Research

We aim to deliver world-leading research, to educate the most capable students to the highest possible level and to provide expert advice to Industry. 

List of academic staff and their research interestsPhD Research Opportunities

We work towards a fundamental understanding of the systems, structures and materials underpinning civil engineering and apply this to the solution of important engineering problems. We integrate new theoretical treatments, advances in numerical methods, and laboratory and field experimentation, focussing on the built environment and its inter-relationships with the natural environment and human society.

Research Themes

Environment and Water Resources (EWRE)

Research is focussed primarily upon aspects of Environmental Engineering, Water Resource Management and Solid Waste Management. The Section addresses some of the most fundamental issues for society including: flood protection, sustainable water resource development, the provision of safe water supplies and sanitation, and the management of wastes and their environmental impact.

Go to the EWRE website

Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Mechanics

Research interests cover fundamental fluid mechanics, offshore and coastal engineering, environmental fluid mechanics, hydraulic structures, building ventilation and two-phase flows, particularly those relating to sediment transport.

Go to the Fluid Mechanics website

Geotechnics

Geotechnics

The focus of research is on understanding the mechanics, behaviour and properties of soils and soft rocks in order to provide real solutions to industry including tunnelling, oil and gas, infrastructure and road building. Our work involves numerical modelling, field monitoring and laboratory-based testing.

Go to the Geotechnics website

Research Themes b

Materials

Materials

Civil infrastructure is critical to the development of most countries, with the UK Government alone now investing £60bn/year in new infrastructure. Huge volumes of materials are used to construct the buildings, bridges, roads, railways, airports, sea defences, power stations and other vital infrastructure that we need.

Go to the Materials website

Structures

Structures

Research ranges from fundamental to applied structural engineering. In addition to our work on new and improved structural forms and materials, we look at the response of structures to extreme loading including work on blast-resistance, seismic behaviour and structural robustness. We continue to expand into the areas of lifetime assessment, durability, long-term behaviour and structural biomechanics.

Go to the Structures website

Systems

Systems

Research focuses primarily upon systems engineering in the built environment. The Centre addresses some of the most fundamental issues in the construction industry today including sustainable urban systems and developments in the construction of nuclear power plants.

Go to the Systems website

Research Themes c

Transport

Transport

Principal areas of research include intelligent transport systems (ITS), transport operations, transport and the environment, railway operations and management, transport economics, positioning, navigation and geomatics, travel demand modelling, air traffic management, transport safety, logistics, and urban engineering systems.

Go to the Transport website

Sustainable Civil Engineering

Sustainable Civil Engineering

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Sustainable Civil Engineering has funded postgraduate research students across all of our research themes.

Go to the CDT website

Featured Research

Featured Research

Case studies of some of our recent and on-going research, drawn from across all research sections in the Department.

Read our featured research case studies

Research Impact

Research Outputs

Research Governance

Our Laboratories

Each research section has its own dedicated state-of-the-art research laboratory

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Environmental Laboratory

Find out more about the Roger Perry Environmental Lab
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Hydrodynamics Laboratory

Find out more about the Hydrodynamics Laboratory
Geotechnics

Geotechnics Laboratory

Find out more about the Geotechnics Laboratory
Structures Laboratory

Structures Laboratory

Find out more about the Structures Laboratory
Intelligent Transport Laboratory

Transport and Environment Laboratory

Find out more about the Transport and Environment Laboratory
Materials

Infrastructure Materials

Find out more about the Infrastructure Materials Lab

Our community in numbers*

Our academics

  • 55 full-time academic staff
  • 42 part-time, honorary and visiting
  • 90+ research staff
  • 40+ Professional Services and Technical staff 

Our student population

  • 226 PhD students
    69% male; 31% female
    42 nationalities
  • 292 MSc students
    58% male; 42% female
    42 nationalities
  • 456 Undergraduates 
    42 nationalities

* all numbers are approximate

Measures of success

Research Assessment Exercise

  • REF 2021. 75% of research assessed to be 4* (highest rating), and 25% assessed to be 3*. (unit of assessment: engineering)
  • REF 2014. 47% of research assessed to be 4* (highest rating), 48% assessed to be 3* and 5% assessed as 2*. (unit of assessment: civil and construction engineering)
  • RAE 2008. 40% of research assessed to be 4* (highest rating), 55% assessed to be 3* and 3% assessed as 2*. (unit of assessment: civil engineering)

Contact the Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering
Skempton Building
Imperial College London
South Kensington Campus
London, SW7 2AZ

Telephone:
+44 (0)20 7594 5929 / 5932 / 5931
Email: [email protected]

We are located in the Skempton Building (building number 27 on the South Kensington Campus Map). How to find us