About the Conference
Masonry has proven to be a very efficient construction material for thousands of years. In recent years masonry construction has tended to decline in some regions, but is just starting and/or rapidly increasing in others. As an example millions of masonry residential units were built in Brazil last decade. Probably the same happens in other countries.
The recent development of new materials and techniques, particularly the use of FRP reinforcement, prestressed masonry and the industrialization of the construction process, has facilitated the use of masonry in situations where traditionally it would not have been efficient.
Sustainability has become a major concern. Topics as Building Energy Performance, Green Building, LEED, Recycled Materials and others need to be improved and developed among the masonry industry.
Important heritage masonry buildings must be protected, rehabilitated for seismic, retrofitted. Understanding the behavior of these outstanding buildings and to propose the best materials and techniques to retrofit them is also a goal of the masonry industry.
The principal aim of the conference is to explore new opportunities for masonry: “where we should go and what we should develop”.
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