The event, held at the Commons Conference Center at The University of Texas at Austin, centered around the theme “Building Durable Infrastructure for Texas Growth.” More than just a technical conference, the event highlighted the importance of partnerships between public agencies, academia, and industry. Over two days, attendees explored practical solutions that will help Texas design, construct, and maintain infrastructure capable of serving one of the fastest-growing states in the nation while addressing evolving demands for sustainability, resilience, and long-term performance.
One of the conference highlights was the keynote presentation by Dr. Ken Hover of Cornell University, whose engaging discussion emphasized the importance of understanding concrete as an engineered material and challenged attendees to continue advancing innovation while maintaining sound engineering fundamentals. His presentation set the tone for two days focused on practical knowledge, technical excellence, and collaboration.
The technical program reflected the breadth of expertise across Texas’ transportation community. Carl Johnson of TxDOT opened the conference by discussing the agency’s Unified Transportation Program (UTP), highlighting strategic investments being made across the state while emphasizing TxDOT’s ongoing commitment to improving roadway safety through its “End the Streak” initiative.
Dr. Maria Juenger of The University of Texas at Austin presented recent advancements in sustainable concrete materials, illustrating how innovative cementitious systems can reduce environmental impacts while maintaining long-term performance. Ben Reese of Raba Kistner shared findings from a collaborative soil-cement research project investigating the stabilization of highly plastic Texas soils, demonstrating how cement stabilization can improve constructibility, durability, and long-term pavement performance. Additional presentations by Larry Sutter explored recent developments in blended cements and evolving ASTM standards, while Dr. Rajib Mallick of UTEP highlighted ongoing research into full-depth reclamation with cement and its role in creating more resilient and sustainable pavement systems.
An important component of this year’s conference was the Student Poster Competition, which provided undergraduate and graduate students from Texas universities with the opportunity to present their research directly to professionals from industry and government. The competition encouraged technical communication, fostered networking opportunities, and showcased the next generation of transportation engineers and researchers.
Congratulations to the 2026 winners:
The conference concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing excellence throughout the concrete industry. The Project Award celebrated the successful collaboration behind the Fort Hood Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement Project, recognizing the U.S. Army Fort Hood Department of Public Works as owner, TTG Utilities as the contractor, and Rollcon LLC for their outstanding contributions to the project. The prestigious Robert V. Lopez Award honored two individuals whose careers have significantly advanced the concrete industry through exceptional leadership, service, education, and technical excellence. This year’s recipients were Lisa Lukefahr, Executive Director of the Texas Concrete Pavement Association (TCPA), and Dr. Moon Won, Professor at Texas Tech University.
As Texas continues to experience unprecedented population growth and increasing transportation demands, the need for durable, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure has never been greater. The 2026 CCT/TxDOT Concrete Conference demonstrated that meeting these challenges requires continued collaboration among industry, government, and academia. By sharing knowledge, showcasing successful projects, and investing in future professionals, the conference reaffirmed the concrete industry’s commitment to delivering infrastructure that will serve Texans for generations.
The Cement Council of Texas extends its sincere appreciation to every speaker, sponsor, exhibitor, student, and attendee whose participation made this year’s conference a tremendous success. Their expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment continue to strengthen the partnerships that are building the future of Texas infrastructure.