Congratulations to UNSW Engineering researcher Dr Ali Kashani who, with a team from CONTOUR 3D, and Group Architects, has won the prestigious National Award of "Excellence in Concrete" in Technology and Innovation awarded by the Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA) at the Concrete 2023 biennial conference in Perth in September.
Dr Kashani, who is based in the Centre for infrastructure, Engineering & Safety (CIES) in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Concrete and 3D printing and a Churchill Fellow in Construction 3D Printing with extensive experience in research, development, and commercialisation of advanced and sustainable construction materials.
One of his research areas is 'Construction Automation' via development of novel high-performance materials and techniques for robot-aimed construction including 3D printing. His other main area of research is sustainable construction materials for the 'Circular Economy' including wastes valorisation, carbon capturing and mineralisation, low-carbon construction materials, sustainable concrete, and alkali-activated materials (geopolymers).
Dr Kashani is one of the Chief Investigators and a founding member of the University of Melbourne-led Researcher Network for Decarbonising the Building Industry (RNDBI), which has received federal government funding of $2 million, with an International Clean Innovation Researcher Networks grant announced in July 2023.
Established by the Concrete Institute of Australia in 1971, the Awards for Excellence in Concrete recognise and publicise the many significant contributions to excellence in concrete design, construction and materials in Australia. The category of Technology & Innovation includes significant contributions to the understanding or use of concrete as evidenced by research, technical publications, patent applications, new products or pieces of equipment, new techniques, design innovations, or educational activity.
Dr Kashani, says he was thrilled to receive the award, particularly as 'we were competing against key players in academia and industry in concrete innovation.' He also acknowledged the work of his PhD student, ‘Hamid Bayat who helped a lot with this awarded project.’