Development of low carbon concrete

About 180 million tons of construction and demolition waste (CDW) are generated every year in the European Union, of which only 28% is being reused. Even when CDW is reused, applications in the construction industry are limited to relatively low value non-structural members such as fences, road curbs and road base filling materials etc. Despite numerous research studies of green concrete, its use as concrete in mainstream structural loadbearing members is limited. The main reason is either because waste materials in concrete cannot achieve the same mechanical properties as conventional concrete, or because the different methods of improving mechanical properties of green concrete are expensive and environmentally high cost. A transformative approach is needed. This project aims to characterize the waste materials and industrial by-products in the UK which are suitable for low carbon concrete and develop a set of low carbon concrete with graphene and other nanomaterials to achieve the comparable strengths as commercial C40 concrete in the market. Microstructural analysis will be needed to understand the hydration mechanism and functions of different materials at the microstructural level.

Eligibility

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline.

Funding

At Manchester we offer a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level, to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers applying for competition and self-funded projects.

For more information, visit our funding page or search our funding database for specific scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

Before you apply

We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisor(Dr Meini Su, meini.su@manchester.ac.uk) for this project before you apply.

How to apply

Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-fap

When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees.

Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents:

• Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications
• Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress
• CV
• Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference)
• English Language certificate (if applicable)

If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact.

We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status.

We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder).