The production of concrete – our most prominent and most widely applied construction material – is highly energy-intensive, with CO₂ emissions from cement manufacture accounting for 8% of the total carbon emissions worldwide. As a result, improving the sustainability profile of cement and concrete has become a decisive focus for fostering socially responsible development. Over the past decades, reducing the carbon footprint of concrete has gained increasing and widespread attention in research, development and industry.

The use of calcined clay in concrete production continues to gain momentum internationally and is widely considered the most promising solution for reducing the clinker content in concrete, consequently minimizing its carbon emissions and promoting sustainable construction.

The use of limestone calcined clay cement, LC3, reduces the clinker content in conventional concrete by up to 50%, substituting Portland cement with a carefully designed combination of calcined clay and limestone. LC3 provides concrete with excellent mechanical and durability properties and is considered the most viable alternative to conventional low-carbon cementitious binders. The widespread and sustained availability of the material provides ample opportunities for the development and application of LC3 technology. In the past years, the use of LC3 concrete has been expanding in regions expecting significant construction activities in the next decades, particularly in India, Africa and South America.

The International Conference on Calcined Clay for Sustainable Concrete (ICCCSC) was held in Switzerland (2015), Cuba, (2017), India (2019) and China (2024), serving as a key platform for discussing developments and application of low-carbon, sustainable cement technologies. The 5^th ICCCSC will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, covering topics related to low-carbon cement production, performance evaluation, application opportunities, case studies, latest research and development in LC3 technology, and environmental efficiency. The focus will be on sustainable concrete technology and application, addressing production and quality control, fresh and hardened concrete properties, service life modelling, current and future developments, practical applications, and more.

The 5^th ICCCSC intends to bring together researchers, practicing engineers, cement producers, infrastructure managers, concrete technologists, students, and the supporting industry from around the world to share knowledge and experience on current developments in sustainable cement and concrete technology, and to identify future trends, application potential and further research required to support sustainability in the construction industry of the future.

The conference will run over 3 days and will feature oral presentations by authors of accepted papers, Keynote addresses by leading international experts, panel discussions, a trade exhibition, social functions, and more.

The venue will be the Breakwater Campus of the University of Cape Town situated in the heart of Africa’s most popular tourist destination, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. The city of Cape Town and its surroundings are widely considered among the most beautiful places on the planet and the organizers of ICCCSC are looking forward to welcoming their guests to a vibrant, colourful and cosmopolitan environment.