High Speed 2 (HS2)

High Speed 2 (HS2)

High Speed 2 (HS2) signed a collaboration agreement with UKCRIC on 14 May 2021 which enables HS2 to commission research and access the research capabilities, knowledge, and facilities from across the whole of the UKCRIC network for Britain’s new high-speed rail network. It will also provide a channel for the 15 academic institutions involved to put forward research findings that could be employed on the project.

The first step was to identify key areas for collaboration on low carbon concrete, such as alternative reinforcement methods, reducing embedded carbon in production, and the re-use of materials. The collaboration has now grown to include many other projects.

Some examples are the following:

BIM

  • UKCRIC Partners: UCL, University of Sheffield and Cranfield University
  • Early stages of exploration
  • £50K

Geothermal Energy

  • UKCRIC Partner: University of Leeds
  • Nearing completion
  • £50k

Citizen Science

  • UKCRIC Partner: Loughborough University
  • £50k

Piezo Generation

  • UKCRIC Partners: University of Southampton, Cranfield University
  • Started Feb 2022
  • £50k

Euston arisings

  • UKCRIC Partners: University of Birmingham, Heriot-Watt University
  • £50k

Confined/constrained concrete

  • UKCRIC Partners: University of Edinburgh, University of Southampton
  • £50k

Sprayable low-carbon concrete

  • UKCRIC Partner: Loughborough University
  • £50k

Biochar

  • UKCRIC Partners: Newcastle University, University of Exeter
  • £50k
  • Project scoping phase

Grass roots and verges

  • UKCRIC Partners: University of Southampton, University of Birmingham
  • Project scoping phase

HS2 1st tier supplier direct approach

  • UKCRIC Partner: University of Southampton
  • Project scoping phase