Report and conclusions from the Congress held in Sokobanja in 2025

Report on the DIMK Serbia Congress and the X SIGP Serbia Congress with the International Symposium on Research and Application of Achievements in Civil Engineering in the Field of Materials and Structures

in the period from 21.05-23.05.2025

In the period from May 21 to 23, 2025, in Sokobanja, at the "Sunce" hotel, the joint Congress of DIMK Serbia and SIGP Serbia was held along with the International Symposium on Research and Application of Achievements in Civil Engineering in the Field of Materials and Structures.

(XXIX Congress DIMK and X Congress SIGP with international Symposium on research and application of modern achievements in civil engineering in the field of materials and structures)

The Congress was organized by the Society for Testing and Research of Materials and Structures of Serbia, the Association of Modern Clay Products Industry of Serbia, and the IMS Institute. The organization of the Conference was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Engineers, as well as by numerous sponsors and donors.

General Data

In the period from May 21 to 23, 2025, in Sokobanja, the traditional congress of the Society for Testing and Research of Materials and Structures of Serbia (DIMK) and the Association of Modern Clay Products Industry of Serbia (SIGP) was held, which is organized every third year.

The Congress gathered over 100 participants from various sectors of the construction industry – experts, engineers, designers, professors, students, and company representatives, which further confirms the importance of this event for the domestic professional and business public.

Program and Activities

During the three-day program, a series of the following was held:

• professional and thematic lectures,

• interactive panel discussions,

• practical workshops and presentations of new technologies and materials.

The topics focused on modern challenges in civil engineering, sustainable construction, infrastructure, innovations in materials and design, as well as alignment with European standards and practices, with a special emphasis on clay products. The Conference program took place in the congress halls of the "Sunce" hotel in Sokobanja.

For the Congress, 57 papers (with abstracts) were published and presented. The complete texts of the submitted papers were peer-reviewed anonymously, with one or two reviewers assigned to each paper. There were 21 reviewers, selected from the ranks of esteemed scientists with a PhD in the relevant scientific field, who significantly helped in raising the scientific quality of the Congress, and their names were published in the Conference materials, i.e., in the Conference Proceedings (Conference Proceedings 1–2).

The Conference Proceedings were printed for 57 papers and an impressive 527 pages.

Papers from Serbia, the USA, Germany, Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, and Macedonia were published.

The Congress was opened by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nenad Ristić on May 21, 2025, at the "Sunce" hotel in Sokobanja. Invited lectures of the Congress took place on May 21 and 22, and more than 100 participants attended in person; of that number, 1/3 of the participants were from abroad. Lectures took place on all three days.

Both Congresses and the International Symposium are an ideal opportunity for exchanging experiences, as well as analyzing the results achieved in the previous period and defining future directions of development in order to improve civil engineering in the field of materials and structures.

This is an opportunity to consider the state of our regulations in these areas and the need for their further harmonization with European standards.

The goals of the congress are for civil engineers, technologists, and experts of other professions dealing with research in the field of materials and structures, as well as the production of building materials, especially from clay and its application, to summarize the results of research and practice in these fields through the presentation of papers and discussion.

A very wide range of topics was considered:

Research of modern construction materials and their application, then theoretical and experimental analysis of structures, design and construction of buildings from the aspect of sustainable development, project management in civil engineering, assessment of condition, maintenance and rehabilitation of structures, technical regulations and quality system, environmental protection and energy efficiency, raw material base and new technological processes, aspects of the application of clay products.

Also, the Plaque for the best doctoral dissertation in the period from 2022 to 2025 was awarded.

The Commission decided that the winners of the Plaque for the best doctoral dissertation are:

• Andrija Z. Zorić, who wrote a doctoral dissertation on the topic:

“Development of numerical and analytical model of innovative steel seismic energy dissipator”

• Miloš (Jovan) Milić with the doctoral dissertation topic "Proposal of a new solution for composite action of steel and cross-laminated timber using reinforced dowels"

After the lectures, on May 22, an excursion was organized, where the participants visited the apartment of Ivo Andrić, where he created his most famous works, the Ripaljka waterfall, and the Grudno picnic area.

The Conference ended on May 23, to the satisfaction of the participants with high-quality papers and overall organization.

Conclusion and Impressions

According to the evaluations of the participants and the organizing committee, the Congress was successfully realized with excellent organization and attention to every detail, and a high level of professional exchange, professional connection, and promotion of new solutions in construction practice was achieved.

The atmosphere during the Congress was professional, but at the same time friendly and open, which further contributed to efficient dialogue and networking. Attendance at the lectures was beyond all expectations. According to a previous agreement, the introductory lectures from the SIGP Assembly meeting, as well as a larger number of papers, were presented on the first day, but also in the morning of the second day of the Congress.

I express my great gratitude to the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Chamber of Engineers, and other sponsors who supported this Congress and enabled the most modern achievements in the field of civil engineering to be presented in the best light, with a special emphasis on the application of the modern construction products industry in civil engineering.

In Belgrade, May 30, 2025      

On behalf of all organizers of the Congress

President of DIMK Serbia

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nenad Ristić