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Since urbanization and climate are getting stronger, for sustainable development it is crucial to enhance the safety and durability of construction materials. TRaaSH aims to study the response of Self-Healing Concrete (SHC) at elevated temperatures and to develop temperatures dependent properties for SHC. SHC is one of the modern concrete types inspired from the natural process of human wound healing and developed to ensure the longevity and durability of concrete structures. Extending the service life of structures is essential for reducing carbon footprints of the construction industry and managing construction waste. Current research on SHC focuses primarily on its mechanical properties and crack healing efficiency under normal conditions and ambient temperatures. Due to lack of investigations, significant research gaps exist in understanding the performance of SHC at elevated temperatures and in fire exposure scenarios. Understating the response of SHC at elevated temperatures is crucial for ensuring the safety of occupants/users and for the sustainability of concrete structures. TraaSH adopts a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach, bridging together material science, rigorous fire resistance testing, post-fire structural integrity, thermal analysis and structural fire engineering. With Dr. Naveed Alam's support and expertise in structural fire engineering, this fellowship will train me in advanced fire safety engineering and computational modeling, enhancing my knowledge of self-healing technologies. The findings from this interdisciplinary research will help with sustainable construction which will in turn reduce the construction sector's environmental impact contributing to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities. The project will also help with industrial innovation (SDG9) and will ensure responsible consumption of material (SDG12).

There is a growing focus on hydrogen technologies and the role they likely to have in the development of the future low-carbon economy. The experience accumulated with use of ammonia in industries and its transportation around the globe offers practical, cost-effective means for storage and transport of large quantities of hydrogen compared to compressed gaseous or liquid forms. Ammonia is characterised by its liquid state at ambient conditions, high volumetric and gravimetric energy density. There is a substantial track record and experience on the inherently safer use of ammonia in the industrial environment as it is widely utilised in chemical processing, food production, as an agricultural fertiliser, etc. Emerging of ammonia in a different capacity, i.e. as hydrogen carrier, calls for a reassessment of hazards and associated risks it presents to life, property and environment. This PhD project aims to develop scientifically underpinned safety strategies and engineering solutions for handling large quantities of ammonia used as hydrogen carrier during transport and storage onboard and using relevant infrastructure. The project will review hazards, including toxicity effects, existing prevention and mitigation safety strategies when dealing safely with ammonia. New practices associated with extended use of ammonia for hydrogen economy will be investigated, scenarios of unscheduled ammonia release in enclosures and the open atmosphere will be identified and prioritised. The research outcomes are expected in the form of recommendations for inherently safer use of ammonia for hydrogen applications and may include, e.g. requirements to ventilation in enclosures where ammonia is handled, strategy for the choice of ammonia piping and pumping pressures, a methodology to define hazard distances for different release scenarios in the open atmosphere, others. It is envisaged that the research will rely on the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to study the propagation of ammonia cloud following its accidental discharge and evaporation, the build-up of ammonia concentration and its effect on exposed people. The successful candidate is expected to have a strong background in one of the following disciplines, mathematics, physics, chemistry, fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, combustion. Any previous experience of theoretical analysis and or numerical studies is welcome. The research will be conducted at the HySAFER Centre.

A major shortcoming of contemporary coastal research is the poor quantification of geological control in nearshore hydrodynamic and morphosedimentary processes along natural and developed coastal areas. This is particularly relevant given the global dominance of geologically-constrained coastlines, which face increasing risks driven by extreme storm events and growing societal pressures on the coast. This project aims to advance the knowledge of beach and nearshore morphodynamics within complex geomorphological settings, dominated by multi-dimensional geological control. The fundamental objective is to quantify the role and impact of nearshore geological control under energetic conditions. This will be accomplished by developing a ground-breaking approach, based on state-of-the-art surveying and monitoring methods to acquire unprecedented geophysical, morphological and hydrodynamic information of the beach and nearshore zones in geomorphological complex settings. New-generation process-based modelling will be implemented to explore wave-driven currents and patterns of sediment transport under realistic settings and conditions. Linking the sedimentary and geological framework of the beach and nearshore with field measurements and numerical modelling constitute a novel approach that will lead to fundamental advances in coastal geomorphology, further improving the ability to predict storm-induced erosion in geologically-controlled settings. To bring together these embedded scales of analysis and innovative approaches, this project is based on collaboration with international-leading experts in coastal geomorphology, marine geology and geophysics and coastal modelling. Expertise and skills developed by the fellow will contribute to an internationally-leading academic and research profile, promoting European research with global collaborations.