Dr. Laila Raki

Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

Dr. L. Raki is a Research Officer at the Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council Canada. She is an inorganic chemist with a broad based expertise in clay chemistry and cement-based materials. Her current research interest is focused on two main areas of intense activity in the field of construction materials: sustainable development and innovative materials. She is involved in projects using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs such as fly ash, slag, cement kiln dust, metakaolinite, etc., to develop value-added products for the construction industry. She is also very active in the new field of applications of nanotechnology in construction. She is a founding member of the new RILEM technical committee TC197-NCM on “Nanotechnology in Construction Materials”.

Although cement has been around for over 12,000 years and concrete has been used for over 2000 years, the importance of concrete in modern society cannot be underestimated. It represents an important component of the infrastructure of civilization such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, etc. The processes behind the performance of concrete rely mainly upon the characteristics of its hydrates. For example, calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H), a hydration product of cement, is the ‘glue’ that binds the aggregates to form concrete. It has a poorly defined nanostructure that determines its properties and behavior. Therefore, a better understanding of the nanoscience of cement hydrates and cementitious materials can open new routes to innovation and economical advances in the construction field. These advances are possible through the application of nanotechnology. The development of superior quality materials and more sustainable concrete structures are highly probable outcomes.