The 4th ACF/HNU International Conference on UHPC Materials and Structures (UHPC2020 China) will be held in Changsha, China from October 24th to 27th, 2024.

This conference is jointly hosted by Hunan University, Southeast University, and the Asian Concrete Federation (ACF). It is supported by the National Key Laboratory of Bridge Engineering Safety and Resilience, the Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Conservation of the Ministry of Education, the Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Advanced Civil Engineering Materials and Application Technology, the Hunan Provincial International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Base for Green Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, the Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Advanced Technologies and Intelligent Equipment for Underground Space Development, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, and China Communications Construction Engineering Corporation Xiamen Engineering Co., Ltd. It also receives support from the American Concrete Society (ACI), the International Federation of Materials and Structural Research Laboratories (RILEM), and the Chinese Institute of Ceramics. Academician Liu Jiaping from Southeast University serves as the Chairman of the Academic Committee, while Professor Shi Caijun from Hunan University, who is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee and a specially appointed expert of the Asian Concrete Federation, also serves as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.

Sixteen experts and scholars, including Nie Jianguo, Chen Zhengqing, Zheng Jianlong, Liu Jiaping, Xing Feng, academician of the CAE Member, BENMOKRANE Brahim, academician of the Royal Canadian Academy of Sciences, Zhao Xiaolin, academician of the Australian Academy of Engineering, Professor MIDDENDORF Bernhard, Professor FEHLING Ekkehard, Professor Fan Jiansheng of Tsinghua University and Professor Shao Xudong of Hunan University, as well as more than 400 experts, scholars and industry professionals from 19 countries and regions, were invited to attend. Chen Renpeng, Vice President of Hunan University, Liu Wen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Civil Engineering at Hunan University, and Hua Xugang, Dean, attended the meeting. The opening ceremony of the conference was presided over by Shi Caijun.

The purpose of this conference is to showcase and exchange the latest scientific research and technological innovation achievements of ultra-high performance concrete at home and abroad, and promote the research, design, and application of UHPC. The topics of discussion include six aspects: raw material composition design, rheological and construction performance, preparation process and mechanical properties, volume stability and durability, microstructure and fiber reinforcement, as well as structural and design applications. There were a total of 121 oral presentations at the conference, including 13 keynote speeches invited by the conference and 30 keynote speeches invited by sub venues.

At the meeting, the presentations of the experts were brilliant and varied. In the academic report section, a more in-depth analysis was conducted on the material properties of UHPC, including the microscopic principles of its unique properties such as ultra-high strength and high durability, which provided a solid theoretical basis for subsequent structural applications. In terms of structural design, numerous innovative cases have been demonstrated, such as the application of UHPC to key structural parts of large-span bridges and super high-rise buildings. These designs fully utilize the advantages of UHPC and break through the limitations of traditional structural design.

The company representative also shared the valuable experience of UHPC in actual production and construction. From the selection and control of raw materials, to the introduction of advanced production processes, to the key points and difficulties of on-site construction, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the entire process of UHPC production and application. At the same time, the conference set up a discussion session, where everyone engaged in intense discussions on hot topics such as cost control and durability improvement of UHPC. Different viewpoints collided with each other, inspiring new ideas. This conference greatly promoted international exchanges and cooperation in the field of UHPC, and pointed out the direction for further development of this field on a global scale.

Our company has also been invited to attend and is a sponsor of this conference. At the meeting, we met numerous research teams with strong capabilities in the field of UHPC. Their in-depth research and cutting-edge exploration of UHPC have opened our eyes; At the same time, we also got to know many teams that have applied UHPC in practical situations. Their rich practical experience and innovative application cases have given us profound inspiration. I benefited greatly from this trip and received a lot of goods.