Dr Linzhen Tan

PhD

Pronouns: She/her
  • Research Associate

Research and expertise

I am an infrastructure materials researcher with over 6 years of research experience in cementitious composites. My research interests lie in self-healing cementitious composites, 3D printing construction materials, recycling waste building materials, and alkali-activated cement.

During my PhD study, I thoroughly investigated the mechanism and application of self-healing cementitious composites. As part of my previous postdoctoral experience, I also participated in investigations on geopolymer, 3D printing technology on fine gypsum and silica fume, and recycled concrete aggregate.

Currently, I am working with Dr. Ana Blanco-Alvarez on the EPSRC project Re3DSkin, with the goal of using modern methods of construction to enable selective deposition of self-healing agents in a superficial layer with a variable concentration tailored to the likelihood and degree of cracking in each portion of the component's surface. 

Research and expertise 

  • Self-healing cementitious composites, 3D printing concrete & upcycling of waste building materials

Current research activity

  • Title: Regenerative 3D printed cementitious Skins for building components (Re3DSkin)

Recently completed research projects

  • Smart Upcycling of Waste Building Materials (National Key R&D Program of China)
  • Resilient Materials for Life (RM4L) (EPSRC, UK)

 

Recent publications

  • Tan, L., Xu, J., Wei, Y., & Yao, W. (2022). The effect of bacteria Bacillus Cohnii on the synthesised calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) with various calcium to silica ratio in nanoscale. Cement and Concrete Composites, 104779Bullet point

  • Paine, K., Tan, L., Skevi, L., Reinoso, I. J., Hamley-Bennett, C., Reeksting, B., & Gebhard, S. (2022, June). Aerobic non-ureolytic bacteria-based self-healing concrete: Effects of environmental and exposure conditions. In 8th International Conference on Self-Healing Materials

  • Tan, L., Ke, X., Li, Q., Gebhard, S., Ferrandiz-Mas, V., Paine, K., & Chen, W. (2022). The effects of biomineralization on the localised phase and microstructure evolutions of bacteria-based self-healing cementitious composites. Cement and Concrete Composites, 104421.

All publications:

[1] Tan, L., Xu, J., Wei, Y., & Yao, W. (2022). The effect of bacteria Bacillus Cohnii on the synthesised calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) with various calcium to silica ratio in nanoscale. Cement and Concrete Composites, 104779.

Profile

I received my B.Eng degree in Civil Engineering from Chongqing University in China. Later, I obtained my M.Sc degree in Innovative Structural Materials from The University of Bath in the UK. My doctoral thesis was conducted in consultation with Prof. Kevin Paine at the University of Bath, as part of the Resilient Materials for Life (RM4L) project funded by EPSRC. The thesis examined bacteria-based self-healing cementitious composites in aspects such as self-healing agents, carbonation, and healing regimes.

In my previous postdoctoral research, I worked with Prof. Wu Yao on the Smart Upcycling of Waste Building Materials project, funded by the National Key R&D Program of China, at Tongji University. The research investigated self-healing cementitious material, stereolithography 3D printing material, and recycled aggregate.

I joined º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ as a Research Associate in the project Regenerative 3D printed cementitious Skins for building components (Re3DSkin), working with Dr. Ana Blanco-Alvarez.

External Activities

  • Reviewer of “The journal of materials in civil engineering

Key Collaborators

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

  • Universities: Wuhan University of Technology (China), Tongji University (China)