Research projects

Current projects

Water Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
Integrating microbial genomics in sustainable urban water management	ROYAL SOCIETY	Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler
INFLUENCE: Impact of Nitrate Fluxes to Water from Seasonally Frozen Soils under Climate Warming	EPSRC	Prof Steve Thornton
Flexible design and operation of water resource systems to tackle the triple challenge of climate change, the energy transition, and population growth	EPSRC	Dr Charles Rouge
Water-Quality-as-a-Service (Treatment to Tap)	Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)	Prof Joby Boxall Dr Stewart Husband
To Chlorinate or Not to Chlorinate	EPSRC	Prof Joby Boxall Prof Vanessa Speight Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler Dr Katherine Fish
PODDS	UK INDUSTRY	Prof Joby Boxall Dr Stewart Husband
Managing Background Leakage	Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat)	Prof Joby Boxall Prof Vanessa Speight Dr Richard Collins
Co-UDlabs	EUROPEAN UNION	Prof Simon Tait Dr Alma Schellart Dr James Shucksmith Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler Dr Henriette Jensen
Pervasive Sensing for Buried Pipes	EPSRC	Prof Simon Tait Prof Joby Boxall

Geotechnical Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
Rooting for Resilience	EPSRC	Dr Alessandro Leonardi
Understanding Water Infrastructure Risks - Major Bursts, Traffic Volumes and the Condition of Road Infrastructure	UKWIR	Dr Elisabeth Bowman, Prof Joby Boxall, Dr Richard Collins, Edward John
Hole Erosion Test	ICE	Dr Elisabeth Bowman
Submarine mass movements and their interaction with critical offshore infrastructure	EPSRC	Dr Alessandro Leonardi

Resources, Infrastructure Systems and built Environments

Title	Funding Body	PI
BuildZero : Transforming the UK's buildings for zero material extraction, zero carbon and zero waste	EPSRC	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley
KE-EOI: The changing profile of climate related transport infrastructure failure in the North	IAA	Dr Hadi Arbabi
Embedding circular economy considerations within built environment governance	EPSRC IAA	Dr Charles Gillott Dr Danielle Densley Tingley
Behavior of the interfaces between steel and timber members at elevated temperatures	Innovation Fund Denmark	Martyn McLaggan; Ian Burgess; Buick Davison; Shan-Shan Huang
Multi-scale, circular economic potential of non-residential building stock	EPSRC	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley

Structural Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
CIC.R.3DP-Crete: Chloride-induced corrosion resistance of reinforced 3D-printed concrete	UKRI	Dr Behzad Nematollahi
Safe, Sustainable and Swift Reconstruction of Ukraine	UK INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT	Dr Maurizio Guadagnini
Building Disaster Resilience to Seismic Hazards in Uganda	EPSRC	Dr Zuhal Ozdemir
Optimum design, fabrication and experimental testing of next-generation floor structures in buildings	EPSRC IAA	Dr Linwei He
Interlocking prefabricated 3D-printed low-carbon concrete wall panels for low-income housing construction in South Africa	ROYAL SOCIETY	Dr Behzad Nematollahi
Digitally engineered stone-masonry building structures	EPSRC	Prof Matthew Gilbert
New Generation of Sustainable Lightweight Cold-Formed Steel Structures	ROYAL SOCIETY	Prof Iman Hajirasouliha
SINCERE: The second life of modern period architecture: Resilient and adaptive renovation towards net-zero carbon heritage buildings	European Commission - Horizon Europe	Dr Giacomo Torelli
Predictive thermo-hygral design of concrete for nuclear energy de-risking	EPSRC IAA	Dr Giacomo Torelli Dr Maurizio Guadagnini
Contaminated concrete removal using controlled heat-induced spalling	BRITISH COUNCIL	Dr Giacomo Torelli
Efficient design approach for PV-membrane structures via layout optimization	ROYAL SOCIETY	Dr Linwei He
Study on the stability of high strength steel beams considering restraint and creep effects in fire	ROYAL SOCIETY	Dr Shan-Shan Huang
Behavior of the interfaces between steel and timber members at elevated temperatures	Innovation Fund Denmark	Dr Martyn McLaggan Prof Ian Burgess Prof Buick Davison Dr Shan-Shan Huang
Hybrid Lightweight Structural Systems for Low-Cost Housing (HYLIGHTS)	EPSRC	Prof Iman Hajirasouliha Prof Buick Davison
UHP.RTYF.Geo-Crete	EPSRC	Dr Maurizio Guadagnini
Use of optimally placed laser cut steel to accelerate the adoption of low embodied carbon construction materials	EPSRC IAA/Metlase (UK Industry)	Prof Matthew Gilbert Dr Helen Fairclough Dr Giacomo Torelli
LIGHTSTEEL: New Generation of Lightweight Steel Elements for Sustainable Resilient Construction	INNOVATE UK	Prof Iman Hajirasouliha

