Innovative Construction Materials

Innovative construction materials research focuses on developing new materials or improving existing ones to enhance the performance, sustainability, and efficiency of construction projects. This research aims to address the challenges faced by the construction industry, such as resource scarcity, environmental impact, and the need for more resilient infrastructure.

Our team focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of construction by exploring the reuse of materials, including recycled construction waste. We are also developing low-emission solutions like carbon-capture concrete, designed to significantly minimize CO₂ emissions during production.

Core research interest include:

• Closed-loop circular economy development of sustainable innovative building materials;
• Re-using recycled industrial waste (e.g. construction and demolition waste) into new construction materials;
• Utilisation of industry by-products into new building materials;
• Durability and performance analysis of innovative sustainable building materials and geomaterials;
• Characterisation, assessment and optimisation of recycling processes for added value utilisation of recycled material;
• Low-embodied-energy construction materials
• Hydration processes in cementitious systems;
• Moisture movement within cover-zone concrete;
• Multifunctional (smart) cement composite;
• Landslide monitoring and behaviour characterisation in areas of high risk of landslides (e.g. Colombia, Brazil); and Unsaturated soils behaviour and microstructure characterisation.

Staff

• Prof P A Muhammed Basheer
• Dr Demitrios Cotsovos
• Dr Ceren Ince
• Dr Hyeyeon Lee
• Prof Gabi Medero
• Dr Elias Sofikitis
• Dr Benny Suryanto
• Dr George Vasdravellis
• Dr Shona Williamson