Rowin J.M. Bol is a PhD candidate in the Materials and Environment group, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology. He obtained both his BSc and MSc degrees in Structural Engineering Design at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in 2019 and 2022, respectively. During his MSc, he developed numerical models in the field of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) using multi-scale modeling and topology optimization. His thesis work was nominated as the best MSc Thesis in the Department of the Built Environment and won the Audience Award during the TU/e Academic Awards 2023. At TU Delft, he performs numerical research on 3D-printed (meta)materials, various interfaces, and composite behavior using the Delft lattice model in combination with a parameter-passing multi-scale modeling scheme. His research aims at creating novel, ductile cementitious composites in which the reinforcement actively restrains crack localization and improves the bond behavior under loading.

Branko Šavija is an associate professor in the Materials and Environment group, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology. During his PhD (2010-2014) and post-doctoral work (2014-2017) at TU Delft, he performed experiments; developed numerical models in the field of concrete durability; and worked on the development of smart concrete (self-healing concrete that is able to “heal” cracks upon damage) and concrete containing microencapsulated phase-change materials (PCMs) that can help control temperature-induced cracking. His doctoral thesis was selected as the best thesis funded by the Dutch Technology Foundation (STW), for which he was named a “Simon Stevin Gezel” in 2015. After working in industry (2017-2018), he returned to TU Delft to continue his work on the development of smart concrete and micromechanical methods for testing them. His research interests include the micromechanics of cementitious materials and the use of additive manufacturing (3D-printing) techniques in construction materials.