Materials Section
Supervised by Dr Emilio Martínez-Pañeda, Professor Milan Jirásek, Dr Hong Wong

Born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, fascinated both by applied mathematics and civil engineering, I joined the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), where I studied successively for a first-class bachelor and master’s degree in structural and transportation engineering. There I was privileged to join its renowned Department of Mechanics, specifically the lab of Prof Milan Jirásek, a great enthusiastic mentor, who excited me for the study of mechanics.

Why did you decide to do a PhD in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering?
During the internship at the Prof Garth Wells’ group at the University of Cambridge, I had the pleasure to interact on numerous occasions with Dr Martínez-Pañeda. I was captivated by his ground-breaking research in the modelling of hydrogen embrittlement, which has the potential to prevent infrastructure catastrophes and truly save lives. Inspired by these, I decided to apply for a PhD in his emerging group at Imperial and I was very privileged to be allowed to join his research endeavours.   

Tell us about your PhD research

Our goal is to create new numerical models for corrosion-induced cracking of reinforced concrete. The corrosion of steel reinforcement has been recently estimated to be responsible for 70 – 90 % of the cases of premature deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. Its economic impact is also profound as only in the U.S. in the years 2010 – 2011, 40 billion dollars have been directly spent on battling reinforced concrete corrosion. This figure is larger than the costs of all weather and climate caused disasters in the U.S. in the same period. In the worst scenarios, corrosion could lead to tragic structural failures as was demonstrated on the bridge collapses of Ponte Morandi in Genoa or Troja Pedestrian Bridge in Prague. 

 

Though this topic has been researched for more than 50 years, the reliable long-term corrosion durability predictions of reinforced concrete structures are still not available. This is caused by several reasons, including the lack of fundamental knowledge of the underlying chemo-mechanical processes, the shortage of reliable data on natural (non-accelerated) real-world corrosion cases and importantly, the lack of accurate predictive computational models. 

 

It is this last-mentioned issue we would like to address. In our research, we are focusing on the progression stage, when corrosion has been already initiated. During this process, the cross-section of steel is reduced, and steel is gradually turned into rusts that cause large internal pressure on the concrete. These effects eventually lead to the fracture of concrete, causing possible spalling and hindering a bond between steel and concrete. We strive to capture those phenomena through chemo-mechanical modelling, utilising powerful phase-field fracture models.    

 

What impact do you hope you research will have/what do you hope your research will lead on to?
Most of the reinforced concrete bridges in the UK and Europe have been built from the 1960s to the 1980s and are or will be soon coming to the end of their predicted service life. Only in the Netherlands, the number of bridges in the need of repair is estimated to rise by a factor of 2 - 4 in the next 20 years and by a factor of 3 - 6 in the next 40 years. Because it is not economically possible to replace the entire ageing infrastructure at once, it is quite clear that ageing structures will require increasingly growing repair costs with the possible risk of structural failure. 

Employing an accurate computational model, we hope to create predictive tools that would allow engineers a more accurate assessment of the remaining service life of structures. Combined with advanced structural monitoring systems, this will hopefully prevent catastrophic failures, minimize repair costs and optimize the schedule of repairs.

 

Secondly, together with accurate experiments, we would like to predict and optimize the corrosion performance of future concrete structures, saving money and other resources.

 

Lastly, from the academic point of view, we hope to provide a better insight into the very nature of corrosion-induced cracking.

Does your research involve working with collaborators outside of the Department? If so who and why?
Definitely yes. Our research involves modelling various phenomena including the reactive transport of chemical species, the evolution of crystallization pressure and the fracture of concrete. These processes have vastly different natures from one another and require knowledge of both chemistry and mechanics. As a civil engineer, I have struggled especially with the chemical aspects of our problem. However, we have been very fortunate to be advised by excellent collaborators including Prof Milan Kouril from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague. Also, I am very thankful for the advice of Professor Nick Buenfeld, whose excellent knowledge of corrosion and durability issues has helped us to orient our research.   

What is a typical week like for you?
As our research is computational, I usually spend the whole working week in my office at Imperial. The great thing about working here is that I have the privilege to be surrounded by my colleagues who are a quite cheerful and supportive lot. Thus, even at times of struggle, one does not feel alone. The weekends are reserved for my hobbies and sometimes for work if it is needed. In my free time, I enjoy learning to play the piano (possibly to the horror of my neighbours), reading and watching detective stories, playing tennis and generally just walking the streets of London. I am a bit of a history fan and I do very much enjoy the amazing range of London’s museums and historical sites.    

How have your skills developed, both professional and personal?
I like to think they have. Studying corrosion, I have had the pleasure to learn many new chemical and mechanical concepts. Also, I assume my social skill have improved while being in a large international group.   

What do you enjoy most about being a PhD in the Department?
Being a researcher, at least for a short period of life, is an amazing and deeply enriching experience. In addition to the possibility of learning so many new things, I have very much enjoyed the freedom of mind when trying to work on not yet discovered concepts. Also, the tangible nature of civil engineering research provides one with the so important feeling of purpose and usefulness. I have also very much enjoyed the privilege of meeting a so diverse and extraordinary group of people as are my colleagues and the crew of this Department. The atmosphere is very welcoming; we even have a lunch group.