Composites UK is delighted to announce that the National Composites Centre’s Dr Kunal Kansara has been elected as the new Chair of its Construction Sector Group (CSG). At the National Composites Centre (NCC), Kunal provides technical and strategic leadership on composites related innovation, technology and skills development for sustainable construction and infrastructure. Kunal replaces Taziker’s Matt Greenhalgh in this role, who steps down after a busy 12 months due to a change in role.
The CSG was formed in 2015 from the Network Group for Composites in Construction, originally launched in 2000. It has around 40 members, who are all part of the wider Composites UK membership, as well as key affiliate partnerships with Network Rail and National Highways.
The CSG serves as a forum for discussing common issues and finding solutions, with an emphasis on outward-facing dissemination of best practices through focused promotional activities. Currently, the group’s key focuses include sustainability issues, as well as fire, smoke, and toxicity concerns. The CSG aims to increase the adoption of standard composite products across the sector to boost confidence in using these materials. Additionally, the group is dedicated to ensuring accurate carbon data is available for embodied carbon calculations, which is crucial for informed design and material selection decisions.
Dr Kunal Kansara is a civil and structural engineer with more than 22 years of experience in professional practice, innovation consulting, research, and teaching in construction and infrastructure. His current works focus on technology de-risking and innovation adoption for Net-Zero and climate change resilience of new and existing infrastructure. During his PhD at the University of Bath, Kunal investigated the applications of composites to strengthen and extend the life of concrete structures. He believes that composite materials have significant potential to act as a catalyst for faster, lighter, sustainable, and durable construction. As Chair, Kunal is keen for CSG to develop and foster impactful interventions and approaches to help accelerate the adoption of composite materials and technologies in construction by all stakeholders.
Dr Sue Halliwell, Operations Manager at Composites UK commented: “We would like to thank Matt for his contribution as Chairman of the CSG over the past year, particular in his guidance and support towards addressing the carbon data challenge. We are excited to have Kunal at the helm going forward, himself having been a member of the group for several years and exploring how Composites UK and the NCC can better support industry in this critical sector.”
Companies wishing to be part of the Construction Sector Group must first be members of Composites UK. The fee to join the CSG is 10% (+VAT) of a company’s annual Composites UK membership cost which varies depending upon size of company.
Website: www.compositesuk.co.uk
Website: https://compositesuk.co.uk/industry-support/sub-groups/construction-sector-group/