DrPaul Thomas
Senior Lecturer
School of Civil, Environmental & Sociotechnical ENG
Orcid identifier0000-0001-6962-2121 (opens in a new tab)
- Senior LecturerSchool of Civil, Environmental & Sociotechnical ENG
- +61(0)2 9514 1721 (Work)
- University of Technology Sydney, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Broadway, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
FUNDED RESEARCH
Durability of cement based construction materials in particular with respect to the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and delayed ettringite formation (DEF). Assessment of test methods for ASR aggregate reactivity.
Low carbon footprint binders incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a significant proportion of Portland cement substitution.
Development of Advanced Blended Cements:Pitchstone fines as a pozzolanic additive for the replacement of Portland cement in both hydrothermally (autoclaved) and air cured cements. Clay brick waste as a pozzolanic additive for the replacement of Portland cement in hydrothermally (autoclaved) cured cements.Magnesia Cements - use of reactive magnesia coupled with pozzolanic additives for the replacement of Portland cement in both hydrothermally (autoclaved) cured cements.
Characterisation of Australian Opal: Characterisation of the thermophysical, mechanical and microstructural properties of precious opal sourced from sedimentary and volcanic environments.
Materials conservation of museum specimens and heritage construction materials, in particular, Sydney yellow block sandstone.
Taphonomy of Bone: Characterisation of the aging mechanism of bone in a variety of environments for forensic applications.
Generic Areas of Research Interest:
Application of thermal analysis to materials characterisation. Current facilities available are: simultaneous TG-DTA, TG-DSC, TG-GC-MS, isothermal calorimetry.
Spectroscopic characterisation of materials including fluorescence, uv-vis, near, mid and far IR, Raman and solid state nmr spectroscopy.
Low carbon footprint binders incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a significant proportion of Portland cement substitution.
Development of Advanced Blended Cements:Pitchstone fines as a pozzolanic additive for the replacement of Portland cement in both hydrothermally (autoclaved) and air cured cements. Clay brick waste as a pozzolanic additive for the replacement of Portland cement in hydrothermally (autoclaved) cured cements.Magnesia Cements - use of reactive magnesia coupled with pozzolanic additives for the replacement of Portland cement in both hydrothermally (autoclaved) cured cements.
Characterisation of Australian Opal: Characterisation of the thermophysical, mechanical and microstructural properties of precious opal sourced from sedimentary and volcanic environments.
Materials conservation of museum specimens and heritage construction materials, in particular, Sydney yellow block sandstone.
Taphonomy of Bone: Characterisation of the aging mechanism of bone in a variety of environments for forensic applications.
Generic Areas of Research Interest:
Application of thermal analysis to materials characterisation. Current facilities available are: simultaneous TG-DTA, TG-DSC, TG-GC-MS, isothermal calorimetry.
Spectroscopic characterisation of materials including fluorescence, uv-vis, near, mid and far IR, Raman and solid state nmr spectroscopy.
FUNDED RESEARCH
- GRANTINS Cryoporometry of Cement PastesThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation13 Jan 2027 - 19 Jan 2027People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Haloise,
- Alastair,
- Gates W,
- Ren Y
- GRANTNeutron Tomography of the Interfacial Transition Zone of low carbon cement pastesThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation5 Nov 2026 - 11 Nov 2026People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Ren Y,
- Garbe U,
- Gates W,
- Aldridge L
- GRANTARC Research Hub for Infrastructure Net ZeroAustralian Research Council1 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2028People funded by this grant:
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Duan W,
- Thomas P,
- Partridge H,
- Yeo R
- GRANTApplications of Calcined Clay in Lower Carbon ConcreteSMARTCRETE CRC LTD31 Oct 2023 - 30 Sep 2025People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Giurco D,
- Vessalas K,
- Sceats M,
- Stewart M
- GRANTInvestigating the penetration of water in low-carbon concrete using neutron radiography and tomographyThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation2 Oct 2023 - 31 Jan 2024People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Garbe U,
