Image
Infrastructure and Environment
From sandcastles to powder metallurgy, granular materials are ubiquitous in engineering and natural environment. Understanding their behaviour under a range of loading conditions is essential in ensuring the structural integrity of the granular system e.g., landslides, chemical/pharmaceutical applications such as compacted tablets, food processing etc.
The mechanical response of a granular assembly depends on the interaction of the individual grains. In most of the natural and engineering systems, this interaction is further complicated by the presence of fluids and temperature gradient resulting in convective mass transport. The thermomechanical behaviour of the granular assembly depends on the temperature/concentration gradient, viscosity of the fluid, variation in fluid saturation, compressibility of the fluid etc. The presence of fluid would also influence the relative motion of the particles, especially in case of particles with varying size and shapes, and directly contribute to the nature of compaction and flow of the granular assembly.
The aim of the project is to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanics of granular assemblies subjected to convective mass transport and to formulate a multiscale multiphysics model to predict the thermomechanical behaviour of granular assemblies. The model will be developed and calibrated using high quality experimental data acquired at multiple length scales. Custom designed experiments will be conducted in an x-ray CT environment to study the micromechanics of the underlying processes using time resolved x-ray tomography (in 4D).
There are four application areas for this project and the successful candidate would be able to select one of these areas.
Geological/geophysical application: Geothermal systems, particularly Enhanced Geothermal Systems where the energy from underground hot rock/fractured rock is used to generate electricity.
Steel production: Porous coke in the granular assembly of the blast furnace charge provides energy, heat and gas required to reduce the iron ore. Improved design of the granular assembly has potential to minimise the CO2 emission in the steel making process.
Recycled Asphalt Pavements: Reclaimed and recycled asphalt are used in road pavements providing a cost effective and environmentally friendly option with a potential in decarbonising the industry.
Powder bed fusion, a metal additive manufacturing technique: The nature of granular assembly of metal powder bed informs the quality of the finished product.
This PhD project is advertised as a part of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering, a joint partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. The successful candidate will be supervised by a team consisting of academics from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University (HWU). The Heriot-Watt University supervisor for this project will be Dr Elma Charalampidou. Some of the experiments involving micro x-ray CT system will be undertaken at HWU.
The selection process is in two phases:
Stage 1: Interested candidates should contact Dr Amer Syed at Amer.Syed@ed.ac.uk by 7 February 2025 with their CV and a covering email. Potential candidates will be invited to an interview. Selected candidate will progress to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Selected candidate will complete a formal application to the University of Edinburgh by 12 February 2025. This application will be assessed by a panel for funding. Please note that this studentship attracts enhanced stipend, while the exact details are yet to be finalised, for 2024, it was £21,400 per annum.
Home and overseas students are encouraged to apply.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU and International students.
Off
In the context of long-term monitoring applications, there are numerous structural states that exhibit similar behavior but cannot be generalized with a single model (whether data- or physics-based) due to the inherent time-variant nature of structural evolution. Addressing such scenarios necessitates methodologies with adaptable models that can capture the interdependencies between Environmental and Operational Variabilities (EOV) and Damage Sensitivity Features (DSF) at various stages of structural evolution. The challenge lies in determining when distinct structures can be considered pseudo-similar, thereby sharing the same underlying physical properties to better represent the dynamics and associated EOV dependencies. Similarly, the incorporation of physics-based models, with varying levels of fidelity, adds knowledge towards understanding structural changes, which is essential for incorporating interpretable constraints on DSF evolution.
In practice, there are two main Challenges: (i) Robust extraction of DSF for continuous monitoring which are insensitive to EOVs. These DSF should be interpretable during the entire evolution of the structural performance, and they should be able to accommodate dimensionality and complexity reduction of their associated non-linear time-variant nature. (ii) And there is a need of developing measures to quantify and propagate uncertainty towards the estimation of future stages of the structure evolution.
This project is supervised by Dr David Garcia Cava (School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh). It will involve regular interaction with collaborators from academia and industry. Interested candidates may contact the supervisor for further information (david.garcia@ed.ac.uk).
