Submit Session Proposals and Single Abstracts

All session proposals and abstract submissions are due by June 5, 2024, 10:00 pm ET. Extensions are not possible.

NOTES: All accepted presenters and moderators are required to register and attend the conference. Please confirm that you can attend the conference before submitting. The National Technical Program Committee strongly requests no more than 2 submissions per person.

The SEI Structures Congress National Technical Program Committee (NTPC) invites abstracts and sessions on topics of interest to structural engineers at every level of their career. Emphasis is on presentations that support advancing the structural engineering profession including leadership development, innovation and novel project solutions, emerging technologies, resilience, sustainability, functional recovery, global climate change, and innovative research with practical applications. Implementation of these topics to the full life cycle of structures including design, analysis, fabrications, construction, testing, and maintenance welcomed. NTPC welcomes submissions from architects, owner's representatives, construction engineers, attorneys, and more.

Key Dates:

Call for Proposals closes: June 5, 2024

Notifications sent to submitters: September 9, 2024

Final Publication-Ready Papers due: November 6, 2024

Suggested topics

• Blast & Impact Loading
• Bridges, Tunnels, and other Transportation Structures
• Buildings
• Business and Professional Practice
• Career and Leadership
• Education
• Forensic
• Life-cycle assessment
• Natural disasters
• Nonbuilding and special structures
• Nonstructural components and systems
• Innovative research
• Technology advancements (comparing different types of technology and/or software)

Submission Options: (Sessions are 60 or 90-minutes)

Consider developing a full session with a moderator and the confirmed presenters.

1. Sessions without abstracts
2. Sessions with abstracts
3. Single abstract
4. Workshop

Be sure you understand the type of proposal you want to submit.
Note: If not asked by a session organizer to be part of a session, you should submit a single abstract. Please do not submit the same abstract twice.

Sessions without Abstracts

60 or 90-minute program. No option to submit a final paper later in the process. Could be a panel, debate, or another creative program. Moderator and all confirmed presenters/authors with e-mails must be included in the author tab of the paper management system at submission.

Sessions with Abstracts

60 or 90-minute program. Option to submit a paper if accepted. Two-part submission process. Read instructions on how abstracts are connected to a session. Moderator and all confirmed presenters/authors with e-mails must be included in the author tab of the paper management system. Download (PDF) "How to Add Abstracts to Sessions" for more detailed information.

Single Abstract

One person's presentation submitted to a topic will be reviewed and grouped together with other single abstracts by NTPC to create a 60 or 90-minute session including IES sessions. Option to submit a paper if accepted. Presenters and authors with e-mails must be included in the author tab of the paper management system.

Workshop

This is an opportunity to hold a longer program with more in-depth learning/training. This would be two 90-minute session blocks with a break in the middle. This submission must include a moderator and all speakers with clear information on what the audience will learn.
Please submit this as a Session without Abstracts.

Session Ideas

• Innovative Executive Sessions (IES): 60 minutes (8 presenters), 90 minutes (10–12 presenters) each presenter has 3 minutes for the presentation and one PowerPoint slide. Then all move to an area for small group discussion. This consists of 20-minute blocks, so the audience can rotate to different presenters.
• Panel Sessions: Multidiscipline project team or institute/academy members discuss the projects or unique approach and success/lessons learned. Panel sessions can also include debates or other creative formats. No more than 5 panel members.
• Case Studies: Presenter(s) describe in detail an entire project including issues like management structure, design, issues encountered, solutions to overcome problems, and outcome. Project teams encouraged.
• Interactive Sessions: Encourage audience participation and breakout groups, facilitated discussion, game show format, etc.
• Traditional Sessions: A moderator and 4–5 presentations/papers for 90-minute session and 3-4 presentations/papers for a 60-minute session.
• Workshop: longer program allowing more opportunity to educate the audience.

Goals of the National Technical Program Committee (NTPC)

• Create a program that supports the advancement of the structural engineering profession including how we are creating leaders, new and innovative information with practical and technical applications, global and social impacts, bringing together project teams, and supporting the SEI Vision for the Future of SE.
• Balance the program to include a variety of different topics and new delivery formats that engage the audience and are more interactive.
• Provide adequate time frame and formats for presenters to share information and allow for audience participation including questions and answers.
• Limit five abstracts/presentations per traditional 90 min session: NTPC prefers four.
• Limit 4 abstracts presentations per traditional 60 min session: NTPC prefers 3.
• Encourage more 60-minute sessions.
• Create value-added programs for attendees.
• Encourage as many different speakers as possible. Individuals should not submit more than 2 proposals.

Review and Evaluation

All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:

Technical Content

• Contributes to science and/or practice of structural engineering.
• Quality of methodology and approach.
• Impact on the structural engineering profession.
• How does this support the advancement of the structural engineering profession.
• Practical applications.
• Is this new or innovative.
• Will this advance the attendee's career.
• What will the audience learn.

Quality of Presentations

• New dynamic presentation formats are strongly encouraged to include audience participation.
• All requested information is included in the submission, including confirmed presenters.
• Content (objectivity, methodology, results, conclusion, and/or limitations).
• Clarity of writing, organization of abstract, or session.
• Grammar and mechanics of writing.
• Format and size requirements.
• One presenter should not have more than 2 speaking opportunities.

Final Papers:

Final papers are optional but encouraged. Papers should be 10–12 pages but a few additional pages are not a problem. The deadline for final publication-ready papers to be uploaded into the paper management system is November 6, 2024, 11:00 pm ET.

Be sure you can receive emails from [email protected]. Check your spam folder after you have submitted or work with your IT Department to whitelist XCD Systems.

For questions about submissions contact Lawan McFerren.