Blast and Impact Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
High Explosive Advanced Diagnostics and Media Modelling (HEADaMM)	EPSRC	Prof Genevieve Langdon Prof Sam Clarke Dr Andrew Barr Dr Sam Rigby Prof Andrew Tyas
RAEng Industrial Fellowship - Machine Learning Applications for Blast Protection Engineering	Royal Academy of Engineering	Dr Sam Rigby
MicroBlast: Understanding and predicting blast loading in complex environments	EPSRC	Dr Sam Rigby Prof Sam Clarke Prof Andrew Tyas Prof Genevieve Langdon
RAEng Chair in Near and Far Field Blast Research	DSTL Royal Academy of Engineering	Prof Andrew Tyas

Past projects

Water Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
Chlorine and Biomonitoring	SEVERN TRENT WATER	Dr Katherine Fish Prof Joby Boxall
Investigating Sources of Faecal Pollution and Microbial Risks in the River Kent	SENS	Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler
iWharfe DNA: Bathing Water Quality and Microbiology	The ENSIS TRUST	Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler
Anaerobic biodegradation of ETBE	SHELL	Prof Steve Thornton
Modelling Mixing Mechanisms in 1D Water Network Models	EPSRC	Prof Ian Guymer
Efficient Surrogate Modelling for Sustainable Management of Complex Seawater Intrusion-Impacted Aquifers	EPSRC	Dr Domenico Bao
Smart forecasting: joined-up flood forecasting (FF) infrastructure with uncertainties	EPSRC	Dr Georges Kesserwani
Shift2Rail	European Union / Network Rail	Dr Andy Nichols
Unlocking resilient benefits from African water	EPSRC	Prof Vanessa Speight
Distributed Fibre-optic Cable Sensing for Buried Pipe Infrastructure	EPSRC	Prof Simon Tait
Hydro KTP	INNOVATE UK	Dr Andy Nichols
Urban Green DaMS (Design and Modelling of Sustainable Drainage Systems)	EPSRC	Prof Virginia Stovin
Effect of microbial community interactions on ETBE biodegradation potential in groundwater	CONCAWE	Prof Steve Thornton
Material Destiny	ANGLIAN WATER SERVICES LIMITED	Prof Vanessa Speight
TWENTY65	EPSRC	Prof Joby Boxall
Real Time Abstraction Management	INNOVATE UK	Dr James Shucksmith Dr Vanessa Speight
Inspiration	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Prof Steve Thornton
PoroFrac - A high-fidelity isogeometric simulation methodology for fracture in porous media	CONCAWE	Professor René de Borst
Focussing Localised Discolouration Modelling	UNITED UTILITIES WATER PLC	Dr Stewart Husband
HARM - High Attenuation Recycling Materials	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Prof Steve Thornton
ICASP Hull Living with Water Partnership	NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL	Prof Vanessa Speight
Wat Qual	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Prof Vanessa Speight
The Addition of Phosphate Dosing to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water zone B10	WELSH WATER	Dr Stewart Husband Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler
CENTAUR	EU	Dr James Shucksmith
Flood Interact	EPSRC	Dr James Shucksmith
Smart Water 4 Europe	EU	Prof Joby Boxall
Residence Times in Vegetated Stormwater Ponds	EPSRC	Prof Ian Guymer Prof Virginia Stovin
Contaminant Ingress into Distribution systems (CID)	EPSRC	Prof Joby Boxall

