The 11th International Conference on the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials (WASCON2023) was successfully held from 13th to 16th December 2023 at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The conference was jointly organized by the International Society for the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials (ISCOWA), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) of PolyU.
With the theme of "Innovative Valorization of Alternative Materials and Waste towards Circular Construction”, more than 160 papers were presented at the conference and they covered the full spectrum of topics related to the theme. We were honoured to have Prof. Christopher Cheeseman from Imperial College London, Mr Simo Hakkarainen from Peikko Group Corporation, Prof. Baoshan Huang from University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Dr Harn-wei Kua from National University of Singapore, Prof. Zhichao Liu from Wuhan University of Technology, Prof. Chi Sun Poon from PolyU, Dr Hirofumi Sakanakura from National Institute for Environmental Studies, Prof. Julia Stegemann from University College London, and Prof. Dongmin Wang from China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) as our keynote speakers to share their valuable insights in the field. Their contributions have enriched our knowledge in turning wastes into recycled materials in construction.
In addition, we had around 300 participants from academia, industry, and government joining from all over the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mainland China, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States. The conference served as an effective platform for sharing insights on new directions for research and innovative solutions to emerging problems and challenges relating to utilization of alternative materials and wastes in construction.
To enhance the overall experience, technical visits to Y·PARK, WEEE·PARK, T·PARK and CIC iHub were organized. The participants have learnt about the process of recycling of yard waste into useful materials at Y·PARK, recovering useful materials from the electrical and electronic appliances through various physical processes at WEEE·PARK, burning sludge and using the excess heat energy to generate electricity for the entire plant’s operation and the public power grid at T·PARK, the knowledge of construction innovation at CIC iHub. The participants found the tours were an eye-opening and fruitful exploration.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all speakers, Organizing Committee members and participants who made this conference a resounding success. Your passion and dedication are very much appreciated. Our sincere gratitude also goes to our sponsors, Sanfield (Management) Limited, Beijing Limecho Technology Co., Ltd., Fortum, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) and Score Tech Mortars Co., Ltd. for their generous supports.