Personal website: https://dgarciacava.github.io/
This advert might close once a suitable candidate is found. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
References
- García Cava, D., Avendaño-Valencia, L.D., Movsessian, A., Roberts, C., Tcherniak, D. (2022). On Explicit and Implicit Procedures to Mitigate Environmental and Operational Variabilities in Data-Driven Structural Health Monitoring. In: Cury, A., Ribeiro, D., Ubertini, F., Todd, M.D. (eds) Structural Health Monitoring Based on Data Science Techniques. Structural Integrity, vol 21. Springer, Cham
- Rashid, D., Giorgio-Serchi, F., Hosoya, N., and Garcia Cava, D. (2024). Physics Informed Gaussian Process for Bolt Tension Estimation. Proceedings of the 10th European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring (EWSHM 2024), June 10-13, 2024 in Potsdam, Germany. e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree.
Applications are particularly welcome from candidates expecting to receive a first-class degree in mechanical engineering, physics, applied mathematics or a closely related subject.
Interests on: Structural mechanics and dynamics, Stochastic modelling and uncertainty quantification, understanding environmental and operational variabilities and their impact in structures and structures for renewable energy is particularly welcome.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Competition (EPSRC) funding may be available for an exceptional candidate but please note you must be a UK student or an EU student who has pre-settled/settled status and has lived in the UK for at least 3 years.
Off
Unreinforced masonry (URM) load-bearing walls were commonly used in historic buildings but are weak in shear and vulnerable to cracking and damage during seismic events. Structural engineers often need to study and design solutions to improve the structural response of shear walls. To strengthen them, mortar coatings reinforced with composite (carbon, glass, basalt, etc.) grids are used to enhance their lateral load-caring capacity, ductility, and stiffness. This grid is typically applied on both sides of the shear walls to form a sandwich structure, with the masonry material in the middle and the grid-reinforced coatings to act as thin-but-stiff skins. Anchors between the “skins” are crucial in establishing mechanical bonds and providing strength between the reinforcing material and the URM wall, frequently complemented by chemical bonding. This integrated system ensures the capability to withstand various loads until it attains its ultimate load capacity.
Incorrect placement of the anchor can hinder the desired composite behaviour of the URM wall, leading to premature failure. The location and size of each anchor hole are crucial, as multiple anchor holes are required to secure the reinforcing material throughout the wall effectively. Effective coordination and integration of these elements are essential for achieving the best results. Choosing the proper layout is vital, as an incorrect choice could lead to early wall failure.
This project aims to identify the factors that influence the behaviour of URM walls strengthened with anchors and to evaluate the effectiveness of different anchor layouts in improving the strength and ductility of URM walls. The results of this study will be used to develop design guidelines for placing anchors in URM walls.
Research Aims:
• To identify the factors that influence the behaviour of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls strengthened with composited grids and anchors using numerical simulations.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different anchor layouts in improving the strength and ductility of strengthened URM walls using numerical simulations.
• To develop a comprehensive methodology for optimizing anchor placement in URM walls, combining systematic numerical simulations with empirical laboratory data, aiming to establish a robust, evidence-based approach for enhancing seismic reinforcement in Unreinforced Masonry structures.
Methodology:
The project will initiate with a targeted literature review to identify critical factors influencing the reinforcement of URM walls with anchors. This sets the foundation for the research's analytical component. The study will primarily employ finite element modeling (FEM) and simulation, utilizing existing experimental data for model validation. A key focus will be on assessing different anchor layouts to enhance the strength and ductility of URM walls.
Complementing the simulations, experimental tests will be conducted to generate new data and validate simulation results. These tests aim to evaluate the effectiveness of various anchor layouts in real-world scenarios. Non-destructive evaluation techniques will be integrated into these tests to monitor damage progression and understand failure mechanisms.