Geotechnical Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
Unlocking the potential of biopolymer soil stabilisation	EPSRC	Dr Colin Smith
The Rosetta Stone Network: Physical testing towards a common understanding of debris flow	LEVERHULME TRUST	Dr Elisabeth Bowman
Particle-Scale Investigation of Seepage Induced Geotechnical Instability	EPSRC	Dr Elisabeth Bowman

Resources, Infrastructure Systems and built Environments

Title	Funding Body	PI
Policy and practice: understanding the built environment's transition to a circular economy in the UK and Canada	UKRI/Mitacs	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley Dr Charles Gillott
DecarboN8	EPSRC	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley
Technical and Behavioural challenges to improving ventilation is small scale hospitality	PROTECT national core study in Covid prevention, Sheffield City Council and HEIF	Dr Abigail Hathway
AIRBODS	UKRI	Dr Abigail Hathway
Regenerate	HEIF	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley Dr Charles Gillott
Active Building Centre Research Programme	EPSRC	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley Professor Martin Mayfield
CORONA	EPSRC	Dr Danielle Densley Tingley Professor Martin Mayfield
Sheffield Urban Flows Observatory	EPSRC	Prof Martin Mayfield-Tulip Dr Danielle Densley-Tingley Dr Giuliano Punzo

Structural Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
Hybrid optimization of skeletal and continuum structures	LIMITSTATE LTD	Dr Helen Fairclough
Three-dimensional electrical tomography for imaging large concrete members	EPSRC	Dr Giacomo Torelli
New Generation of Resilient Lightweight Cold-Formed Steel Structures	British Council	Dr Zuhal Ozdemir
Exploiting the resilience of masonry arch bridge infrastructure	EPSRC	Prof Matthew Gilbert
Structural performance of 3D concrete printed composites	EPSRC	Professor Luca Susmel
INTEGRADDE	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Prof Matthew Gilbert Prof Colin Smith
FRGeo-Crete	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Professor Kypros Pilakoutas
Gre.a.te.r.s (GREen Advanced TEchnologies for the Retrofitting of masonry Structures)	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Dr Maurizio Guadagnini
FRAMED	EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020	Professor Harm Askes Professor René de Borst Professor Luca Susmel
Modelling size-dependent electro-magneto-mechanical coupling	ROYAL SOCIETY	Professor Harm Askes
Practical 3D model of masonry arch bridges and tunnel linings	NETWORK RAIL LIMITED	Professor Matthew Gilbert Dr Colin Smith
Masonry arch bridges containing internal spandrels	NETWORK RAIL LIMITED	Professor Matthew Gilbert Dr Colin Smith
RCUK-TUBITAK Research Partnerships	EPSRC	Prof. Kypros Pilakoutas Dr Iman Hajirasouliha Dr Zuhal Ozdemir

Blast & Impact Engineering

Title	Funding Body	PI
MicroBlast de-risking	MOD	Dr Sam Rigby
Mechanisms & Characterisation of Explosions	EPSRC	Prof Andrew Tyas
Blast and Impact Diagnostics Laboratory	EPSRC	Prof Sam Clarke Dr Sam Rigby Prof Andrew Tyas

Digitwin

DigiTwin was a £5M EPSRC funded programme grant, that ran from February 2018 until September 2023, led by the University of Sheffield.

