Soft computing Technology includes aspects of computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, evolutionary based methods and tools. Most frequently, soft computing technology methods are employed on complex and computationally intensive problems that have traditionally proved intractable for conventional analysis methods.

The key areas of soft computing covered by this conference include, but are not limited to:

• Neural networks
• Fuzzy systems
• Genetic algorithms
• Ant colony optimization
• Evolutionary methods
• Simulated annealing
• Harmony search
• Cellular automata
• Swarm intelligence
• Bayesian networks
• Chaos theory
• Data mining
• Expert systems
• Support vector machines

Papers describing recent developments in the above techniques may be submitted to the conference.

Papers describing the application of the above techniques to all branches of civil, structural and environmental engineering may be presented at the conference. The areas of application include, but are not limited to:

• advances in soft computing technology
• artificial simulation applications
• new trends in numerical methods and solution strategies
• parallel and grid computing technologies
• structural mechanics and design
• mesh and grid generation
• water engineering and hydraulics
• structural computational mechanics
• inverse structural engineering
• multi-scale simulation and failure mechanics
• stochastic mechanics, robustness and reliability
• structural and multidisciplinary optimization
• life-cycle cost analysis and performance-based design
• structural dynamics and control
• coupled and interaction problems
• wave propagation and soil dynamics
• structural earthquake and geotechnical engineering
• computational geosciences, geostatistics and geoenvironmental engineering
• damage analysis and vulnerability assessment
• health monitoring and maintenance systems
• repair and retrofit of structures and infrastructures
• smart structures and materials
• biomechanical mechanisms and structures
• risk analysis and decision making
• project management and operations research engineering

The conference runs concurrently with the The Twelfth International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing. Participants may attend sessions from either conference.

To encourage young researchers to attend the conference a 1000 Euro Young Researcher Best Paper Prize will be awarded to the best paper presented at the conference. To read the full terms and conditions of this competition, please click here.

A number of special sessions will be organised at this Conference. Papers may be submitted directly to the Conference Editor or via the special session organisers if you wish to participate in their session. Over the coming months the list of special sessions will gradually grow. Please visit this page regularly to keep up to date. Please also note the important dates.

• sessions to follow

Proposals for the organisation of a special session on your specialist topic including ten to sixteen papers and an optional special lecture are welcome. Please complete the following session proposal form and send it to the conference editor at the address below.

The Conference Editors are Professor Barry H.V. Topping (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK and University of Pécs, Hungary) and Professor Yannis Tsompanakis (Technical University of Crete, Greece).

The members of the editorial board for this conference will be announced in due course.

The opening keynote lecture will be given by Prof. D.M. Frangopol, Lehigh University, bethlehem PA, USA. A list of the other invited plenary and special lectures will be announced in due course.

The conference proceedings which will be available on the first day of the conference will be published by Civil-Comp Press.

A selection of papers will be published in special issues of Computers & Structures and Advances in Engineering Software. The procedure for submitting papers for these journal special issues will be available at the conference. (Only papers presented at the conference are eligible for special issue publication.)

The venue for the conference is Hotel Tivoli Madeira *****, Rua Simplício dos Passos Gouveia, no.29, 9004-576, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. The Tivoli Madeira is a 5 star resort and conference hotel located 5 mins from Funchal city centre. This award-winning hotel overlooks the beachfront promenade and guests are guaranteed views of the sea.

All presentations, lunches and coffees will be at this location. For information on how to get to the venue, click here.

Accommodation is available at Hotel Tivoli Madeira. Bookings should be made directly with the hotel. Special conference rates have been negotiated with the hotel if you use the special rate booking form available from this page. September is high season in Madeira. Many hotels are fully booked during this period, it is therefore vital that you book your hotel room as soon as possible in 2009.