The combination of simulation and experimental findings will lead to the development of practical design guidelines for effective anchor placement in URM wall reinforcement, contributing valuable insights for structural engineering in seismic areas.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Applicants should hold an Honours degree (2:1 or above) or its international equivalent in Civil or Structural Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline, with a Master's degree being advantageous. Key to this role is a robust understanding of structural engineering principles, particularly as they pertain to masonry structures and the use of composite materials in structural reinforcement.
Candidates must demonstrate strong research capabilities, including literature review, methodology development, and data interpretation.
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Off
A plastic wear model for ductile materials was recently developed within the supervisor’s group, based on the discrete element method (DEM). An initial model developed for flat
surfaces [1] has since been extended to arbitrarily shaped closed surfaces representing abradable particles. Each particle is essentially a multi-sphere clump in which the non-interacting constituent spheres are arranged to form a hollow shell. A constituent sphere is displaced in the direction of the local normal to the surface once a material yield criterion has been met. This has been implemented in a fork of the open-source LAMMPS [2] code.
This implementation, which enables one form of permanent change of a particle’s shape, can be extended to another: plastic deformation. Even in dense sheared granular systems, the contact network is constantly changing, i.e., interparticle contacts are highly transient [3]. This raises the question of whether elasto-plastic contact models, e.g., [4-5], which retain no memory of plastic deformation once a contact has been lost in the simulation, are suitable for all scenarios.
This project will initially extend the simulation framework developed for particle abrasion to capture plastic deformation. This framework will then be applied to explore the role of plasticity in granular systems, and assess the scenarios in which simpler elasto-plastic contact models can give acceptable results.
Informal queries from potential applicants can be directed to Dr Kevin Hanley (k.hanley@ed.ac.uk).
References
[1] Capozza, R. & Hanley, K.J. (2022): A comprehensive model of plastic wear based on the discrete element method. Powder Technology, 410, 117864
[2] Thompson, A.P. et al. (2022): LAMMPS - a flexible simulation tool for particle-based materials modeling at the atomic, meso, and continuum scales. Computer Physics Communications, 271, 108171
[3] Hanley, K.J., Huang, X., O’Sullivan, C. & Kwok, F. C.-Y. (2014): Temporal variation of contact networks in granular materials. Granular Matter, 16, 41–54
[4] Luding, S. (2008): Cohesive, frictional powders: contact models for tension. Granular Matter, 10, 235–246
[5] Thakur, S.C., Morrissey, J.P., Sun, J., Chen, J.F. & Ooi, J.Y. (2014): Micromechanical analysis of cohesive granular materials using the discrete element method with an adhesive elasto-plastic contact model. Granular Matter, 16, 383–400
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Off
Membrane fouling – the deposition of organic and inorganic matter on the membrane surface – is a major technical obstacle affecting membrane-based water treatment processes. Fouling results in decreased membrane permeance, selectivity, and shorter useful life due to irreversible fouling. Despite significant efforts to mitigate fouling through, e.g., low-fouling membrane coatings, fouling is inevitable due to the high convective fluxes driving foulants to the membrane surface. Consequently, physical and chemical cleaning strategies, known collectively as cleaning-in-place (CiP) protocols, are indispensable to ensure the sustainable use of membrane technology in water treatment.
Most CiP formulations entail proprietary mixtures of buffered surfactants and chelants that dissolve organic foulants and disperse colloidal metal-organic complexes. Application of CiP solutions often follows manufacturer-specified cleaning conditions, including cross-flow velocity, duration and frequency of cleaning cycles. Such operating conditions, however, are not optimised for specific feed water and foulant chemistries. Moreover, the important influence of CiP solution temperature is often neglected. Solution temperature plays a key role in membrane cleaning, as the interactions responsible for foulant adhesion to the membrane become weaker with rising temperature1. However, the role of temperature in CiP has not been studied systematically. Incomplete knowledge about the influence of operating conditions has hindered development of efficient CiP protocols.
