The UKCRIC Advanced Infrastructure Materials Laboratory at Imperial College London is the centrepiece of the new Imperial Centre for Infrastructure Materials where researchers will develop a new generation of construction materials that are more durable and robust, able to withstand ever heavier loads, and more cost effective to manufacture and maintain. The team will also explore ways to make construction materials more sustainable; for example, the manufacture of concrete accounts for the second largest industrial source of carbon dioxide, contributing to over six per cent of carbon dioxide generated from human sources globally. Researchers will also explore ways of integrating new types of construction materials with traditional materials. This could enable engineers to develop cheaper and more adaptable ways of maintaining existing infrastructure.
Lab facilities
Imaging
- Optical microscopy: brightfield, darkfield, fluorescence, polarized, stereomicroscopy
- Field emission SEM with EDS
- Laser scanning confocal microscopy
- Tabletop SEM with EDS
Chemical characterisation
- Wet chemistry and ICP OES
- DTA, DSC, TGA with MS
- Isothermal calorimetry
- Optical emission spectroscopy
Surface characterisation
- Nano and micro indentation
- Scratch, wear, impact and fatigue
- Contact angle
Lab facilities
Particles and porosity
- Gas adsorption
- Dynamic Vapour Sorption
- Laser diffraction particle size analysis
- Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter
Materials processing
- Mixers, cutters and various sample preparation equipment
- Milling
- Ceramic processing
- Lightweight aggregate production
Physical testing
- Rheology and fresh state properties
- Mechanical properties
- Thermal conductivity
- Acoustic emission
- Digital image correlation
- Non-destructive testing
Lab facilities
X-ray analysis
- X-ray diffraction
- X-ray fluorescence
- Micro XRF
Vibrational spectroscopy
- FTIR
- Raman
Durability
- Mass transport
- Impedance spectroscopy
- Corrosion
- Exposure chambers
Contact us
Materials Section
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
South Kensington Campus
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ - UK
Research enquiries
Professor Chris Cheeseman
c.cheeseman@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 5971
Laboratory enquiries
Dr Marcus Yio
marcus.yio11@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 3495
MSc enquiries
Postgraduate Taught Office
cvpgo@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)207 594 5932
+44 (0)207 594 5929