Conference Overview

Important Dates:

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: August 15th, 2025, extended to September 5th, 2025
  • Notification of Acceptance: September 15th, 2025, extended to October 3rd, 2025
  • Extended Abstract Due: December 15th, 2025, extended to January 5th, 2026
  • Conference Dates: May 12th (only evening reception), May 13th and 14th 2026 (full conference days), dinner banquet on the 14th 2026

Please see below for the detailed Agenda / Presentation Schedule.

Tentative ICISR Agenda / Presentation Schedule

May 12th

6:00–8:00 PM Welcome Reception Reception offering time to meet, mingle, and connect with fellow attendees. Hors d’oeuvres and light refreshments will be provided.

 

May 13th – Day 1

7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast and Registration – Schooner Ballroom
8:00–8:30 AM Welcoming Remarks
8:30–10:30 AM Session Block 1
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Testing and Standardization of Iron-Sulfide–Bearing Aggregates in Concrete
Section Facilitator: Jim Mahoney Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Christoph E. Geiss Monoclinic and hexagonal pyrrhotite identification using the thermomagnetic method
Presentation 2 Pierre-Luc Fecteau Concrete Aggregate Testing for Iron Sulphides: Oxygen Consumption Testing Interlaboratory Studies in Canada to Evaluate Multi-laboratory Variability in View of Standardization
Presentation 3 Rachel Garside Pyritiferous claystone – EN12620 “compliant” aggregate and the case for thin section petrography
Presentation 4 Andreia Rodrigues Oxygen consumption test for aggregates containing iron sulfides: sample preparation and column dimension effect
Presentation 5 Medhat H. Shehata A Test Method to Evaluate Concrete Containing Sulphide-Bearing Aggregates in Concrete
Presentation 6 April Snyder Assessment and Refinement of Analytical Chemistry Methods to Determine Sulfide Sulfur in Concrete Aggregates toward Standardization in the U.S.
10:30–10:45 AM Morning Coffee Break
10:45–10:55 AM Homeowners Association Presentation Coalition d'aide aux victimes de la pyrrhotite (CAVP)
10:55 AM–12:15 PM Session Block 2
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Mechanisms and Field Performance of Iron-Sulfide–Induced Concrete Deterioration
Section Facilitator: Paul Dunlop Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Christopher Brough Differences in internal sulphate attack across the Republic of Ireland and long-term implications – how far could it go?
Presentation 2 Murilo Henrique Taques Camargo Impact of sample preparation on the quantification of sulfide-bearing aggregates using XRD
Presentation 3 Stephanie Watson Screening for Pyrrhotite and its Reaction Products in Concrete using Raman and Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Presentation 4 Gilberto Cidreira Keserle Pyrrhotite-Induced Concrete Degradation - An Exploratory Data Analysis Integrating Laboratory and Field Investigations in the Trois-Rivières Region
12:15–1:15 PM Lunch – Cutter Room
1:15–1:25 PM Homeowners Association Presentation MA Homeowner Association
1:25–3:25 PM Session Block 3
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Factors and Accelerated Testing Methods for Iron-Sulfide–Induced Concrete Deterioration
Section Facilitator: April Snyder Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Dipayan Jana Roles of Aggregate Type, Concrete Quality, and Exposure Conditions on Pyrrhotite Oxidation and ISA Related Damage in Ireland
Presentation 2 Medhat H. Shehata Accelerated Assessment of Sulphide-Bearing Aggregates Using the Vacuum-Bleach Injection Technique (VBIT)
Presentation 3 Alex Smith Accelerated concrete core test for pyrrhotite bearing concrete
Presentation 4 Michael Mengason Ozone as an oxidant for accelerated testing of pyrrhotite-induced concrete degradation
Presentation 5 Andreas Leemann Deleterious internal sulfate attack on concrete caused by an aggregate with low iron sulfide content
Presentation 6 Dip Banik Quantifying iron sulfide superstructures in concrete aggregates in the recovered solids after density-based separation
3:25–3:40 PM Afternoon Coffee Break
3:40–4:10 PM Flash Sponsors Talk
(6 speakers, 5 min talk)
4:10–5:10 PM Session Block 4
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		From Research to Remediation: Policy, Practice, and Impacts of Iron-Sulfide Reactions in Concrete
Section Facilitator: Stephanie Watson Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Paul Dunlop From mica to pyrrhotite: charting the impacts of scientific research on Irish standards and the government grant scheme to remediate defective concrete homes in Ireland
Presentation 2 Nikolas Ålgård Oberhardt European Standardization Update: Test Methods to be included in EN-17555
Presentation 3 Kay Wille UConn Research and Homeowner Support Activities Addressing Crumbling Concrete Foundations in Connecticut
5:10–5:30 PM Open Floor – Group Picture

 

