Dr Rob Foster
- Lecturer in Civil Engineering, University of Cambridge
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About
Rob has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and an MEng in Civil & Architectural Engineering from the University of Bath. He spent two years in practice as a structural engineer in London before coming to Cambridge to carry out a PhD in the Department of Engineering. Following his PhD, Rob spent time as a post-doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Architecture and as Senior Lecturer in Structures in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Research
Rob's research addresses ways in which structural engineering can help us to meet the infrastructure needs of a rapidly growing urban population while maintaining the quality of the natural world around us. He is interested in the relationship between local and global behaviour in structural systems and the implications of this for design. His work explores ways in which better structural assessment, reconfiguration and retrofit can help us make better use of our enormous inventory of existing concrete structures; the lightweighting and vertical extension of existing buildings; and the use of engineered timber for the design of sustainable tall buildings and urban infrastructure.