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Dr Michele W.T. Mak

Dr Michele W.T. Mak

Profile

I am a Lecturer in the School of Civil Engineering and Deputy Director of the Neville Centre of Excellence in Cement and Concrete Engineering. I am also the academic lead for the concrete laboratory. My interests revolve around the development of elegant, efficient and sustainable structures. I am passionate about developing innovative solutions for the built environment, strengthening the links between research and practice.

Before embarking on an academic career, I was a Structural Engineer at Ove Arup & Partners. I was also a visiting researcher at Stanford University. I hold a Diplôme d'Ingénieur from École Spéciale des Travaux Publics, du Bâtiment et de l'Industrie de Paris (ESTP), a Master's Degree from Politecnico di Milano, a PhD from the University of Cambridge.

Responsibilities

  • Deputy Director of the Neville Centre in Cement and Concrete Engineering
  • Academic Lead for the Concrete Laboratory

Research interests

My current research focuses on the optimisation of the mechanical and environmental performance of reinforced concrete, from the material to the structural scale. I am investigating new concepts such as ‘shear compliance’ and engineered crack propagation. My wider research interests include the 'riddle of shear failure', high-performance cementitious composites, fibre- and textile reinforced materials, seismic engineering, bridge assessment and tall building design.

A list of postgraduate research projects I supervised is below:

  • CO2 sequestration in concrete
  • Self-healing biobased composites
  • Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC)
  • Ultra-High Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC)
  • Textile-reinforced concrete shells
  • Reinforced concrete subjected to shear
  • Numerical modelling of Fibre-Reinforced Cementitious Composites
  • Seismic-resistant Fibre-Reinforced Concrete systems
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD, Structural Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
  • MSc, Architectural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  • Dipl. Ing., Structural Engineering, ESTP Paris, France

Professional memberships

  • AFHEA, Associate Fellow of Advance HE
  • RILEM, International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures
  • fib, International Federation for Structural Concrete
  • IStructE, Institution of Structural Engineers
  • RIBA, Royal Institute of British Architects

Student education

I am responsible for the Structural Engineering input to the following undegraduate modules:

  • CIVE2860 DS 2
  • CIVE3871 DS 3.2
  • CIVE5840M DS 4.1
  • CIVE5845M DS 4.2

Additionally, I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research projects on the following modules:

  • CIVE3750 BEng, Civil and Structural Engineering - Research Project
  • CIVE5000 MSc, Structural Engineering - Dissertation
  • CIVE5455 MSc, Advanced Concrete Technology - Research Project

Research groups and institutes

  • Materials and Structures
  • Cities, Infrastructure and Energy

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>