 civil engineering and geosciences
Earth Systems Science, Engineering and Management research in Civil Engineering and Geosciences
We carry out world class research focusing on the challenges of science and engineering at the interface between technological, human and natural systems.
As the largest and best equipped group of its type in the UK we command a unique position both to tackle the fundamental science related to intensifying global change and to confront the challenges this presents to our society and its supporting infrastructure. Our intellectual strategy is encapsulated in the philosophy of Earth Systems Science, Engineering and Management (ESSEM) which we have adopted as an overarching and strategic research theme.
ESSEM links Earth Systems Science from our science focused research groups with Earth Systems Engineering and Management research which is the cornerstone of our engineering groups. This reflects our drive to use cutting edge science to solve problems of global importance.
Our research objectives address five ESSEM challenges:
ESSEM Challenge: Past and present climate change; drivers, effects and feedback
Objective 1: To understand the causes of past climate change events recorded in the geological record and the impact of environmental change on biogeochemical processes. Events occurring at very different spatial and temporal scales, from microbial to regional and global dimensions influence climate. Large scale events such as ocean anoxia are tackled from a geochemical perspective, and biogeochemical process studies offer a window on more immediate effects.
ESSEM Challenge: The transition to a low-carbon economy
Objective 2: To develop novel approaches for energy recovery and engineering technologies for climate change mitigation, focusing on urban transport, geothermal energy, low carbon energy recovery from fossil fuels, carbon sequestration and carbon-neutral / carbon-negative waste water treatment.
ESSEM Challenge: Adapting the behaviour of physical infrastructure
Objective 3: To advance predictive ability for the reliability and resilience of physical infrastructure in the face of intensifying environmental stresses. This embraces both novel and traditional materials, in applications including fabric structures, slope stability, and decontamination of soils and sediments.
ESSEM Challenge: Managing coupled human and natural water systems
Objective 4: To pioneer approaches to the simulation and management of coupled human and natural systems within the water cycle, including: geodetic assessment of the global water and polar ice balance, integrated land and water resources management, diffuse pollution control, treatment technologies, flood risk management and effects of environmental change on biogeochemical feedback mechanisms.
ESSEM Challenge: Towards ‘Ecopolis’: engineering sustainable cities of the future
Objective 5: To deliver new whole-system approaches to simulating and managing entire cities, through synthesis of outputs of the three objectives above and building upon our Tyndall Centre research under the Cities Programme.
Within our school we work in six groups
Out with our school we play a leading role in the University’s Institute
for Research on Environment and Sustainability linking with outstanding researchers notably in marine science, biology and physical geography. We will additionally be taking a major role in the University’s newly established Sir Joseph Swan Institute for energy research. Globally relevant research needs global links and we collaborate with leading research institutions and industry, nationally and internationally.
In RAE2008 our recent activity and future strategy are reported in UoA17, Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, and UoA27, Civil Engineering. |
