Series
•5 minutes with… Ben Brown
Tell us about your career path?
I really liked art at school, but physics was something I was particularly strong at. I was also disheartened to learn about the extent humans’ negative impact on nature so I wanted to study something that used both creativity and science, whilst also making a positive difference to the world.
After school I studied Civil Engineering at Loughborough University and then worked as a Structural Engineer in South London. When I was thinking about my next steps, I decided to go back to university and study an MSc in Civil Engineering with Innovative Structural Materials at the University of Bath. I thoroughly enjoyed it, not just because of the friends I made, but because of the course’s emphasis on natural building materials. I enjoyed it so much in fact, that I stayed on at Bath after being offered a PhD position. The PhD project had an open research topic in the field of timber engineering. Although it was initially daunting it allowed me to develop a unique, stiffened, curve-reinforced glulam beam.
Photograph from Ben's thesis 'Methods of Enhancing the Performance of Timber Beams'
How did you come across HTS?
Although I enjoyed research, I was unsure if an academic career was right for me. My external examiner for my viva examination at the end of my PhD mentioned a company called Heyne Tillett Steel and how they have an inhouse research department, HTS+, which sounded perfect for me.
I can say that so far the job has been exactly what I hoped for with a great blend of academic research and industry impact.
What have you been working on since joining HTS?
I have been involved in many interesting projects since joining HTS. The main themes I explore in my role revolve around understanding the embodied environmental impacts of structural materials and helping to develop solutions to mitigate these impacts. So far I have helped plan the reuse of concrete slabs on our Museum Street project where slabs from the old building will be cut-out and reclaimed for use in the new building. I have also: studied the flow of aggregates in the UK, compared the biodiversity impacts of timber and concrete, and coordinated vibration testing on one of our timber structure projects. Recently I have been exploring the difference in embodied carbon between affordable housing and luxury housing and posing the question: what should we be building with our limited carbon budget?
Image from Aggregates in UK Construction study
Read Ben’s thesis on Methods of Enhancing the Performance of Timber Beams
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