This PhD project will formulate tailored CiP strategies for membranes in Scottish Water (SW) treatment plants. The overarching goal is twofold: i) to identify the CiP temperature resulting in optimal membrane performance; ii) to identify CiP formulations (or mixtures thereof) suitable for application at ambient feed water temperatures (i.e., in cold water). Considering that CiP at SW membrane plants is often carried out at ambient water temperature (Tamb = 10 °C or lower), we anticipate significant improvements in cleaning efficiency if CiP were carried out at slightly higher temperatures. The cost of CiP operations at above-ambient temperatures will be weighed against the improvement in process performance (stemming from mitigated fouling) by a technoeconomic analysis. Lastly, we will perform a life cycle assessment of CiP protocols to identify CiP candidates meeting SW’s sustainability goals.
Training and mentoring
This project offers a unique training opportunity in the fundamentals of colloid and interface science, as well as membrane-based processes for water quality control. The student will be mentored by a supervisory team with complementary expertise, who will provide training in a wide variety of experimental techniques. In addition, the student will acquire industrial experience through a placement at a Scottish Water membrane plant.
References
(1) BinAhmed, S.; Hozalski, R. M.; Romero-Vargas Castrillón, S. Feed Temperature Effects on Organic Fouling of Reverse Osmosis Membranes: Competition of Interfacial and Transport Properties. ACS ES&T Eng. 2021, 1 (3), 591–602. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.0c00258.
(2) Porcelli, N.; Judd, S. Chemical Cleaning of Potable Water Membranes: The Cost Benefit of Optimisation. Water Res. 2010, 44 (5), 1389–1398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.11.020.
Please note that applications will be reviewed on a continuing basis until the position is filled. Thus, the advert might close for applications before the closing date.
Further information about the supervisor (Dr S Romero-Vargas):
https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/santiago-romero-vargas-castrillon
Further information about the co-supervisor (Prof A Lips):
https://www.edinburghcomplexfluids.com/people/individual/alex-lips
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
This is a challenging and ambitious project, requiring a student who is dedicated and enthusiastic about asking, and tackling, fundamental and applied problems. The successful applicant will have been awarded an undergraduate degree at the time of appointment (1st Class or high 2:1, preferably supported by an MSc) in chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science, physics, environmental engineering, or a cognate field. Strong background in physical sciences is required, along with excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Prior research experience in colloid & interface science is highly desirable. While the project is primarily experimental, good or strong quantitative skills are also highly desirable.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere, as explained below.
PhD studentships managed by the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh are available every year through a competitive process.
Applicants interested in applying for a University-administered award should e-mail the supervisors (Santiago@ed.ac.uk, alips@ed.ac.uk) as soon as possible to begin discussions, explaining how your experience meets the Applicant Requirements given above. Application deadlines vary from mid-January to late March.
Please note that most studentships are available only to Home Students (International students not eligible).
To qualify as a Home student, you must fulfil one of the following criteria:
- You are a UK student
- You are an EU student with settled/pre-settled status who also has 3 years residency in the UK/EEA/Gibraltar/Switzerland immediately before the start of your Programme.
Off
Pressing fire safety challenges exist in both the built and natural environment with climate change effects leading to increased extreme weather events in many regions increasing wildfire risk. Similarly, sustainable development efforts are one of the drivers of increased adoption of bio-based, sustainable construction materials some of which may also introduce novel fire hazards. This PhD position provides the opportunity to contribute to ongoing efforts at the Edinburgh Fire Research Centre to apply fundamental principles of physics, chemistry and engineering to characterize the combustion behaviour of wildland vegetation and bio-based materials.
This PhD position would suit motivated candidates from a wide range of academic backgrounds (e.g. Applied Science/Maths/Physics, Engineering, Geosciences etc.) who are interested in applying their existing skillset to problems in fire science, fire engineering and/or wildland fire science.
The project will include the opportunity to gain expertise in the development and use of a variety of established and novel measurement instrumentation to monitor and characterize the variation in structure of a fuel as it burns. For example, utilizing established methods to quantify the spatial and temporal variation of solid fuel temperatures (e.g. colour pyrometry) and burning rate (continuous mass loss measurements). Alongside developing novel approaches to characterising and quantifying the variation in fuel structure (volume, geometry) and the resulting influence on linked physical properties (e.g. drag force, radiative absorption).
