AMTeC is a modular multi-disciplinary engineering research centre nucleating from on-going research and consultancy work in Civil Engineering and addressing innovation challenges facing the infrastructure sector.
AMTeC has widened and enhanced its scope to include cutting-edge research into sustainable cementitious materials, geo-polymers and composite materials, such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs). It also looks at modern materials testing and analysis methods, including X-Ray diffraction, derivative thermogravimetry and calorimetry, laser particle analysis and electron microscopy among others.
AMTeC staff have participated in research assessments since RAE2001. The centre has a current cohort of 11 PhD students with seven completions in the last six years, averaging 1.2 completions/year. Over this period, there have been 58 publications - 26 journal and 20 conference, three edited books and seven book chapters, averaging 2.5 publications/staff/year. Search our research repository for details.
Collaborative industrial research profile includes £650k UK and Welsh Government funding (Royal Society, WEFO; A4B, KESS, CIRP, KEF, ScoRE CYMRU etc.) for the development of eco-materials such as unfired bricks, timber simulated from waste plastics; Fibre-reinforced Polymers (FRPs), and patented novel cements utilising a wide range of industrial waste streams (e.g. Registered Patent No. PCT/GB2002/000708 on wastepaper-slag cement).
In commercial work, AMTeC is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for testing materials (UKAS Lab 1014), and by the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLHC) as an Approved Body (AB 1679) - previously EC Notified Body NB 1679 (before Brexit). The AB status is an important industry kite mark for quality testing of construction products.
AMTeC has expanded scope to include areas of commonality with materials subject areas relevant to aero-mechanical engineering, such as Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and Composite Materials Systems (CMS). This will enable participation in research funding in the more dynamic combined Civil-Aero-Mechanical engineering nexus.
The main focus of the research projects at AMTeC is on sustainable building and construction materials. Here, we consider a wide range of soil- and cement-based cementitious systems, aiming at the development of sustainable infrastructure.
The research projects aim to utilise natural, industrial and agricultural waste and by-product materials, and incorporate emergent concepts and technologies such 3D printing, smart concrete, thermal imaging of construction elements, as well as nano- and geo-polymer materials among other new areas. For Low or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) especially, where affordability is a major obstacle, utilisation of waste from agriculture has potential. Potential waste streams include from the growing of cereals – wheat and rice, sugarcane and palm oil among others. Utilisation of industrial and agricultural waste streams has immense international appeal and interest.
The broad research areas include:
If you are interested in any of our research, please contact Professor John Kinuthia
We welcome UK and international applications from suitably qualified graduates interested in joining us for PhD / postgraduate research. Find out more on the Graduate School website or contact Professor John Kinuthia for an informal discussion.
Professor John Kinuthia, AMTeC Manager and lead consultant in the testing of soils and concrete
His research is in the development of sustainable building and construction materials by utilising natural, industrial and agricultural waste and by-product materials. He has special expertise in soil and cement-based cementitious systems, incorporating emergent concepts technologies such 3D printing, smart concrete, as well as nano- and geo-polymer materials. Professor Kinuthia was awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation on unfired scaly systems. The deployment of these novel materials into Africa, to provide new homes at lower cost, was supported by UNESCO.
Dr Paul Davies, lead consultant on testing of structural elements
Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science. His research area includes general structural systems and incorporates a specialism in the use of advanced polymer composites to both strengthen and extend the life of structural elements.
Dr Jiping Bai
Associate Professor and a Lead Consultant at AMTeC on testing of lintels to Construction Products Regulation 305/2011/EU-CPR. He specialises in sustainable materials, components, and structural systems, with emphasis on technical advances in sustainable materials and structural systems. His work has been broadly based within the field of concrete science, technology, structural systems and computational optimization, involving research, consultancy, learning and teaching.
Dr Jonathan Oti
Associate Professor and Lead Consultant at AMTeC on testing of soils and concrete. He researchers into the development of sustainable construction materials, technologies, and practices, with research interests revolving around the use of natural, industrial and agricultural waste and by-product materials for partial or whole replacement of the traditional binders to produce a new generation of concrete, mortar and bricks, suppression of sulphate-induced swelling in lime-stabilised soils, development of geo-polymer binders for civil infrastructural applications.
Professor Uphie Chinje Melo
Prof Melo has been a Visiting Professor since 2009. For a long period, she was the Director of Local Materials Promotion Authority - Mission de Promotion des Materiaux Locaux (MIPROMALO) Yaoundé and is now a Rector of a Gaudere University, one of the largest universities in Cameroon. Prof Melo provides vital anchorage between USW and Cameroon, visiting USW to deliver lectures to Civil Engineering mastersstudents, sending staff as co-workers in research and supporting initiatives to increase the numbers of Cameroonian students at USW.
Dr Billong Ndigui
Dr Billong Ndigui is a protégé of Prof Melo and is the current Deputy Director at the Local Materials Promotion Authority - Mission de Promotion des Materiaux Locaux (MIPROMALO) Yaoundé, Cameroon. He has visited USW as a researcher on numerous occasions since 2014 to co-supervise four Master of Engineering students, and jointly publish a journal article on geopolymer materials with metakaolin and rice husk ash. In 2019, he helped to set up a geopolymer research project, which is ongoing.