AISI to participate in Converge 2013 conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As a member of the Coalition for Fair Construction Practices, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) will participate in the Coalition’s Converge 2013 conference that will be held October 15-16, 2013, at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The first Converge conference will bring together building materials and digital technology suppliers, industry thought leaders, architects, engineers and developers from Canada and the United States to discuss topics including the application of life cycle analysis (LCA) tools and emerging new technologies for a sustainable building environment.

Mark A. Thimons, P.E., LEED AP-BD&C, director of construction sustainability for the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of AISI, will participate in a panel discussion focused on meeting sustainable building challenges. Thimons is a leading expert in life cycle analysis and environmental product declarations in the North American steel industry. The panel will also include representatives from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, the Canadian Wood Council/Wood Works! Project, and the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute.

“Sustainable building practices and materials have become increasingly critical to the overall construction decision-making and selection processes,” Thimons said. “Converge 2013 will give all of us involved in the construction industry the opportunity to talk about important issues such as the science behind comprehensive life cycle assessments. Our objective is to gain a better understanding of how all materials are working to demonstrate the facts behind their environmental performance.”

Topics to be covered by Converge 2013 include:
• New trends in sustainable architecture and design, and how material choices impact sustainable outcomes
• Integrated materials selection to achieve optimal sustainable performance
• Meeting sustainable building challenges such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), LEED v4, the Architecture 2030 Challenge, and more
• Transformative technologies in the materials industries.

Converge 2013 will include opportunities for group discussions and networking. For more information or to register, visit www.converge2013.com.