Geoff is a Technician in Civil Engineering and currently manages the Materials Characterisation Laboratory and the Thin Sections Laboratory in the School of Natural and Built Environment within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. 

Background

Prior to joining Queen's Geoff worked at various roles in industry, local government and education.

Geoff has expertise in industrial processes, including in the testing of, and formulation of, recipes for the manufacture of construction materials to meet regulatory and industry standards; of developing accreditation for NVQs; of establishing links between the education sector and construction industry; of providing vocational training for employees; of the regulation of construction products across a number of council areas; of collaborating with industry partners; and Geoff has an understanding of the importance of innovation and product development for business in a competitive marketplace; and an appreciation of the significance of the research taking place at Queen's.

Geoff's knowledge and experience in regulation, education and industry across the quarrying, engineering and construction industries, has enabled him to deliver the objectives of his current role. 

Current roles and responsibilities

Geoff has worked at Queen’s for 14 years and currently manages the Materials Characterisation Laboratory and the Thin Sections Laboratory in the School of Natural and Built Environment, and provides support to a number of different disciplines within the University, including Civil Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Pharmacy, Geography and Archaeology.

Geoff works in a technical environment interacting with students, academics, researchers and businesses to identify a range of solutions to significant technical issues; and supports undergraduate and postgraduate students in their research to produce top quality outputs.

Geoff produces health and safety guidelines and provides laboratory induction training for all students, along with ensuring that equipment is maintained. Geoff trains students in the use of X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA), and optical microscopy equipment. In the thin sections laboratory, he prepares petrographic sections of cementitious materials for analysis and prepare samples for scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) analysis for a variety of research projects.

Due to the wide range of disciplines supported by the laboratories, Geoff receives a variety of requests for technical support including those relating to polymers, important archaeological digs and identification of historical artefacts.

Contribution to specific research initiative or project

Geoff has contributed to a variety of research projects during his time at Queen’s, including providing technical support and supervising students during the Abercorn Bridge Rehabilitation Programme, led by Dr. Sreejith Nanukuttan. The results of which were reported to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

Geoff delivered technical support to the Technology Strategy Board funded research in the development of lightweight self-compacting concrete with reduced energy consumption, in collaboration with industry, and his contribution was acknowledged in the resulting paper which was published in IEEE Sensors Journal.

Geoff has also provided technical support to academics on a number of projects with industry leaders in Northern Ireland, including a commercial project through QUB Test (part of Northern Ireland Technology Centre, a commercial arm of Queen’s) conducted in 2021 with Macrete Concrete, which looked into the durability testing of concrete and which resulted in a KTP bid being developed and funded. Geoff has worked on a number of other projects through QUB Test, supporting Dr. Barry Rankin in providing technical evidence for reports and contributing evidence to some high profile investigations

Geoff has delivered technical support to Dr. Mark Russell in the valorisation of inert waste into a construction product in collaboration with a leading UK company to develop a market ready product; and Professor Brendan Gilmore in a research project on the Microbiology of sodium chloride in stalactites, preparing petrographic thin sections for optical mineralogy.

Currently Geoff is working with Dr. Sreejith Nanukuttan and Moore Concrete on initial trials on cementitious binders as part of an Invest NI funded project which, if successful, may also lead to a KTP bid.