Concrete is ubiquitous and unique, found in every developed and developing country. Indeed, there are no alternatives to concrete as a volume construction material for infrastructure. This raises important questions of how concrete should be designed and constructed for cost effective use in the the short and long term, and to encourage further radical development. Equally, it must be environmentally friendly during manufacture, in an aesthetic presentation in structures and in the containment of harmful materials. The central theme of the Congress is "Concrete in the Service of Mankind", under which five self-contained Conferences, each dealing with a particular aspect, are planned. The Congress offers opportunity to discuss how to improve and extend this service to mankind using responsible exploitation, underwritten by sound technical understanding and research base. It brings together the shared skills and experience of the various disciplines involved in the construction process world wide. This major publication continues the tradition established by Dundee University of organizing major international conferences every three years dealing with some aspect of concrete and also