Editorial

摘要

Concrete is a construction material essential to the infrastructure of human socioeconomic activity in modern society. Despite its vital role, however, it is often castigated as symbolising the destruction of nature, probably because of the human instinct to return to natural surroundings even when one is in a solid and comfortable environment. It is nonetheless obvious that there can be no return to a world without concrete now that industrialisation has progressed dramatically and the population has increased to a level that makes the earth seem smaller. Humans must accept the fact that the earth is not capable of sustaining an ever-increasing population without making efforts toward maximising efficiency in human activity. Concrete is expected to play an important role in applying this principle.