Professor John L Provis
BE(Hons), BSc, PhD, CEng, FIMMM, FICT, FACerS
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Visiting Professor
Professor of Cement Materials Science and Engineering


+44 114 222 5490
Full contact details
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
葫芦影业
S1 3JD
- Profile
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John Provis studied Chemical Engineering and Applied Mathematics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and was awarded a PhD in Chemical Engineering by the same institution in 2006. He moved to the University of 葫芦影业 in 2012 as Professor of Cement Materials Science and Engineering.
He was awarded the 2013 RILEM Robert L鈥橦ermite Medal "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the research and development of geopolymers and other construction materials", and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hasselt University, Belgium, in 2015 to recognise his leadership in the development of geopolymers and other novel cementitious materials.
His research has been funded by the European Research Council as well as other EU sources, UK Research Councils, industry, and international funding bodies.
He is an invited TAC Expert of RILEM, a Voting Member of committees of BSI, ASTM and ACI, Editor-in-Chief of the RILEM flagship journal , Deputy Editor-in-Chief of , Associate Editor of , and Speciality Chief Editor for the .
Prof. Provis has also been appointed as a Visiting Professor at Lule氓 University of Technology, Sweden, in the Building Materials division.
- Research interests
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John's research centres on the development, characterisation and exploitation of advanced and non-traditional cement and concrete technology. Many projects involve alkali-activated and geopolymer binders, for use in construction, infrastructure and waste immobilisation applications.
The range of topics covered include:
Construction materials
- Geopolymers 鈥 chemical and engineering properties
- Chemistry of alkali aluminosilicate gels
- Other alkali-activated and Portland cement-hybrid concrete systems
- Rheology control
- Waste valorisation by alkali-activation
Waste immobilisation in cementitious materials
- Novel cementing binders for nuclear and radioactive wastes: alkali and alkali-earth silicates, aluminates and sulfoaluminates
- Immobilisation of heavy metals
- Mass transport properties of cemented wasteforms
Testing of cementitious materials
- Synchrotron-based and neutron-based methods for analysis of cements
- Advanced spectroscopic and microscopic techniques
- Durability testing methodologies for novel cements
- Validation of tests and performance prediction
- Performance-based standardisation
Silica chemistry in complex aqueous environments
- Speciation and electrolyte solution chemistry
- Dissolution mechanisms of silicate minerals and glasses
- Publications
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Edited books
Journal articles
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Posters
Dictionary/encyclopaedia entries
Preprints
- Research group
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PDRAs
- Dr Jesus Rodr铆guez Sanchez (KTP Associate)
- Dr Sam Ghazizadeh
- Dr Maryam Derkani (KTP Associate)
- Dr Antonia S. Yorkshire
PhD students
- Laura Stefanini
- Gaone Koma
- Han Zhao
- Shaun Nelson
- Daniel Geddes
- Sarah A. Kearney
- Aldo F. Sosa Gallardo
- Cassandre Le Galliard
- Tamara Chidiac
- Grants
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Key projects:
- Development and characterisation of novel cements and concretes, including collaboration with leading producers of geopolymer cement and concrete nationally and internationally
- Durability analysis and standardisation of alkali-activated cements and concretes, including leadership of RILEM Technical Committees
- Innovation and scientific insight related to cementation of nuclear wastes
- Local structural analysis of aluminosilicates via advanced beamline techniques, leading to the first detailed nanoscale understanding of the chemistry of geopolymer binders, and to the availability of novel tools and methodologies for nanostructural analysis
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Secretary, Technical Committee 224-AAM (2009-2012)
- Member, Technical Committee 238-SCM (2011-7)
- Chair, Technical Committee 247-DTA (2012-8)
- Member, Technical Committee 267-TRM
- Member, Technical Committee 281-CCC
- Member, Technical Committee 282-CCL
- Deputy chair, Technical Committee 283-CAM
- Invited Expert Member, Technical Activities Committee 鈥 since 2016)
- Senior Member of RILEM
- Chartered Engineer
- Fellow of the American Ceramic Society
- Fellow of the Institute of Concrete Technology
- Fellow of IoM3
- Member of the EPSRC Peer Review College
- Member of the American Concrete Institute; Voting Member of Technical Committees 236 (Materials Science of Concrete) 鈥 since 2013; and 242 (Alternative Cements)
- Member of ASTM International; Voting Member of Committee C01
- Member of the UN Environment 10YFP SBC
- of Cement and Concrete Research
- of Materials & Structures
- RILEM Robert L鈥橦ermite Medal 2013 鈥 awarded annually to the best researcher under 40 years of age, in the areas of construction materials, systems and structures
- Australian Research Council DORA Award, 2012
- Brian Robinson Fellowship (Banksia Foundation, Australia), 2009
- Australian Research Council APD fellowship, 2008-2011
- Fulbright Scholar to the USA, 2004-5
- Peer Review Advisory Board, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory
- Reviewer for more than 80 international journals, and grant funding agencies in more than 15 nations
- Videos
Professor John Provis explains why materials research is essential for sustainable construction.
Professor John Provis discusses his research into cement and its applications.