Applications are open for a EPSRC FIBE3 CDT PhD studentship with Buro Happold and Ramboll: Prediction of future technical performance of lower carbon concretes (application deadline April 15, 2026) to work with the CIRG at the University of Cambridge.
Cement production is responsible for 5-7% of global CO2 emissions which reflects our dependence on large volumes of concrete used in societal infrastructure. A rapid transition to lower carbon concrete is an imperative. By the 2030s there will be a much wider range of concrete technologies with much improved performance, a less prescriptive approach to codified concrete design, and more flexible but robust performance requirements.
This project investigates how to better predict future concrete performance through a combination of experimental work, that exploits the latest digital measurement tools and state-of-the-art equipment in the Cambridge Civil Engineering laboratories, and multi-physics modelling to reveal insights for scalable and promising lower carbon options e.g. calcined clays, limestone fines, or novel formulations. The project outcomes will provide guidance for specifying concrete compositions that meet scalability, fresh and hardened state, and lower carbon goals, and inform how novel concrete mixes can be adopted and used with confidence more quickly.
For further details about this opportunity and the application process, please see:
