Ready to join the leaders of cementitious materials? The second edition of Cementitious Materials International Congress Americas announces new speakers:
Reducing Clinker Content using Blended Type IL Cements & Calcined Clays presented by Dr. Maria Juenger Professor at The University of Texas at Austin & President of American Concrete Institute
As the cement industry pushes toward goals of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) play an immediate role in achieving short-term goals and will continue to contribute to long-term goals. Traditional SCMs like fly ash and slag cannot meet the demand from the industry, and we are seeing increased production of natural pozzolans to fill the need.
Calcined clays have attracted international attention for the high reactivity and the widespread geographic availability of clay deposits. A blended cement called LC3 (limestone calcined clay cement) gets a lot of attention for its ability to maintain good performance while only containing 50% of portland cement clinker. LC3 cements can be produced under the ASTM C595 Type IT designation, but to date are not sold in the US. The concrete industry in the meantime can approximate LC3 by combining Type IL cements with calcined clays and other SCMs to achieve very similar clinker reductions and good performance. This presentation showcases data using regional blends of Type IL cements, calcined clays, and other SCMs.
Dr. Maria Juenger is a Professor and Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Centennial Chair in Engineering #2 in the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Juenger’s teaching and research focus on materials used in civil engineering applications, with an emphasis on chemical issues in cement-based materials.
Dr. Juenger is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and currently serves as President of ACI.
From Material Selection to Performance: Texas Concrete Pavements presented by Dr. Nancy Beltran, Director of Concrete Pavements, Cement Council of Texas (CCT)
Concrete pavements in Texas operate under some of the most demanding environmental and loading conditions in the country, making material optimization essential for long-term performance. This presentation will explore how advances in cement chemistry, supplementary cementitious materials, and mixture design are improving durability, sustainability, and constructability across the state. Drawing on recent research, field observations, and project experience from TxDOT and local agencies, the discussion will highlight how Texas is adopting blended cement, optimized mixtures, and cement stabilization of soils and bases to meet rising expectations for resilience and reduced carbon intensity.
Key considerations—including aggregate selection, pavements’ response to extreme traffic and soil variability, and long-term pavement performance (LTPP) trends—will be addressed. Practical recommendations will be provided for optimizing materials to ensure cost-effective, high-performing concrete pavements capable of meeting Texas’ evolving transportation needs.
Nancy Beltran is the Director of Concrete Pavements for the Cement Council of Texas (CCT), with research experience in concrete pavement analysis and finite element modeling. Since joining CCT in August 2019, she has focused on expanding the use of cement in concrete paving applications by promoting sustainable, resilient solutions for the design, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of pavement systems. Her technical expertise includes continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) design, optimized concrete mix development, and the implementation of Type IL blended cements to reduce carbon impacts.
Nancy works closely with TxDOT districts, local agencies, and research institutions to advance best practices across Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and currently serves on the boards of the ASCE El Paso Branch and the ACI Central Texas Chapter.
Reduced Carbon Concrete – Incremental Progress is Still Progress presented by Dean Frank, Principal / Consultant for Dean Frank Associates
Although the momentum has shifted in the public sector, the cement and concrete industries are making progress related to carbon reduction targets in concrete construction. Strong demand signals remain in domestic private sector projects and with international work, leading to ongoing innovation, changes in codes and standards, and increasing industry stakeholder needs.
Mr. Frank currently serves as Principal / Consultant for Dean Frank Associates, LLC, providing services to the concrete, precast concrete, and general construction industries internationally in the areas of quality assurance, conformity assessment, codes and standards compliance, specifications, and sustainability.
He previously served as the Executive Director of NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete, Director of Quality & Sustainability Programs at the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), and Director of Technical Services at the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA). He has experience in the development of Product Category Rules (PCRs), Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
He has been an active member of industry committees related to sustainability in the built environment, including the American Concrete Institute (ACI), ASTM International, PCI, and the International Federation for Structural Concrete (FIB) for over 20-years.
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Find out more about the future of building sustainably. Discover the latest in cement industry innovations, best practices, and decarbonization efforts at our upcoming events – join us to shape a greener world!
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Other events in 2026:
ESG and Sustainability International Summit and Industry 5.0 Conference and Exhibition – June 10-11, 2026; Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
A premier regional platform for industry leaders to discuss sustainability, ESG strategies, and regulatory advancements in cement and construction. This event brings together thought leaders and corporate professionals from around the world to explore the latest trends in sustainable finance, legal frameworks, and industry innovations.
We are also including panel discussions on Industry 5.0 to discuss how AI and Automation and other smart solutions are contributing to the decarbonization of the cement & construction industry.
The event is designed to inspire, educate, and empower corporate attendees to drive sustainable progress and create a positive impact on our planet and society, previous editions were held in Madeira, Portugal and Cairo, Egypt in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Cementitious Materials International technical and Trade Congress EMEA December 2026, Location TBA
The EMEA edition of the Cementitious Materials International technical and Trade Congress is poised to build om success stories of past events – the first edition was held in Casablanca, Morocco in April 2024 and the second edition was also held in Cairo earlier this year.
This is once again an opportunity to network with your peers and leaders in the industry, gain first-hand insights on regional trends, learn from industry experts about the latest market dynamics, regulatory changes and future outlook of cementitious materials in the region.
See link for the summary of the last edition – Cementitious Materials International TechTrade Congress – EMEA | Cairo, Egypt | June 3-4, 2025 (Overview here)
CarbonZero Alternative Fuels & Raw Materials Global Conference & Exhibition 2026 to include Cementitious Europe – Congress, Date TBA October 2026; Location: Belgium
This premier global platform, CarbonZero brings together senior decision-makers to accelerate the transition to Net Zero in cement and construction. The conference will explore green alternatives—ranging from alternative fuels and raw materials to clinker substitutes-alongside emerging technologies, carbon capture, financing and investment strategies, policy developments, and industry standards. This C-level gathering convenes leaders from cement manufacturing, construction, technology, research, academia, and regulatory institutions—united in shaping actionable and sustainable solutions.
Women In CemCo EMEA TBA
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