CREST University of Birmingham Team
The ARLI Programme at University of Birmingham is a partner in the CREST project. They provide academic expertise in the field of engineering; specifically alternative materials, reuse of waste streams and waste reduction.
Professor Ian Jefferson
Professor in Geotechnical Engineering, CREST@UCS Academic Expert
Professor Jefferson graduated from Loughborough University, with a BEng (hons) Degree in Civil Engineering. He then continued to read for a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering.
After completion of his doctorate in 1992, he worked for three years as a lecturer at Loughborough University. After which he joined Nottingham Trent University as a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in 1995, becoming a Principal Lecturer in 2001 and a Reader in 2002. He joined the staff at the University of Birmingham in August 2004.
Current Research Projects
- Loess soil stabilisation
- Collapsibility in loess soils
- Ground Improvement using stone columns
- Assessment of improved ground using geophysics
- Shear strength of glacial tills
- Sustainability Assessments in urban Development
- Sustainability in the geotechnical process
- Sustainable urban redevelopment – Eastside
Dr Samir Dirar
Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, CREST@UCS Academic Expert
Samir is leading structural concrete research at the School of Engineering, University of Birmingham. His research focuses on resilience and sustainability of existing and new infrastructure assets. His research interests range from fundamental material behaviour to overall system response. Specific topics include strengthening and repair of existing structures, low impact concrete, nonlinear finite element modelling and structural health monitoring. Moreover, Samir is actively contributing to other areas of Structural Engineering research including, but not limited to, steel and aluminium structures.
Samir works closely with leading research groups in the UK and beyond. He has led and/or successfully delivered research projects funded by EPSRC, Horizon 2020, the UK construction industry, the British Council and overseas funders.
Dr Zubera Iqbal
Technical Officer
Zubera obtained a BSc Chemistry from the University of Birmingham in 2010, and then completed a PhD under the supervision of Professor Neil Rowson and Professor Stuart Blackburn in 2015. Her thesis was on the recovery of lithium mica from mineral waste.
She has worked on both UK and EU funded project, collaborating between industry and academia. Her current research focuses on the use of microbes to recover the strategic metal lithium, as well as other metals of interest.