Digitwin	EPSRC	Professor David Wagg Professor Simon Neild (Bristol)

EPSRC Centre in Doctoral Training in Water Infrastructure and Resilience (WIRe CDT)

The school co-hosts the EPSRC WIRe CDT which aims to nurture a new generation of research leaders to provide multi-disciplinary, disruptive thinking to enhance the resilience of new and existing water infrastructure. WIRe PhD projects are developed and co-funded in partnership with the water sector, details of current WIRe students, projects and sponsors can be found below. For more information contact j.shucksmith@sheffield.ac.uk.

WIRe CDT student researchers/projects

Student	Academic Supervisor(s)	Industrial Sponsor(s)	Project Title & Details
Jade Rogers	Prof. Joby Boxall Prof. Vanessa Speight Dr. Kat Fish	Scottish Water	Managing biofilms and material accumulation in drinking water distribution systems to protect drinking water safety
Reinar Lokk	Dr Stewart Husband Prof. Joby Boxall	United Utilities	Moving Material - Hydraulic Management of Discolouration Risk
Thomas Langshaw	Dr Richard Collins Prof. Joby Boxall	UKWIR	Modelling the Stress Response of Cast Iron Pipes during Hydraulic Transients
Matthew MacRorie	Dr Richard Collins Prof. Vanessa Speight	Anglian Water, WaterAid	Household Water Usage under Intermittent Water Supply
Phillipp Mohan	Dr Alma Schellart Prof. Simon Tait	STANTEC	Developing a Risk-Based Investment Decision Making Tool that Accounts for Predictive Uncertainty in Water Framework Directive Studies
Edward John	Prof. Luca Susmel Prof. Joby Boxall	UKWIR	Understanding how the deterioration of cast iron pipes evolves into leakage
Anna Charatzidou	Prof. Steve Thornton	Scottish Water	Effects of microplastics on interactions between soil biota, soil structure and crop performance in sewage sludge amended soils
Alan Smalley	Dr James Shucksmith Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler Prof. Vanessa Speight	Thames Water	Real time forecasting of Cryptosporidium in rivers to improve drinking water supply resilience
Isabel Carneiro Cardoso da Silva	Prof. Joby Boxall	UKWIR	Achieving Biological Stability in Drinking Water Supply Systems
Charlie Whitelegg	Dr Richard Collins Prof. Joby Boxall	Scottish Water	Unlocking the potential of hydraulic transients as a source of information about water distribution networks
George Crowley	Dr Iñaki Esnaola Prof. Simon Tait Prof. George Panoutsos Prof. Vanessa Speight	Thames Water	Machine Learning Methods for Monitoring of Complex Water and Sewer Network Infrastructure
Ishara Perera	Prof. Joby Boxall Prof. Vanessa Speight	Scottish Water	Data density to predictive power – intelligent water distribution networks
Kaeli Brazier	Dr James Shucksmith Dr Andy Nichols	H2020 EU Co-UD Labs	Understanding the risks associated with contaminated floodwater from urban drainage systems
Gareth Cotton	Dr James Shucksmith Prof. Simon Tait Dr Alma Schellart	Environmental Monitoring Solutions (EMS)	Data Driven Real Time Control of Urban Drainage Systems
Fran Wilson	Prof. Virginia Stovin Dr Simon De-Ville	Severn Trent Water	Monitoring and Evaluation of the Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in Mansfield
Mohammad Reza Shekofteh	Prof. Kirill Horoshenkov Prof. Joby Boxall	Northumbrian Water	Proactive Water Network Management
Uzayr Soni	Dr Kat Fish Prof. Joby Boxall Dr Fran Pick	Severn Trent Water Welsh Water Scottish Water Anglian Water	Managing drinking water sample lines for microbial compliance
Roman Tijsseling	Dr Stewart Husband Prof. Joby Boxall	South Staffordshire Water	Evaluating capital and operational performance in Water Infrastructure using short-term mobile monitoring to track impacts to network health
Tomas Hotzel Escardo	Dr Andy Nichols Prof. Jungong Han	Network Rail	Advanced sensing and machine learning for risk detection in rail environments