In a collaborative initiative between The Advance Timber Hub, Aurecon & The Engineers Australia Structural College Board, Brisbane recently hosted an exclusive technical seminar on the seismic design of timber structures, delivered by internationally acclaimed expert Professor Massimo Fragiacomo from the University of L’Aquila, Italy.

Professor Fragiacomo, who stayed on in Brisbane after attending the 2025 World Conference on Timber Engineering—thanks to an invitation from Professor Keith Crews and financial support from the Advanced Timber Hub—generously offered to share his expertise with the local engineering community before continuing his travels to New Zealand. His presentation drew strong interest from structural engineers. The focus of the afternoon was on the recent, comprehensive updates to the Eurocodes, highlighting key changes in Eurocode 8 (design for earthquake resistance) and its alignment with Eurocode 5 (timber structures). The seminar facilitated rich discussion and a highly engaged Q&A session, with participants eager to explore how these updates could be applied in local design contexts.

The seminar marked a successful exchange of global knowledge with local impact. Attendees gained deep insights into seismic design strategies for timber structures, enhancing their understanding of evolving international standards and their practical application.