On 11^th July 2018, representatives from Irish Concrete Federation (ICF) and Cement Manufacturers Ireland (CMI) presented Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) with laboratory equipment for testing of concrete/mortar prisms for its Civil and Structural Engineering laboratory.  Liam Smyth (ICF) and Richard Bradley (CMI) presented the equipment to Dr. Niall Holmes, Assistant Head of the School of Civil & Structural Engineering at DIT, Bolton Street.

Dr. Holmes is well known as a strong advocate within academia for concrete and gave great assistance to the Concrete Development Group in 2016/17 in the development of comprehensive guidance for third level Concrete Technology courses, primarily lecture presentations across a wide range of subject matter. The aim of this project is to ensure that all such undergraduate courses are effectively updated to include current practice with contemporary examples. This is in response to the increasing pressure from alternative construction materials and technologies on student time and choice.

The Concrete Development Group, which is comprised of the ICF and CMI, has also recently presented concrete testing laboratory equipment to Cork Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin in order to ensure that engineering students gain direct ‘hands on’ experience of using advanced testing equipment.