support more efficient and environmentally responsible construction and maintenance practices. Prof. Keßler is a member of the fib Presidium and serves as the Convener of the fib Task Group “Existing Concrete Structures: Life Management, Testing, and Structural Health Monitoring.” She is also the Convener of the fib SAG “AI and Digitalization.” In addition, she is a member of the RILEM Bureau and Chair of the RILEM Technical Committee “Assessment of Electrochemical Methods to Study Corrosion of Steel in Concrete,” among various other national and international professional engagements.

Prof. Dr.-Ing Keßler will present on “Predict, Prevent, Protect: Digital Strategies for Corrosion Management“

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Steffen Marx
TU Dresden, Germany

Prof. Steffen Marx is Professor of Concrete Structures and Head of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TUD Dresden University of Technology, as well as Head of the Otto-Mohr-Laboratory. He is also the Founder and partner of the company MKP GmbH since 2011. He obtained his PhD from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany, and subsequently worked for several years industry, mostly at German Railway. He also served as a visiting professor at the University of California, San Diego, for one year. From 2011 to 2020, he was Full Professor and Director of the Institute of Concrete Construction at Leibniz University Hannover before moving to Dresden. Structural engineering , in particular bridge engineering has been a central focus of his research since the beginning of his academic career. He has been awarded the German Bridge Construction Award twice and the Techtextil Innovation Award once. Prof. Marx has been involved in numerous bridge projects in Germany, including the Nibelungen Bridge, the Köhlbrand Bridge, and the Scherkonde Viaduct, among others. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and conference proceedings, serves as spokesperson for several nationally prestigious research programs, and is an active member of various national and international committees and advisory board as well as journal editorial boards, such as in journal Structural Health Monitoring.

Prof. Dr.-Ing Marx will present on “Safe Operation of Aging Prestressed Concrete Bridges – How Is This Possible?“

Prof. Andre Valente Monteiro
LNEC, Portugal

Prof. Monteiro will present on “Restoring Reinforcement Passivity through Replacement of Concrete Cover: Towards Future fib Guidance”

Prof Radhakrishna G. Pillai
IIT Madras, India

Prof Pillai is a Professor at the Building Technology, Construction Materials & Management Division and currently Head of the Laboratory (BTCM), Indian Institute of Technology Madras.He earned a bachelor degree in civil engineering from the M N Regional Engineering College (now MNNIT) in Allahabad, India. He then went on to earn an MS and PhD in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, USA, where he became passionate about combating corrosion in reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. In September 2010, he joined IIT Madras, where he has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including NPTEL MOOC courses, in the areas of construction materials, concrete technology, and corrosion, deterioration, repair, and rehabilitation of concrete structures. He has guided eight PhD and five MS students and is currently guiding six PhD and one MS student. He is currently running various projects focusing on steel corrosion and its impact on the durability and service life of concrete structures. In particular, he is focused on developing corrosion test methods, databases, and tools for practicing engineers to promote service life-based design of concrete structures. Recently, he has been extending his research towards cathodic protection and the extension of the residual service life of concrete structures. Most of his projects focus on understanding the fundamentals and applying them to practical challenges and modifying standards and specifications. He has co-authored over 60 journal papers and filed three patents, one of which has been granted. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Young Concrete Engineer Award from the Indian Concrete Institute, Tamil Nadu Chapter. In 2019, he received the Excellence in Corrosion Science & Technology Award from the NACE International Gateway India Section. He is also active in the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI), Association of Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP, formerly NACE), and The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM). He is committed to developing technologies to ‘combat corrosion of steel in concrete and estimate & extend the service life of concrete structures.

Prof. Pillai will present on “Galvanic Cathodic Protection of Concrete Structures – Experiences and Way Forward“

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Taffe
HTW Berlin, Germany

Prof. Dr.-Ing Taffe will present on “From the Rebound-Hammer to the Qualification of NDT-CE personnel“