Oct 30
2026

Under the theme “New Structural Applications with Stone: a Niche or a Change in Construction?”, the symposium will focus on current structural applications of stone, design approaches, reinforced stone systems, digital methods, environmental performance, and the practical challenges associated with bringing new stone structural solutions into construction.

It will take place on March 10, 11, and 18, 2027, in Portugal and will bring together structural engineers, architects, researchers, natural stone companies, and students to discuss and demonstrate new approaches to the use of natural stone as a structural material in construction.

* March 10: design, engineering, discussion, and reinforced stone testing. The first day will be held at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Beira Interior (UBI), in Covilhã.
Invited speakers include: Steve Webb, Webb Yates Engineers; Amin Taha, Groupwork;
David Watson, Tyréns AKT; Alessandro Margnelli, Tyréns AKT.
Their presentations will address recent approaches to structural stone from the viewpoints of engineering, architecture, design and construction.
* In the afternoon, a round table will be held with the topic “Structural Stone: A Niche or a Change in Construction?” Participants will come from companies working across construction, engineering and the natural stone sector, including Grupo DST, Grupo Tecnibuild, Filstone, Polimagra and ST1.
* Later, the afternoon program will move directly to experimentation with laboratory tests on reinforced stone slabs. Participants will observe the structural response of the elements, including cracking, deformation, and failure mechanisms.

* March 11: industry, construction and hands-on assembly. On the second day, the symposium will move to Pinhel, where the program will focus on the relationship between natural stone, industry, training and practical construction. Entitled “Industry and Hands on the Stone”, the program will include technical discussions and hands-on activities involving specialists and students: Subjects include the use of natural stone in the digital age, construction requirements, digital documentation, environmental performance and the role of quantitative data in evaluating the sustainability of stone construction.
A distinctive part of the 2027 program will be the direct participation of students from Agrupamento de Escolas de Pinhel. They will take part in the assembly and preparation of structural stone elements, giving them the opportunity to work directly with materials and construction systems rather than observing the process only through drawings, calculations or lectures.

* March, 18: experimental testing and discussion. The work will continue on the third day at the Structures Laboratory of the University of Beira Interior. The structural elements assembled with the students’ participation in Pinhel will be brought to the laboratory and subjected to experimental structural testing. Students from Agrupamento de Escolas de Pinhel will participate in the testing session, allowing them to follow the complete sequence: assembly → loading → deformation → cracking → failure → discussion of results.
The activity aims to show that structural engineering can be taught not only through calculations and models, but also through direct contact with the material and observation of how structures actually behave.

This format reflects one of the symposium’s central aims: to place structural stone between research and real construction, connecting material production, structural design, architecture, digital methods, testing, and education.

Natural stone has traditionally been associated with masonry, cladding and heritage construction. Current research and engineering practice are, however, examining other possibilities, including reinforced and prestressed stone, modular structural components, slabs, beams, columns and systems designed for disassembly and reuse.

The symposium will provide a forum to discuss where these approaches are technically justified, what barriers remain, and what evidence is still required before wider adoption.

About the symposium

The IV International Symposium – “New Construction With Stone” is organized with the participation of the University of Beira Interior, UBI Innovative, C-MADE, Município de Pinhel, and Agrupamento de Escolas de Pinhel, with ASSIMAGRA as partner and the participation and support of companies from the natural stone and construction sectors.

The event is aimed at structural and civil engineers, architects, researchers, natural stone producers and processors, construction companies, designers, students, and professionals interested in new structural uses of natural stone.

Registration is available through the QR code in the second picture or on
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=GTAAK7V7BEmoZ1ZRq701jj9bcteANGNJrjMmtNOhWm1UME0xU0E2SjNRQkNYWEpRTVRSNzE0TDlFNi4u&route=shorturl