Raphaël Denayer

Raphaël Denayer (°2001) graduated in 2024 as a civil engineer in a joint programme between the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). For his Master's thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Didier Snoeck and Ir. Qinjian Wang (both ULB), he studied the effect of different thermal cycles on sulphur concrete, laying the foundations for future research aimed at improving its thermal behaviour.

Since October 2024, Raphaël is a PhD student at the Department of Mechanics of Materials and Construction (MeMC) of the VUB. Under the supervision of Prof. Tine Tysmans, his research focuses on the structural design and optimisation of thin textile reinforced concrete (TRC) wall elements for improved resource efficiency. The practical application of thin TRC walls is currently limited by instability failure mechanisms such as buckling, wrinkling and local crushing, resulting in sub-optimal material usage. His research aims to address these challenges, with the potential to advance the use of TRC in structural applications, supporting the development of more resource efficient construction methods in line with global efforts towards a more sustainable society.