On the future of construction at Bialystok University of Technology. The 11th International AMCM 2025 Conference

05-12-2025

Bialystok University of Technology hosted world-class civil engineering specialists during the 11th International Conference Analytical Models and New Concepts in Concrete and Masonry Structures (AMCM 2025). The three-day event (3–5 December), held at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology, became a platform for the exchange of scientific and practical experience, focusing on current challenges faced by the sector, such as decarbonisation, production automation and sustainable development.

Science as a leader of change in construction

The 11th International AMCM 2025 Conference brought together nearly 100 researchers and practitioners from around the world, including Brazil, the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, India, Israel, Portugal, Poland and the United States. Participation in the event provided a unique opportunity to discuss current and future challenges of the sector, as well as to debate ways to improve the quality of engineering practice.

According to Prof. Agnieszka Bigaj-van Vliet, a member of the Presidium of the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib), one of the most important tasks of the AMCM Conference is to confront theory with the practical needs reported by industry. Scientists play an important role in providing the construction industry with innovative, laboratory-tested tools, materials and methods that increase efficiency and safety.

– Science is the foundation of industrial development; this is a key idea that should guide both scientists and practitioners in the construction sector – emphasises Prof. Agnieszka Bigaj-van Vliet. – During the AMCM Conference, we can assess what has already been achieved in specific areas of technological development and where there is room for improvement in engineering practice. Issues such as decarbonisation, production automation, new computational techniques and analytical methods are challenges for which technology is urgently needed.

A major challenge for the construction sector is the circular economy. This issue was addressed by Assoc. Prof. Wit Derkowski, DSc, PhD, Eng., Chair of the Concrete Structures Section of the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

– We live in times of constant challenges, the most important of which is pressure towards increasingly sustainable development – emphasises Assoc. Prof. Wit Derkowski, DSc, PhD, Eng. – In construction, we must intensify efforts towards integrating circular economy principles. We are talking here about designing structures that will either have the option of dismantling and reuse, or the potential to adapt to changing conditions, as well as zero-emission buildings. There are very, very many topics, and each of them represents a potential area of cooperation between industry and science. And here we touch upon another challenge: are we, as scientists, able to cooperate with the economy? And is industry able to cooperate with science? Do we understand our needs and capabilities? Are we aware of the benefits of such cooperation? This is an enormous challenge facing Polish industry and Polish scientists.

Outcomes of the AMCM Conference at Bialystok University of Technology

The International AMCM 2025 Conference is a highly regarded event in the scientific community. This is confirmed by previous editions of the conference, successfully held, among others, at Lodz University of Technology (1996 and 2008), Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (1999 and 2014), Cracow University of Technology (2002 and 2011), Silesian University of Technology (2005 and 2017), and Lublin University of Technology (2020).

The AMCM Conference is held every three years and is of great importance for the new generation of specialists.

– The significance of the conference cannot be overstated – says Assoc. Prof. Mirosław Broniewicz, DSc, PhD, Eng., a member of the Organising Committee of AMCM 2025. – It brings together outstanding scientists and generates many positive values. It allows our young researchers to develop excellently in their work.

Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Prusiel, DSc, PhD, Eng., from the Department of Building Structures and Structural Mechanics at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology, also appreciates the event in the context of building professional networks.

– The conference is an excellent platform for the exchange of ideas, especially for young researchers – including those building their professional careers at Bialystok University of Technology – who are very active, and who, during conference sessions and presentations, can draw inspiration and enrich their experience – emphasises Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Prusiel, DSc, PhD, Eng.

The three-day AMCM 2025 Conference at Bialystok University of Technology will conclude with the publication of a monograph containing abstracts. Selected papers will be published in highly ranked scientific journals.

After the conclusion of the sessions at Bialystok University of Technology, some participants will take part in a study visit to Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuania).

The historical significance of the AMCM Conference

The first edition of the International Conference Analytical Models and New Concepts in Concrete and Masonry Structures was held at Bialystok University of Technology in 1993.
Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Prusiel, DSc, PhD, Eng. is pleased that, after completing a full circle through academic centres, the event has returned to its roots.

– The AMCM Conference comes full circle, returning to Bialystok University of Technology – the place where the idea of computational models in concrete structures was born – says Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Prusiel, DSc, PhD, Eng. – Today, our scientists respond to global trends related to sustainable development, decarbonisation and the circular economy. The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology has significant achievements in research on elements with non-metallic reinforcement, intended to replace traditional steel and thus reduce the CO₂ footprint. In this way, we develop ready-to-use tools, patents and methods that will enable practitioners to build safely and in line with the principles of sustainable development.

Researchers at Bialystok University of Technology are actively working on concrete recycling and already have patent applications in this area.

Their research also supports the protection of cultural heritage. This includes, in particular, extensive research and conservation work in the 16th-century monastic catacombs in Supraśl – a unique monument that was awarded the title of a Monument of History of the Republic of Poland in 2023. Bialystok University of Technology cooperates in this field with the Monastery of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God and other research institutions.

Researchers from Bialystok University of Technology have also developed a technology for repairing the vaults of the Bialystok Archcathedral. The following were involved in rescuing the structure of this historic building: Prof. Czesław Miedziałowski, Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology, and Marcin Orłowski, PhD, Eng.

The 11th International Conference Analytical Models and New Concepts in Concrete and Masonry Structures (AMCM 2025) was organised by the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of Bialystok University of Technology, in cooperation with the Polish Association of Civil Engineers and Technicians, Bialystok Branch, and the Concrete Structures Section of the Committee of Civil and Water Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Honorary patronage over the conference was provided by: the Minister of Infrastructure, the Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, and the President of the City of Bialystok.

National patronage: Podlaskie Voivode Jacek Brzozowski, Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology, the Polish Association of Civil Engineers and Technicians, the Polish Chamber of Civil Engineers, and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

International patronage: RILEM (The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures), fib (The International Federation for Structural Concrete), ACI (The American Concrete Institute).

Media patrons: Materiały Budowlane monthly, NBI Engineering Portal, Inżynieria i Budownictwo, Przegląd Budowlany PZITB, Builder, Economics and Environment, Inżynier Budownictwa, Archives of Civil Engineering.

Partners: Podlaskie Voivodeship, the City of Bialystok, Astra Technologia Betonu Sp. z o.o., Schöck, PPP IdeaPro Sp. z o.o., PP Nordica Polska.

Event website: https://pb.edu.pl/amcm2025/

Author: Monika Rokicka