Congratulations to Michele Win Tai Mak who has been awarded two prizes at the Young Researchers' Conference (YRC) 2020, organised by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) on the 4th September 2020. He participated in the oral presentation section, the top category, winning the 1st Prize from the scientific jury and the additional People’s Vote Prize from the audience.
Michele presented a paper based on his doctoral work, titled: 'Assessment of bond deterioration in reinforced concrete bridges: towards a splitting crack-based approach'. His research focusses on the development of a new approach to the strength assessment of bridges. This is part of a larger research effort within the CIRG, aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the infrastructure network through lifetime extension of reinforced concrete structures.
“From a very strong field, Michele’s work really stood out – a strong piece of research, well presented, and with clear practical applicability. His work on extending the life of ageing concrete structures will be critical to the UK infrastructure as plots a path towards Net Zero in 2050.”
Dr Pete Winslow, Head Judge, MEng PhD CEng MIStructE
The IStructE YRC is an annual event that enables young researchers to discuss their work and receive feedback from academics and industry leaders, promoting interactions across researchers and practitioners. In 2020 the conference was held remotely for the first time. The event has been a tremendous success with over 85 delegates attending from 15 countries online.