This Volume contains the proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on High Performance Structures and Materials ( HPSM ), which was held in The Algarve, Portugal, in May 2008. HPSM is not just a conference on materials engineering: it tries to go much further, in the sense that it – rightfully – requires from the designer an awareness of evolving views on the interaction between materials and structures. In particular, durability, sustainability and ecological considerations have become major issues in structural design, involving concepts such as embodied energy of materials, design for sustainability, design for deconstruction, design for re-use, and many others. In short, the designer of structures and the user of materials carry a major responsibility towards society.

The proceedings has been arranged in the following sections: Materials Characterisation; High Performance Concretes; Composite Materials and Structures; Natural Fibre Composites; Adhesion and Adhesives; Damage and Fracture Mechanics; Structural Dynamics and Impact Behaviour; Optimal Design; Behaviour of FRP Structures; Structural Characterisation.