I changed my PhD project in the middle of my second year. My first project aimed to apply new nanomaterials into concrete to decrease cement usage by partially replacing the cement in concrete and hence reducing CO2 emissions. As this is an emerging field within the concrete industry, I met various difficulties and challenges which showed me that I needed to change what I was working on. Thanks to my supervisors and the accumulation of experience and knowledge gained in the first year, I managed to start a new PhD project right away.
At present, my PhD project is about innovative sprayed concrete that could be used for new tunnel construction and concrete repairs, leading to a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional cement-rich concrete. We aim to increase the cement replacement by various supplementary cementitious materials, especially mineral waste. The potential outcomes will offer significant enhancement to the technical performance and sustainability credentials of sprayed concrete.
I have been able to use the School’s Sir Frank Gibb laboratory for most of my experiments, which has been incredibly helpful and exciting. I have also made use of the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre (LMCC) as well as the Chemical Engineering laboratories as it is an excellent way to collaborate with researchers from different disciplines. The library resources are also incredible to support my PhD studies.