As climate change, aging infrastructure, and urbanization strain communities, masonry offers powerful yet underused solutions. This keynote presents a collaborative effort to reimagine concrete masonry for future urban development. Highlighting Canada’s infrastructure needs and innovations from the Masonry Centre at the University of Alberta in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, smart construction, and energy management, the talk covers advances in rational design, fire resilience, thermal performance, and cost-effective building. It showcases new findings on tall wall behavior, shear strength calibration, novel unit design, and hygrothermal performance, proposing modular, durable systems to address today’s infrastructure challenges and foster safer, greener communities.

Dr. Carlos ‘Lobo’ Cruz-Noguez – The Masonry Centre | University of Alberta

Engineering systems must evolve and keep up to successfully adopt sustainable materials for concrete 3D printing. Dr. Rafiq Ahmad’s talk will explore how to leverage smart engineering system design and green technology knowledge to create innovative approaches to material development, where sustainable practices, such as recycling, remanufacturing, and repair (3Rs), can be embedded into the early development stages of additive construction technology, advancing to a more sustainable future.

Dr. Rafiq Ahmad – University of Alberta | Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering

Additive Construction brings unexpected challenges and exponential learnings during its implementation on-site. This presentation will discuss Jon and Emmanuel’s journey of exploring smart and sustainable technologies when used with both conventional and alternative materials. By analyzing these success stories and also some failures, we’ll look into the future directions for construction 3D printing.

Jon Scott – StrongPrint3D

There are several impediments to the adoption of Concrete 3D Printing in Canada. Some are small-ish and some are quite large. In this talk, Ed will address the known challenges and opportunities within automation and adoption of 3D printing for construction and how we, as a group, might overcome resistance to success in this industry.

Ed Macnab – 3D Printed Homes Corporation (3DPHC)

3D printing technology can transform the infrastructure development for remote communities with short building seasons. This talk will address how construction 3D printing can offer faster, more adaptable solutions resilient to climate change in Canada’s northern regions. By getting introduced to the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) and the Buried Structures Committee, we’ll get to discuss the regulations surrounding the construction of buried infrastructure and emphasize why 3D printing deserves a primary role in the next edition of the CHBDC.

Dr. Parisa Haji – Matrix GEMINI

Conventional concrete structures are reinforced with steel rebars to increase their load carrying capacities. In recent years, polymeric rebars, alternatives to steel reinforcements, have become available in the market for applications where steel rebars presents disadvantages, such as heavy weight and being prone to corrosion. In this presentation, we will introduce these polymeric rebars, and talk about our efforts in producing these from all-natural materials to eliminate synthetic material use. Finally, we will discuss the potential of these being used in additive-manufactured constructions.

Dr. Cagri Ayranci – University of Alberta

This panel brings together experts from academia and industry to examine the technical challenges of adapting Additive Manufacturing (AM) to Canadian regulations and conditions. The panel will explore the economic feasibility of AM in both urban and remote contexts. The panel will also delve into the social perspectives on housing access, labor displacement and the changes needed in public perception, training, and education. Finally, the discussion will focus on whether Canada is positioned to lead globally in additive construction—and what it will take to get there.

Dr. Carlos ‘Lobo’ Cruz-Noguez – The Masonry Centre
Jon Scott – StrongPrint3D
Ed Macnab – 3D Printed Homes Corporation (3DPHC)
Dr. Kaouther Ben Azouz – College of Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Québec)
Dr. Asia Shvarzman – University of Manitoba