PhD Studentship - RIOT: The Resilience of Rammed Earth Incorporating Iron Ore Tailings

Earth construction techniques (such as adobe, rammed earth, and wattle-and-daub) are common in Brazil, especially in Minas Gerais, where they have been applied since the colonial period (15th-18th century). In parallel, Brazil is the second-largest global iron ore producer in the world and, consequently, is second globally in the generation of iron ore tailings (IOT).

The Fundao Dam collapse in Minas Gerais in 2015 released a mudslide of tens of millions of cubic metres of IOT into the environment, devastating towns and communities. The lands and rivers remain contaminated with IOT and a solution to encourage its removal is urgently needed. The local soil, however, is rich in clays and is eminently suitable for mixing with silty materials, for example IOT, to make it suitable for use for rammed earth construction. The opportunity therefore exists to transform this waste into a raw construction material.

Multiple studies have explored the engineering, economic, and environmental benefits of incorporating IOT in construction materials. Our own analyses indicate that the compressive strength of rammed earth comprising IOT (“RIOT”) can reach up to 2 MPa, which is sufficient to build structures of several stories, and that the alkaline pH of the IOT improves its ability to react with chemical stabilisers, for example lime or cement. However, the principal concerns amongst regulators and communities are how structures built from RIOT may respond to water and fire damage. Concurrently, earthquakes of varying magnitudes are possible throughout Brazil and structures must be reinforced to resist the seismic loading. How well RIOT can accommodate and protect reinforcement is therefore also of critical concern.

RIOT must address the chief concerns of regulators and communities and be desirable for construction to divert IOT from the environment successfully. To achieve this, engineers and architects must work together to understand the drivers behind the form and function of the desired structures, how to characterise the material behaviour, and what limitations that behaviour may place on their design aspirations. This project will provide the platform for that collaboration through a shared PhD project and extended residential research visits, addressing the following three objectives:

1. Characterise the resilience of RIOT against fire and water damage with and without chemical stabilisers.
2. Determine the longevity of reinforcing elements embedded in RIOT versus fire and water damage to identify limitations for safe construction.

iii. Determine the construction practices and adaptive capacity of local communities to adopt RIOT as a new form to build contemporary buildings.

These objectives are enshrined within the wider ambition of creating a knowledge exchange partnership between the UK and Brazil in earthen materials, to expose experts from each continent to the practices and traditions of the other, and to accelerate the dissemination of RIOT for the possible use to reconstruct towns and villages in Minas Gerais.

Please note that this advert might close before the deadline, if a suitable candidate is found. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. For more project details and how to apply please see - RIOT: The resilience of rammed earth incorporating iron ore tailings | School of Engineering

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