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In September 2024, academics from the National Buried Infrastructure Facility (NBIF) were presented with an award in the Studies and Research Award category of the ICE West Midlands awards by ICE President Professor Anusha Shah for a recent project exploring the impact of polymer and bentonite slurries on bored piles, a construction technique used to transfer the weight of a structure above ground safely into the soil and rock below.

Funded by the , and , the project explored how using polymer instead of bentonite as a support fluid could reduce the negative impacts using such fluids has on the the mechanical performance of bored piles. The innovative research compared skin friction resistance of bored piles, constructed at full-scale and under controlled conditions, using either polymer or bentonite fluids. Experimental pull-out tests were carried out on seven bored piles, and full pile performance was monitored using vibrating-wire strain gauges and fibre optic distributed sensing technology. The tests conducted were the first of their kind using a large-scale laboratory set-up (10m by 5.8m by 5m) under controlled conditions. The findings will have a significant impact on pile design with the potential of using fewer and shorter piles using polymer, thereby saving on concrete and thus CO₂ emissions.

NBIF, part of UKCRIC – the , is a ‘one of its kind' facility spanning research, innovation, education, CPD and training in buried infrastructure-ground interaction. The Facility conducts both fundamental research and partners with a wide range of industry companies, such as Tensar, UKNACE or Aqua to help facilitate real-world testing.

This award marks the academics from the School of Engineering have been awarded by the Institution of Civil Engineers. In 2018 and 2019, Professor Nicole Metje was also presented with the Research and Studies awards for FINDIT (Finding Infrastructure with Non-Destructive Testing) and QT-PRI (Quantum Technology – Potential for Railway Infrastructure) . In 2020, Professor Asaad Faramarzi was awarded the Studies and Research prize for the Ground and Underground Infrastructure Damage Evaluation (GUIDE) project.