Research

Our Focus

SCRG’s current research and development activities are primarily focused on two main themes:

  • Sustainable Concrete Materials
  • Resilient Concrete Infrastructures

Sustainable Concrete Materials

Direct tensile test setup for ECC/UHPC

The concrete industry is responsible for up to 7% of global carbon emissions, with most of these emissions coming from cement production, the key ingredient in concrete. Recently, there has been an increased focus on sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of concrete. Creating sustainable concrete is essential for the construction industry to lower its carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

The “Sustainable Concrete Materials” research theme focuses on low-carbon and energy-efficient materials, including alkali-activated binders and alternative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). It also includes high-performance fibre-reinforced cementitious composites such as UHPC and ECC. Some of our current ongoing projects are listed as follows:

  • One-part alkali-activated binders using waste-derived activators
  • Characterisation of the strain-hardening behaviour of Engineered Geopolymer Composites (EGC)
  • Development of low-carbon Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) using alternative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)

Resilient Concrete Infrastructures

Repair and Rehabilitation (RnR) interventions are essential for restoring, upgrading, and extending the service life of existing concrete infrastructure. These approaches enhance climate resilience and sustainability, reduce the use of resources, and minimise carbon emissions.

The “Resilient Concrete Infrastructure” research theme focuses on both existing and new structures. By leveraging advanced materials and innovative techniques, our research develops methods to retrofit and strengthen concrete structures, thereby enhancing their performance and durability. Additionally, we focus on the analysis and design of complex concrete structures using nonlinear finite element modelling. Our current ongoing projects are listed as follows:

  • Strengthening of reinforced concrete structures using Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
  • Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthening of reinforced concrete structures
  • Analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures using Strut-and-Tie Model (STM) and nonlinear finite element modelling
  • Structural assessment of existing structures, including seismic evaluation of existing concrete building structures
Photo taken from the paper “Experimental investigation on the behaviour of reinforced concrete slabs strengthened with ultra-high performance concrete” (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.08.077)

Funded Projects

  • Extending lifetime of existing RC Structures using cementless FRG: Clarification of mechanical performance of FRG-RC composite members, Funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI) via Hokkaido University Japan (2023-2024), JPY 400,000 (equivalent to RM 13,200)
  • Study on extending the life of existing reinforced concrete structures using cement-less EGC, Funded by Asahi Glass Foundation via Hokkaido University Japan (2021-2023), JPY 400,000 (equivalent to RM 14,200)
  • Exploring the possibility of strengthening method for RC members using fibre-reinforced geopolymer concrete, Funded by MAEDA Engineering Foundation via Hokkaido University Japan (2020-2021), JPY 480,000 (equivalent to RM 19,000)
  • A novel cement-less ductile Engineered Geopolymer Composites (EGC) for sustainable structural applications, Funded by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia (2019-2022), RM 100,000
  • Investigation of a Novel Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) for structural application, Funded by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia (2016-2018), RM 100,600 (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • New analytical optimized truss model for FRP shear strengthened concrete T-beams, Funded by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia (2014-2016), RM 100,300
  • Design of bridge pier structures subjected to impact loading (JAR12 04), Funded by JKR (Public Work Department) Malaysia (2012-2014), RM 593,700
  • Long-term durability of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) structures in corrosive marine environment, Funded by YUTP Fundamental Research Grant (2012-2014), RM 247,685
  • Blast resistance of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) structural elements and its application in oil and gas industry, Funded by YUTP Fundamental Research Grant (2013-2015), RM 257,635
  • Shear Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Structure using Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP), Funded by UTP Short Term Internal Research Fund (STIRF) (2011-2012), RM 20,000