ACA Member Webinar: ACCENT Overview
Overview
Energy-Intensive Industries: Next Generation Cement and Concrete Materials
4:00 – 5:00 PM ET
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with the National Laboratory of the Rockies, has established the Center of Excellence for Advancement & Acceleration of Cement & Concrete Engineering Technologies (ACCENT). ACCENT’s mission is to accelerate the development and adoption of next-generation cement and concrete materials. The center will enhance existing national lab capabilities across six core areas. It will engage industrial, academic, and workforce stakeholders through a nationwide, rapid user-access model. This integrated approach aims to accelerate industry innovation, support workforce development, and translate research into market-ready solutions for the cement and concrete industry, positioning the U.S. to reduce reliance on imported material as feedstock for the domestic construction industry.
Identified Industry Gaps to Address:
- Inability to quickly design and predict performance of new materials for field conditions.
- Uncertainty from variable feedstocks and regional differences.
- Lack of standardized, performance-based test methods.
- Slow and expensive lab-to-field scaling.
- Insufficient long-term durability data and digital models.
- Shortage of skilled workforce and training infrastructure.
The presentation will discuss the program’s goals and potential areas for partnerships with ACA and its members. A question-and-answer period will be moderated by ACA staff.
ACCENT Program Leadership:
- Denise Antunes da Silva, Executive Director, Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)
- John Kevern, Deputy Director, National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)