From June 25 to 28, 2024, the 12th International Conference on Bridge Maintenance and Safety (IABMAS 2024) was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The conference focused on the digitalization and sustainable development of bridge safety and maintenance. Professor Wang Chunsheng from the School of Highway Engineering at Chang’an University led a delegation to the conference and delivered two academic presentations: "Fatigue Crack Propagation Simulation of HaiBach Hole for Orthotropic Steel Bridge Deck" and "Digital Fatigue Test of Steel Truss Girders in Long-Span Suspension Bridge with Double-Deck." During the conference, Professor Wang engaged in academic discussions with Professor Dan Frangopol, Chairman of IABMAS, and Dr. Tina Vejrum, President of IABSE. He also exchanged ideas with Professor Eugen Brühwiler from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) on collaborative research papers focusing on UHPFRC composite steel bridge decks and the fatigue of riveted steel bridges. Following IABMAS 2024, Professor Wang led his delegation on visits to Ghent University in Belgium and the Technical University of Denmark, further expanding academic exchanges and collaboration opportunities with internationally renowned universities.

From June 26 to 29, 2024, the 8th World Transport Convention (WTC 2024) was held at the Qingdao World Expo City, under the theme "New Transportation in Transition." On the afternoon of June 28, the "Bridge Digital Twins and Metaverse Forum," co-hosted by the WTC Bridge Engineering Department and Chang’an University, was successfully held. The forum focused on bridge digital twin simulations and the construction of metaverse technology frameworks. Professor Wang Chunsheng from Chang’an University served as the forum chair, while Dr. Zhai Musai from Suzhou University of Science and Technology and Associate Professor Duan Lan from Chang’an University were responsible for the forum’s planning, promotion, and on-site organization. The forum featured 11 scholars from Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Chang’an University, Shenzhen University, and Guangxi University, who delivered insightful academic presentations. It attracted over 80 participants from industries and universities for technical discussions. The forum emphasized theoretical and technological innovations in digital and intelligent bridges, showcasing foundational research and engineering practices in bridge digital twins and metaverse technology. It holds practical significance for advancing the digital and intelligent transformation of bridges and fostering new productive forces in the field. Looking ahead, key directions for innovation in bridge metaverse technology will include theories and methods for building metaverse frameworks, intelligent bridge monitoring technologies and data原生 (native data), bridge performance evolution and digital twins, and smart operation, maintenance, and virtual-real integration of bridges. Outstanding papers from the forum will be recommended for publication in a special issue on "Bridge Digital Twins and Metaverse" in the China Journal of Highway and Transport.