May 14th – Day 2

7:00–8:00 AM Breakfast and Registration – Schooner Ballroom
8:00–8:30 AM Flash Student Talks
(3 speakers, 10 min talk)
▼ View presentations
Section Facilitator: Leana Santos Speaker Presentation Title
Talk 1 Meshach Ojo Effect of iron-sulfide aggregate sizes and amount on electrochemically accelerated concrete deterioration
Talk 2 Auishe Pauline Corraya Phase Transformations during Electrochemical Accelerated Testing and Deterioration of Concrete with Pyrrhotite-bearing Aggregates
Talk 3 Shalini Devi Tulasi Ravikumar Evaluating sampling strategy for electrochemical accelerated testing of sulfide-bearing concrete
8:30–10:30 AM Session Block 5
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Case Studies and Advanced Insights into Iron-Sulfide Concrete Damage
Section Facilitator: Josee Duchesne Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Dipayan Jana From CT to MA Case Studies of Crumbled Foundations from Pyrrhotite Oxidation and Internal Sulfate Attack in the Eastern US
Presentation 2 Gilberto Cidreira Keserle Pyrrhotite-Induced Concrete Degradation - A Machine Learning Approach for Risk Assessment in the Trois-Rivières Region
Presentation 3 Cédric Drolet Case study: low permeability concrete containing sulfide-bearing aggregates
Presentation 4 Patrick G. Dixon Crack Networks and Chemistry in Pyrrhotite-Affected Concrete Extracted from a Massachusetts Site
Presentation 5 Leana Santos Beyond Sulfur Content and Speciation: A Multi-Parameter Risk Ranking Index for Pyrrhotite-Induced Concrete Deterioration
Presentation 6 Rodolfo Castillo Araiza Understanding the role of type of sulphide in concrete degradation: Insights from concrete electrochemical testing scheme of diverse aggregate sources.
10:30–10:45 AM Morning Coffee Break
10:45–10:55 AM Homeowners Association Presentation CT Homeowner Association
10:55 AM–12:15 PM Session Block 6
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Advanced Analytical Methods for Identification and Quantification of Iron-Sulfide Minerals
Section Facilitator: Dipayan Jana Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Bradley Staniforth Rapid quantitative assessment of sulphide species and equivalent total sulphur content of aggregate in concrete samples using OI AZtecFeature analysis and UNITY BEX mapping
Presentation 2 Michael Baker Petrographic Methods to Identify and Quantify Iron-Sulfide Minerals in Aggregate
Presentation 3 Murilo Henrique Taques Camargo Improving sulfur analysis: a novel approach to distinguish pyrrhotite in rock aggregates
Presentation 4 Stephanie Watson Interlaboratory Study on Sulfur Quantification using Pyrrhotite in Concrete NIST Reference Material
12:15–1:15 PM Lunch – Cutter Room
1:15–1:25 PM Homeowners Association Presentation Ireland Homeowner Association
1:25–3:25 PM Session Block 7
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		Reaction Kinetics and Evaluation of Iron-Sulfide Oxidation and Secondary Product Formation
Section Facilitator: Andreas Leemann Speaker / Organization Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Osamah H.A. Dehwah Crack Formation Modeling in Concrete Affected by Iron-Sulfide Reactions
Presentation 2 Nikolas Ålgård Oberhardt Mineralogical investigation of pristine aggregate, laboratory mortar bar and concrete field sample
Presentation 3 Aleksandra Radlińska Performance of mortar mini-bar tests under different exposure conditions for evaluating iron sulfide-bearing aggregates
Presentation 4 Nick Scaglione Petrographic Characterization of Aggregates Involved in Iron-Sulfide Reactions in Residential Concrete Foundations in Northern Massachusetts and the use of Point-Count Analysis to Determine the Amount of Iron Sulfide Minerals in Concrete Aggregates
Presentation 5 Pierre-Luc Fecteau Linking the exposure conditions of defective blocks with expansion in an Irish home by monitoring and microstructural analysis
Presentation 6 Medhat H. Shehata Test for Evaluating Sulphide-Bearing Aggregates based on Paste-Coarse Aggregate mix.
3:25–3:40 PM Afternoon Coffee Break
3:40–4:10 PM Flash Student Talks
(4 speakers, 7 min talk)
▼ View presentations
Section Facilitator:Leana Santos Speaker Presentation Title
Talk 1 Ana Rocha Influence of Matrix Composition and Surface Treatments on Iron Sulfide–Induced Concrete Deterioration
Talk 2 Sampa Akter Performance Evaluation of Sulfide-Bearing Aggregates in Mortar Bars
Talk 3 A T M Masum Effect of Specimen Geometry on Accelerated Deterioration
Talk 4 Aagya Dahal Phase Evolution of Iron Oxyhydroxides in Pyrrhotite-Containing Concrete under Electrochemical Accelerated Testing
4:10–5:10 PM Session Block 8
(15 min talk, 5 min Q&A)
▼ View presentations 		From Quarry to Foundation: Field Mapping, Case Studies, and Mitigation of Pyrrhotite Damage
Section Facilitator: Meghan Seremet Speaker Presentation Title
Presentation 1 Fred Shrimer Mapping Pyrrhotite in Quarries and Bedrock: Experience in British Columbia, Canada
Presentation 2 Cody Strack Potential of Commercially Available Sealants to Mitigate Further Oxidation of Pyrrhotite in Existing Foundations
Presentation 3 Jim Kaylor Mitigation of Iron-Sulphide–Induced Concrete Deterioration Using ChemConcrete Hybrid Admixture
5:10–5:30 PM Open floor

 

May 14th– Evening Banquet

6:00 PM Conference Banquet Dinner banquet hosted at the Mystic Marine Life Aquarium.