Job Description

Job number

ENG03492

Faculties

Faculty of Engineering

Departments

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Salary or Salary range

48,056 - 56,345 per annum

Location/campus

South Kensington Campus - On site only

Contract type work pattern

Full time - Fixed term

Posting End Date

21 May 2025

About the role

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Applications are encouraged for a Research Associate position as part of a UKRI research project that aims to recycle fibre glass composites from waste wind turbine blades for making low carbon concrete.



Recycling waste wind turbine blades remains one of the biggest challenges in the wind energy sector, especially for the UK who is a global leader in offshore wind. Unfortunately, there is no effective recycling method available, and the waste blades must go into landfill or being incinerated causing environmental issues and wasting valuable resources. This project aims to solve this urgent challenge by developing a new method of recycling waste wind blades for making low carbon concrete (WINDCRETE).

What you would be doing

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You will be responsible for three major tasks.

1. Evaluate the pozzolanic reactivity of the recycled powders from grinding the waste wind blades.

2. Identify innovative solutions to maximize the pozzolanic reactivity of the recycled powders. These solutions will be optimized to achieve the best pozzolanic reactivity.

3. Quantify the fresh properties, strength development and durability of concrete with recycled powders. The results are used to optimize the cement replacement ratio to achieve the best strength and concrete durability.



These tasks will be achieved through advanced experimental techniques and thermodynamic modelling, to obtain a complete understanding of reaction kinetics, phase assemblage, system chemistries.



You will be involved in the management of research projects, positively interacting and communicating with internal and external partners, developing research proposals, and collaborating with one PhD student also working on the project.

What we are looking for

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Hold a PhD in engineering, science or a closely related field, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience, Experience of working with cements and supplementary cementitious materials, Knowledge of cement chemistry, phase assemblage analysis and hydration reaction kinetics, Basic understanding of material properties, Proven track record of publishing high-quality papers in peer-reviewed journals, Ability to work independently and organise own work with minimal supervision, Ability to carry out work with a high level of accuracy, attention to detail, and critical thinking.

What we can offer you

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As Imperial College staff, in addition to a competitive salary and package of attractive terms and conditions of service, we offer many more benefits to enjoy. This includes career development tailored to your ambitions, an attractive pension scheme, and generous family leave packages. We have a flexible, supportive work environment and encourage you to achieve and maintain a healthy work-life balance!

Further information

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The anticipated start date is 1 November 2025, although this can be flexible depending on the circumstances of the candidate. This is a fixed term post for 12 months, with the possibility of further extension.



For informal enquiries about the post please contact Dr Chao Wu at c.wu@imperial.ac.uk



Any queries regarding the application process should be directed to Briony Webb at b.webb@imperial.ac.uk



Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.



Full information is available in the job description.

Available documents

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Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.



If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We're here to help.


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About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.



Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.



As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.



This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.


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Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.



Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.