Department of Civil Engineering & Management (CEM)

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Trang Duong wins the L'Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science AwardFour female scientists have been honoured for their exceptional contribution to science. Two winners of this edition are UT scientists Dr.ir. Trang Duong (ET) and PhD Džemila Šero (EEMCS). During the For Women in Science award ceremony at NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, they each received an award worth €30,000 in the presence of State Secretary for Emancipation Mariëlle Paul to further develop their research in a fellowship at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study. Here, the laureates will spend five months in a community of international scientists.

How knowledge about historical flooding can contribute to a safer future for coastal communities
Flooding caused by storms is a major danger for people living on the coast. Climate change and rising sea levels are only exacerbating this problem. With my research, supported by the For Women in Science Fellowship, I want to do something about this. With my experience in accurately simulating flood damage from severe storms, such as storm Xynthia that hit France in 2010, I now want to answer two questions: first, what would be the damage if such a storm were to occur again in the future, with the higher sea level, but without additional flood protection? And second, what additional measures would work best to limit damage? I am convinced that my research will provide crucial information for policymakers to make informed decisions about coastal zone management. My research will contribute to a Europe that is more resilient to climate change and to the development of smart strategies to protect vulnerable coastal areas worldwide.

Dr. Trang Duong's research on the resilience of coastal areas to climate change was recognised, among other things, for its international applicability. Her project is also notable for its practical relevance, especially now that sea levels and extreme weather events are increasing.
Tue 22 Apr 2025
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1,6 milion euro from NWO for PRE-MADONA, digital platform real estateThe Construction Management & Engineering cluster has been ranked first in the call NWO-KIC call on Digitalization of Energy Renovations in the Built Environment. The consortium, which is led by CME, contains 11 industry and academic partners*. Together, they will work in the next five years to establish PRE-MADONA: preparing mass modular digital onsite renovation. The ultimate goal is to develop a governance framework and data-driven ecosystem that supports context-aware clustering of assets in urban districts, and enables mass-customized design and coordinated planning of so-called ‘verbouwstromen’ (workstreams of renovation activities). The proposal uniquely addresses the local context in which renovations take place (which comprise not only different building owner preferences and local microclimates, but also varying accessibility of renovation sites, available construction space, types of energy grid access, and planned municipal reconstructions). PRE-MADONA receives 700kEUR in-kind support from industry, and an additional 1.6mEUR to support researcher groups at Saxion Hogeschool (by Dr. Struck and Ir. Rovers EngD), and Hanze Hogeschool (by Dr. Wiekens and Dr. Meijer) and employ three PhDs. The promotor of this project is Prof. André Dorée, project leader is Dr. Léon olde Scholtenhuis who is also leading the development of a neigborhood construction site planning system. Dr. Farid Vahdatikhaki will supervise development context-aware clustering and building design tools, and Dr. Andreas Hartmann will study the socio-material aspects of implementing mass-scale renovation and digital renovations in energy renovation districts.
Tue 15 Apr 2025
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