My main research interests are in technology and properties of self-compacting concrete and special concretes, use of waste and recycled materials in construction, nanotechnology in construction, nano-modification of cementitious materials, and particularly micromechanical characterisation of natural and engineering materials.  I pioneered the application of nanoindentation technique to cementitious materials nearly 30 years ago. My research activities have been funded by EU, government, industry, research council and charities, with a large number of UK and international collaborators.

My current research activities are mainly in the use of waste and recycled materials in concrete and grout, green connstuction materials, innovative cement-based materials, durability of construction materials, and nanoindentation study of natural and engineering materials (including, cement, sea shells, metallic joints, composites, bones, and thin films/coatings, etc).

Nano-modification and engineering of cement-based materials, Green construction materials, Special concretes, multi-functional materials, nanotechnology application in construction, and advanced nano-scale characterisation of materials.

Scottish SMEs, Materials suppliers, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CS-IC)

Module coodinator for the following modules: Civil Engineering Materials (level 8), Advanced Construction Materials (Level 10), Civil Engineering Honours Project (Level 10), Adv Materials for Sustainable Construction (Level 11).

Constribute to the following modules: Applied Engineering Science (level 7).

Supervising large number of MSc and Honours degree projects.

Coordinating teaching in two joint BEng Civil and BEng Mechanical Engineering programmes in Changchun Institute of Technology in China.