Dr Deepankar Ashish

(he/him)

BTech, MEng, PhD

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Research Focus

My research addresses the decarbonisation of cement and concrete through the development of low-carbon binder systems grounded in cement chemistry and durability science. I investigate how alternative materials such as calcined clays, industrial by-products, and supplementary cementitious materials can be optimised to reduce embodied carbon while maintaining long-term structural performance.

A core aspect of my work is linking hydration mechanisms and phase assemblage evolution to durability behaviour under aggressive exposure conditions, including carbonation and chloride ingress. By integrating microstructural characterisation with performance-based mixture design, I aim to deliver scalable and industry-relevant solutions for low-carbon infrastructure.

Current Project

EARTHCEM – A Cement Harnessing Earth for a Sustainable Built Environment

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
Cardiff University

EARTHCEM develops LC³-based and waste-derived cementitious systems to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from construction materials. The project focuses on:

• Optimisation of calcined clay systems and alternative alumina sources
• Hydration kinetics and microstructure development
• Durability performance and accelerated ageing
• Long-term service-life prediction of low-carbon binders

The project contributes directly to UK and EU net-zero construction targets.

Previous Research Projects

RECON – Large Volume Waste Recycling for Low-Impact High-Performance Concrete

University of Malta (2024–2025)

As Research Support Officer III within the Faculty for the Built Environment, I contributed to the development of high-performance concrete incorporating large volumes of recycled and industrial waste materials. The project focused on performance optimisation, durability evaluation, and environmental impact reduction, supporting scalable circular construction solutions across European contexts.

WasteReBuilt – Circular Utilisation of Waste Foundry Sand

Cardiff University (2023–2024)

This project explored the transformation of waste foundry sand into a viable construction resource. The research focused on mixture optimisation, particle packing strategies, durability performance, and environmental assessment within a circular economy framework.

This project investigated the transformation of waste foundry sand into a viable construction resource. The research focused on mixture optimisation, particle packing strategies, durability performance, and environmental assessment within a circular economy framework, supporting sustainable aggregate substitution in concrete.

Concrete Structures and Materials

Yonsei University (2021–2023)

At Yonsei University, I conducted research on advanced concrete materials and structural performance, with emphasis on durability behaviour, mechanical optimisation, and microstructural characterisation of cementitious systems.

Research Methods and Expertise

My research integrates experimental and analytical approaches, including:

• Cement hydration and phase assemblage analysis
• XRD, SEM-EDS, and TGA/DSC characterisation
• Mechanical performance and durability testing
• Accelerated ageing and service-life assessment
• Sustainable mixture design and optimisation

Biography

Dr Deepankar Kumar Ashish is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Cardiff University (since January 2026), based in the School of Engineering. His MSCA-funded project, EARTHCEM, focuses on developing low-carbon cementitious systems, including LC³-based binders and industrial by-product incorporation. His research links microstructural evolution with durability performance to support net-zero and circular economy objectives in construction.

From October 2024 to September 2025, he served as Research Support Officer III at the University of Malta, contributing to the RECON project on large-volume waste recycling for sustainable, high-performance concrete. Prior to this, he worked as a Research Associate at Cardiff University (2023–2024) on the WasteReBuilt project, advancing circular approaches for the valorisation of waste foundry sand in concrete.

Between January 2021 and July 2023, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University, South Korea, where he conducted research on concrete materials and structures, with emphasis on durability, performance optimisation, and advanced material characterisation.

He completed his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2021 at Punjab Engineering College, focusing on the utilisation of waste foundry sand and metakaolin in self-compacting concrete. He previously held academic positions in India, progressing through faculty roles in Civil Engineering while supervising doctoral and master’s research in sustainable cementitious materials.

Dr Ashish has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and has received international recognition for his contributions to low-carbon cement-based materials.

Honours and awards

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, European Commission

Professional memberships

• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), since 2020
• American Chemical Society (ACS), since 2020
• American Concrete Institute (ACI), since 2015
• Affiliate Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), since 2015
• Senior Member, RILEM, since 2017
• Member, The Institution of Engineers (India), since 2016
• Life Member, Indian Concrete Institute, since 2015
• Life Member, Indian Society of Construction Materials & Structures, since 2015

Academic positions

• 2026–Present – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Cardiff University, UK
• 2024–2025 – Research Support Officer III, University of Malta, Malta
• 2023–2024 – Research Associate, Cardiff University, UK
• 2021–2023 – Postdoctoral Researcher, Yonsei University, South Korea
• May 2024–Present – Professor, Maharaja Agrasen University, India
• 2016–2023 – Associate Professor, Maharaja Agrasen University, India
• 2012–2016 – Assistant Professor, Swami Devi Dyal Institute of Engineering & Technology, India
• 2011–2012 – Assistant Professor, E-Max School of Engineering & Applied Research, India

Committees and reviewing

• Subject Editor, Energy, Ecology and Environment (2023–2024)
• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Built Environment – Construction Materials section (2022–Present)
• Associate Editor, Journal of Building Materials and Structures (2020–Present)
• Editorial Board Member, Advances in Concrete Construction (2017–2025)
• Editorial Board Member, i-manager’s Journal on Civil Engineering (2017)

Special Issue Editorial Roles

• Guest Editor, Special Issue on Environmental Restoration, Science of the Total Environment (2022)
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on Environmental Sustainability and Remediation, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2022)
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on Sustainability and Energy-Saving in Construction and Building Materials, Sustainability (2022)
• Managing Guest Editor, Special Issue on Environment Concerns and Remediation: Materials Science, Materials Today Proceedings (2022)
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on Environment Concerns and Remediation: Polymer Science, Macromolecular Symposia (2023)
• Managing Guest Editor, Special Issue on 3rd International Conference on Innovative Technologies for Clean and Sustainable Development, Materials Today Proceedings (2020)
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Book and Conference Editorial Roles

• Editor, Environmental Concerns and Remediation, Springer (2022)
• Editor, Environmental Restoration, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Springer (2022)
• Editor, RILEM Bookseries – 3rd International Conference on Innovative Technologies for Clean and Sustainable Development (2021)

Dr Ashish serves as a peer reviewer for over 140 international journals in cement and concrete science, sustainability, and materials engineering. These include Nature Communications, One Earth, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Cement and Concrete Composites, Construction and Building Materials, and Energy and Buildings, among others.

Supervisions

I am available to co-supervise PhD, MPhil and MSc research students in the following areas:

• Decarbonisation of cement and concrete
• LC³ and alternative low-carbon binder systems
• Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)
• Durability of cementitious materials (carbonation, chloride ingress, sulphate attack)
• Industrial waste and by-product utilisation in concrete
• Cement hydration and microstructural characterisation
• Sustainable mixture design and performance optimisation 

I am particularly interested in projects that combine fundamental cement chemistry with performance-driven material design for low-carbon and circular construction.

Prospective research students are encouraged to explore potential funding opportunities before making contact. If your interests align with the areas above, feel free to get in touch to discuss potential research directions.