Loughborough University
Leicestershire, UK
LE11 3TU
+44 (0)1509 263171

Civil and Building Engineering

Dr Paul Fleming
BEng PhD MIHT

Senior Lecturer in Geotechnics / Programme Director: Civil Engineering / DTUS Contact

Phone:	+44 (0)1509 222616
Fax:	+44 (0)1509 223981
Email:	p.r.fleming@lboro.ac.uk
Publications:	View – and visit the CBE Repository page

Background

Joined Loughborough University in 1992, as Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering. Previously Research Associate at Southampton University (1987-1988), Teaching Company Associate 1988-1990 (Geotechnics LTD/LU), and Geotechnical Engineer at Leonard Threadgold Consulting Engineers (1990-1992). Industrial experience primarily was in site investigation, geotechnical design, ground instrumentation and monitoring, compaction control, engineering fill, and general construction related groundworks.

Professional Affiliations

ICE, CIHT, EMGG, MGS, ISEA

External Activities

EPSRC peer review college
Midlands IHT Committee
British Standards Committee PRI57-Sports Surfaces
Transportation Research Board - Committee (Soils and Rock Properties - AFP30)
IOG 2012 Research Fund - Advisory Board
2008 HA Pavement Foundation Group - Advisory Member
Injury and Safety Promotion in Sport (ISPS) - 2009 - Ballarat University, Australia
Chair and founder of SportSURF International Conferences 2007 & 2010 (http://sportsurf.lboro.ac.uk)

Broad Interests and Expertise

Soil Mechanics, Pavement Engineering, Artificial Sports Surfaces

Research Interests

PAVEMENTS
- Stiffness and strength behaviour of highway materials
- Subgrade behaviour under repeated load;
- Field performance during construction and environmental effects;
- Pavement design methods;
- Highway reinstatement testing and long-term behaviour;
- Performance related measurement methods and specifications
- Lightweight Deflectometers for routine Assessment of Foundations (for the latest training programme and best practice guidance, see www.lboro.ac.uk/lwd)
- Soil stabilisation
ARTIFICIAL SPORT SURFACES
- Design and construction
- Sustainable drainage design
- Play performance testing and assessment
- Player Perception
- Player - Surface interactions, impact and traction behaviour
- Monitoring and maintenance strategies
- Advanced instrumentation for monitoring surface behaviour under dynamic loading
OTHER
- Use of Computer Aided Learning in Geotechnics

Research Group

Geotechnics

Current Research Activities

Title(s):

Sports Surfaces – Externally Funded Research Programmes

IPSP, Ballarat University, ‘Maintenance, Surface behaviour, injury Surveillance and Player Perceptions at Synthetic Turf Community Soccer Fields’, £5000, 2011-2013, Application pending (PI at LU).

Sports Research Institute, Singapore - International Collaboration Between Nanyang Technological University And Loughborough University. 2011-2016.

Technical Surfaces Ltd, Science of Sport Surface Maintenance, (EngD), £100,000, 2010-2014.

Institute of Groundsmanship/Sport England, Sustainable Drainage for Sport facilities, £50,000, 2009-2013

EPSRC (UK). ShoeSMART – measuring foot-surface interaction, £68,000 2007-2008

EPSRC (UK) Research Network ‘SportSURF’, 2005-2008, £65,000, PI (Now self-funding and continuing).

English Hockey/Sport England. Design and Performance of Artificial Surfaces for Hockey, £60 thousand, 2002-2006, PI.

Transport Infrastructure – Externally Funded Research Programmes

EPSRC UK. Future Resilient Transport Networks (FUTURENET), £1.5million, 2009-2013, Co-I

Scott Wilson Consultants. Railway Trackbed Ground Borne Vibration (EngD), £100,000, 2008-2012, Co-I

R&A Piling. Innovations in Piling design and construction (EngD) £90,000, 2005-2009, Co-I.

Scott Wilson Pavement Engineering Ltd. Innovative Laboratory Test for Stiffness (EngD), £90,000, 2002-2006, PI.

Highways Agency (UK). Performance based specifications for motorway/trunk road foundations, £220,000, 1996-2000, Co-I. Follow on projects 2000-2006, £45,000, PI.

Summary:

Engineering Doctorate, 2010-2014. Technical Surfaces Ltd. - 'Science of Sport Surface Maintenance' .

To improve the company’s technical knowledge and enhance their position in their niche market of providing professional advice and specialist services for maintaining Artificial Turf products,

STUDY OBJECTIVES

1. To evaluate the rate of degradation, long-term, of artificial turf (AT) surfaces (physical changes)

2. To evaluate the changes, long-term, of AT in terms of performance, directly or indirectly (testing of performance related parameters)

3. To research & develop suitable simple test methods, in response to objective 2 and also to assist objective 4.

4. To investigate the benefits & limitations of maintenance regimes on AT degradation rates & performance changes

5. To develop a suitable database to collect, collate and disseminate measured data, across a range of systems and surfaces types, to enhance the business practice

6. To develop & implement any improvements achieved through objectives 1 – 5 into the business practice (knowledge, knowledge transfer, mechanical processes & measurement systems)

Methods:

A range of techniques will be employed, including: client interviews; experimental methods for pitch mechanical testing and laboratory evaluation of systems; player perceptions; contamination chemical and biological analysis.

Previous Research Projects

Recent Publications

Fleming P.R., 2011. Artificial turf systems for sport surfaces: current knowledge and research needs. Proc. IMechE, Part P: J. Sports Engineering and Technology, 2011, 225 (2), June, 43-64.

Hopper L S, Alderson, J A, Elliott B C, Ackland T R, Fleming P.R., 2011. Dancer perceptions of quantified dance surface mechanical properties. Proc. IMechE, Part P: J. Sports Engineering and Technology, 2011, 225 (2).

Severn K., Fleming P.R., Clarke J., Carre M.J., 2011. Science of synthetic turf surfaces: investigating traction behaviour, Proc. IMechE, Part P: J. Sports Engineering and Technology, 2011, 225 (3), 147-158.

Fleming P.R., 2011. Maintenance best practice and recent research. Proc. IMechE, Part P: J. Sports Engineering and Technology, 2011, 225 (3), 159-170.

Twomey D, Fleming P R., ‘Is the Level of Uniformity of Hardness and Traction an Injury Risk for Community Level Australian Football Fields?’, Poster presentation at ACSMS conference, Perth, Oct. 2011.

Other Information

Dr Fleming is the co-author of new national guidance on the 'Good Practice' use of Lightweight Deflectometers and runs 1 day training courses on their use and test protocols (contact for further information)

Dr Fleming is the 'Sport surfaces' network manager (see http://sportsurf.lboro.ac.uk) - a new community of researchers and practitioners interested in sport surface interactions, with over 350 members worldwide.

Collaborations/Links

Highways Agency (UK)
Scott Wilson Pavement Engineering
Birmingham University
Sheffield University
Rock and Alluvium Ltd (Piling)
Aggregate Industries
Polytan Ltd
Murfitts Ltd
University of Exeter
Sport England
UK Sport
SAPCA see www.sapca.org.uk
IOG see www.IOG.org

Technical Surfaces (see www.technicalsurfaces.co.uk )