The results obtained will be used to support the development of improved fire behaviour modelling tools and to improve our existing theoretical descriptions of fire spread in porous fuels. This in turn, will support ongoing global efforts to develop improved decision support tools to aid land managers and fire agencies in developing land management and fire management strategies in the natural environment, and to support fire safety engineering design efforts in the built environment.
During this project, you will be part of The Edinburgh Fire Research Centre within the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment. You will join a vibrant community of PhD students, postdoctoral research associates and academics working in various aspects of fire science and engineering. This is a collaborative and friendly environment and strong teamwork and communication skills are therefore required.
More information on the Edinburgh Fire Research Centre - http://www.fire.eng.ed.ac.uk/research
Examples of the effects of fuel structure on combustion behaviour in wildland fires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPqXRsMbz18&t=387s
Existing Wildfire Research projects at The University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service & partners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEO_8oXtbes&t=4s
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU and International students
Off
Image
Membrane-based processes for water treatment, such as reverse osmosis (RO), hold promise in tackling water scarcity locally and globally. Nevertheless, conventional polyamide membranes for RO exhibit low rejection of Small, charge-Neutral Contaminants (SNCs), which endanger human health and biota.
Progress towards highly selective membranes has been hindered by insufficient understanding of the mechanisms that underlie separation efficiency: how water and contaminants sorb into, and diffuse through, polyamide membranes. Both contaminant sorption and transport require a molecular-level treatment, at far higher resolution than is afforded by conventional (continuum) membrane transport models.
Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and free energy calculations, this project aims to computationally design highly selective RO membranes by elucidating the mechanisms governing SNC sorption and transport. The project will focus on SNCs that are insufficiently rejected by state-of-the art RO membranes, e.g., boric acid, a toxic constituent of seawater, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a carcinogenic disinfection by-product whose insufficient removal during RO-based wastewater reuse (rejection ~ 60%) demands additional, and costly, advanced oxidation processes (e.g., high-energy UV).
The specific objectives of this project are:
- Objective 1. To gain molecular-level insight into the hydration layer at the polyamide-water interface, to understand how interfacial water molecules determine SNC sorption and transport.
- Objective 2. To elucidate the role of interfacial chemistry in SNC sorption to polyamide, in order to computationally develop surface coatings to bolster SNC rejection, and thus establish structure-property-performance relations linking coating composition with SNC rejection.
- Objective 3. To characterise the transport mechanisms of SNCs through polyamide, to enable transport models to quantify the trade-off between contaminant rejection and water permeance.
Simulation insights emerging from this project will enable membrane manufacturers to develop highly selective RO membranes. These materials will lower the cost of seawater desalination and wastewater recycling by RO, in addition to producing safer product water for humans and ecosystems.
Research and Training
The successful applicant will conduct research in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, under the co-supervision of Dr Santiago Romero-Vargas Castrillón and Dr Rohit Pillai. The student will have access to a wide range of computational facilities, including ARCHER2, the UK’s national supercomputer. Educational and research opportunities afforded by this project include:
- Training in state-of-the-art molecular simulation technique
- Close mentoring through regular meetings, as well as interactions with other investigators at the Institute of Multiscale Thermofluids (IMT) and the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment (IIE) at Edinburgh
- The opportunity to attend national and international scientific conferences to disseminate your result
- Strong emphasis and support to publish research results in leading scientific journals, which will kickstart your career in academia or industry
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
This is a challenging and scientifically ambitious project, requiring a student who is dedicated and enthusiastic about asking, and tackling, fundamental questions. The successful applicant will have been awarded an undergraduate degree at the time of appointment (2:1 or above, preferably supported by an MSc) in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, or a cognate field. A strong background in mathematics and physics is required, as well as interest in molecular simulation. Prior research experience in modeling and simulation is highly desirable.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere, as explained below.
PhD studentships managed by the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh are available every year through a competitive process.
