DRF Lunchtime Clinic with Dr Damian Palin and Dr Mashael Kamran

The DRF Lunchtime Clinic is proud to present two of our own researchers; Dr Damian Palin, joining us from the Digital Roads Prosperity Partnership speaking on Smart Materials for Digital Roads and, Dr Mashael Kamran, joining us from Decarbonised Adaptable and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe) speaking on Investigating Environmentally Sustainable Pathways for Passenger Vehicle Fleet in the UK . Both researchers will be giving an update on their recent research outcomes in the Smart Materials theme.

Dr Damian Palin Dr Mashael Kamran

Damian is a Senior Research Associate (Research Assistant Professor) in the Digital Roads Prosperity Partnership (DR) at the University of Cambridge. He leads areas of innovative construction materials and technology research, including the development of intelligent, bio-inspired, and living materials bisecting with areas of sustainability/circularity, robotics, and digitisation. Prior, he received an Irish national research fellowship to work in Professor Daniel Kelly's Laboratory at Trinity College Dublin, leading a project developing nacre (or seashell)-inspired high-performance concrete (2021). Before that, he was a European Commission-funded Marie Curie Global Fellow in Professor Lara Estroff's group at Cornell University and Professor Henk Jonkers' group at the Delft University of Technology (TUD), leading a project synthesising biologically inspired material (2017-2020). In 2017, Dr Palin received his PhD from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at TUD for work supervised by Professors Klass van Breugel and Henk Jonkers on the design and development of a smart, bacteria-based self-healing concrete. 

Mashael is a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, working on the DARe National Hub project, Decarbonised, Adaptable, Climate Resilient Transport for a Sustainable Future. Her research focuses on creating sustainable pathways for the UK’s transport infrastructure by exploring low-carbon materials, products, and processes with a focus on circular economy approaches. Using material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), she aims to roadmap pathways to achieve transport infrastructure decarbonisation by 2050. 

Previously, in her PhD research, Dr. Kamran developed dynamic scenarios to model the future of the UK passenger vehicle fleet, examining the potential of electric vehicle battery circularity and shared mobility. She assessed the real-time resource and environmental impacts of various passenger fleet pathways. Her insights highlight how battery circularity and shared mobility can significantly reduce the demand for critical raw materials, contributing to a more sustainable and decarbonised future. 

Damian will be talking on Smart Materials for Digital Roads  Mashael will be talking on Investigating Environmentally Sustainable Pathways for Passenger Vehicle Fleet in the UK 

Abstract: 

Road construction materials are inert and fall short in terms of sustainability, requiring reactive maintenance, offering minimal additional functionality. Recognising these limitations, the DR at the University of Cambridge is redefining road materials and advancing smart solutions. By integrating with automated systems, data science and digital twins, we aim to develop materials with enhanced functionalities and prioritise low-carbon and environmentally responsible practices. 

In this presentation, Dr Palin will share his background in smart materials development for construction and provide an overview of the DR. He will highlight recent work from the smart materials team, including microfibre-reinforced repair materials for automated pavement maintenance. Finally, he will explore emerging ideas and technological advancements that have the potential to revolutionise the way roads are built and maintained. 

Abstract: 
Mashael will present her research on decarbonising the UK's passenger light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet to support the goal of achieving Net-Zero by 2050. Transport is responsible for 26% of total GHG emissions, with over half of these emissions coming from LDVs. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have emerged as a promising pathway for reducing emissions and improving local air quality. However, concerns remain about the environmental impacts of BEV production, particularly due to toxic emissions from mining activities and reliance on critical elements. The degree to which the use of BEVs can contribute to decarbonisation also depends upon the percentage of renewable energy sources in the electricity grid mix. The growing electricity demand and vehicle fleet size will entail greater energy investment and resource requirements to meet future targets. 
 
Dr. Kamran's research investigates the environmental trade-offs of different BEV pathways by exploring key resource strategies such as shared mobility, battery second life, and closed-loop recycling. Her study includes understanding the supply challenges of battery elements and other critical materials essential for the low-carbon transition. To evaluate the consequences of resource strategies on the environment, she adopted a dynamic approach to conduct MFA and LCA. A dynamic MFA was used to track the changes in the mass flows of key materials for each year up to 2050, laying the foundation for the LCA to assess the environmental consequences of the evolution of the whole UK LDV fleet over time. The interplay of several prospective changes were taken into consideration: (1) the transition of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to BEVs, (2) the transition to a low-carbon electricity grid mix, (3) the improvement in LIB technology, (4) the uptake of transport as a service (TaaS). The findings offer valuable insights into managing critical resources and advancing sustainable mobility solutions.