LJMU academic shaping solutions to tackle climate concerns across the construction industry

Dr Ana Bras will lead the group of scientists and engineers to recommend ways the industry can better serve both people and planet.

Dr Ana Bras has been nominated as chair of an international committee looking to find solutions to climate challenges across the whole chain of construction.

The construction sector needs to significantly reduce its environmental impact, and one way of developing solutions is by bringing together experts from across the globe who better understand the building materials that are contributing to the problem.

The International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM) has set up the technical committee on ‘Bio-stabilised earth-based construction: performance-approach for better resilience’, which Ana will now lead.

It will explore the use of bio-additives and bio-stabilisation to improve earth-based materials within the industry, for new and existing buildings and structures with longer service life. The committee will also come up with clear guidelines so that the sector can use resources that are ultimately more sustainable and better for the environment.  

As well as bringing together scientists and engineers, the committee will work alongside testing laboratories, suppliers, contractors, building owners and authorities around the world, making recommendations that will better serve both people and the planet.

As a Reader in bio-materials for infrastructure in the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment at LJMU, Ana’s expertise and reputation in the field is second to none.

The technical committee is a global partnership with partners such as LJMU, ETH-Zurich (Switzerland), Università degli studi di Genova (Italy), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour (France) and  Novi Sad University (Serbia) among others.

RILEM was founded in June 1947, with the aim to promote scientific cooperation in the area of construction materials and structures. Find out more about the organisation and the new technical committee spearheaded by Dr Bras on the RILEM website.