From October 22nd to 25th, 2024, the event took place in Maceió-AL 65th Brazilian Concrete Congress (IBRACON), which aimed to bring together professionals, students and the construction industry to debate important topics, showcase significant advances and, most importantly, connect people.

O Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (DEC/PUC-Rio) was present at the event through professors Daniel Cardoso and Lourdes Maria Souza, who participated in the seminar entitled 'Unconventional materials for concrete structures'. Both permeated the biases of the theme, addressing different perspectives on the importance of materials still little explored by the construction industry.

    

Two DEC students also participated in the conference, presenting their research developed at the university. Master's student Ana Luiza Rodrigues shared her advances in accelerated carbonation in supplementary cementitious materialss, and PhD student Renata Fernandes, presented the challenges of assessing the environmental aggressiveness of reinforced concrete structures in marine environments.

Both guided by Professor Lourdes Maria Souza, the students recognize that the event provides a rich experience. From the exchange between participants, creating connections that can lead to highly coveted partnerships, to meeting great names in civil engineering and the prestige of the work of other fellow students.