Accidental fires remain a major threat to public safety and building resilience, with wide-ranging physical, psychological, economic, social, and environmental consequences. In response to the Grenfell Tower fire, the UK Government introduced the Building Safety Act 2022, establishing the Building Safety Regulator and enforcing stringent safety checks for high-risk buildings. Despite these measures, significant challenges persist in ensuring comprehensive fire safety, particularly during early building design and the development of effective evacuation strategies. Current regulations often do not address emerging risks from innovative materials, advanced systems, and modern construction technologies. Traditional large-scale compartment fire tests provide valuable insights but are costly and time-consuming. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are commonly used to support fire safety design, yet they are computationally intensive and can hinder timely assessments. Artificial intelligence (AI) models present innovative solutions, enabling rapid analysis of complex systems, pattern recognition, and accurate prediction of fire behaviour. By integrating physical laws into AI models, this research aims to simulate fire dynamics, heat transfer, fire toxicity, and structural responses with high precision, reducing reliance on expensive numerical methods. This PhD project will address critical knowledge gaps in fire safety design by combining AI with advanced fire dynamics simulations. The research will advance fire dynamics predictions, streamline fire safety analysis, and uncover new insights through real-world fire data analysis. Historical fire incident reports and regulatory documents will be collected to understand fundamental fire dynamics, fire toxicity, and structural responses. AI models will be developed and trained on this data, then used to simulate real fire scenarios in diverse environments, including room fires and large-scale building fires. Model validation will be performed against experimental data, historical fire events, and traditional CFD simulation results. The supervisory team brings complementary expertise in fire dynamics, material flammability, fire toxicity, structural response under fire conditions, numerical heat transfer, AI applications in fire safety, and computer modelling of fire phenomena. They have extensive publication records and collaborate with universities, research institutions, and industry partners worldwide. The research will span multiple disciplines, including engineering, chemistry, mathematics, and computer engineering, offering the student opportunities to work across these fields. Applicants should have a strong academic background in engineering, computer science, mathematics, chemistry, or related disciplines, with interest or experience in AI, fire safety, computational modelling, or data analysis. The position is based at Ulster University - Belfast Campus within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. The application deadline is February 27, 2026. For further details and to apply, visit the official FindAPhD project page.

Concrete remains the backbone of modern construction due to its strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness. However, the environmental impact of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), the primary binder in concrete, is significant, contributing to 5–8% of global man-made CO₂ emissions. As urbanisation and infrastructure demands grow, the need for sustainable alternatives becomes urgent. This PhD project at Ulster University, Belfast Campus, investigates the fire performance of Alternative Cementitious Material (ACM)-based concrete, aiming to advance sustainable and resilient construction practices. ACMs such as Alkali Activated Binders (AAB), Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA), Calcium Aluminate Cement (CAC), Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA), Metakaolin (MK), and Silica Fume (SF) are increasingly considered for their lower carbon footprint and potential to replace OPC in buildings, bridges, and pavements. While ACM-based concrete has been widely studied for its mechanical properties at ambient temperatures, its behaviour under fire conditions is less understood. This research will rigorously test proven ACM concrete mixes for mechanical durability and microstructural properties using advanced techniques like Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The project will then evaluate the fire response of concrete cubes and structural elements (such as hollow-core slabs and wall panels) made with ACMs, comparing their performance to conventional concrete under elevated temperatures. The outcomes will provide critical insights into the fire resilience of ACM-based concrete, informing strategies to enhance safety and sustainability in construction. By promoting low-carbon materials, the project supports global efforts to reduce construction-related CO₂ emissions and encourages the adoption of green building practices for longer-lasting, environmentally responsible structures. Applicants should have a strong background in civil engineering, materials science, or environmental engineering, with relevant laboratory and analytical skills. The project is supervised by Dr N Alam and Prof A Nadjai, experts in fire engineering and concrete technology. The successful candidate will join the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Ulster University, benefiting from state-of-the-art research facilities and a collaborative academic environment. The application deadline is February 27, 2026. For further details and to apply, visit the project page or contact the faculty directly. This is an excellent opportunity for motivated researchers passionate about sustainable construction and material innovation.