A new multimillion pound collaborative space for the civil engineering industry to work alongside leading researchers from the University of Cambridge will officially open on 24 September.
Sustainability and future proofing underpins the design of the building, which houses the new National Research Facility for Infrastructure Sensing (NRFIS). NRFIS is part of the UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) portfolio of research and innovation facilities, funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The building also includes 12 world-class, state-of-the-art laboratories focusing on a wide variety of civil engineering disciplines, including sensor development, structures, geomechanics and construction.
Designed to enable University researchers, industry and other academic institutes to work together on joint research programmes, the new Civil Engineering Building will be officially opened by Andrew Wyllie, CBE, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
“The opening of NRFIS marks a significant contribution to the UK infrastructure research community which is key to designing, building and maintaining infrastructure that is resilient, adaptable and sustainable,” said Professor Lord Robert Mair, Head of the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction (CSIC), which is part of the University’s Civil Engineering Department.
“Investment in our infrastructure and infrastructure services, which are so important to citizens, is crucial for the economy and society. NRFIS is a facility where academia and industry can engage in protecting and growing the country’s infrastructure base and supporting the UK to be a leader in the field of smart infrastructure.”
NRFIS will support research in the application of advanced sensor technologies to the monitoring of the UK’s existing and future infrastructure, to provide insights and data to inform the design, construction, operation and management of the UK’s infrastructure and enable better decision-making. It builds on the University’s track record of delivering innovative sensor advancements through CSIC, the CamBridgeSens research network, and the Centres for Doctoral Training in Sensor Technologies for a Healthy and Sustainable Future (STHSF) and Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Resilience in a Changing World (FIBE2). It also offers an opportunity to explore the development and application of novel sensor systems at a range of scales – from an individual asset, such as a tunnel, building or bridge, to a complex system such as a railway or a city district. More advanced sensors and appropriate data analysis will ensure better asset quality, resilience of enhanced construction safety, and smarter asset management.
Simon Guest, Head of Civil Engineering and Professor of Structural Mechanics at the Department of Engineering said: "We are delighted that our partnership with UKCRIC has given us such fine new facilities to support our research as it addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges. The building is a great place to work, and a splendid example of how a pleasant building can be designed and built in an environmentally conscious manner."
The opening of the building will take place on 24 September and begins at 12:30 on the West Cambridge Campus.
For further information and to discuss filming and interview opportunities, please contact CSIC Communications Manager Sophie Taylor by email sct54@cam.ac.uk or call 01223 748543.