Talking about creating concrete possibilities is one thing but doing something about it is a completely different story. Leading construction materials company, AfriSam put its money where its mouth is by making this year’s Concrete Conference possible as the headline sponsor.

According to Richard Tomes, AfriSam’s executive: sales and marketing, as the leading supplier of concrete materials and the brand synonymous with concrete in southern Africa it was a natural fit for AfriSam to take the lead supporting the concrete industry through this conference.

“We are pleased to partner with industry bodies and events that showcase quality and performance in the construction sector, and that share expertise and skills among the players in this market,” says Tomes. “We believe The Concrete Conference is an important contributor to advancing excellence in the development and application of concrete.”

The Concrete Conference is hosted by four concrete industry associations – the Southern Africa Ready-mix Association, the Concrete Institute, the Concrete Society of Southern Africa and the Concrete Manufacturers Association – and will be held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on 1 and 2 August 2018.

This year, the programme will include presentations on the prospects for the construction industry, updates on design codes and concrete standards, materials recycling and self-healing concrete technology. There will also be talks on energy-efficient concrete roofs, aspects of macro, steel and micro fibres, and extrusion kerbing. Speakers will provide case studies on recent landmark projects utilising concrete, such as Bosjes Chapel, Fourways Mall and Zeitz MOCAA.

Delegates can look forward to cutting-edge input from well-respected names such as Professor Henk Jonkers of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Allesandro Bernacchia from Germany, Andrea Bonomi from Italy, Max Moyo and Leon van der Westhuizen.

Tomes highlights that concrete is a wonderful, versatile product that serves a wide and vital social purpose. “It creates possibilities for building education institutions, hospitals, transport and infrastructure of any shape and description,” he says. “It creates concrete possibilities for all of us to enjoy."

The conference attracts construction professionals, engineers, specifiers and project managers, as well as practitioners from the cement, admixture, aggregate and ready-mix sectors.