Preface

Title: Preface
Author(s): Jacques Marchand
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International RILEM Symposium on Advances in Concrete through Science and Engineering
Editor(s): J. Marchand, B. Bissonnette, R. Gagné, M. Jolin and F. Paradis
Print-ISBN: 2-35158-003-6
e-ISBN: 2351580028
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2006
Pages: XXI - XXI
Total Pages: 1
Language: English

Abstract: Concrete remains the material of choice for the construction industry. Flexible and economical, it is used for an increasingly wide range of applications. The annual consumption of concrete has recently been estimated at roughly half a cubic meter for every person on the planet. In North America, production is believed to amount to slightly more than two cubic meters per person per year. This makes concrete the most consumed man-made material, and second only to water as the most utilized material.

This sustained interest in concrete has pushed engineers and researchers around the world to innovate. The introduction of new chemical admixtures for concrete production has led to the development of a wide range of products, from high-performance concrete to self-levelling mixtures. At the same time, the increased use of industrial by-products such as fly ash, silica fume and blast-furnace slag has helped make concrete a “greener” and more durable material.

Though it has proven quite capable of developing reliable solutions to address practical problems, the construction industry is now confronted by new challenges. Many concrete structures built several decades ago have since sustained significant damage, and must now be repaired or even replaced. In an era of unprecedented economic constraints, this places a substantial financial burden on owners, particularly on the various levels of government. The current situation emphasizes, once more, the need for innovation and technology transfer.

Over the past decades, RILEM has successfully positioned itself as one of the few organizations at the leading edge of innovation in the field of construction. RILEM’s reputation mainly originates from the quality of the work product of its technical committees that not only foster exchanges between academics, industry leaders and end-users but also contribute to disseminate knowledge through the organization of seminars and conferences.

The members of CRIB were quite honoured to team up with RILEM for the organization of the second edition of the Symposium Advances in Concrete through Science and Engineering. This conference offered a unique forum to scientists and engineers to discuss the latest developments in the field of research of cement-based materials. The organizing committee was particularly pleased to note that its call for papers had attracted more than one hundred contributions from a wide range of countries.

The members of the organizing committee would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of all those who have, in a way or another, contributed to the organization of the conference. Special thanks are extended to the members of the scientific committee and the colleagues who have accepted to participate in the review process.

Online publication: 2006-08-02
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00
doi: 10.1617/2351580028.00a