Doctoral dissertations in progress:

Hydration mechanism and properties of low-CO₂ cements based on magnesium hydroxycarbonates

Alexander German
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Frank Winnefeld
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura

Complexation of calcium with aluminum and silicon
Sonya Barzgar
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. C. Ludwig, EPFL

Mechanism of Alkali-Slicate damage evolution in concrete

Mahdieh Shakoorioskooie
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Michele Griffa
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura

A Structural and Thermodynamic Study of the Intercalation of Selenium(-IV), Selenium(-II), Sulfur(-II) and Iodine(-I) in Hydrocalumites (AFm-phases)

Latina Nedyalkova
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. Urs Mäder

Thermodynamic and spectroscopic investigations of the Fe and S speciation under reducing conditions

Andrea Manzini
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. Bernhard Wehrli

Aluminium uptake in C-S-H

Yiru Yan
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Karen Scrivener, EPFL

Linear and nonlinear ultrasounds methods for non-destructive characterization of concrete durability propertiesLinear and nonlinear ultrasounds methods for non-destructive characterization of concrete durability properties

Ye Zhu
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Michele Griffa
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura

 

Completed dissertastions:

Development of novel low-clinker high-performance concrete elements prestressed with high modulus carbon fibre reinforced polymers

Tobias Lämmlein
Supervisor Empa: Prof. Dr. Giovanni Terrasi
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura

Prediction of autogenous shrinkage in fly ash blended cement systems

Zhangli Hu
Supervisor Empa: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura
Co-supervisor Empa: Dr. Mateusz Wyrzykowski
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Karen Scrivener, EPFL and Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura, ETH Zurich

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking in Concrete: from Mechanisms to Mitigation Strategies

Sadegh Ghourchian
Supervivor Empa: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura
Co-supervisor Empa: Dr. Mateusz Wyrzykowski
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura, ETH Zurich

Magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) characterization: temperature, calcium, aluminum and alkali

Ellina Bernard
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. I. Pochard, Université de Bougogne, Dijon 

Multi-contrast X-ray imaging of water and microstructure in cement-based materials

Fei Yang
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Michele Griffa
Co-supervisor Empa: Dr. Rolf Kaufmann
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura, ETH Zurich 

A fundamental research on cold mix asphalt modified with cementitious materials

Xing Fang
Supervivor Empa: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura
Co-supervisor: Dr. Alvaro Garcia, University of Nottingham 
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura, ETH Zurich

Drying shrinkage and cracking of cementitious materials at early-age

Carmelo di Bella
Supervisors Empa: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura
Co-supervisor Empa: Mateusz Wyrzykowski
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura, ETH Zurich and Prof. Dr. Henrik Stang, Technical University of Denmark 

Hydration of multi-component cements containing clinker, slag, type-V fly ash and limestone

Axel Schöler
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Co-supervisor Empa: Dr. Frank Winnefeld
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Michael Ludwig, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Aluminium and alkali uptake in calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) 
Emilie L’Hôpital
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. K. Scrivener, EPFL Lausanne

Reaction of siliceous fly ash in blended Portland cement pastes and its effect on the chemistry of hydrate phases and pore solution 
Florian Deschner
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Frank Winnefeld
Co-supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Neubauer, FAU Erlangen

Resistance against sulfate attack
Wolfgang Kunther
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. K. Scrivener, EPF Lausanne

Fe-containing hydrates and their fate during cement hydration: thermodynamic data and experimental
Belay Zeleke Dilnesa
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Co-supervisor: Dr. Erich Wieland, PSI
Academic supervisor: Prof. K. Scrivener, EPF Lausanne

Interaction of PCE polyelectrolytes with cement mineral surfaces: a study from the macro to the nano scale
Lucia Ferrari
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Frank Winnefeld, Dr. Josef Kaufmann 
Academic supervisor: Prof. Johann Plank, TU Munich

Shrinkage reducing admixtures in self compacting concretes and mortars
Arnd Bernd Eberhardt
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Josef Kaufmann
Academic supervisor: Prof. J. Stark, Univ. of Weimar

Cement-superplasticizer interaction: link between macroscopic phenomena and micro-structural data of the early cement hydration 
Anatol Zingg
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Frank Winnefeld, Dr. Lorenz Holzer
Academic supervisor: Prof. L. Gauckler, ETH Zürich

Thermodynamics of cement hydration 
Thomas Matschei
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. F. P. Glasser, Univ. of Aberdeen

Thomas Matschei won the following award: Hans-Jürgen Kuzel Preisfond 2008

A thermodynamic approach to cement hydration: The role of retarding admixtures and Fe-minerals during the hydration of cements 
Göril Möschner
Supervisor Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach
Academic supervisor: Prof. R. Kretzschmar, ETH Zürich

Sulfate attack and the role of internal carbonate on the formation of thaumasite 
Thomas Schmidt
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach, Dr. Michael Romer
Academic supervisor: EPF Lausanne, Prof. K. Scrivener

Hydration mechanisms of activated blast furnace slag 
Astrid Gruskovnjak
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Barbara Lothenbach, Dr. Frank Winnefeld
Academic supervisor: PD U. Mäder, Univ. of  Bern

AFM study of water absorption and transport in cement on a molecular scale 
Tianhe Yang
Supervisors Empa: Dr. Lorenz Holzer, Dr. Frank Winnefeld, Dr. Josef Kaufmann
Academic supervisor: Prof. B. Keller, ETH Zürich