Alan’s research idea in IT Sligo resulted in trials at Roadstone
IT Sligo was delighted to confer the first graduates from the new MEng in Road and Transport Engineering recently.
The programme was launched in 2016 in collaboration with the Local Authority Services National Training Group (LASNTG) and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and is delivered online on a part time basis.
The graduate who was the recipient of the Governing Body Medal (sponsored by LASNTG) as a result of achieving the highest overall result was Mr Alan Lowe who works in Roadstone and is the Senior Technical Manager.
Alan said: “The programme was an excellent opportunity to further develop my engineering skills and found the overall experience to be very enjoyable and rewarding. I had been away from formal education for a number of years but the supports offered by IT Sligo were a great help.
“With the on line lectures it was always preferable for me to watch the lectures live but the ability to play back the recorded lectures was invaluable.
“I particularly enjoyed the group projects as the format provided an excellent opportunity to meet my fellow course participants, to share experiences and knowledge. A number of workshops were held in IT Sligo which also provided an excellent opportunity to meet other course participants and the course lecturers in person. The added benefit of walking away with a formal qualification is that I have made contacts and inks that I am sure will be maintained into the future.”
When selecting the MEng dissertation, Alan wanted to focus on a research area that he had an interest in and one that could potentially provide some benefits to his employer.
The title of his dissertation was “The Impact of Recycled Concrete Aggregates on the Strength and Workability of Infrastructural Concrete”.
The use of recycled concrete aggregates has the potential to enhance the sustainability of ready mixed concrete and to also reduce the volume of concrete waste that is sent to landfill.
The laboratory based research that he completed provided a platform for full scale recycled concrete aggregate processing trials in Roadstone. A number of concrete mix designs incorporating recycled concrete aggregates have now been