On our quest to decarbonise our energy resources, underground heat energy storage is a key player. However, the impact of frequent cyclic thermo-mechanical (TM) stress changes over prolonged periods remains poorly understood and may threatened the longevity of the systems. This project will aim to fill the gap by performing laboratory and numerical experiments under relevant cyclic TM loading conditions to investigate the stability of targeted lithologies in such systems.

The scope of this PhD project is to use different scale observations to model and predict the stability of targeted lithologies in underground complex systems when those are subjected to cyclic TM stress changes over prolonged periods. This research work seeks to understand how grain scale deformation can contribute to the global response of the underground systems and how this response can be controlled to reduce any accompanied induced hazards. An innovative methodology, combining laboratory and numerical experiments, will be applied to extend the understanding of the thermo-sensitive brittle deformation processes in porous rocks. The data will provide information to support field scale operational conditions involving periodic TM stress changes as well as shed light on potential for cascading shallow geohazards.

Objectives
O1: Examine the relationship between microstructural deformation and TM stresses.
O2: Collect, analyse and model TM data together.
O3: Transfer and improve existing DEM code from UDEC to open source and
undertake grain size sensitivity analysis.
O4: Provide relevant data to inform on risks associated to TM stresses in underground geological storage conditions

For more info on the eligibility: https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships/

Application process:
In the first instance the application process involves completing both the application form and the EDI form below by 7th January 2022 at 5pm. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted by 17th January 2022 and invited to put in a full application to the university where the PhD is based by 8th February 2022.

For more info on the application process: https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/how-to-apply/

More information on the PhD opportunity on this flyer: www.alertgeomaterials.eu/data/posts/EGIS2022-IAPETUS_NERC_DTP_ad.pdf

The School of Engineering (EPB) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is seeking candidates to a full-time academic position in the field of Geotechnical Engineering, within the BATir department (Building, Architecture and Town Planning).

Increasing urbanization associated with the rapid development of renewable energy require innovative geotechnical solutions for a sustainable use of the subsurface. This context raises new challenges, calling for cutting-edge research in the field of geotechnical engineering.

The successful applicant (M/F) will develop research and education in the field of geotechnical engineering, in the widest sense.

See attached file for more details.

Deadline for application: 10th January 2022

Starting date : 1st October 2022

We are recruiting for an exceptional individual to join our Future Infrastructure and Environment Research Cluster as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant on the research project entitled “ICE-PICK: Installation effects on cyclic axial and lateral performance of displacement piles in chalk”. Funded by the EPSRC this 26 months project aims to use experimental and advanced numerical modelling to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of piles driven in soft rocks to support the further development of renewable energy structures offshore. 

Lund University, Sweden, is looking for a highly motivated person to work on a PhD project developing novel experiments and analysis techniques that exploit recent advances in x-ray imaging and diffraction methods to explore deformation mechanisms, force transmission and dynamic effects in granular materials.

See the following link for more details and to apply:  https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:442700/?lang=en

Deadline is 14 December, 2021
Contact Stephen Hall: stephen.hall@solid.lth.se

Your responsibilities

The project “Comprehensive Observations of Episodic Basal, Englacial and Lateral Influences on Ice Stream Dynamics” (COEBELI) is a collaborative effort of several research institutions to understand the mechanisms leading to rapid ice flow of outlet glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet. The project uses a combination of field observations (dynamics, seismicity), remote-sensing products, and state-of-the-art numerical models to investigate non-continuous processes leading to fast ice flow.
Within the project, the Material Point Method (MPM) will be used to model detailed high-rate processes such as glacier calving and tsunami wave generation, episodic crevassing in the ice stream margins, and basal fracturing processes leading to seismic emissions.
The successful candidate will interpret field data from Jakobshavn Isbrae (Greenland) with model results to obtain relevant model parameters, and to investigate the physical processes. A close collaboration with PhD students is envisioned. The post-doc will be supervised by Dr. Martin Lüthi (UZH) and Dr. Johan Gaume (EPFL).

Your profile

Candidates should hold a PhD in (computational) mechanics or in (computational) geosciences. Back-ground/experience in solid and/or fluid mechanics and numerical modeling is mandatory. Additional qualifications such as experience with the Material Point Method or with glacier calving processes are an advantage. The candidate should have very good English skills and is expected to be a team player with excellent communication capabilities as she/he will collaborate with students and PhDs involved in the project.

What we offer

UZH and EPFL foster equal opportunities and are family friendly employers who value diversity and strive to increase the number of women scientists.

Start of employment

January 1st or upon agreement.

Please submit your application before 17 December 2021 including a letter of application briefly indicating your research plans as well as names and contact details of two possible referees, your curriculum vitae, a copy of your PhD diploma and a writing sample (your PhD thesis or relevant publications) in pdf-form.

Application link

https://jobs.uzh.ch/offene-stellen/postdoctoral-position-in-computational-mechanics-arctic-glaciology/3d12ee42-9ce6-49b3-bb3d-280e00998a30

About Zhejiang University

Located in the historical and picturesque city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang University is a prestigious institution of higher education with a long history. Qiushi Academy, the predecessor of Zhejiang University, was founded in 1897 and was one of the earliest modern academies of higher learning established in China.

Zhejiang University focuses on assiduous study and research, and science and technological innovation. It has launched a number of international high-end academic platforms and gathered masters, scholars and high-level research teams in various disciplines. In recent years, Zhejiang University maintains a leading position in China in output indicators including publications, patents and etc., and has made abundant important achievements in science, technology, humanities and social sciences. Zhejiang University always takes initiative in catering for national and regional needs, and exerts itself to become an influential high-level source of innovation and a pool of talents. 

