Klaartje de Weerdt

Klaartje de Weerdt is a Professor at the Department of Structural Engineering at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim. She divides her time between research and teaching, instructing courses such as Building Materials (TKT4240) for 1st year Civil Engineering MSc students and Concrete Structures I (TKT4175) for 3rd year students. She also contributes to Concrete Technology courses and collaborates with the Norwegian Concrete Association on various educational initiatives.

Professor de Weerdt's research focuses on cement hydration and concrete durability, with particular emphasis on sustainable concrete solutions. Her work investigates how to reduce CO2 emissions from cement production by incorporating supplementary materials like limestone, fly ash, blast furnace slag, and calcined clay into composite cements. She examines how these materials affect concrete properties in both fresh and hardened states, with the goal of developing more environmentally friendly construction materials while maintaining performance standards.

Her extensive publication record shows a strong focus on concrete durability mechanisms, particularly alkali-silica reaction, chloride ingress, and carbonation. The research demonstrates a systematic approach to understanding how supplementary cementitious materials affect pore solution chemistry, phase assemblage, and long-term performance. Her work bridges fundamental material science with practical engineering applications, often involving collaboration between NTNU and SINTEF.

Professor de Weerdt actively participates in RILEM technical committees, notably TC 301-ASR, contributing to international standards development. Her research leverages advanced analytical techniques including TGA, XRD, SEM, calorimetry, and various exposure testing methods to investigate concrete behavior under different environmental conditions.

Her experimental work frequently involves collaboration with other NTNU departments and SINTEF, utilizing shared facilities for comprehensive material characterization. This collaborative approach enables thorough investigation of concrete behavior from molecular to structural scales, addressing both fundamental mechanisms and practical engineering challenges in concrete technology.