Explosive start to Laurie’s career as a researcher
Postgraduate engineering researcher Laurie Clough has won a major prize at the Institution of Structural Engineers Young Researchers Conference in London. He was awarded £500 for the best poster explaining his findings on the effects of explosive fireballs on buildings.
Working with the Ministry of Defence, Laurie combines computer modelling of explosive events with real-life experiments with up to 41 kilos of TNT on an MoD site in Essex. He moved to Southampton to tackle new challenges through the PhD after graduating with an MEng at the University of Sheffield and five years in industry as a consultant structural engineer.
"I am examining temperatures within fireballs and assessing the robustness of buildings to their impact," he explains. "One of the aims of my research is to predict the effect of the thermal load from explosive fireballs on structures which will help to improve designs."
The Conference supports the advancement of research in structural engineering by providing a platform for students to present their work and network to industry leaders and Institution members.