The First International Interactive Symposium on Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) will bring together material science and concrete professionals, structural and bridge engineers, students, producers, and building enthusiasts for a three-day conference at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown Hotel July 18-20. Symposium information is available online at www.UHPC2016.com.
UHPC is concrete that achieves previously unattainable engineering properties such as superior durability and tensile strength. It is increasingly used in large-scale applications as structural or architectural elements such as slabs, beams, columns and as repair or joint material to bind prefabricated elements. UHPC has the potential to significantly change how the building industry approaches sustainable high-performance structures. Symposium attendees will discover how UHPC delivers enhanced durability, reduces maintenance and material consumption and offers increased performance and design flexibility.
The symposium will include offsite tours of a variety of UHPC applications in bridge construction and demonstration projects. More than 75 papers from internationally renowned experts on the topic of UHPC and concrete will be presented. Interactive panels and thematic workshops will present recent UHPC activities and innovations and offer insight into topics related to:
- UHPC basics, introduction to the material
- latest developments in UHPC material design and characterization
- architectural applications with UHPC
- structural design and component modelling
- UHPC applications for bridges and infrastructure
- rehabilitation and retrofitting applications with UHPC and other aspects to further spread the theoretical knowledge and practical experiences
The symposium will also feature a student competition with teams representing eight national and international universities. Teams will compete to develop and test an aesthetically attractive and structurally efficient beam made of UHPC. The competition will evaluate how well teams accurately model the structural performance of their beams and balance the competing goals of maximizing strength while minimizing their unit’s mass. The Des Moines symposium has extended invitations to the following universities:
- Iowa State University
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- State University of New York, Buffalo
- University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- University of Nebraska
- University of Ottawa
- University of Texas, Arlington
- Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Interested participants can register for the conference at the symposium online. Onsite registration begins at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17, followed by a reception at the Des Moines Marriott. Three full days of conference proceedings will follow.
