During April 26-28, 2024, Conference on High-Quality Development of Concrete and Cement Products was held in Wuhan. The conference was organized by Concrete and Cement Products Branch of Chinese Ceramic Society (CCS), hosted by Wuhan University of Technology (WHUT), sponsored by NEXCEL, and supported by China Building Materials Academy (CBMA). With the theme of "Green and Low-carbon, Energy Saving and Environmental Protection, Digital Intelligent Manufacturing", the conference gathered experts, scholars and engineers to exchange innovative outcomes, cutting-edge material research and latest applications, jointly promoting the sustainable and high-quality development of the concrete and cement products industry. The conference was attended by over 200 participants from research, testing, design and consulting institutions, universities, and firms.
At the opening, Prof. Xin Sijin, President of WHUT, Mr. Tan Fu, Secretary General of CCS, Mr. Hou Diyang, President of CBMA / Member of NEXCEL Steering Committee (SC), and Prof. Yao Yan, Chairlady of the Concrete and Cement Products Branch of CCS / Chairlady of NEXCEL Technical Advisory Committee(TAC) delivered the opening speeches.
Mr. Tan Fu, Secretary General of Chinese Ceramic Society
Mr. Hou Diyang, President of CBMA / Member of NEXCEL SC
Prof. Yao Yan, Chairlady of Concrete and Cement Products Branch of CCS / Chairlady of NEXCEL TAC
Prof. Li Zongjing from Macau University of Science and Technology presented a keynote speech titled "Exploring the Pathways of Negative Carbon Concrete," which delved into the theoretical analysis and structural design of zero-clinker low-carbon gel materials using quantum chemistry and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics.
Prof. Li Zongjing from Macau University of Science and Technology
Prof. Liu Jiaping, Member of Chinese Academy of Engineering(CAE) and NEXCEL Strategic Consultant, delivered a keynote speech titled "Research Status and Future Trends of Concrete Admixtures," which discussed the research progress and engineering applications of high-performance water reducers, crack-resistant agents, and accelerators in concrete. The presentation also outlined the future development trends of concrete admixtures.
Prof. Liu Jiaping, Member of Chinese Academy of Engineering/NEXCEL Strategic Consultant
Prof. Yao Yan from CBMA, Chairlady of NEXCEL TAC delivered a keynote speech on "Research Status and Trends of Cement and Concrete in China." The speech summarized and analyzed the national key support projects, upcoming policy, and initiatives in the field of cement concrete. Furthermore, it identified the five major issues and strategies that the cement concrete industry should focus on.
Prof. Yao Yan from CBMA, Chairlady of NEXCEL TAC
Prof. Hu Shuguang from WHUT delivered a keynote speech on "Carbon Emission Reduction in Concrete." The speech comprehensively analyzed the composition of carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of concrete materials, and provided insights into how to effectively address carbon emissions in concrete production.
Prof. Hu Shuguang from Wuhan University of Technology
Prof. Ji Guojin, Deputy Director of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, delivered a keynote speech titled "Research and Development Trends of Hydraulic Concrete Technology." It summarized the research achievements and engineering practice of current hydraulic concrete technology.
Prof. Ji Guojin from China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research
Prof. Tian Bo, Chief Scientist of the Foundamental Innovation Center of Research Institute of Highway Ministry of Transport (RIOH), delivered a keynote speech titled "High-Quality Highway Construction and the Development of Highway Cement Concrete Technology." The report analyzed the progress in the construction of national expressways, as well as the increasing demands for resilience and safety in transportation infrastructure.
Prof. Tian Bo from Research Institute of Highway Ministry of Transport
Prof. Zhao Guotang from China State Railway Group delivered a keynote speech titled "Technological Innovation and Development Direction of China's High-Speed Railway Construction." The report focused on the development of concrete technology in high-speed railways, and analyzed the challenges faced by concrete technology in three development directions: high-speed, high-altitude, and eco-friendly railways.
Prof. Zhao Guotang from China State Railway Group
Prof. Zhang Wensheng from CBMA delivered a keynote speech titled "Synergistic Development of Low-Carbon Cement and High-Performance Concrete." The report presented an overview of the research on low-carbon cement, outlined the material composition and performance characteristics of high-performance concrete, and discussed the synergistic development.
Prof. Zhang Wensheng from CBMA
Dr. Li Juan, Program Director of NEXCEL, delivered a keynote speech entitled "Nonmetallic Materials - Sustainable Concrete Solutions" In her speech, Dr. Li Juan gave a detailed overview of NEXCEL funded projects and sustainable concrete solutions. She also shared a variety of major engineering application cases with hydrocarbon-based nonmetallic materials in concrete and pointed out the main future application scenarios of hydrocarbon-based nonmetallic materials in construction field.
Dr. Li Juan, Program Director of NEXCEL
The conference has organized three parallel seminars on cutting-edge technology, engineering requirements, and extreme conditions. A total of 36 experts were invited to deliver invited speeches. The topics covered low-carbon and digital technologies in concrete, carbon capture in cement-based materials, carbon fiber and ultra-high-performance concrete, as well as solid waste pavement base materials.
NEXCEL Project Investigator Prof. Wang Zhendi from CBMA presented an invited speech titled "Research on 3D Printed Polymer Modified Concrete and Its Interface Enhancement Technology" based on the achievements of NEXCEL project.
Prof. Wang Zhendi from CBMA, NEXCEL Principal Investigator
This conference not only provided an academic exchange platform for experts and scholars in the concrete and cement products industry but also set the direction for the future development of the industry. Attendees expressed their commitment to strengthen cooperation and jointly promote the high-quality development of the concrete and cement products industry, taking this conference as an opportunity. They aim to contribute their wisdom and efforts towards achieving China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.
During the conference, NEXCEL organized a project exchange meeting with WHUT. The project Principal Investigators and Ph.D. Students attended the meeting and presented the project overall progress, outcomes and future work. Prof. Yao Yan, the Chairlady of NEXCEL TAC, and Dr. Li Juan, NEXCEL Program Director, took note of the presentations and gave their suggestions for the future work.
