Potential of Blockchain Technology to progress construction materials’ traceability (ABCE18/MO)

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the School was ranked first for research environment in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning, with 95% of research rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ for its influence on society, the economy and policy. The School boasts world class facilities, with £1.4m recently invested in the 3,000m2 laboratory facilities and a £1.24m High Performance Computing facility – one of the UK’s fastest clusters.

A key part of the School’s ethos is the extensive links with industry. Many research projects are sponsored and applied by organisations in the civil engineering, construction and transport sectors, and Loughborough graduates are extremely sought after by industry and commerce world-wide.

Project Detail
Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship on “Potential of Blockchain Technology (BCT) to progress construction materials’ traceability”. One of our existing PhD projects, co-funded and co-supervised by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) Trust, focuses on traceability in construction, and there is growing interest in being able to track and trace products and the information about them through global, complex supply-chains. Yet the literature on traceability is varied, imprecise and remarkably confused. Although BCT is still in its technological infancy, it is rapidly being developed into mature applications in different sectors. A study by BRE Trust identified potential for BCT in digital material passports, smart contracts, and resourcing and connected systems.

The candidate will evaluate the viability of BCT applications in the built environment sector to drive materials’ traceability advancements and promote the transformation to a circular economy. The research aims to address the limitations of current material traceability approaches by assessing the challenges and opportunities of BCT to improve the traceability and reliability of material information along the supply chain. The research is supported by the BRE and will involve collaboration in joint academic/industry research projects.

Find out more:
www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/pg-research/

Entry requirements
Students will normally need to hold, or expect to gain, at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline. A relevant master’s degree and/or relevant employment experience will be an advantage. A strong interest or/and experience in responsible sourcing, material resource efficiency, circular economy and blockchain technology would be desirable.

Contact details
For information about the research project, please contact:

Name: Dr Mohamed Osmani
Email address: [Email Address Removed]
Telephone number: (01509) 228 155

For information about the application process, please contact:

Name: Mr Berkeley Young
Email address: [Email Address Removed]
Telephone number: (01509) 222 611

How to apply
All applications should be made online at www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/research-applications/. Under programme name, please select Civil and Building Engineering (Built Environment).

Please quote reference number ABCE18/MO.