In August 2015 some staff and students of UCM and the Department of Civil Engineering had the opportunity to attend the Fifth International Conference on Construction Materials, ConMat'15, hosted at the Hilton Resort in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The conference brought together experts in materials and structures and created a platform where research and innovative solutions for current infrastructure inadequacies could be discussed. ConMat'15 hosted around 200 presentations from nearly 30 countries around the world covering various topics including fibre reinforced concrete, high performance concrete, concrete durability and life cycle costing.
Research papers by UCM staff and students, Professor Billy Boshoff, Riaan Combrinck, Wibke de Villiers, Bernard Le Roux, Arina Van Noordwyk and John Babafemi, were included in ConMat'15 which focused on aspects of concrete durability, concrete sustainability, fracture mechanics of concrete and the thermal performance of walling systems.
Apart from the academic experience guests could enjoy the sights that Whistler had to offer. Whistler was the former host of the 2010 Winter Olympics and is situated approximately 125 km north of Vancouver. Whistler is a renowned tourist attraction, characterized by panoramic views of picturesque mountains and forests, state of the art infrastructure and distinctive Canadian architecture. Conference atttendees had the opportunity to enjoy activities such as skiing, golf, gondola rides to the alpine country and mountain biking. Aside from beneficial academic discussions, ConMat'15 provided a great cultural experience as guests had the opportunity to interact with fellow experts from around the world.
