ICPI to Host 2006 International Conference

The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) will host the 8th International Conference on Concrete Block Paving in San Francisco, California, November 6-8, 2006. The three-day conference is aimed at design professionals, manufacturers of concrete pavers, suppliers to the concrete paver industry, government officials, university professors, and industry associations. The International Conference on Concrete Block Paving is only held every three years. Past conferences have attracted several hundred delegates and have been held in Japan, Israel, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and England. In 2003, over 400 million square feet of concrete block paving, also called interlocking concrete pavement, was sold in the U.S. and Canada. This accounts for a small percentage of the over six billion square feet sold worldwide each year. There is an increased use in residential, commercial, municipal, and port paving projects in North America. Since the mid-1990s, the industry in the U.S. has been growing at least 15 percent per year, according to the ICPI. Even with this rate of growth, per capita consumption of concrete pavers in the U.S. is among the lowest of the developed nations, indicating a significant potential for expansion of the market. ?EUR??,,????'??The international conference mission is to educate the industry and design professionals, especially civil engineers,?EUR??,,????'?? asserts ICPI Chairman Bruce Camper. The 2006 conference will be an opportunity to tap the market potential in North America. Education sessions on design, specification, construction and maintenance will be held for design professionals. ?EUR??,,????'??The conference will be the place where industry, academics, and design professionals can exchange information and grow the market in North America,?EUR??,,????'?? adds Mr. Camper. Charles Gamarekian, past ICPI chairman, will chair the conference steering committee. The conference will include exhibits and social events. Further announcements and call for papers will be issued later this year. For further information, contact the ICPI at icpi@icpi.org, or visit www.icpi.org. The ICPI represents producers, suppliers, and installation contractors of interlocking concrete pavement and related segmental concrete paving products.