Symposium "THE FUTURE OF CEMENT"
200 years after Louis Vicat
UNESCO, Paris, France
6th to 8th of June, 2017
For 200 years, cement has faithfully accompanied society in all its evolutions. At the heart of a dynamic and innovative concrete sector, cement constantly improves its process to present building solutions that serve the general interest.
« The Future of Cement » -an international scientific symposium organised on the bicentennial of the discovery of the laws governing cement hydraulicity- will demonstrate, in a post-COP 21 context, the commitment of cement to sustainable construction and the contributions of concrete to this paradigm: less CO2, and less energy but with still more performance, safety, comfort and aesthetics.
A committed player involved in the transmutations of both construction and urbanism, the cement-concrete sector presents real environmental benefits. Structured around a circular economy model based on resource proximity, with sustainable and responsible procurement, and grounded in industrial ecology whenever possible, the intrinsic durability of the final product is a rewarding feature in eco-design.
This international symposium is the very expression of the vitality of our industry, and we are delighted to invite the members of the scientific community from all over the world to discover the latest innovations in cement and concrete !
Raoul de Parisot, President of ATILH & Anne Bernard-Gely, General Manager of ATILH
Sustainable development is the driving force behind the world’s new strategy for 2030. Building an urbanized society which is fair, environmentally-friendly and fosters social integration implies innovative architecture, reasoned urbanism and bold choices in construction.
While Le Corbusier’s work has just recently been included in the World Heritage Lists, these building issues were already part of his research, as they also were for Bernard Zehrfuss when he designed – with architects Breuer and Nervi – the new UNESCO headquarters. This hymn to concrete, to cement, is still being celebrated today. And it seemed just that after having paid homage to Zehrfuss in 2016, the FNCU should continue alongside the cement industry, today’s repository of this know-how.
This homage is to Louis Vicat, of the breed of French inventors and today’s innovators. For cement is an ancient material, but its formulation was first deciphered by this French engineer, Louis Vicat. Mastering it transformed the practice of architecture and gave rise to new construction methods, for buildings as well as for infrastructures. Enabling exchanges between territories, adapting easily to demographic increases and population drifts, this material continues to accompany social metamorphosis towards a sustainable and multiform development.
« The Future of Cement » will allow us to glimpse some of the innovations that will bear on the next 200 years, born of the continuing progressions in the industrial process, of the material itself and of its concrete applications.
Daniel Janicot, President of the French national commission for UNESCO.