Dr Ana Blanco

Her research interests include low-carbon cementitious materials, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), self-healing and regenerative materials, fibre-reinforced cementitious composites, 3D concrete printing and automated construction and repair. A particular focus of her work is on understanding the relationship between material design, processing and structural performance to develop solutions that can be translated into practical construction and infrastructure applications.

Selected Research & Innovation Projects

• Knowledge Transfer Partnership – Keystone Lintels Limited – Innovate UK, 2026-2028. The project aims to transform Keystone Lintels’ engineering design workflow by eliminating capacity bottlenecks and increasing resilience, efficiency and profit margins through the development and implementation of a novel integrated digital design and engineering workflow
• Regenerative 3D printed cementitious skins for building components (Re3DSkin) – EPSRC New Investigator Award (EP/W028867/1), 2023–2025, Principal Investigator. The project developed regenerative 3D-printed cementitious skins incorporating self-healing functionality to improve the durability and service life of building components
• Advanced patch repair of masonry tunnels – Network Rail, 2020–2023, Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator. The research developed novel materials and automated approaches for the repair and maintenance of masonry tunnel infrastructure
• Development and characterisation of ultra-lightweight sandwich panels for structural applications – Specwall Alliance, 2021–2024, Co-Investigator. The project investigated sprayed UHPC-based sandwich panels as a lightweight alternative for structural applications
• Study on the behaviour of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) – NHS, 2020–2023, Co-Investigator. The research investigated the behaviour and performance of RAAC in buildings, contributing to improved understanding of its structural condition and assessment

Postgraduate researchers

• Marc Aurel Ntjam-Minkeng, Loughborough University
• Emanoel Cunha Araujo, Federal University of Paraná (Brazil)
• Greeshma Giridhar, Loughborough University
• Nirosha Ushettige, Loughborough University

PhD completions

• Dr Babak Jamhiri (2026), Evaluating Mechanical Anisotropy in 3D Concrete Printing through Data-Driven Frameworks and Machine Learning Models, Loughborough University
• Dr Tassiane Apolinario de Oliveira (2026), Experimental Methodology for Optimising Self-Healing in Metakaolin-Based Geopolymers through the Incorporation of Hydrated Lime (thesis in Portuguese), Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
• Dr Muhammad Umer Jadoon (2026), Hydration Mechanisms and Performance of Low-Carbon Accelerated Concrete Incorporating High Volumes of GGBS, Loughborough University (2025 Prof Adam Neville PhD Prize)
• Dr Liam Whyte (2025), Incorporating Synthetic Zeolites into 3D Printed Concrete for Carbon Capture, Loughborough University
• Dr Eeman Al-Ameen (2024), Development of Sprayed Ultra-High-Performance Cementitious Sandwich Panels for Sustainable Structural Applications, Loughborough University
• Dr Shima Jowhari Moghadam (2023), Inflation and Structural Behaviour of Free-Form Inflated Thin-Walled Steel Structural Members, Loughborough University
• Dr Meenakshi Tamilarasan (2022), Self-Healing Engineered Cementitious Composites: Curing Conditions and Aggressive Environments, Loughborough University
• Dr Eduardo Galeote Moreno (2018), Optimisation of Design Procedures and Quality Control for Fibre-Reinforced Concrete, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain)

Ana welcomes enquiries from prospective postgraduate researchers interested in undertaking a PhD in these or related areas.

