3 year fully funded PhD. Application deadline: 31st May 2021

Liquefaction of brittle geotechnical materials (such as hydraulic fills, mine tailings, landfills and sensitive or quick clays) causes catastrophic failures leading to major environmental disasters, crippling economic disruption and, often, losses of human life. Examples are the failure of Prat quay in Barcelona Port, the failure of Aznalcóllar dam or the failure of Brumadinho tailing dam in Brazil where 270 people lost their lives. The candidate will join the group led by Professors Antonio Gens and Marcos Arroyo, which, in recent years, has developed numerical methods addressing this phenomenon. The outcome would be a simulation tool able to predict the potential for liquefaction-driven failures and to assist in the design of preventive measures in a wide range of engineering problems.

For further details please see https://www.cimne.com/vnews/11254/phd-position-in-geomechanics-(vac-2021-17)

TITLE: Analytical and discrete element numerical modeling of ceramic sintering made by additive manufacturing

ACADEMIC: 3 years Phd – october 2021 – IRCER/CEA laboratories – Limoges city in France

OBJECTIVES: This study, which is a collaboration between the IRCER (Institute of Research on Ceramics – UMR CNRS 7315) and the CEA Le Ripault, proposes to develop a model of the sintering behavior of a ceramic object with a specific porous architecture using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Indeed, sintering involves complex phenomena such as rigidification, densification or granular coarsening, which depend on the granular packing. A key scale to understand these complex phenomena is the meso-structure, which involves a few thousand of grains interacting through mechanical contacts (at the beginning of sintering), gradually giving way to the formation of bridges (necks) between grains during sintering. The discrete element approach allows to predict in a natural way these granular rearrangements from the fine knowledge of the driving forces governing the interaction between grains. Particular attention will therefore be paid to the choice of these micromechanical interaction laws between the grains, which must be capable of representing the consolidation and densificationkinetics. These numerical developments will be carried out within the discrete element code GranOO co-developed by the IRCER laboratory. It will then be necessary to develop a numerical approach capable of simulating the material transport paths involved in the creation of bridges between particles and to predict the apparent thermo-mechanical properties in a multi-scale approach.

CONTACTS

• Damien André, damien.andre@unilim.fr, Université de Limoges
• Denis Rochais, denis.rochais@cea.fr, CEA/Le Ripault
• Guy Antou, guy.antou@unilim.fr, Université de Limoges
• Alexandre Maitre, alexandre.maitre@unilim.fr, Université de Limoges

More information in this attachment.

DTU Civil Engineering Department invites for applications for a 3 years PhD position. The start date is flexible and expected within June 2021. This project gives you the opportunity to become a leading figure in driving sustainable development and construction of underground infrastructure. This will be achieved by coupling existing monitoring data and advanced numerical simulations in digital twins, contributing to digitalization of the industry as well as improving its sustainability record. The project is anchored in the Section for Geotechnics and Geology and will be performed in close collaboration with Technion University (Israel) and Metroselskabet, giving you the chance to collaborate with a diverse and rich research team.

For more information : https://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/vacant-positions/job?id=7e941bc3-8722-4994-9672-45447719b801

A Research Associate in Geotechnical Engineering (fixed term) is required, to join the ACHILLES Programme at the University of Bath, UK.

The ACHILLES team are exploring the impact of ageing and a changing climate on the performance of infrastructure earthworks.

The application is open until the 10th May 2021 (https://www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/Vacancy.aspx?ref=CF8227).

This role is on a fixed term basis from 1 July 2021 with an expected end date of 31 December 2022.

The role is deemed sponsorable under SOC code 2119. For more information regarding eligibility for sponsorship please click here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/staff-immigration/

We are looking for a competent Research Assistant (PhD Candidate) for our newly funded DFG project. The objective of the project is to evaluate the application of 3D printing in geomechanics with ultimate goal of understanding the mechanical and deformational characteristics of a rock mass with complex non-persistent discontinuities (DFNs). The research involves systematic laboratory testing on printed samples as well as subsequent calibration/verification using advanced numerical modelling. The funding allows us to hire a PhD student. The duration of the project is three years, starting in September 2021.

Application deadline: April 30th, 2021

For more information see the attached PDF file.

A postdoctoral position on Landslide Geomechanics is available at Northwestern University. The selected candidate will join the Geomechanical Modeling group at Northwestern University, working under the supervision of Dr. Giuseppe Buscarnera on a project aimed at explaining the dynamics of landslide initiation and rapid post-failure movement. The position involves a one-year appointment, with the possibility of a contract extension for a second year. Competitive salary, exposure to a dynamic international environment, and opportunities for professional development will be key components of the position. 

For all inquiries, please contact Dr. Giuseppe Buscarnera (email: g-buscarnera@northwestern.edu).  

More information in the attachment.

We are looking for an enthusiast candidate willing to conduct interdisciplinary cutting-edge research on reactive mixing in porous media and engage in educational innovation projects. The successful candidate will join Porous Material and Processes (PMPM) Research Group at the University of Warwick and collaborate with project partners at Swansea University and ETH Zurich.

More information in this attachment.

A postdoctoral  position is open at Université Gustave Eiffel, France. The project will focus on Centrifuge Modelling of soft soil reinforced by rigid inclusions subjected to seismic loading. The post-doctoral researcher will carry out experimental studies on the soil-rigid inclusion-superstructure interaction taking into account several highlighted factors. The experimental study will also provide essential data for numerical modeling.

Application deadline: Open until Filled

For more information of the PhD subject, see the attached PDF file.

Laboratoire Navier (at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech) and LafargeHolcim Innovation Center propose a CIFRE Ph.D. project on the early-age shrinkage cracking of concrete slabs, to be started in Fall 2021.

Interested students should apply preferentially by 25 April 2021. Further information can be found in the attached file. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any question.