Structures and Materials
Our research interests span the broad range of civil engineering activities, and research work usually involves combined experimental and numerical approaches. We are active in transferring research findings into design guidelines and industrial applications and have strong links with research groups in the UK, Europe, USA, Australia and SE Asia.
The UK Government has set a number of challenging targets for improving sustainability, with the overarching goal of a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Without dramatically improving the life-cycle environmental cost of infrastructure stock, it will not be possible to reduce resource consumption and meet this declared environmental target.
Moreover, it has been fully recognized that our infrastructure needs to be more resilient to extreme loads imposed by natural hazards suchs as earthquakes, tsunamis and windstorms, as well as man-made hazards such as terrorist bombs and fires.
Construction materials and structures have an important role to play in sustainable and resilient development through efficient application, smart structural design, energy performance and durability. Developing new and modifying existing materials and structures is one approach to achieving a more sustainable and resilient building environment.
Research areas
Good design is synonymous with sustainable construction and this requires materials and structures research. Current activites focus on the characterisation of components, joints and whole structures of new or traditional materials, and/ or of innovative or unusual forms. Research involves evaluation of results from both full-sized static and dynamic testing in our structures laboratories and advanced computational modelling.
Research on resilience focuses on damage-free seismic-resistant self-centering steel and steel-concrete composite frames; on smart fully replaceable and demountable steel connections; on passive (metallic, viscous, elastomeric) dampers; and on multi-hazard (seismic, wind, blast) resistant design procedures.
Research into vibration pollution and human-structure interaction is ongoing. Structural health monitoring is another area of research explored within the group. It involves damage detection, measurement and structural identification. There are links with other research groups focussing on smart structures. Smart structures use integrated communication and sensor systems to monitor and manage performance and within buildings to support the lifestyle choices of the occupants.
Research into structural form includes flexible, lightweight structures, such as fabric membranes, as well as rigid-type forms. Form-finding involves a numerical modeling process in which the structure is shaped according to the forces applied to it; leading to minimal structural forms that can have cross-disciplinary applications in civil and mechanical engineering, tissue engineering, architecture and art.
The transfer of academic results into the drafting of standards, industry manuals and codes of practice is also undertaken and this ensures there are strong and synergetic links with end user groups.
To date our work has included:
- Fibre reinforced polymer shapes and systems for new build
- Transfer of research into design guidance (rules) for codes of practice
- Experimental dynamic analysis of civil engineering structures
- Dynamic loading induced by humans and their interaction with structures
- Self-centering steel frames
- Passive (metallic, viscous, elastomeric) dampers
- Repairable and demountable steel connections
- Steel-concrete composite bridges
- Computational form-finding, patterning, and load analysis of fabric structures
- Optimal form of rigid-type structures: arches, shells, domes
- Minimal structural forms and applications
Our research poster
Download a PDF version here
