Cement concrete is the largest amount of artificial cementious material worldwide, and its impact on the world economy is huge. The energy consumption involved in the production of cementitious materials is high, and CO2 emissions account for 8% of the total carbon emissions. Improving the sustainability of cement concrete has become a major issue to improve socially sustainable development. Internationally, improving the low-carbon and sustainable characteristics of cement concrete is the focus of industry attention in recent decades.
The use of calcined clay in concrete, which has developed rapidly in recent years, produces a low-carbon cement-based material. Compared with traditional Portland cement, its cement clinker content can be as low as only 50% due to the use of a large amount of calcined clay and limestone as the key components. Limestone calcined clay cement has outstanding mechanical and durability characteristics and is considered to be a global alternative to a wide range of traditional Portland low-carbon cement materials. Its application in Latin America, South Asia, and other places is gradually growing.
The conference has been held three times in Switzerland (Lausanne, 2015), Cuba (La Havana, 2017), and India (New Delhi, 2019) as an important forum for low-carbon sustainable cement concrete. The 4th ICCCSC will be held in Nanjing, to focus on low-carbon sustainable cement production, performance, environmental efficiency as well as other topics to be presented in seminars. It is expected to further promote the development of low-carbon cement and concrete materials in the world and the cooperation among countries, which will contribute to the large-scale application of low-carbon cement concrete and the sustainable development of human society.