UPM and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) develop a key course in Madrid to design more efficient structures with a smaller carbon footprint
Structural engineering is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation, seeking to reduce costs, optimize materials, and lower polluting emissions. In this context, advanced mathematical and computational methods are taking on a decisive role. This transition was reflected this week in Madrid during a new edition of the international course “Design-Oriented Numerical Modelling of Structural Concrete,” jointly organized by the School of Civil Engineering (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
For five days, the program brought together researchers, doctoral students, and professionals from top-tier consulting firms to delve into one of the great contemporary challenges of civil engineering: how to design more efficient, safe, and sustainable structures through advanced optimization tools and numerical analysis. The initiative also reflects a well-established academic collaboration between two institutions with a strong tradition in structural engineering. Last year the course was held in Copenhagen, and this edition took place in Madrid, as part of a rotating scheme that aims to strengthen the international exchange of knowledge.
Miguel Fernández Ruiz, engineer and professor at the UPM School of Civil Engineering, explained that the core value of the course lies precisely in the crossover of approaches between both universities. Professor Fernández Ruiz is one of the leading figures in the field of limit analysis and the structural design of concrete, an area in which UPM has long maintained a strong international standing in applied research and methodological development. “This joint initiative between both universities merges our expertise in a field where we collaborate closely: the design of concrete structures through plastic methods and limit analysis,” he noted.
As he explained, both the Spanish and Danish groups have accumulated considerable experience, although from complementary perspectives. “Our Danish colleagues and we have great accumulated experience but not the same sensibility. There are more mathematical approaches and others that are more numerical. The goal is to bring together in the same course professors who master the same topic but who have different sensibilities, in order to enrich the debate,” he stated.
This methodological diversity is one of the main attractions of the program. Participants are given tools to address the same structural problem from complementary approaches, something particularly valuable in disciplines where computational simulation and mathematical optimization are increasingly central.
Optimizing structures to reduce costs and emissions
Although the title of the course refers to highly technical concepts, the practical impact of these methods is very concrete. The models taught make it possible to calculate much more precisely how much steel reinforcement a structure needs, how much concrete to use, or how to redistribute internal forces to maximize efficiency and safety. “Sizing is carried out through structural optimization methodologies,” explained Professor Fernández Ruiz. “This allows for significant savings in construction costs, carbon footprint, and makes structures much more efficient and tailored to the needs of a project.”
The environmental issue now appears as one of the central drivers of this type of research. Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in the world and also one of those that generates the largest carbon footprint, especially due to cement production. Reducing unnecessary volumes without compromising safety has become a priority objective for universities, companies, and international organizations.
Professor Fernández Ruiz emphasized that structural engineering no longer thinks solely in economic terms. “Many times, when we talk about these optimization solutions, the question arises: ‘What exactly are they optimizing?’ Normally it is cost, but now we are also focused on minimizing CO2 volumes, limiting environmental impact,” he noted. And he added: “We researchers must move very proactively in this direction in order to meet the demands of our time.”
From graphic statics to structural reliability
The course combined classical methods, advanced theory, mathematical modeling, and practical applications. According to Professor Fernández Ruiz, the program was structured around four main content areas. “We cover everything from graphic statics methods to advanced numerical optimization. This allows us to review topics of conceptual design, analytical and numerical optimization, and finally to incorporate a small section on structural reliability,” he explained.
In other words, attendees worked on tools that make it possible to predict how a structure will respond to extreme loads, cracking, deformations, or potential failures. These methods are currently used in large bridges, tunnels, complex buildings, and strategic infrastructures where the margin of error must be reduced to a minimum. The training also included advanced computational applications and finite element analysis, one of the most widely used technologies in contemporary structural engineering today.
An international and highly specialized profile
The course brought together very diverse profiles, all united by a shared interest and technical passion. According to Professor Fernández Ruiz, approximately one third of the participants were doctoral students, another third consisted of specialized academics, and the rest were engineers from major consulting firms. The participants’ origins were diverse, including students from Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Iraq, China, Morocco, Indonesia, Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru.
“They are very high-level engineers, many coming from Spanish consulting firms who want to deepen their knowledge of the subject, because it has relevant practical applications and a high impact,” he noted. This intersection between university and industry was also one of the distinctive features of the experience. The tools investigated in the academic field quickly find concrete applications in the real design of infrastructures.
The collaboration between UPM and DTU also reflects a broader phenomenon within European engineering: the growing need to build international research networks capable of integrating different scientific traditions, computational approaches, and environmental criteria. At a time when construction simultaneously faces demands for safety, economic efficiency, and decarbonization, this type of initiative emerges as a strategic space for training the specialists who will design the infrastructures of the coming decades.