Applications are invited for a PhD student at the University of Liège, to work on Unsaturated soil mechanics – Experimental and constitutive focus on desiccation cracking in fine-grained soils.

The PhD candidate will also take part in teaching activites related to soil and rock mechanics courses. The research and teaching assistant position is granted for a first term of two years, renewable for up to 2 further periods of 2 years.

Project description

The mechanics of desiccation cracking is a complex hydro-mechanical process, induced by soil drying in partially or totally strain-constrained conditions. Desiccation cracks may affect significantly the hydro-mechanical properties of fine-grained soils (strength weakening, increased compressibility, increased permeability), leading to potential geotechnical issues (landslide triggering, soil erosion, leakage of impermeable barrier, …).

In the framework of unsaturated soil mechanics, this study will investigate the conditions of desiccation cracks triggering, their propagation and their aperture evolution, from experimental and constitutive approaches. Suction control techniques, image analysis and tensile strength testing will be developed. A particular attention will be devoted to the determination of tensile strength criterion at various suctions, through innovative experimental developments

The experimental characteristics will then be encapsulated in constitutive laws and implemented in a finite element code. The numerical simulations will incorporate the modelling of water evaporation, the hydro-mechanical response of soil upon drying, the tensile strength criterion and the impact on the presence of the crack mechanical and hydraulic response of the ground. Finally, the methodology will be applied to study the conditions of occurrence of desiccation cracking in full-scale problems (earthfill dike, nuclear waste disposal gallery, landfill waste disposal, agricultural soils, …).

Requirements and application procedure

The position is open to graduated students (Master degree) in Civil Engineering, Geosciences or related disciplines.

Applicants should have a high level of proficiency in written and spoken English. The successful candidate is also expected to learn French during his first two years.

Applications must be sent by email to Prof. Frédéric Collin (F.Collin@uliege.be). It should include a motivation letter, a CV and a short abstract of the Master thesis. Please contact Prof. Frédéric Collin if you need more information.

Applications are welcome before 12^th July 2021. The starting date is at the latest the 1^st October 2021.

Applications are welcomed for a joint PhD position KULeuven-UCLouvain starting October 1, 2021.

The objective of the project is to develop a better understanding of the soil-structure interaction during the installation and operational use of piles installed by vibratory driving for Offshore wind turbines. Semi-analytical and numerical models will be developed and calibrated using cyclic triaxial tests in conditions characteristic for offshore environments. The results of the models will be compared to reduced scale experiments of impact and vibratory driving for the installation and the extraction, but also the mechanical behavior of the pile subjected to cyclic loading under wind and wave loading. The developed methodology will be applied to actual case studies, aiming at a characterization of the soil-pile interaction and providing design guidelines.

To apply and get more detailed information, please see https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/60029856?hl=en

The Nottingham Centre for Geomechanics (NCG) is currently undertaking two large multi-disciplinary projects related to investigating the behaviour of coal-mining spoil materials with a focus on the geotechnical, sustainability, environmental, socio-economic and long-term management challenges. NCG brings together expertise from the worlds of civil, geotechnical, and mining engineering as well as mathematics and material sciences to solve all forms of soil and rock-related design and construction problems. The projects are funded by the European Commission Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) and include project partners from across Europe. We seek a highly motivated researcher to join our team to work on this challenging project.

We are looking to recruit a post-doctoral researcher who will support the work of these RFCS projects as well as support the wider work of the research group. We would consider any candidate with a strong fundamental geotechnical background.

Candidates should be inquisitive, with a strong interest in applied research, and the personality and drive to interact effectively with industry and project partners. They will have a first degree in Civil Engineering or cognate subject and will have been awarded a PhD (or have submitted their thesis for examination), ideally in an area of Geotechnical Engineering. The successful candidate will have good presentation and report writing skills. A good publication record will be an advantage but its absence should not hinder applications from those who have recently submitted their theses.

For application details see https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/ENG196421

Further information about the work of the Nottingham Centre for Geomechanics is available on www.nottingham.ac.uk/ncg/

Applications are invited for a PhD student at Delft University of Technology, to work on the development, implementation and application of a multiscale numerical testing environment for geomaterials.

For further details, please see the attached document or visit https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details/?jobId=3083