Lamprini Zochiou

Lamprini Zochiou is a PhD researcher at the Mechanics of Materials and Constructions Department (MeMC) of Vrije Universiteit Brussel since January 2024. She graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering at University of Patras, Greece, in 2020, following the structural division. At 2023 she obtained her Master of Science Degree from the same university in Materials, Constructions and Geotechnical Works of High Resilience. 

The subject of her research is the development and characterization of a Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) based, aerogel-insulated load-bearing element with balanced mechanical, thermal and fire-resistant properties, in the form of individual TRC elements and multilayer sandwich structural panels. Aerogel incorporated concrete is a challenging composite material, that aims to ensure, when combined with textiles in different configurations, significant mechanical performance at the same time with high insulation capacity and fire resistance. The research will be both experimental and numerical and will be conducted within the framework of a joint PhD program with the department of Civil Engineering at University of Patras.

During both her degrees, especially when conducting her theses, Lamprini was highly involved with the Textile Reinforced Concrete composites, exploring experimentally and numerically the mix design of the matrix and its properties, the use of different types of textiles and the applications of TRC for retrofitting existing masonry and reinforced concrete structural elements. The field of the assessment and retrofitting of structures has been of the main interests of Lamprini during her past research and working experience. Since 2020 she has worked in Greece and abroad as a structural engineer, with her main duties being the structural analysis and structural drawings for the design of new buildings and infrastructures such as piling systems and bridges, for the assessment and performance upgrade of existing structures, the preparation of tendering documents for public works as well as the in-site supervision of construction works.