At the recent prize giving event held by Nottingham Trent University to celebrate the outstanding students in the field of civil engineering, two students received the CIHT Research and Innovation Partners award; one for achieving the highest graded final year project in 2023/24 and the other for the best performance by an MSc or MEng student.

Madeline Harris’s final year report looked at the impact of climate change on subgrade soil and its impact on the performance of pavements. Her study focussed on assessing the durability of low carbon cement binders used for soil stabilisation under climate change impacts.  By studying the strength and plasticity of various binders and negative effects caused by different levels of moisture, the conclusion arrived at was that the lime+CEM/GGBS binder has the best resilience against climate change impacts.

Ben Kettleborough was recognised for his MEng work on pavement assessment and design.  His project involved conducting the necessary calculations, designs and recommendations for three trunk road schemes and providing the necessary advice for each of the schemes.  All calculations, designs and advice adhered to the guidelines and content of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and the sustainability of pavement designs and assessment methodologies were considered.

Dr Jwan Kamla, CIHT East Midlands Chair, presented the prizes and commented on the evening, “I had the honour of presenting the CIHT prizes.  It was a great event with many students being awarded for their achievements.  It was inspiring to see a diverse range of students from different backgrounds—truly amazing to witness.”

About the CIHT Student Awards

CIHT’s Research & Innovation Partners are invited to submit requests for funds from CIHT Foundation, to offer awards to two of their outstanding students.

CIHT Foundation

The Foundation was created by CIHT to receive charitable donations from collections and other appeals to distribute to activities and projects that we can support as part of our charitable aims.  The focus is on educational or innovative proposals that advance the art and science of highways and transportation.  The funds raised go into a restricted CIHT account so that they can only be used strictly for this purpose.