Applicants interested in applying for a University-administered award should e-mail the supervisors (Santiago@ed.ac.uk, R.Pillai@ed.ac.uk) as soon as possible to begin discussions, explaining how your experience meets the Applicant Requirements given above. Application deadlines vary from mid-January to late March.
Please note that most studentships are available only to Home Students (International students not eligible.)
To qualify as a Home student, you must fulfil one of the following criteria:
• You are a UK student
• You are an EU student with settled/pre-settled status who also has 3 years residency in the UK/EEA/Gibraltar/Switzerland immediately before the start of your Programme.
Off
Image
The School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh invites applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship on the digitalisation of buildings. The successful candidate will explore innovative methodologies to digitalise collections of existing buildings with the purpose of understanding and managing their environmental performance.
Most existing buildings in European countries predate the adoption of high energy efficiency standards, and a significant proportion were built well before architectural design processes were digitalised or energy conservation regulations introduced. The result is a diverse stock for which limited information exist. Even in cases where information is available, it tends to be patchy, out of date, or exists in physical documents that cannot be readily consumed by modern processes for facility management.
At the same time, pressure is mounting for a highly energy-efficient, low-carbon stock that meets end-user demands at the lowest possible costs. Here, many proposals have been put forward, from simple methods to advanced, real-time coupling with building simulations and a wide range of algorithms. However, they presume the right information is available at an adequate quality to inform such advanced workflows.
Your research will develop strategies to digitalise collections of buildings with the view to support asset owners. In particular, the work will explore digitalisation for energy management, linking with ongoing activities around building energy modelling and digital twins. The project will research solutions using the buildings of the University of Edinburgh. It will be conducted in close partnership with our Estates Department, who develop and maintain more than 550 buildings across Scotland. Together, these buildings represent key challenges of the building sector at large, like different uses, level of information, vintage, construction techniques, energy systems or services.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, and we wish to particularly encourage applications from groups underrepresented at this level.
To apply to this opportunity, you will need to:
- Meet entry requirements
- Prepare documentation required for conditional admission in the PhD programme. Please note that this requires a formal 2-page research proposal (guidelines).
We are available to discuss and give feedback before a full application is sent through the system provided full drafts are available. We will shortlist candidates for interview and the scholarship will be then allocated based on the assessment by the panel.
A comprehensive training programme will be provided comprising both specialist scientific training and generic transferable and professional skills, as well as mentorship. The PhD candidate will have numerous training options, within the University of Edinburgh and project partners. Depending on the experience of the candidate, options include (1) building physics, (2) introduction to data science or (3) geospatial data analysis.
The candidate will also have the opportunity to become a teaching assistant following formal training, as well as opportunities to contribute to wider training and outreach activities. Further training in both academic and interdisciplinary skills will be available as part of Edinburgh’s Institute for Academic Development.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
A background related to building services engineering, construction management or architecture would be an advantage for the project.
Tuition fees and stipend are available for Home/EU and International students.
Off
Today's urban landscape is defined largely by steel and concrete buildings, bridges and roads, which have started to degrade at an increased rate in the last 30 years due to corrosion of steel, degradation and scour, creep and cracking of concrete. The expenses for concrete building rehabilitation and maintenance are immense: €200B was spent on restoration of concrete structures alone in 2018 (for the EU27 countries).
The proposed research addresses these problems by focusing on circular concrete columns, which are critically important structural elements in construction of buildings, parking garages and bridges or piers. In these applications there are many advantages in using precast or in-situ cast concrete filled fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) tube columns using self-compacting concrete (SCC): The columns are – compared to conventional RC columns – lighter in weight, do not need a formwork nor concrete compaction (SCC), and the FRP tube can be designed to (partially or totally) replace the need for a transverse and longitudinal steel reinforcement. In addition, concrete filled carbon FRP (CFRP) tubes (CFFTs) confine the inner concrete core increasing the strength and ductility of the column and its durability in harsh environments.
