Unlocking the physical and mechanical properties of Japanese knotweed for bio-composite applications

Author: Philip Lloyd and Emyr Jenkins

Date published

26 February 2026

Price
Free
The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers
Back to Previous

Unlocking the physical and mechanical properties of Japanese knotweed for bio-composite applications

Author

Philip Lloyd and Emyr Jenkins

Date published

26 February 2026

Author

Philip Lloyd and Emyr Jenkins

Price

Free

This study, funded by the Institution’s 2024/25 Undergraduate Grant Scheme, investigates the mechanical properties of Japanese knotweed to assess its potential as a feedstock for bio-composite materials.

Author: Philip Lloyd and Emyr Jenkins
University: University of Newcastle
Supervisor: Dr Sigong Zhang

Additional information

Format:
PDF
Pages:
1

Related resources and events

Conference
A modern, multi-story building with curved white balconies and lush green plants, surrounded by trees and a paved path.

Sustainable Structures of the Future Conference

Sustainable Structures of the Future Conference
Co-organised by the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Date – 5 November 2026
Location – Institution of Structural Engineers London HQ and online
Price – £25 - £325 + VAT
Course
Amesbury School detail, wooden structure

Eurocode 5: the essentials of timber design - October 2026

Eurocode 5: the essentials of timber design - October 2026
This one-day, online course offers an introduction to timber design to Eurocode 5.
Date – 19 October 2026
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Course
Looking up to glass roof within a building

Understanding structural behaviour - October 2026

Understanding structural behaviour - October 2026
This two-day course shows engineers how to arrive at a qualitative solution to both create a structure and check computational results.
Date – 13 October 2026
Location – Online
Price – £565 - £835 + VAT
Course
highrise apartment blocks

Eurocode 4: composite design

Eurocode 4: composite design
This course supports the practising designer with composite design to Eurocode 4. It enables an understanding of the essential requirements of this code in structural design and how the code operates.
Date – 12 October 2026
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Lecture

Efficient tall building design: challenges, opportunities and lessons

Efficient tall building design: challenges, opportunities and lessons
This technical lecture will explore explore how to achieve structural efficiency whilst unlocking highly constrained sites and responding to the urgent challenge of reducing carbon through integrated, multidisciplinary optimisation.
Date – 15 July 2026
Location – Online
Price – Free
Regional
EASEC-19 conference banner with title, dates, location, and theme over a city skyline.

East Asia-Pacific conference on structural engineering and construction

East Asia-Pacific conference on structural engineering and construction
A conference on advancing sustainability in structural engineering and construction through emerging technologies.
Date – 13 July 2026
Location – Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention Centre Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 50450
Price – 650 USD
The Structural Engineer
Four scanning electron micrographs show cement mortar and aggregate interfaces with varying pore and crack formations.

Spotlight on Structures (July 2026)

Spotlight on Structures (July 2026)
Associate Editor, Man-Tai Chen, has chosen a paper investigating the axial stress-strain behaviour of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer-confined recycled fine aggregate concrete as the Featured Article for Volume 87 of Structures .
Date – 2 July 2026
Author – The Institution of Structural Engineers
Price – £0
Training
A large empty space surrounded by meeting rooms. The space has a curved wooden ceiling with hexagonal cut outs.

The Structural Futures forum

The Structural Futures forum
This on-demand forum will address the trends, technologies and challenges shaping the future of structural engineering practice.
Date – 2 June 2026
Author – Various
Price – Free
The Structural Engineer
A multi-panel image showing the failure modes of steel tubes and sandwiched concrete under various conditions.

Spotlight on Structures (June 2026)

Spotlight on Structures (June 2026)
Associate Editor, Lin Hai-Han, has chosen a paper examining the post-ire behaviour following tests on concrete-Filled double-skin steel tubular members as the Featured Article for Volume 85 of Structures .
Date – 1 June 2026
Author – The Institution of Structural Engineers
Price – £0