• Buswell, R, Jamhiri, B, Mohammadi, M, Sokolov, D, Al Farhan, AA, Liu, X, Hu, Z, Blanco, A, Zhang, Y, Schmeink, A, Mechtcherine, V (2026) Framing the future: 3D concrete printing, hybrid manufacturing and the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning, Cement and Concrete Research, 209, pp.108376-108376, ISSN: 0008-8846. DOI: 1016/j.cemconres.2026.108376
• Oliveira, TA, Medeiros-Junior, RA, Blanco, A (2026) Evaluation of self-healing in metakaolin-based geopolymers: influence of lime content and curing environments, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 38(11), 04026401, ISSN: 0899-1561. DOI: 1061/jmcee7.mteng-23314
• Jamhiri, B, Buswell, R, Blanco, A (2026) Reliability-based evaluation of anisotropic 3D concrete printed material: A fib Model Code 2020 safety framework, Journal of Building Engineering, 128, pp.116552-116552, ISSN: 2352-7102. DOI: 1016/j.jobe.2026.116552
• Jamhiri, B, Buswell, R, Blanco, A, Robens-Radermacher, A, Bos, F, Mechtcherine, V (2026) A physics-guided neural network model to evaluate anisotropic compressive strength of 3D printed concrete, Materials and Structures, 59, 254, ISSN: 1359-5997. DOI: 1617/s11527-026-03136-y
• Blanco, A, Josa, I, Pieralisi, R, Monte, R, Al-Ameen, E, Bitencourt, LAG (2026) Ultra-high-performance concrete in structural dematerialisation: Performance, life-cycle impacts and practical limits, Structures, 89(2026), 112228, DOI: 1016/j.istruc.2026.112228
• Jamhiri, B, Buswell, R, Blanco, A (2026) How homogenous is your 3D printed concrete? A new approach to assessing anisotropy using Weibull statistics, Materials and Structures, 59(4), 204, ISSN: 1359-5997. DOI: 1617/s11527-026-03098-1
• Al-Ameen, E, Tan, L, Chen, G, Pieralisi, R, Blanco, A (2025) Regenerative cementitious skins: a novel self-healing overlay approach for enhanced durability, Construction and Building Materials, 494, 143418, ISSN: 0950-0618. DOI: 1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.143418
• Jadoon, MU, Goodier, C, Blanco, A, Salvador, RP (2025) Temperature and accelerator effects on microstructure and strength development of sprayed concrete containing high volume ground granulated blast furnace slag, Construction and Building Materials, 494, 143197, ISSN: 0950-0618. DOI: 1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.143197
• Blanco, A, Al-Ameen, E, Brown, A, Kinnell, P, Cavalaro, S (2025) Novel automated repair approaches for masonry tunnels: Feasibility and sustainability, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 162, 106645, ISSN: 0886-7798. DOI: 1016/j.tust.2025.106645
• Al-Ameen, E, Blanco, A, Cavalaro, S (2024) Comparative life cycle assessment of sprayed-UHPC sandwich panels over brick & block cavity construction, Engineering Structures, 303, 117492, ISSN: 0141-0296. DOI: 1016/j.engstruct.2024.117492
• Monte, FL, Repesa, L, Snoeck, D, Doostkami, H, Roig-Flores, M, Jackson, SJP, Blanco, A, Nasner, M, Borg, RP, Schröfl, C, Giménez, M, Alonso, MC, Serna, P, De Belie, N, Ferrara, L (2023) Multi-performance experimental assessment of autogenous and crystalline admixture-stimulated self-healing in UHPFRCCs: Validation and reliability analysis through an inter-laboratory study, Cement and Concrete Composites, 145, 105315, ISSN: 0958-9465. DOI: 1016/j.cemconcomp.2023.105315
• Al-Ameen, E, Blanco, A, Cavalaro, S (2023) Durability, permeability, and mechanical performance of sprayed UHPC, as an attribute of fibre content and geometric stability, Construction and Building Materials, 407, 133393, ISSN: 0950-0618. DOI: 1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133393

Undergraduate

• Structural engineering & engineering materials modules on Civil Engineering, Architectural Enginneering, Architecture, Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying, and Construction Engineering Management
• Supervision of dissertations on topics aligned with research interests

Postgraduate

• Supervision of dissertations on topics aligned with research interests

Ana joined Loughborough University in 2018 as a Lecturer, after spending most of her career at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain), where she graduated with a BSc and MSc in Civil Engineering and a PhD in Construction Engineering. Her doctoral thesis examined the characterisation and modelling of fibre reinforced cementititous composites. During that period she was a visiting researcher at Delft University of Technology and co-founder of a spin-out company in Spain.

In January 2023, Ana was selected as a founding member of the newly established UK Young Academy, a network of researchers of professionals across the UK who have made significant contributions to their respective fields, operating under the auspices of The Royal Society. She is also a Chartered Engineer and member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Concrete Technology and the Women’s Engineering Society and their Climate Emergency Group. Ana serves as Editor of the journal Construction and Building Materials.

Ana’s most recent research & innovation activities include; developing automated repair procedures for rail infrastructure in partnership with Network Rail, developing knowledge around RAAC for the NHS, and exploring novel approaches to self-healing concrete within the scope of a New Investigator Award funded by the EPSRC. She also works closely with international collaborators in Europe and South America, as well as colleagues in UK universities.