PhD Studentship (EPSRC FIBE3 CDT) with National Highways - Rapid, Low Risk, Adoption of Lower Carbon Concrete

This is a four-year (1+3 MRes/PhD) studentship funded through the Cambridge EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Unlocking Net Zero (FIBE3 CDT). Further details can be found at https://www.net-zero-fibe-cdt.eng.cam.ac.uk/

The project is funded in collaboration with National Highways. National Highways is the UK government company which plans, designs, builds, operates and maintains England's motorways and major A-roads.

Concrete has traditionally used Portland cement as the primary binder material but the high embodied carbon penalty associated with high proportions of Portland cement is no longer tenable in a climate emergency. The construction industry is responding by actively replacing cement with other constituents with lower carbon footprints. The challenge is to rapidly adopt promising binder alternatives while ensuring that mix compositions with a relatively short performance track record will successfully meet the demands of infrastructure over 50-100 years.  

This project seeks to derisk the adoption of newer lower carbon concretes. Binders with higher levels of cement replacement through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and/or filler materials will be scrutinised in the context of concrete material properties e.g. microstructure, and performance measures e.g. durability. A combination of digitally enhanced experimental work and multi-physics modelling will help establish performance comparisons for compositions with SCM replacement to thereby identify and validate appropriate limits on proportion and composition thresholds. The project objectives include: to quantify the alignment of lower carbon concrete combinations against current design standards; to identify promising multi-component binder concretes that sit within, or outside, design standards e.g. through combinations of limestone, calcined clay, fly ash and GGBS replacement, but for which testing compliance is needed to address knowledge gaps to provide confidence in future performance; to undertake comprehensive experimentation and theoretical investigations to support service-life modelling. 

The project outcomes will give greater confidence in the fundamental behaviour of lower carbon concrete mixes to accelerate uptake in UK infrastructure to help meet net zero aspirations.

For project-specific enquiries please e-mail Professor Janet Lees: jml1010@cam.ac.uk. For general enquiries, please email cdtcivil-courseadmin@eng.cam.ac.uk.

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain by the start date) at least a high 2.1 degree and preferably a 1st class degree. The degree should be in engineering, sciences or a relevant discipline, and will preferably be at a Master's level. Previous expertise in concrete materials is desirable.

Fully-funded studentships (fees and maintenance) are only available for eligible home students in the first instance. A limited number of international students can be considered for funding at a later stage in the recruitment process.

Further details about eligibility and funding can be found at:

https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/career-and-skills-development/funding-for-postgraduate-training/eligibility-for-studentship-funding/   https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/fees

https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships/

Applications should be made online via the University of Cambridge Applicant Portal (via the ‘Apply’ button above), stating project title and supervisor's name. Please note there is a £20 application fee.

Early applications are strongly encouraged as an offer may be made before the stated deadline.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.