Book excerpt: Insights and Innovations in Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation comprises 360 papers that were presented at the Sixth International Conference on Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation (SEMC 2016, Cape Town, South Africa, 5-7 September 2016). The papers reflect the broad scope of the SEMC conferences, and cover a wide range of engineering structures (buildings, bridges, towers, roofs, foundations, offshore structures, tunnels, dams, vessels, vehicles and machinery) and engineering materials (steel, aluminium, concrete, masonry, timber, glass, polymers, composites, laminates, smart materials). Some contributions present the latest insights and new understanding on (i) the mechanics of structures and systems (dynamics, vibration, seismic response, instability, buckling, soil-structure interaction), and (ii) the mechanics of materials and fluids (elasticity, plasticity, fluid-structure interaction, flow through porous media, biomechanics, fracture, fatigue, bond, creep, shrinkage). Other contributions report on (iii) recent advances in computational modelling and testing (numerical simulations, finite-element modeling, experimental testing), and (iv) developments and innovations in structural engineering (planning, analysis, design, construction, assembly, maintenance, repair and retrofitting of structures). Insights and Innovations in Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Computation is particularly of interest to civil, structural, mechanical, marine and aerospace engineers. Researchers, developers, practitioners and academics in these disciplines will find the content useful. Short versions of the papers, intended to be concise but self-contained summaries of the full papers, are collected in the book, while the full versions of the papers are on the accompanying CD.