Peter C. Hewlett is a chartered chemist and scientist turned materials scientist. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Institute of Concrete Technology and the U.K. Concrete Society.He combines commercial research in the construction materials sector with academe and has done so for over 50 years. He has lectured and published extensively and has several patents. He has held a visiting industrial professorship at the University of Dundee for over 30 years and has an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (Honoris Causa) for work on concrete durability and surface characteristics. He holds the U.K. Concrete Society Gold medal (2006) and is Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Magazine of Concrete Research.A past President of the U.K. Concrete Society and Institute of Concrete Technology.He spent some 25 years as researcher and Director of Cementation Research Ltd before joining the British Board of Agrement as Chief Executive Officer in 1988 dealing with innovative construction products. Past president of the European Union of Agrement and the European Organisation for Technical Approvals.He was Editor and an author of the 4th edition of Lea’s book and is co-editor of the 5th edition. Dr Martin Liska graduated at VSB Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic with an MSc in Mineral Resources. He obtained a PhD degree in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where he studied the fundamental properties and applications of reactive magnesia cements. Martin then continued at the same institution as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to study novel cementitious binders, their fundamental and engineering properties in a number of geotechnical and geo-environmental applications. He then moved into the construction industry to work closely with Professor Peter Hewlett at the David Ball Group, as Research and Development Manager, on alternative binder concrete systems based on alkali-activation. This fruitful collaboration has resulted in a patented technology which is being currently exploited commercially. Martin currently works as Research and Development Manager at Sika UK. He is responsible for the development and deployment of admixtures for concrete and a broad range of cementitious and hybrid systems, addressing fundamental as well as engineering performance, economics and sustainability criteria. Martin is the author/co-author of 29 scientific publications and 4 patents. He is a member of the Technical and Educational Committee of the Institute of Concrete Technology and is a Board member of the Magazine of Concrete Research.
