Development of Ultra High Performance Green Concrete (Advert Ref: ERDF20/EE/MCE/NAGARATNAMBrabha)

The PhD project forms part of the Intensive Industrial Innovation Programme (IIIP) which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The IIIP Programme is a collaboration between Durham, Newcastle, Teesside and Northumbria Universities and aims to encourage a culture of innovation that benefits business, leading to greater export opportunities and increased graduate employment.

The Programme enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop new products and services.

This project will be a collaboration between Northumbria University and Bespoke Concrete.

PhD student will be based at Northumbria University and Bespoke Concrete.

The PhD project will focus on the research and development of products using existing technologies of UHPC (Ultra High Performance Cement). The research will investigate if these technologies can be modified to make products in a similar range of colours and finishes for which the company is already well known. If successful, the project will have substantial potential for the company’s expansion, creating new jobs in the Northumberland region. UHPC is still a fairly recent development and as a building material, possesses excellent durability and outstanding mechanical properties compared to ordinary concrete and traditional high-performance concrete. This project will also investigate the performance of various combinations of mineral additives and processed waste materials available locally under various production techniques. Engineering properties will be investigated such compressive strength, flexural strength, dynamic modulus of elasticity, pulse velocity, permeability and microstructural properties such as porosity and pore size distribution. Structural behaviour will be investigated in terms of crack, ultimate, and post-peak loads, load versus deformation and associated strains at critical sections. This research will signify, the possibility of producing a greener UHPC blocks and provide insight into the development of these type of precast members.

The principal supervisor for this project is: Dr. Brabha Nagaratnam. Co-Supervisors: A/Prof Marco Corradi and A/Prof Keerthan Poologanathan.

Please note eligibility requirement:

* Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
* Appropriate IELTS Score (6.5 or above), if required.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. ERDF20/EE/MCE/NAGARATNAMBrabha) will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: Midnight 15th July 2020

Interviews will be arranged to take place during the week commencing 27 July 2020.

PhD Start Date: 1st October 2020

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.