This year’s seminar, supported by 34 sponsors and co-organizers, drew a record-breaking 240 participants, and featured 12 distinguished keynote speakers from around the globe. The seminar’s theme, Boosting Productivity and Efficiency in Modern Construction with Advanced Materials, emphasized innovation, sustainability, and collaboration in the concrete and construction industries.
The event served as a premier platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and exchanging ideas, fostering opportunities for future collaboration among professionals, academics, students, and industry leaders dedicated to advancing concrete technology and sustainable construction practices.
ACI-SC Annual Seminar 2025 & 40-Years Anniversary Gala Dinner – Concrete Revolution: Building Synergy in Global Technology and Practice, Thursday 13 Nov 2025 @ Furama City Centre Hotel
Seminar Chair: Dr Wong Sook Fun
The seminar was Chaired by Dr Wong Sook Fun, Head of Technology at Temasek Polytechnic, and Board Director of ACI-SC.
Dr Wong Sook Fun, Head of Technology at Temasek Polytechnic, and Board Director of ACI-SC, and Board Director of ACI-SC, chairing the seminar.
Guest-of-Honor – Er. Kaliannan THANABAL, Commissioner of Building Control, Group Director (Building Resilience), Building & Construction Authority (BCA)
The seminar was honoured to have Er. Kaliannan Thanabal, Commissioner of Building Control and Group Director (Building Resilience) at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), as the Guest of Honour.
In his address, Er. Thanabal highlighted the pivotal role of concrete technology in advancing sustainable construction practices. He shared valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities in balancing technological advancements with climate resilience and sustainability goals including the need of low carbon concrete products for built environment.
Welcome Address – Dr Tao Nengfu, President of ACI-SC
Dr Tao Nengfu, President of ACI-SC, delivered a warm welcome address. In his opening remarks, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants, including the Guest of Honour, VIPs, keynote speakers, sponsors, and delegates. Dr Tao highlighted the importance of pursuing innovative solutions to enhance productivity and efficiency in the construction industry, and he also reflected on ACI-SC’s notable achievements over the past year, including two successful study tours to China.
He concluded by thanking all attendees for their continued commitment to advancing concrete technology and for their dedication to building a more sustainable future.
Keynote Sessions and Speakers
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- Ultra-High Performance and Low-Carbon Innovations
- Prof. Shi Caijun, President of Asian Concrete Federation (ACF), Fellow of Canadian Engineering of Academy and Chair Professor of Hunan University, China, presented on “How to Design High Performant Concrete with Multiple Performance Requirements”.
- Prof. Tan Kang Hai, Professor and the Director of the Protective Technology Research Centre (PTRC) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, shared on “Sustainable Spalling-Resistant Ultra-High Performance Concrete Materials and Translation to Structural RC Columns”.
- Dr. Darren Lim, Senior Manager in the Advanced Construction & Innovation Planning Department in Building & Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore presented on “The Role of Emerging Construction Materials in Transforming the Built Environment”.
- Building Sustainability through Low-Carbon Pathway
- Prof. Pang Sze Dai, Dean’s Chair Associate Professor and Deputy Head at NUS’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore delivered talk on “From Waste to Worth: Low-Carbon Concrete Pathways for Singapore’s Net-Zero Future”.
- Prof. Dai Jianguo, Head & Chair Professor of Structural Engineering at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong (CityU), presented on “Low-Carbon and High-performance Fibre-reinforced Geopolymer Cementitious Composites”.
- Dr.Ing Ralf Winterberg, Managing Director and co-founder of the Ductil Group of Companies, Germany, shared on “Fibre reinforced concrete – a modern, cost-efficient and sustainable construction material.”
- Digitalization & Smart Concrete Technologies
- Prof. Zhao Yuxi, Qiushi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University, China, presented on “Deep Learning-Driven Real-Time Segmentation of Concrete Damage Induced by Steel Corrosion”.
- Dr Wang Su, Senior Scientist and leads research & development work at Pan-United Concrete, Singapore shared on “Reducing Embodied Carbon by Combining low-carbon Concrete with Digital and Smart Solutions”.
- Dr. Li Xiaodong, Manager at the Centre of Innovation for the Built Environment – Advanced Materials (COI BE-AM) at Singapore Polytechnic, shared on “Digitisation-Driven Smart Concrete Technologies for Temperature Control, Measurement, and Performance Optimisation”.
- Durability and Repair for Resilient Infrastructure
- Dr Qiang Wang, Tenured Associate Professor at Tsinghua University, China presented on “Mineral admixtures for Modern Concrete”.
- Professor Zhuguo Li, Department of Architecture at Yamaguchi University, a national institution in Japan, shared on “Development of Highly Permeable Silicate-Based Modifiers and Innovative Repair Techniques for Fire-Damaged Concrete Structures”.
- Er. Colin Yip, Director of Engineering at Woh Hup Engineering Limited, Singapore, presented on “Introduction of ULCC: Ultra Low Carbon Concrete – Its Benefits and Applications”.
- Ultra-High Performance and Low-Carbon Innovations
Celebrations and Sharing Sessions at 40 Years Anniversary Gala Dinner
Four decades, the Chapter has advanced knowledge, innovation, and professional connections in concrete technology and structural engineering. This milestone honour’s part achievements and renews our commitment shaping the built environment in Singapore.
The Gala Dinner was held to commemorate contributions, celebrate achievements, and inspire collaboration to drive excellence and sustainability. The event saw a total attendance of 310 participants. Moving forward, the Chapter remains committed to knowledge exchange, professional growth, and global collaboration in building a resilient future.
During the Gala Dinner, introductory remarks were delivered by Mr Zhu Liu, Manager for East Asia, International Affairs, American Concrete Institute, and Professor Shi Caijun, President of the Asian Concrete Federation (ACF).
Mr Zhu Liu, Manager, Manager, East Asia, International Affairs, American Concrete Institute
Professor Shi Caijun, President, Asian Concrete Federation (ACF).
The Gala Dinner welcomed VIP guests seated at the VIP table, along with representatives from industry, academia, and partner organisations
Led by Dr Tao Nengfu, President of ACI-SC, the ACI-SC Board of Directors took the stage to join 310 Gala Dinner participants in a celebratory toast to mark the 40th anniversary of ACI-SC
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Prize Presentation for Concrete Plaque/Souvenir Competition
The annual concrete competition seeks to facilitate the progress of the local concrete industry toward high-performance and sustainable concrete technology with an aim to create some positive vibes among the industry players, academic researchers, and students from High Learning Institutions (HLIs). The competition is open to individuals, tertiary institutes, companies, and organizations both at home and abroad.
The Concrete Plaque/Souvenir Competition 2025 Chaired by Dr Daneti Saradhi Babu and distinguished panel of experts challenged participants to develop innovative and sustainable concrete solutions. The competition attracted 34 teams, including 8 teams from China, 1 from Malaysia, 1 from India and 14 from Singapore.
After three months of rigorous evaluation by a distinguished panel of experts, the top ten teams (five teams from Open Category and five teams from Student Category) were recognized with awards:
- Gold Award: $800
- Silver Award: $600
- Bronze Award: $300
- Merit Awards: $200
- Commendations: $100
ACI-SC Annual Seminar 2025 – Platform for Networking, Knowledge Sharing, and Idea Exchange
ACI-SC Annual Seminar 2025 offered an unparalleled platform for collaboration, innovation, and networking. It served as a catalyst for new ideas and partnerships, reinforcing ACI-SC’s commitment to advancing concrete technologies in Singapore and beyond.
In his closing speech, Mr Lu Jinping, Immediate Past President of ACI-SC, commended the true spirit of collaboration and innovation displayed throughout the event. He thanked all delegates, including the VIPs, keynote speakers, moderators, sponsors, and attendees, for their invaluable contributions.
For full details on ACI-SC Annual Seminar 2025 and Concrete Floater Competition 2024, please visit ACI-Singapore Chapter website: www.concrete.org.sg
