Frequently Asked Questions

Soft Soils 2026 is the International Conference on Advances and Innovations in Soft Soil Engineering. The conference brings together researchers, engineers, consultants, contractors, policymakers and students from around the world to discuss the latest developments in soft soil engineering.

The conference will take place from 24–26 August 2026 at the TU Delft Aula Conference Centre in Delft, the Netherlands.

The conference is intended for:

• Researchers and academics
• Geotechnical and civil engineers
• Consultants and contractors
• Government professionals
• Infrastructure stakeholders
• PhD candidates and MSc students

Main themes include:

• Behaviour of soft soils
• Laboratory and in situ testing
• Constitutive and numerical modelling
• Climate impact and resilience
• Machine learning and data analysis
• Offshore and near-shore engineering
• Ground improvement techniques
• Soft soils in geo-engineering education

The official conference language is English.

Registration is completed online through the official Soft Soils 2026 Dryfta platform.

Registration categories include:

• MSc Student
• PhD Student
• Regular Participant
• ISSMGE Member
• One-Day Registration
• Accompanying Person

Registration includes:

• Access to all technical sessions
• Conference materials and proceedings
• Coffee breaks and lunches
• Networking events
• Welcome reception
• Conference dinner (depending on registration category)

The extended early bird registration deadline is 29 May 2026.

Payments can be made online by credit card or by bank transfer.

Yes. After completing your registration you will receive:

• An account confirmation email
• Your registration summary
• A payment confirmation
• Your final confirmation letter

Cancellations received on or before 30 June 2026 are eligible for a refund minus a €100 administration fee.

No refunds will be issued after this date.

Yes. Participant substitutions are allowed free of charge.

Participants may submit:

• Extended abstracts (3–4 pages)
• Full conference papers (6–8 pages)

Contributions must be uploaded through the ISSMGE Conference Review Platform in both .docx and .pdf format.

Yes. All submissions will be reviewed by the International Scientific Committee and checked for plagiarism.

Accepted full papers will be published in the conference proceedings indexed in Scopus.

Accepted extended abstracts will be published with open access on the ISSMGE website.

Yes. The conference programme includes distinguished lectures, keynote presentations and invited industry lectures.

Visa requirements depend on your nationality and country of residence. Participants are responsible for checking whether they require a Schengen visa to enter the Netherlands.

We strongly recommend starting the visa application process as early as possible.

Yes. Official visa invitation letters are available for registered participants.

Invitation letters are intended solely to support visa applications and do not imply any financial support from the conference organisers.

Invitation letters can only be issued to participants who:

• Have completed their registration
• Have paid the registration fee in full
• Or have received approval from the organisers

After acceptance and paid registration, you may request an official visa invitation letter through the registration portal.

Please answer al the questions during the registration page, like:

• Full name (as stated in passport)
• Passport number
• Affiliation / organisation

If the visa application is not approved, the registration may be cancelled. In such cases, the registration fee will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee.

To generate your visa letter:

1. Log in to your Dryfta account
2. Click your name in the top-right corner
3. Select My Profile
4. Open your dashboard
5. Click Generate Visa Letter

Unfortunately, the organisers cannot contact embassies or consulates on behalf of participants and cannot influence visa decisions.

Please contact the conference secretariat as soon as possible and provide official documentation of the rejection from the embassy or consulate.

TU Delft Aula Conference Centre
Mekelweg 5
2628 CC Delft
The Netherlands

Delft can easily be reached by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Train connections operate frequently throughout the day.

The venue can be reached from Delft Central Station by:

• Bus
• Taxi
• OV bicycle

Yes. Parking is available on the TU Delft campus. Paid parking regulations may apply.

Yes. The conference website includes recommended hotels in Delft, including preferred partner hotels.

Yes. Delft is a popular destination and hotel availability may become limited closer to the conference dates.

The official currency is the Euro (€).

Yes. Most hotels, restaurants and stores accept major credit cards and contactless payments.

Dial 112 for emergency police, ambulance or fire services.

We recommend bringing:

• A waterproof jacket
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Layers for changing weather
• A European plug adapter (Type C/F)

Yes. Your Dryfta account provides access to:

• Registration
• Programme updates
• Networking tools
• Paper submissions
• Participant messaging

Yes. The platform includes networking and matchmaking features to help participants connect before and during the conference.