Current research

Yu is currently a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, working with Dr Ronan Daly and Prof Abir Al-Tabbaa. He has joined the group of Fluids in advanced manufacturing (FIAM) at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) since 2020. He is devoted to the technology development and commercialisation of 3D printing of building structures. He is currently studying the formulation design of 3D printable smart cement ink and processing parameter control. 

Background

Yu holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) where he published his first research article. He investigated the influence of steel slag powder on the properties of magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) and developed a sustainable and more cost-effective MPC with improved water resistance while maintaining its outstanding mechanical properties, for example, rapid hardening. This research experience also brought him the second prize of National Excellent Innovative Achievement of Civil Engineering Undergraduates.

(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.11.085) 

From Jan to Feb 2018, he visited the University of Oxford on a short-time programme where he got motivated by lecturers at Oxford and decided to pursue his doctoral degree at world-class universities in the UK. Back in Shanghai, he worked harder and won the National Scholarship, issued by the Ministry of Education, China. He also actively took part in a cascade of academic contests to sharpen his skills. His team is the champion of the 16th Structure Design Competition of SJTU and he won the second prize in Shanghai Mechanics Competition for college students. At the graduation ceremony, he was awarded the Excellent Graduates of Shanghai General Colleges and Universities.

Besides, Yu spent one month in a construction site of Shanghai Construction Group (SCG), one of Fortune 500 companies, by which he had a deep understanding of building structure construction. He also worked in one of the listed companies in the film industry in China as an intern for two months in the summer of 2019, where his role was database management, data analysis and report writing. His programming skills (SQL, C# and Python) were further sharpened because of this experience. 

Research Interests

Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
Artificial Intelligence
Cementitious Materials
Smart City