A PhD student in GeM’s MEO team, Sara Al Haj Sleiman has won the Corporate Social Responsibility award sponsored by the École Française du Béton for the research results she presented at the 13th fib PhD Symposium held on 22 July 2021 in Paris.
The award recognises her thesis work on the durability of concrete structures, supervised by Professors Frédéric Grondin and Ahmed Loukili with Dr S. Y. Alam, and followed on the industry side by Dr L. Izoret of SFIC, as part of a CIFRE thesis funded by the French Cement Industry Association (SFIC).
The originality of the research lies in combining innovative on-site experiments with laboratory tests, complemented by advanced modelling of the physical phenomena behind frost damage in porous materials. This led to the proposal of a protocol that could form the basis of a European standard for the detailed characterisation of the frost behaviour of concrete. Construction companies will thus be able to use it to qualify the resistance of their materials to this very damaging form of degradation in concrete structures.
This approach will enable the concrete industry to offer responsible solutions for the future of construction.
Fib International PhD Symposium in Civil Engineering
Since its creation in 1996, the Fib International PhD Symposium in Civil Engineering has become a highly respected scientific meeting connecting young researchers with leading scientists. It gives PhD students the opportunity to share their ideas and findings with the international research community. Topics include innovation in materials and structures, construction technology, structural analysis and design, durability, service-life and life-cycle assessment, and structural monitoring and assessment.
Organised by the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib), the 2021 Symposium brought together pre-selected PhD students from around the world.