2018 Playford Trust Honours Scholarship
I received the Playford Trust Scholarship in 2018 for my Honours research into Halloysite clay as a microfiller in geopolymer and fly-ash-based concrete. The focus of my research was to show how we can improve the structural qualities of concrete, one of the most widely-used construction materials in the world, while also reducing the amount of embodied carbon dioxide that’s involved in the production of Portland cement-based concrete.
As structural engineers, we face real world technical problems every day, such as the corrosion of ageing steel structures and degradation of concrete. This is compounded by the global need to minimise our environmental impact by sourcing more sustainable alternatives to replace conventional finite construction materials. Every day I have had the chance to work to solve these problems all while ensuring designs are compliant, and safe for society to use.
Through my mining site visits I have had the opportunity to see these problems firsthand; whether it be jumping in confined-space pontoons beneath water on floating marine structures, or climbing all the way up a 40-metre ladder tower to inspect corroded steel.