The Concrete Infrastructure Research Group (CIRG) welcomed several new members in October. Persefoni will work towards an MRes+PhD at the Future Infrastructure and Built Environment Centre for Doctoral Training (FIBE2 CDT), with Swasthi and Susan working towards the fourth year of their MEng degrees. Persefoni, Swasthi and Susan will focus on different challenges facing concrete infrastructure, including embodied carbon and the implementation of digital tools. Our new members were asked their thoughts on future work and on joining the CIRG:
"I am excited to join the Concrete Infrastructure Research Group, focusing my efforts on performance-based concrete as a strategy for CO2 reduction. I am completing the Mres + PhD programme offered by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Resilience in a Changing World (FIBE2). I look forward to contributing to research to help make our infrastructure more resilient" - Persefoni Perivolaropoulou
"I am excited to be joining the Concrete Infrastructure Research Group this year as part of my IIB Project. Since this is my first experience of working in research, I am looking forward to learning about the other ongoing research in the group eg. digital analysis of slump tests, analysis of shear planes and performance-based analyses of mixes. My project focuses on cement replacement, aimed at a reduced embodied carbon and greater efficiency in material use. Specifically I will be investigating OPC, GGBS and calcined clay in a ternary mix. I look forward to contributing to and benefiting from the vibrant research community that CIRG offers" - Swasthi Surendran
“I am excited to complete my fourth year project with CIRG and spend time with all the team members. My interests are in digital engineering and digital transformation in general of the built environment and it’s construction. My project this year focuses on digital testing of the fresh state performance of concrete, with my implementation using computer vision and different aspects of artificial intelligence” - Susan Thapa