Preparatory Documents for the International Seminar

• Seminar first Announcement
• Seminar second Announcement

The two-day seminar consisted of four technical sessions and two keynote presentations (from Spain and the Dominican Republic) with a large audience including experts from governments, academia and the private sector both from Mexico and abroad.

During the opening session, welcome addresses were delivered by Mr Luis Rojas Nieto, President of AMVITAC and Mr Mayobanex Escoto Vazquez, President of DIRCAIBEA, and followed by the opening remarks by Dr Keiichi Tamura, Chair of TC 1.5. Participants were then warmly greeted by Mr Oscar De Buen Richkarday, President of the World Road Association.

As a keynote presenter, Mr. Manuel Garrete Prieto, Risk Manager of OHL Group, Spain, discussed the importance of the disaster prevention technologies for highway infrastructure based on recent bitter experiences such as in Chile or Brazil.
Mr. Escoto Vazquez showed the disaster prevention measures taken in Caribbean and Central American countries against hurricanes, and emphasized the importance of adaptation strategy to climate change effects.

All four technical sessions started with a brief introduction of on-going research activities of TC 1.5. Among a wide variety of presentations Mr Luis Rojasnieto focused on the collapse and reconstruction of a highway bridge, with emphasis on quality assurance by preparing legal guidelines and standards. Dr Roberto Aguerrebere Salido, World Road Association First Delegate of Mexico, and his colleague explained their research on the prioritization of road reconstruction after a natural disaster and its application to restoration works from the recent hurricane disasters.

In the closing session, Dr Roberto Aguerrebere Salido and Dr Keiichi Tamura addressed closing remarks, and expressed cordial appreciation to all the contributors to this memorable technical event.