The mechanics of conventional circular FRP-confined concrete columns has been studied by many researchers, who have confirmed that the load carrying capacity, stiffness, and ductility of such elements is similar to circular columns repaired by full wrapping with externally bonded FRP sheets and fabrics. This project will build on the available knowledge and will use a proprietary, highly expansive SCC, which will be restrained after casting by prefabricated CFRP tubes.
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have successfully developed the highly expansive SCC based on a combination of calcium sulfo-aluminate expansive agent, super absorbent polymers, shrinkage reducing agent, and short PP fibers, and have proven that a self-prestress of high-modulus CFRP is feasible.
The use of this SCC in CFFT columns is an ideal application for the expansive concrete in which the FRP tube would protect it from humidity variations hence guaranteeing a stable state and constant internal confinement pressure in the FRP tube. This will be monitored by hoop strain monitoring with the aid of novel embedded distributed fibre optic sensors (DFOS) in the CFRP tube wall.
The project will also make use of novel pseudo-ductile hybrid FRP wrap materials, also developed at Empa, thus combining multiple material innovations to develop new types of structural elements with previously unknown performance and mechanics.
Laboratory for Mechanical Systems Engineering: https://www.empa.ch/web/s304
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Ideal candidate must have background in either Civil, Structural or Mechanical Engineering.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU and International students
The candidate will periodically spend time on research visits to EMPA of 2-6 weeks, depending on a range of project-related factors. Additional funding for the research (i.e. research, travel, and accommodation costs) will be provided by EMPA – to be determined as the project progresses.
Applications are also welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Off
Image
This project aims to investigate the capabilities of adaptive structures that change their geometry and mechanical properties to accommodate operational loading and extend their lifespan, thereby supporting sustainable infrastructure and a circular economy.
The core objective of this project is to engineer a self-adapting structure that adjusts to the prescribed loading conditions. This adaptation is achieved by integrating local structures that accommodate stiffness variations along the global structure. The local structures will change their geometry and shape in response to the applied loads, resulting in emergent properties in the main global structure. Analytical modeling of the sub-structures will provide understanding and control for stiffness tailoring, which will translate into desirable mechanical properties in the main structure. The connection between global properties and sub-structure geometry changes aims to be achieved by understanding the relationships between geometric parameters and vibration response. The geometric nonlinearity induced by the local sub-structures may cause amplitude-dependent nonlinear dynamic responses. Thus, understanding the underlying physics in the coupling between local and global structures, along with the vibration response of the global structure, aims to facilitate feedback to passively control the mechanical properties of the structure. Consequently, this dynamic response leads to continuous shape and geometry modifications within the structure, ultimately enhancing its capacity to accommodate specified loading requirements more effectively. The adaptive structures will benefit operability by maximizing structural capacity during service.
This project is supervised by Dr David Garcia Cava (School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh). It will involve regular interaction with collaborators from academia and industry. Interested candidates may contact the supervisor for further information (david.garcia@ed.ac.uk).
Personal website: https://dgarciacava.github.io/
This advert might close once a suitable candidate is found. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
References
[1] Sundararaman, V., O’Donnell, M.P., Chenchiah, I.V., Clancy, G. and Weaver, P.M., 2023. Stiffness tailoring in sinusoidal lattice structures through passive topology morphing using contact connections. Materials & Design, 226, p.111649.
[2] Zhao, B., Thomsen, H.R., Pu, X., Fang, S., Lai, Z., Van Damme, B., Bergamini, A., Chatzi, E. and Colombi, A., 2024. A nonlinear damped metamaterial: Wideband attenuation with nonlinear bandgap and modal dissipation. Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 208, p.111079.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree.
Applications are particularly welcome from candidates expecting to receive a first-class degree in mechanical engineering, physics, applied mathematics or a closely related subject.
Interests on: Structural mechanics and dynamics, Stochastic modelling and uncertainty quantification.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
*Competition (EPSRC) funding may be available for an exceptional candidate but please note you must be a UK student or an EU student who has pre-settled/settled status and has lived in the UK for at leats 3 years.
Off
Image
