The international event on April 26 – 29, 2018 in Ilheus in the state of Bahia will bring together professionals from architecture, geology, quarrying, and engineering
The Global Stone Congress (GSC) will have its sixth edition on April 26 – 29, 2018 in Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil. Professionals from disciplines like architecture, geology, quarrying and engineering will give lectures creating an interchange of the latest knowledge and technology. The submission of abstracts has been extended until December 05, 2017.
The official language of the congress will be English. The event’s title is „Connecting Minds in the World of Stone“.
A brief look at the preliminary program:
Friday, April 27: Architecture
Historical and contemporary uses of stone in the building industry. Stone in World Heritage. The Middle East and the Arabian influence on European and Latin-American architectonic style. Rehabilitation and provenance of ornamental stones in historical monuments. Technological characterization, testing methods, and standardization. Weathering features, conservation, and restoration; durability and efficacy of treatments. Agglomerated and artificial stones. Criteria for architectural specification and projects, stone facades dimensioning and performance, innovative techniques, and products. Sustainable architecture, life-cycle, BIM, certification, future trends.
Saturday, April 28: Technology
Innovation in geological research, quarrying, processing, design and manufacturing technologies: new inputs and product creation. Transportation logistics, communication technologies, and trade routes: supply management, tracking systems, controlled delivery. Local and global competitiveness. Industry4.0: robotics, smart products, connected minds and innovative business models, advanced automation and connectivity. Efficiency along the whole productive chain. IT innovation for human-machine interaction: wireless, RFID, integrated systems.
Sunday, April 29: Sustainability
Scientific, technical and economic challenges to the natural stone industry: opportunities for research into sustainable development. The life cycle of natural stone products and management of the circular economy. Management and use of residues, waste, and effluents from the exploitation and processing of stone materials. Land-use planning and safeguarding of ornamental stone’s deposits, impact mitigation and quarry rehabilitation. Health, safety, environmental and social responsibility. Local production and world trade.
Morning workshops will promote debate on current challenges and include expert presentations:
* Chemistry in the World of Stone: The latest developments in chemical treatment for stones processing, maintenance and conservation, and their implication for function and performance in different environments.
* Industry 4.0 in the World of Stone: The current trends in automation and data-exchange in stones manufacturing and turning waste materials into profitable products.
* Upmarket in the World of Stone: The intrinsic value of stones, adding value, creating luxury, and connecting minds in the world of gems.
The Global Stone Congress was first held in Brazil in 2005 under the name of International Congress on Dimension Stones (ICDS). Following editions were held in Italy (2008), Spain (2010), Portugal (2012) and Turkey (2014), adopting the formal name Global Stone Congress since Spain 2010.
Organizers of the 2018 event are the Center for Mineral Technology (Centro de Technologia Mineral, Cetem) and the Brazilian Association of the Dimension Stone Industry (Abirochas).
(28.11.2017, USA: 11.28.2017)