PhD Studentship: PhD in Advanced Composites – Centre for Doctoral Training in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering

The project:

Fire performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) for railway structural applications sponsored by National Rail

(Supervisor: Eleni Toumpanaki)

Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) are gaining popularity in civil engineering applications as the industry seeks to reduce carbon emissions. FRPs offer a high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, lower maintenance requirements, ease of installation, and a lightweight nature that reduces foundation demands compared to traditional steel and concrete bridges. However, a key barrier to the wider adoption of FRPs in the railway industry is the limited knowledge of their fire performance. This gap arises from the absence of codified fire design approaches for FRP structural elements and the constant evolution of thermoset resin formulations in the industry. FRPs have a lower softening temperature compared to steel, resulting in diminished mechanical properties at temperatures of 100–120°C. Additionally, under fire conditions, FRPs can produce smoke and toxic gases, posing health risks and hindering safe evacuations on high-traffic footbridges, such as those in busy railway stations.

The project aims to establish an economical approach to achieving FRP railway structures that can meet fire performance requirements. It will establish a comprehensive dataset of benchmark structural fire performance for various FRP compositions commonly used in railway structures (e.g., footbridges). It will also investigate strategies to enhance the fire performance of FRP components, including the use of fillers, resin chemistry modifications, fire retardant coatings, insulation barriers, and core materials. The research will primarily rely on experimental methods, with fire testing conducted at multiple levels, from coupons to connections (bolted, adhesive, and hybrid). Bolted connections are of particular interest due to the localized heat conduction of metal components, which can accelerate failure. Computational modelling may also be employed to assess the disproportionate collapse resistance of footbridges under accidental fire scenarios. A key focus of the project is a holistic comparison of different fire-resistant strategies for FRPs, incorporating structural fire performance, whole-life costing, and life-cycle assessment analyses.

The project is in close collaboration with Network Rail and the successful candidate will work closely in the new innovative FRP footbridge ‘FlowBridge’ and other FRP infrastructure initiatives with the railway technical authorities.

How to apply:

To apply please submit a personal statement, outlining your experience and why you are interested in the PhD project, your CV and transcript of results to https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/. Please do not submit a project description; this is unnecessary as the project is already defined. Please select PhD in Advanced Composites and enter Professor Janice Barton the Director of the CDT as the 2^nd supervisor (janice.barton@bristol.ac.uk)

Candidate requirements:  Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum a 2:1 MEng or merit at Masters level or equivalent in engineering, physics or chemistry. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree and performance at interview.

Funding: An enhanced stipend of £25,789 (based on UKRI 2024/25 rate), a fee waiver and generous research financial support for the successful candidates.

Contact: isce-cdt@bristol.ac.uk

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