College of Civil Engineering and Architecture

The College of Civil Engineering and Architecture specialises in research fields and specialisations for the following areas: Offshore Structural Engineering, Structural Reliability and Seismic Resistance, Concrete Composite Structure, Concrete Micromechanics, Structural Wind and Seismic Engineering, Spatial Structure, Smart Structure, Structure Control, Underground Engineering, Geotechnical Calculation and Analysis, Geotechnical Centrifuge, Ocean Geotechnical Engineering, Technology of Drinking Water Safety Protection, Water Pollution Control and Governance, Engineering Management, Rail Traffic, Road & Railway, Traffic Information and Control, Disaster Prevention Engineering ,Engineering Geological Disaster Prevention, Coastal & Offshore Geotechnics, Energy Efficient Building or Architectural Physics, Architecture Design, Urban Designing, Architecture Optics, Urban Planning and Design, Urban Traffic Planning and Design, Information Technology of Urban Planning, Hydraulic Structure Engineering, Hydraulics and River Dynamics, Remote Sensing and Information Technology, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Water Resources Management and Utilization, Harbor, Coast and Offshore Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Physical Oceanography (http://www.ccea.zju.edu.cn/cceaenglish/).

Qualifications

Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in Engineering, Science or other relevant discipline and have the ability to build an independent, externally funded research program at the forefront of their field.

Research topics

These two postdoctoral positions mainly focus on the geotechnical problems in offshore geotechnics and CO2 geological sequestrations, particularly in the areas relating to centrifuge physical modelling and multiple phase coupling, characterization and modelling of marine sediments (including gas hydrate bearing sediments), offshore foundations, pipeline geotechnics and offshore geo-hazards. Experience with simulation software such as TOUGH2, Abaqus and MFiX will be a plus.

Closing date for applications
Open until Filled

Salary and contract

350 000 ~ 400 000 CNY / year, depending on the performance and contribution to the department. The position is expected to get started as early as possible. Contract duration: 2~3 years (extensions are possible if additional funding will be acquired).

Contacts

Please submit a C.V. including two academic references letters to Dr Yi Hong: yi_hong@zju.edu.cn

TU Delft is seeking a motivated postdoc candidate to work on a collaborative research programme related to land subsidence. The overall aim of this programme is to develop an integrative approach to achieve feasible, legitimate and sustainable solutions for managing the negative societal effects of land subsidence. The programme connects fundamental research on subsidence processes to socio-economic impacts of subsidence and to governance and legal framework design. The postdoc will identify potential measures in areas prone to subsidence focuses on the technical implementation of these measures and determines their impact on the environment and society. The post doc researches the interaction of different measures in the urban area and/or on the impact of measures beneficial for the rural area.

If you are interested please see details in the TUD vacancy page: 

https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details?jobId=4322&jobTitle=Postdoc%20Living%20on%20Soft%20Soils%3A%20Subsidence%20%26%20Society%3A%20Identifying%20Measures%20for%20Dealing%20with%20Land%20Subsidence

Deadline will be extended to Dec 1, 2021.

Department of Engineering, Durham University

About the Project

Start date and duration: 1st January, 2022 for 3.5 years

Durham University is seeking applications from suitably qualified individuals interested in pursuing a PhD programme of study who can demonstrate evidence of academic excellence at undergraduate and/or Masters level, as well as evidence of sufficient research skills to undertake the project.

The research involves the experimental and constitutive study of the hydro-mechanical behaviour (HM) of compacted soils when subjected to the environmental actions of wetting and drying as a consequence of their exposure to the environment.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech is seeking to fill a tenure-track position in Geotechnical Engineering. The position is open at the Assistant Professor level. We have a very dynamic geotechnical program that has enjoyed continuous strong support from the Department and College, and we are excited about this opportunity to add a new member to our program.  

The position announcement can be seen on this pdf file. Additional information can be found at : https://cee.vt.edu/content/cee_vt_edu/en/Apply.html

Note that the review for this position will start on November 15, 2021.  Any questions can be directed to Prof. Adrian Rodriguez-Marek (adrianrm@vt.edu).

Project Title

THCM characterisation of engineered bentonite barriers in the very near field behaviour in deep geological repositories of high-level radioactive waste

Project description

The retention properties, the low permeability and the swelling capacity of compacted bentonites have led to an interest in their use in various fields of technology. This is particularly true in the design of deep geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel and other high-level nuclear waste. The objective of the project is to develop a coupled THCM formulation, with non-simplistic geochemistry and consideration of thermal effects at high temperatures that includes the thermodynamics of bentonite hydration. The mathematical formulation will be implemented in a numerical tool to simulate the behaviour of bentonite barriers at repository scale. This will be especially useful for the study of the repository in the short term, when, in unsaturated conditions, temperatures in the engineering barriers are expected to be the highest. As a result, the characterisation of critical phenomena for the safety of the repository (maximum temperatures, corrosion, dissolution) will be improved, highlighting the scope and limitations of the formulations used to date.

As a starting point, a base model in Comsol Multiphysics integrating coupled THM and THC developments will be used.

Conditions

A 4 year FPI grant by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation is available to support the candidate. The collaboration will start as soon as the administrative procedure is solved, expected to be in the first quarter of 2022. The terms and conditions for submitting applications can be found at :
Subprograma Estatal de Formación | Programa Estatal para Desarrollar, Atraer y Retener Talento | Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023 | Convocatorias – Agencia Estatal de Investigación (es) (aei.gob.es)

More information on this website.

The deadline is 11 November 2021. The project code is PID2020-118291RB-I00.