Concrete and cement-based infrastructure has and continues to be integral to society. Today’s engineering demands endlessly taller, larger structures. Bridges and roads allow us to cross long distances with ease, while skyscrapers let us live and work amongst the clouds. However, despite concerte’s popularity, it is vulnerable to cracking and natural degradation, causing instability and loss of structural integrity. New engineering technologies allow these buildings to ‘heal themselves’ – a remarkable way of extending a structure’s lifespan, reducing hazards, and increasing sustainability. This talk will discuss the benefits and challenges of one of these self-healing approaches, capsular additions.
Claire Riordan (she/her) is a current Engineering PhD candidate at Newnham College, Cambridge. Previously, she studied at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, as well as the University of Maryland in College Park, M.D., earning both her B.E. and M.E.. Her current work is part of the EUH2020 ITN SMARTINCS, looking at capsule based self-healing and how it can be optimized and scaled to suit the cementitious industry. Claire is currently based at Micropore Technologies in Redcar, U.K.
All staff, students, senior members and alumnae are warmly invited to attend the Newnham Pudding Seminars. For more details please visit https://newn.cam.ac.uk/research/pudding-seminars/ or email Jessie Sklair (js222@cam.ac.uk) or Hana D’Souza (hd425@cam.ac.uk)