PhD on low-carbon concrete with reduced thermal conductivity

(ref. BAP-2023-125)

Last modification : Friday, March 17, 2023

KU Leuven is one of the top 50 universities in the world, and has been ranked as the most innovative university in Europe, and 7th in the world (Reuters, 2019). Civil Engineering Technology at Campus Bruges consists of two research groups, (i) Coastal and Geotechnical Engineering, and (ii) RecyCon. The first research group focuses on the interaction between water, soil and structures, with application in hard and soft sea defences, offshore energy and (deep) foundations. The RecyCon research group concentrates on research of sustainable material management in the construction industry. A growing interest towards the use of recycled materials has resulted in different applications for secondary materials. However, thorough research is necessary to ensure the quality of applications using recycled materials. The project on low-carbon concrete with reduced thermal conductivity is a collaboration between RecyCon (low-carbon building materials), the New Materials group (sustainable functional polymer materials), and the M group (mechatronics, sensors), all hosted on Campus Bruges of KU Leuven.

Concrete is generally considered to be energy efficient, because its high thermal mass reduces heating and cooling loads, averaging out temperature extremes. Thanks to enclosed microscopic air cells, cellular concrete has excellent thermal insulation properties. However, the use of cellular concrete is greatly restricted because it must satisfy not only thermal but also structural requirements. The production of conventional concrete generates about 8% of the world's CO2 emissions, which means low‐carbon alternatives are desperately needed. Recently, recycled fines from grinding mineral construction and demolition waste (CDW), such as ground concrete powders (GCPs) and ground clay brick powders (GBPs) have shown real potential as partial substitutes for Portland cement (OPC), improving both the ecological and thermal performance of concrete bestowing higher porosity and lower density on the material. However, incorporating those recycled fines can adversely affect the strength and deformation properties of concrete, and more importantly, make it less durable, since recycled fines often have a more porous structure and can increase the permeability of concrete.

The goal of the PhD project is to develop a new low-carbon concrete with reduced thermal conductivity, and the set up a methodology to measure, test and validate the thermal efficiency of the developed concrete. The candidate will develop binder material and manufacture a concrete, and apply chemical and mechanical characterization methods.

We are looking for a first-class, motivated, hard-working PhD candidate, who will conduct innovative research in the field of construction engineering and building materials. The ideal candidate has excellent construction engineering and chemical laboratory skills, and a strong interest in low-carbon concrete.

Successful completion of the research project will result in a number of scientific international journal papers and a PhD at the Faculty of Engineering Technology (KU Leuven). Results from the research will be published in international scientific journals, and will be presented at conferences and to interested companies and potential users.

The candidate:

The successful candidate will be hired as a PhD researcher. We offer a full time one year contract which can be prolonged to four years upon positive evaluation. Your main working place is the Brugge campus.

The KU Leuven pursues a policy of equal opportunity and diversity.

Start date: October 1st 2023 or as soon as possible

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Jiabin Li, tel.: +32 50 66 48 35, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. Veerle Vandeginste, tel.: +32 50 66 49 32, mail: [email protected].

KU Leuven seeks to foster an environment where all talents can flourish, regardless of gender, age, cultural background, nationality or impairments. If you have any questions relating to accessibility or support, please contact us at [email protected].