program

From October 10 - 12, 2016 the 2nd International Conference on the Chemistry of Construction Materials (ICCCM) organized by the Division of the Chemistry of Construction Materials of the GDCh was hosted by Prof. Dr. Plank at Technical University Munich at Garching.

The 1st ICCСM was held in Berlin in 2013 and once more the ICCCM conference was considered a major event for building chemists in Europe and worldwide. More than 370 experts from 28 countries attended the conference with very high level of the scientific oral presentations. Along with the conference sessions 93 researchers presented their posters.

The concept of the ICCCM is to create a place for scientists from research centers, universities and industrial companies to present their work and discuss results as well as to determine the future direction of technology and evaluate the challenges that their industry faces. ICCCM 2016 expanded the successful format of the 1st conference and embraced a wide scope of problems in the field of chemistry of construction materials.The main sessions of the conference were preceded by two specialized workshops on “PCE Superplasticizers” and “Surface Chemistry in Construction Materials “. The leading experts in these fields answered the questions related to the chemistry of PCE superplasticizers, synthesis of their products and derivatives as well as interaction of PCE polymers with Portland cement and provided an opportunity to obtain valuable practical knowledge on organic surfactants and the effects of silicon -organic compounds for the surface protection of construction materials.

The 1st main session of the conference was introduced by the host, Prof. Dr. Johann Plank (TU Munich), with the topic “Cement hydration studied under microgravity conditions on parabolic flights”. All stages of Portland cement hydration, but especially crystallization, in experiments during Zero-G airplane parabolic flight were presented. Prof. Dr. Xiangming Kong (Tsinghua University, China) presented his research on the interaction of colloidal latex polymer systems with Portland cement. Particularly the dependence between charge properties of latex polymer particles and their behavior in cement systems was emphasized. Lime, a popular binder with a long history in construction, was the focus of the presentation by Prof. Koen van Balen (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium) on “Carbonation and durability of construction materials”. Prof. Dr. Gwenn Le Saout (French Center for Material Research of Ecole des Mines d'Ales) made a key speech on “Calcium aluminate-based hydraulic binders.” He could show that this type of materials is strongly related to rheology and workability properties of several products, eg in tile adhesives or screeds. Another key note was given by Prof. Dr. Jason Ideker (University of Oregon, USA), who presented the latest results of research in the sphere of alkali silicate (ASR) reactions in concrete and concluded about potential methods to prevent the destruction of concrete structures.

International Conference on the Chemistry of Construction Materials

program

From October 7th to 9th, 2013, the Department of Building Materials and chemistry of construction materials at TU Berlin hosted the 1st International Conference on the Chemistry of Construction Materials. This year, the Conference , organized in collaboration with the German Chemical Society, had an international character for the first time. The conference focused on topics such as the use of sustainable building materials for the future, the use of new types of mortar and concrete admixtures and current research in the field of cement chemistry. Over 400 participants from 26 countries were able to find out about current research and development in the field of building materials during the three-day event with over 80 specialist lectures and more than 100 poster contributions. In addition to the professional exchange, the evenings of the event were rounded off by making new contacts with interesting conversations between representatives from industry and science during the conference dinner. Finally, the organizers would like to thank the internationally recognized members of the Scientific Committee and the industrial companies who made a significant contribution to the success of the Conference through their sponsorship.