Research
To provide resilience, existing materials must be reinforced to cope, and new infrastructure materials must be designed to endure
State-of-the-art Advanced Infrastructure Materials Lab
The Advanced Infrastructure Materials Lab focuses on producing, processing, imaging, analysing and testing infrastructure materials. The aim is to provide advanced techniques that are not readily available to infrastructure materials researchers in the UK.
Find out more about our new Advanced Infrastructure Materials lab
Current Research Themes
Low-carbon sustainable infrastructure:
New cements, 3D printed metals, industrial ecology
Long-term durability and performance:
Concrete durability, fracture mechanics, service-life prediction
Functional and improved materials:
New types of permeable pavement, durable super-hydrophobic surfaces
Circular economy:
Novel thermal insulation materials, new biomaterials, ceramic processing, plastics in the oceans
Postgraduate Research
The Materials section provides a highly stimulating environment for research. If you are interested in applying for a PhD, contact the academic in the list below who works in your area of interest. Specific opportunities are advertised on the Opportunities page.
Members of the Materials Section
Materials Academic and Teaching Staff A-Z
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Craig BuchananLecturer in Construction, PhD3D printing, metals, Material testing, Structural testing, Finite element modelling. |
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Nick BuenfeldProfessor of Concrete Structures and Head of Department, PhD, DIC, FICE, FIStructE, FREngHead of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Concrete structures; Deterioration mechanisms; Design for durability; Condition assessment and monitoring; Life prediction of new and existing concrete structures. |
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Chris CheesemanProfessor of Materials Resources Engineering, PhD, MCIWMHead of Materials Section Waste management; Beneficial reuse of wastes; Low-carbon materials; Waste encapsulation technologies. |
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Emilio Martínez-PañedaSenior Lecturer in Mechanics of Materials and 1851 Research Fellow, PhDFracture mechanics; Environmental degradation of materials; Metal plasticity; Rock micromechanics; Computational mechanics. |
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Rupert MyersSenior Lecturer in Sustainable Materials Engineering, PhDIndustrial ecology; Circular economy; Sustainable cities; Beneficial use of wastes/by-products; Cement, minerals, and aquatic chemistry/thermodynamics; Open science. |
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Hong WongReader in Structures and Materials, PhD, DICDirector of MSc in Advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure Undergraduate Year 2 Coordinator Microstructure characterisation; Concrete petrography; Image analysis; Degradation of concrete structures; Modelling performance from microstructure. |
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Chao WuSenior Lecturer in Civil Engineering Materials, PhDPolymer and polymer based composites, Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and structures, Fatigue and fracture mechanics, Engineered cementitious composites (ECC), Structural retrofitting, Timber |
| Materials Academics A-Z | |
Materials Research Staff A-Z
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Alalea KiaResearch Associate, PhDPermeable concrete; Concrete pavement design; Durability of cement-based materials; Pore structure; Cementitious materials Email Alalea |
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Izhar ShahResearch Associate, PhDResources sustainability; Low-carbon industries; Economy-environment decoupling; Strategic planning Email Izhar |
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Marcus YioResearch Associate, PhDLaboratory Manager for the new Centre for Infrastructure Materials (CIM) Cementitious materials; Concrete durability; Microstructure; Microscopy; Image analysis Email Marcus |
| Materials Research Staff A-Z | |
Materials Research Students A-Z
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Xi ChenStarted Oct 2017Concrete durability Supervised by: Wong, H.S.; Buenfeld, N.R. Email Xi |
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Theo ClaytonStarted Oct 2020Advanced fracture mechanics modelling to understand earth-environment interactions Supervised by: Martinez-Paneda, E. Email Theo |
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Kaine ChinwahStarted Dec 2019Novel oil sorption materials produced from waste feathers Supervised by: Cheeseman, C.R. Email Kaine |
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Sam DraperStarted Oct 2017Microstructure and durability of concrete prepared using new multi-component cements Supervised by: Wong, H.S.; Cheeseman, C.R.; Buenfeld, N.R.; Email Sam |
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Meng GaoStarted Nov 2020System-performance based design of durable low-carbon concrete Supervised by: Myers, RJ.; Wong, H.S. Email Meng |
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Maria GeorgiadesStarted Nov 2020Environmental sustainability assessment to guide the development of cements produced from bauxite residue and other high-volume industrial by-products Supervised by: Myers, RJ., Cheeseman, C.R Email Maria |
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Theo GlashierStarted Mar 2021Short and long-term structural behaviour of metal 3D printed structures Supervised by: Buchanan, C. Email Theo |
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Caitlin HoweStarted Nov 2020Chemistry and properties of alkali ferro(alumino)silicate gel, a solid phase in low CO2 cementitious binders produced from bauxite residue and other Fe-rich high-volume industrial by-products Supervised by: Myers, RJ., Cheeseman, C.R Email Caitlin |
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Mehrdad IsfandbodStarted Oct 2019Modelling and characterization of hydrogen embrittlement of austenitic steels Supervised by: Martinez-Paneda, E. Email Mehrdad |
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Evzen KorecStarted Sep 2020Electro-chemo-mechanical models for predicting stress corrosion cracking Supervised by: Martinez-Paneda, E. Email Evzen |
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Alexander Kumi-LarbiStarted July 2018The use of waste plastic composites as an alternative low-cost construction material Supervised by: Cheeseman, C.R.; Wilson, D.C. Email Alexander |
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Jia Xiang LiewStarted Oct 2018Concrete structures with smart reinforcements Supervised by: Buenfeld, N.R.; Wong, H.S. Email Jia |
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Roshni LimbachiyaStarted Oct 2017Manufacturing low-C02 glass supplementary for cementitious materials from waste materials As part of the CDT in Sustainable Civil Engineering Supervised by: Cheeseman, C.R. Email Roshni |
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Adam MasonStarted Oct 2019Characterising global material cycles for natural and anthropogenic wellbeing Supervised by: Myers, RJ. Email Adam |
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John Obuobi Ofosu-AppeahStarted Apr 2021Engineered mycelium products Supervised by: Cheeseman, C.R. Email John |
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Barnaby ShanksStarted Oct 2018Investigating new low-carbon cements based on MgO/silica components of olivine Supervised by: Cheeseman, C.R.; Wong, H.S.; Email Barney |
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Yang TuStarted Oct 2020Multiphysics modelling of battery degradation Supervised by: Martinez-Paneda, E.; Wu, B. Email Yang |
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Terry UgamaStarted Apr 2019New low carbon cement for sustainable infrastructure development manufactured from olivine Supervised by: Wong, H.S.; Cheeseman, C.R. Email Terry |
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Runzi WangStarted Apr 2020Chemomechanical fracture Supervised by: Martínez-Pañeda, E. Email Runzi |
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Amy WilsonStarted Oct 2018Reducing the impact of nanoparticle emissions during concrete production and recycling Supervised by: Stettler, MEJ.; Wong, H.S.; Fowler, G.D.; Cheeseman, C.R. Email Amy |
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Kai ZhangStarted Oct 2017Durability assessment of novel cements and concretes Supervised by: Wong, H.S.; Buenfeld, N. Email Kai |
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Shiying ZhengStarted Aug 2018Hydrophobic concrete Supervised by: Wong, H.S.; Cheeseman, C.R. Email Shiying |
| Materials Research Students A-Z | |
Technical and Administrative Staff (A-Z)
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Andrew MorrisLaboratory Technician, StructuresRoom 236, +44 (0)207 594 5954, Email Andrew |
| Materials Technical and Administrative Staff | |