Zeynep Başaran Bundur, an assistant professor at Özyeğin University Civil Engineering Department, was named one of the recipients of this year’s BAGEP Award, (Science Academy Young Scientist Award Program) given to the brightest young scientists in Turkey for the potential future impact of their research.
Bundur’s research plan is to utilize excavated soil and industrial wastes as building materials and provide an understanding of material interactions to improve resource efficiency in the 3D printing of building materials. Bundur explains that the project will help create the foundations for future development of building materials, proposing the use of sustainable systems in digital manufacturing: “The use of waste materials will present resource-efficient and circular building materials to the industry. In addition, the implementation of a digitally enabled 3D printing process will reduce waste production in terms of mold but also will reduce green gas emissions during cast-in-situ production.”
After enrolling in the Boğaziçi University Chemistry Department as an undergraduate, Bundur realized that her heart was in engineering - particularly design-based solutions - and she switched her major to civil engineering. Since 2009, her work has focused on advancing the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for cement-based materials. In 2014, she initiated the Sustainable and Adapted Building Materials (SAM) research group, the first multidisciplinary group in Turkey to train researchers in microbiology, material science, and civil engineering. Her work involves sustainable concrete production methodologies, including 3D printing of concrete, development of self-healing concrete, and biological admixtures and alternative raw materials for cement-based systems.
Bundur recalls that her interest in biology started at RC: “I really enjoyed Mr. Lou Ungemach’s advanced biology courses. He enforced us to think out of the box. My experience in RC has also had an impact on my social skills in terms of professional networking and presenting my research in the scientific community.”
Published July 2022