- Klapproth A,
- Aldridge L
- SCHOLARSHIPUTS-Boral Centre for Sustainable BuildingBORAL SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES PTY LTD1 Jul 2023 - 30 Jun 2026People funded by this grant:
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Castel A,
- Thomas P
- GRANTR1P46 - Low carbon footprint supplementary cementitious materials for concrete and blended cement use from mineral carbonationSMARTCRETE CRC LTD1 Jan 2023 - 31 Mar 2026People funded by this grant:
- Vessalas K,
- Thomas P,
- Srivastava H,
- Khatri R,
- Zea J
- GRANTSelecting Low Carbon Concrete For Transport Infrastructures - NOW AND FUTURESMARTCRETE CRC LTD2 May 2022 - 31 Oct 2025People funded by this grant:
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Vessalas K,
- Thomas P,
- Srivastava H,
- Khatri R
- GRANTLow Temperature Far IR Spectroscopy of Water in OpalThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation1 Mar 2022 - 5 Mar 2022People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Chauvire B,
- Aldridge L,
- Stuart B,
- Smallwood A
- GRANTLow Temperature Far IR Spectroscopy of Water in OpalAustralian Synchrotron Research Program1 Jun 2021 - 31 Aug 2021People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Henriques A,
- Aldridge L,
- Stuart B,
- Smallwood A
- GRANTUltra-sustainable concrete with high SCM contentInnovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre1 Jul 2020 - 30 Jun 2022People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Ding KC,
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Skellern K,
- Gowripalan N
- GRANTSphere Packing Array Structure of Precious OpalThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation1 Jul 2015 - 8 Jul 2015People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- de Campo L,
- Aldridge L,
- Rehm C,
- Smallwood A
- CONTRACT RESEARCHFull Utilisation of Reactive Aggregates in High Performance ConcreteCement Concrete & Aggregates Australia30 Mar 2015 - 31 Dec 2016People funded by this grant:
- Sirivivatnanon V,
- Vessalas K,
- Thomas P,
- Baweja D
- GRANTSAXS - Structural Investigations of NSW OpalsAustralian Synchrotron Research Program5 Feb 2015 - 6 Feb 2015People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Smallwood A
- GRANTThe characterisation of rock art paintings in Arnhem Land using synchrotron infrared spectroscopyAustralian Synchrotron Research Program16 Jan 2015 - 31 Jul 2015People funded by this grant:
- Stuart B,
- Hunt A,
- David B,
- James D,
- Thomas P
- GRANTNeutron diffraction investigation of shear forces on triacylglycerols for forensic applicationThe Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation27 Oct 2014 - 30 Oct 2015People funded by this grant:
- Stuart B,
- Booth N,
- Maynard-Casely H,
- Thomas P
- GRANTCharacterisation of the States of Water in Opal Using FTIR Microscopy.Australian Synchrotron Research Program21 Oct 2014 - 24 Oct 2014People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Hunt A,
- Stuart B
- GRANTCharacterisation of ochre pigments from Jawoyn rock art paintings of Arnhem Land using infrared microscopyAustralian Synchrotron Research Program1 Apr 2014 - 1 Aug 2014People funded by this grant:
- Stuart B,
- Hunt A,
- James D,
- Thomas P
- GRANTDevelopment of a green instant cementUniversity of Technology Sydney1 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2011People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Ray A,
- Moorhead D
- GRANTSynthesis and evaluation of new sustained release anti-malarial drugs and in-virto evaluation5 Feb 2009People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P
- GRANTAdvance Surface and Porosity Characterisation FacilityAustralian Research Council1 May 2006 - 1 May 2007People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Ray A,
- Donne S,
- Brown T
- GRANTGreen Cement: The Development of Eco-Friendly, Novel Construction MaterialsUniversity of Technology Sydney1 Jan 2006 - 31 Dec 2007People funded by this grant:
- Ray A,
- Smith S,
- Thomas P,
- Sri Ravindrarajah R,
- Heathcote K
- GRANTElemental Analysis of Layers in Banded OpalsAustralian Institute of Nuclear Science & Engineering1 Jan 2004 - 31 Dec 2004People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Ray A,
- Smallwood A,
- Brown L,
- Prince C
- GRANTDevelopment of new-generation autoclaved cellulose fibre-cement composites using alumina-silica rich industrial wasteAustralian Research Council18 Jun 2003 - 30 Jun 2006People funded by this grant:
- Thomas P,
- Connan H
- GRANTAustralian Research Council18 Jun 2003 - 30 Jun 2006People funded by this grant:
- Ray A,
- Thomas P
