MS37 Scientific Software Tools for Safety, Reliability and Risk Assessments of Structures and Systems

Assistant Prof. Jürgen Hackl: hackl@liverpool.ac.uk

Session Chairs:
Jürgen Hackl, Asst. Prof. Dr., University of Liverpool, hackl@liverpool.ac.uk
John W. van de Lindt, Prof. Ph.D., F. ASCE, F. SEI, Colorado State University, jwv@engr.colostate.edu
Bruno Sudret. Prof. Dr., ETH Zürich, sudret@ethz.ch

Abstract of the special session:
Scientific software is widely used in science and engineering fields. The areas of application range from the simulation of complex processes, over the analysis of large amounts of data, to decision making in social and industrial contexts. Scientific software is essential for many industries, such as nuclear and automotive, but also in the fields of environmental and civil engineering. Furthermore, such software tools provide the basis for further research. Scientific software contains not only extensive expertise but also integrates new technologies from computer science. As a result, we will be able to increasingly rely on software solutions featuring high-performance computing, cloud computing and collaborative elements to drive our research forward.
However, the development of scientific software, especially in the fields of safety, reliability and risk assessments, is a great challenge and requires a substantial amount of specialized domain knowledge and time. While large software development teams develop commercial software, scientific software is developed by scientists for scientists; consequently, it is difficult to maintain and distribute such software.
The goal of this mini-symposium is to provide an opportunity for the developers of scientific software tools for safety, reliability and risk assessments to present their work to a broad audience of scientists and professionals. Preference will be given to cutting-edge software projects that are actively developed and extended. If you are working on such a project, we encourage you to submit an abstract to this mini-symposium.