The three stakeholders in this project, Transport Northern Ireland (TNI), Northern Ireland Rail (NIR) and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) all have one common need which this project addresses. They are required to monitor ground deformations across their geotechnical assets (e.g. embankments, cuttings and earth retaining structures) using the most efficient, cost effective methods, with a view to minimising and managing the geotechnical risk to their businesses and the road/rail users. The objective of the work therefore is to apply the methodologies that the British Geological Survey (BGS) have already developed through past research projects of assessing the deformation of geotechnical infrastructure, such as slope movement or ground subsidence, using Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). The project will validate this methodology through ground truthing, using geotechnical monitoring and high resolution photogrammetry developed by Queen's University Belfast (QUB). Through this project, the stakeholders will be able to monitor ground deformations in a more cost effective, efficient, more thorough and more robust way, and embed the use of this methodology across their organisations making a step change on how they approach assessment and manage the resilience of their geotechnical infrastructure. TNI anticipate that the use of InSAR data will help form their strategies for monitoring their geotechnical assets and will feed into the existing GIS based risk assessment methods for their infrastructure assets. The site at Straidkilly is only one of many sections along the A2 coast road that is unstable and it is hoped that InSAR will give a much greater insight into the behaviour of a variety of geohazards that impact on the road and will inform their maintenance strategies and lead to more cost effective better targeted maintenance. TNI also are committed to having a better understanding of the mechanisms of failure on the slow moving failures on the Throne Bend in Belfast. The InSAR data will allow a much better correlation between slope movement and rainfall intensity and duration to be undertaken. InSAR data will also allow better mapping of the extent and magnitude of the instability. NIR also hope to be able to correlate the slope instability against rainfall data on the Belfast-Bangor rail line. DETI anticipate that the project will validate new methods of monitoring and provide baseline data of ground motion to form the basis of future strategic decisions in regards to geohazards. The use of InSAR at sites in Carrickfergus will potentially provide greater knowledge of extent of subsidence boundaries and provide indicators to potential catastrophic collapse by analysing SAR data against periods of known rapid collapse of ground.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

This 'follow-on' project builds upon the success of recent work undertaken by the applicants, particularly under the first round of the EPSRC Challenging Engineering Programme and, critically, takes that research forward towards industrial application and exploitation. The work continues the strong interdisciplinary partnership between Electrical Engineering at City University London (CUL) and Civil Engineering at Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), working together with their respective Technology Transfer Officers (TTOs) to take full advantage of the excellent relationship forged, including with the spin-out company, Sengenia, and the other industrial partners, Network Rail, Roads Services of Northern Ireland, Amey Plc and Collins Engineering. There is a clear focus of the proposal - to make the commercial potential of the research more evident, both to the market and to set a platform for generating sustainable interest from future funding organizations to create the right conditions for commercial exploitation of the technology. The key technical strength, underpinning the commercial potential and providing the capability, is the successful development (through the support from EPSRC EP/D030269/1, EP/D030196/1, EP/D009162/1, EP/F012829/1) of novel corrosion sensor systems for monitoring early signatures of concrete corrosion. This has enabled the creation of, for the first time to the knowledge of applicants, new, tailored, durable in-situ pH sensors which have a demonstrable capability to measure pH values higher than 12 and chloride sensors which have not just been able to measure free chloride concentrations (to a level as low as 20mM) but also been sustainable in the high alkaline environment experienced.The research undertaken to date has shown real promise to bridge currently identified market gaps by providing better monitoring solutions for both marine and civil infrastructures and thus to overcome current commercial limitations in the UK and beyond, especially in terms of the sensing range, sensitivity and durability. Several important technical and commercial challenges have been identified which are well attuned to the Follow-on funding agenda and the success of this proposal promises industry access to better data to allow more timely maintenance and cost saving - creating a successful commercial proposition, to the benefit of UK and global industry. It should be stressed that this application to the Follow-on Fund is targeted not simply at another year's work on sensors per se but is designed to make the ideas generated and the work done better suited to rapid commercial exploitation, to the benefit both of industry and academia. The approach taken is built on the support of and advice from both an SME and end users, to give a better understanding of decay and corrosion processes in the built environment.

By 2050, it is expected that the hydrogen economy will play a significant role in the UK energy portfolio. The hydrogen economy is gradually emerging but the supply chain of companies producing hydrogen, distributing it, utilising and marketing it has not yet been established. Hydrogen mini-economies exist on petrochemical sites, and the objective of this project is to spread these more generally across the country, starting with Birmingham University campus. This project will focus on 20 companies which produce components for the hydrogen economy, which is viewed as three linked technologies:- hydrogen from biomass; hydrogen distribution and storage; and hydrogen utilisation by fuel cell chp. The project will produce new research results to facilitate the hydrogen economy, overcoming economic and technical barriers. If this project were successful, then up to half the UK fuel bill could be saved, emissions much reduced and the need for large power stations minimised.

Those living in low-income areas have a much higher risk of long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, and frailty. Our lifestyle, such as how active we are, what we eat and if we smoke or drink alcohol in excess can greatly increase our chance of having one of these diseases. The environment that we live in, such as if we live close to or visit parks, canals, and forests, can help us live a healthier life. However, communities living in low-income areas can have poorer access to such spaces or use them less. They also have less voice in decisions affecting their local spaces, at either local or national level. We propose a new partnership: researchers, clinicians, practitioners (such as urban designers) and policymakers all working with local citizens who have the most to benefit from better access to and use of quality spaces. We will work collaboratively to identify poor quality and underused spaces through citizen-led approaches. We will then work with them to develop and/or modify outdoor spaces so that they are high quality and fit for purpose. These actions can be as small as window boxes in schools, or as large as the development of new greenways or reshaping policies regarding land use to protect our green spaces. We will also work to identify ways in which we can promote such spaces for everyone, ensuring that no community is excluded form benefit. The important aspect is that local communities are fully involved in decisions about what they want, and what they will use, thus becoming central to the decision-making process. They will also be involved in the evaluation of these actions, enabling them to directly see how the process has benefited their communities. An important part of putting actions and solutions in place is understanding if they work (or not). Data plays an important part in measuring success, particularly if the same data can be collected consistently across the different actions. Another part of the partnership will be establishing a way of bringing multiple sources of data together so we can effectively determine what works across multiple projects and settings. So, whilst citizens can be involved in collecting data about whether the space has improved their health and wellbeing (through a bespoke app), we can also use other data on health, wellbeing and the environment that is routinely collected by local councils and governments. The main research will take place in three different cities - Edinburgh, Belfast and Liverpool - all with some similar features (such as large urban areas with lower income communities) and distinct features (such as geography and culture). Each city already has policies and programmes in place to improve green and blue space, but there is much room for improvement. Working with the local citizens we will test a range of different methods and approaches, and be able to collect a large amount of data. This data can then be used to understand what works for whom and why across the cities. We can then use this knowledge to predict what could be effective over a much wider area, and also what does not work. We can also make some decisions around what is good value for money, and what is not. We also understand that individual small actions within local communities (or even within cities) are not going to solve the problem, which is why we are also going to focus on how our research can help inform future policies and programmes. Our programme of work will take a whole life course approach which will ensure inclusive environments for all; working with our youngest citizens in particular will ensure early cultural change levers are activated, empowering a new generation with lifelong health and wellbeing.