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ECOSMART CONCRETE SEMINAR IN THE UAE, OCTOBER 2007

The free seminar was hosted jointly by EcoSmart and the American University in Dubai and held in two cities in the United Arab Emirates – October 22, 2007 in Abu Dhabi and October 24, 2007 in Dubai.

The seminars drew approximately three hundred representatives from a cross section of the UAE construction industry. In attendance were construction managers, property developers, engineers, architects, policy makers, as well as those working in cement, concrete and ready-mix companies.

Participants learned from experienced industry professionals about the benefits of EcoSmart Concrete in a time when climate change is having a global impact on building design and operation. Seminar speakers also discussed the more technical aspects of concrete durability and performance.

Seminar Description

Seminar topics included:

• advantages and planning for green buildings; materials and computer modeling for concrete durability;
• tests on designs for and performance of EcoSmart Concrete;
• implications of EcoSmart Concrete for structural design and construction;
• background on reasons the Canadian Government supports EcoSmart Concrete, particularly it link to mitigating climate change.

Speakers included:

• James Aldred of GHD Global, Manager of the Independent Verification and Testing for Burj Dubai Tower - Dubai, UAE
• Denis Beaupré, Technical Manager for Unibeton Ready-Mix, Abu Dhabi and formerly professor of Civil Engineering at Laval University - Quebec, Canada
  Michel de Spot, President of EcoSmart, and a LEED Accredited Professional - Vancouver, Canada
• David Fox, senior structural engineer, Halcrow-Yolles - Toronto, Canada
• Kerri Henry, GHG Technology Officer, Natural Resources Canada - Ottawa, Canada
• Nils Larsson, Executive Director, International Initiative for the Sustainable Built Environment - Ottawa, Canada
• Jacques Marchand, President of SEM Inc. and Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Laval.- Quebec, Canada
• Phil Seabrook, Executive Vice President, Levelton Consultant Ltd. - Vancouver, Canada

Presentations from the seminar can be found on our Knowledge Base.