This conference provided the forum for this exchange of expertise and knowledge among engineers from diverse professional backgrounds and disciplines. The conference was run under the auspices of the Engineering Integrity Society and the Dynamic Testing Agency and was co-sponsored by the British Society for Strain Measurement, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Joint British Committee for Stress Analysis and the National Agency for Finite Element Methods and Standards. The papers presented are relevant to practitioners in power generation, aerospace, transport, offshore, process and construction engineering.