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     Institute of Research and Innovation (IRI), Walailak University, Thailand and the University of Warwick, the UK, co-arranged the 3rd International Symposium on Construction Innovation Research & PhD Symposium (ISCR 2022) via a zoom webinar. 
     Assoc. Prof. Dr Thanongsak Imjai, a conference chair, Walailak University and Assis. Prof. Dr. Reyes Gacia, the co-chair of the conference, the University of Warwick highlighted the significance of continuing development of construction materials which comply consistent with the latest breakthroughs and research in construction innovation with the focus on sustainable development, construction materials oriented toward tackling natural-disaster damaged constructions. 
    Assoc. Prof. Dr Thanongsak Imjai said that the conference was organized as part of the strategic international collaboration.“This is currently on a bilateral level given our collaboration with the University of Warwick but in the future we set our eyes on expanding it further,” added Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanongsak. This conference was organized in coordination with the Scopus publication of 2 papers (90%), devising one innovation and disseminating the knowledge to the community in need. 
    Regarding the community outreach,  Prof. Dr. Thanongsak elaborated on his work a Novel Strengthening System for Concrete Elements Using Prestressed High-Ductile Metal Straps and Steel Fibers for Infrastructures in Disaster Vulnerable Area in Thailand. This basically involves innovation of construction materials used to fortify a house’s structure against the impact from earthquakes for the locals in Chiang Rai. 
   “Houses there were constructed before the onset of continuous earthquakes in the North of Thailand, so the houses’ weakness was a downright lack of structural resistance to an earthquake’s impact. We were thrilled to put our study to practice and help those in need”, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanongsak. 

    Given the pandemic situation, this year’s conference was organized in a form of a webinar Zoom application between 14 and 15 January 2022, co-hosted and supported by Thailand’s leading institutions and organizations in engineering and innovation including Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the University of Warwick, Thai Structural Engineers Association (TSEA), Thailand Concrete Association (TCA), Chiang Mai University, Institute of Research and Innovation, Walailak University (IRI). 

News by Nootchanat Sukkaew