Upcoming seminars

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• Alessandro Barp (University College London), Thursday 17 September at 10.30 am, Room B211

  From Bernoulli to deRham: a historical perspective on distributions and random variables, from a geometric viewpoint

  Geometric ideas have played a tangential role in statistics since the origins of mathematical statistics, and their role has grown increasingly central in modern methodologies— from sampling to model inference. In this talk, we describe how geometry not only motivates key tools in statistics, from Hamiltonian-based samplers to kernel distances, but also underpins the very foundations of probability. The talk will focus on drawing connection between fields and discuss the historical motivations, from a modern viewpoint.

• Xinping Zhu (Navier, École nationale des ponts et chaussée), Thursday 24 September at 10:30, Room B211

  Multiscale simulation of cementitious materials

  Concrete is the most widely used manufactured material in the world and forms the foundation of modern infrastructure. However, the production of Portland cement, the key binding component of concrete, is responsible for approximately 8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Improving the performance and durability of concrete is therefore an important strategy for reducing its environmental footprint by extending service life and minimizing repair and replacement needs. Achieving this goal requires a fundamental understanding of how hydration products form, how microstructures evolve, and how these microscopic features control macroscopic mechanical properties. Concrete is also a highly porous and heterogeneous material that can deteriorate under harsh environmental conditions, such as freeze-thaw cycles and chemical attack. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for such degradation is essential for developing more durable and resilient cementitious materials. At the same time, cement-based materials can act as carbon sinks through the carbonation of hydration products, particularly portlandite and calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). The efficiency of CO2 sequestration depends on a complex interplay of dissolution, transport, nucleation, and precipitation processes occurring across multiple length scales.

  All these phenomena are rooted in molecular interactions among water, ions, hydrates, and mineral surfaces. Molecular simulation provides a powerful tool for probing these mechanisms and bridging microscopic processes with macroscopic behavior. In this seminar, I will present a multiscale perspective on cementitious materials, spanning molecular to mesoscale phenomena and covering both physical and chemical processes. I will begin with a brief introduction to molecular simulation methods. Then I will discuss several computational approaches, including classical molecular dynamics with non-reactive and reactive force fields, enhanced sampling techniques such as metadynamics, and coarse-grained modeling. Selected applications in C-S-H gelation, ice crystallization in confined space, and carbon mineralization will be presented to demonstrate how molecular simulations can provide fundamental insights and support the development of more sustainable and durable cement-based materials.

Past seminars (2026-2027)

Empty for now.