On Friday, July 10, a seminar will be held in Room 087 (first floor, Building 4), starting at 12:30 CET.

The seminar will be given by Rebecca Gravina, Professor and TMR Chair of Structural Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), and is titled “Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure”.

Abstract
Sustainable concrete infrastructure responds to the growing challenges posed by ageing, carbon-intensive assets and increasing exposure to climate extremes and natural hazards. Existing concrete infrastructure is often deteriorating due to reinforcement corrosion, cracking, creep, and overloading, resulting in high maintenance costs and reduced service life. In this context, durability, not strength alone, becomes the governing factor for sustainability. Conventional concrete also presents significant environmental concerns, including high CO₂ emissions during production and extensive resource depletion from natural aggregate extraction. With concrete being one of the most widely consumed materials globally, these issues highlight the urgent need for innovative, system-level solutions that improve performance while reducing environmental impact and supporting long-term resilience.

To address these challenges, Professor Gravina will present her research, with emphasis on low-carbon concrete strategies aimed at reducing embodied carbon while maintaining structural performance. Approaches include the use of supplementary cementitious materials, recycled aggregates such as recycled concrete, crushed glass, and industrial by-products, and optimised mix designs that balance cost, carbon, and performance. Experimental results demonstrate that sustainable concrete can achieve comparable workability, strength, and durability while significantly reducing reliance on natural resources and landfill demand. Life cycle assessment outcomes further indicate substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and waste diversion potential. In parallel, advanced material systems such as fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcement and ultra-high-performance concrete enable enhanced durability, corrosion resistance, and service-life extension. These innovations support prefabrication, rapid construction, and reduced maintenance, contributing to resilient, low-carbon infrastructure aligned with circular economy and decarbonisation objectives.

Speaker’s bio
Rebecca Gravina is Professor and the TMR Chair of Structural Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. The TMR Chair position is endowed by the Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR). She obtained her PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Adelaide and, prior to joining academia, worked as a consulting Structural Engineer with ARUP. Professor Gravina is an established researcher with over 25 years of experience in academia and consulting engineering. Her research field concerns the long-term performance and durability of reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PC) structures, sustainability of infrastructure, rehabilitation of existing structures with Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP), multi-functional self-healing cementitious composites, recycled materials in concrete, and engineering education. Professor Gravina is the co-author of the textbook ‘Prestressed Concrete’ by Warner, Foster and Gravina, she has published more than 100 research papers, and has won numerous competitive research grants valued over $8 Million and teaching awards. Professor Gravina is the Editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of Civil Engineering, Director of the Australasian Certification Authority for Reinforcing and Structural Steels (ACRS), Past-President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Australian Section, Executive Committee Member of the International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), and Member of the Concrete Institute of Australia. Her research is well recognised by industry, and she continuously collaborates with civil infrastructure companies and agencies to support innovation and technology transfer.