Research

Engineering is everywhere, from the buildings we live and work in to the products we use every day. Mechanical and Construction Engineering explores a wide range of areas, including research into advanced materials, product development, environment and energy, and many more.

Prospective PhD students: Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil/PhD or MSc by research exist in all the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained from The Graduate School.

Visiting scholars: We welcome visiting academics - please contact Professor Khamid Mahkamov

To access research outputs in this area and others, please visit Northumbria Research Link.


Click each research area below to find out more about our work:


Civil Engineering Heritage and Future

Civil Engineering Heritage & Future conduct high-quality research into Ancient Water systems, Sustainable Materials for Construction and Repair, Transport Infrastructure, Earth and Rock Slope Monitoring, Infrastructure Sensing and Imaging, and Structures and Materials (concrete, steel, timber, aluminium and composite structures). We use new, multi-disciplinary techniques to understand, interpret and conserve existing engineering and to establish how we create and sustain resilient infrastructures for the future.

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Engineering Materials Mechanics Group

The Engineering Materials and Mechanics Group (EM2G) provides multi-disciplinary approaches to explore scientific understandings and innovate future engineering technologies. Our key aim is to develop fundamental understanding of the science behind interactive mechanisms in materials engineering in the areas of nanocomposites, graphene, functional materials, thin film coatings and high-entropy alloys.

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Fluid and Thermal Engineering

The Fluids and Thermal Engineering Group uses advanced experimental facilities alongside computational modelling to engage in a broad range of research activities in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and combustion.

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Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT)

Working in close collaboration with regional and international partners, the Advanced Manufacturing Technology research is developing the next generation of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and processes, as well as improving manufacturing systems, organisation and sustainability.

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Renewable Energy Technologies

Our research interests are focused on the development and improvements of the means for providing low carbon and renewable energy for electricity, heating and air conditioning. These include Hydrogen Energy; Wind Power; Photovoltaics; Renewable Energy driven micro and small multi-generation systems for Power, Heat and Cooling generation; Phase Change Material Thermal Storage of Renewable Energy and Waste Heat; Heating and Buildings; Smart Grid and Batteries for Energy Storage etc.

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Smart Materials & Surfaces Laboratory (SMSL)

SMSL group design and research into novel functional/structural materials and fabrication strategies, often at micro/nano scales, to investigate into liquid-solid interactions and development of smart devices employing smart materials and surfaces. The group conducts fundamental and applied sciences for various applications in energy materials, sensors, healthcare wearables, acoustofluidics.

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Other Research Areas:

Faculty Education Research Group

This cross-disciplinary group supports educational and pedagogic research, ranging from small projects with an immediate impact on the student experience, through to funded collaborative projects with external partners generating high impact outputs.

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Industry-Academia Partnership

The Industry-Academia Partnership is based upon the premise that strategic linkages between industry and academia can improve quality and foster innovation and entrepreneurship within engineering, in turn enhancing employability and boosting economic development through application-inspired research and innovation.

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Joint Academic Development Centre on new generation biofuels for future clean energy and transport

This project will initiate joint research on the development and application of advanced biofuels for road and off-road vehicles.

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Research

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Future Engineering

Researchers within our Future Engineering multidisciplinary research theme are exploring what technologies will be heating our homes and driving our cars in 20 years time.

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Explore Campus Facilities

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