Ciska Gielis

Ciska Gielis obtained her master’s degree in Architectural Engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in 2021. During her studies, and especially while conducting her master thesis research on modular textile reinforced concrete (TRC) shells, her interest in textile reinforced cementitious composites grew, which lead her to starting as a PhD researcher at the VUB’s department of Mechanics of Materials and Constructions (MeMC). In her research, Ciska explores cementitious composites reinforced with 3D textiles in combination with microfibers, in order to design an optimised and smart composite material with self-healing features. On the one hand, this composite material will allow for a significant reduction in thickness of cementitious elements while maintaining their function. On the other hand, it will increase the durability and service life of these elements by controlling their cracking behaviour, so that their repair costs and associated additional environmental impact can be reduced. Ciska investigates the synergic interaction between the 3D textiles, the microfibres and the cementitious matrix, and studies the effect of this combination on the mechanical behaviour, the cracking behaviour and the resulting self-healing capacity and durability of this innovative TRC composite material.