For a burgeoning underdeveloped nation, the most widely used
construction material in the world—concrete—is a valuable asset.
But in Mongolia—that landlocked Asiatic country wedged between
Russia and the People’s Republic of China—knowledge of concrete
is, at best, rudimentary. One of the most sparsely populated
nations in the world, the country is emerging from a modern
history of political turmoil and looking to the west for
assistance in its development. Mongolia is Asia’s seventh
largest country in area but with a population of less than 2.5
million. This is why, in part, SIUE Engineering Professor Luke
Snell and his wife, Billie, traveled to Mongolia—to lead the
first Mongolian concrete conference in mid-May, where they
served as “good will ambassadors” for concrete as they toured
the country. The Snells departed for Ulaanbaatar—the Mongolian
capitol—on May 14 for a 14-day visit that was packed full of
activities promoting and providing information about concrete.
“Mongolia is on the verge of a construct