The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University invites applications for two postdoctoral positions in Computational Geomechanics.

About PolyU Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is ranked the second-best universities for Civil Engineering in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Ranking 2021.

Available positions: There is currently one postdoctoral position at PolyU Hong Kong funded by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the year 2022. The position offers the possibility of working on development and programming of multiscale multiphysics discrete element method (DEM) for simulation of granular materials.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Computational Mechanics or other relevant disciplines and have the ability to build an independent, externally funded research program at the forefront of their field. Programming experience in C++/Python/Julia/MATLAB/etc., and numerical modelling experience using DEM codes are required. Applicants with experience in GPU parallel programming is preferred.

Research topics: The research topic mainly focuses on developing multiscale multiphysics DEM based modelling approach with high efficiency for soil particle breakage, seepage-induced erosion, offshore foundation, geohazards, etc.

Starting date: The position is expected to get started as early as possible.

Contract duration: 1~2 years (extensions are possible based on the performance of research achievements).

Closing date for applications: You may apply for this position until Feb. 21, 2022 by email to the contacts given below. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be scheduled with early close of application depending on the number of candidates received.

Salary: 312,000 ~ 384,000 HK$ / year (35400~43600 EUR/year), depending on the performance and contribution. The tax rate of salary in Hong Kong is very low.

(https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/taxes/taxfiling/taxrates/salariesrates.htm).

Contacts: Please submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae C.V. and a letter stating your motivation to apply and your key relevant qualities to Dr. Yin-Fu JIN and  Dr. Xiang WANG (yinfu.jin@polyu.edu.hk; xiang.wang@polyu.edu.hk). Information of the research group can be found via: http://geoinvention.com/.

The Mechanics and Energy Lab (MEL – https://sites.northwestern.edu/rottaloria/) of Northwestern University, directed by Prof. Alessandro Rotta Loria, is seeking two post doctoral researchers to develop a research program at the intersection of electrochemistry and mechanics of materials devoted to unravel the promise of using mild electric stimulations to engineer soils and concrete through electrodeposited mineral crystals. See the attached file for more details.

The positions will start as soon as possible in 2022. Applications will be reviewed until the 2 post-doc positions are filled.

More information in this file.

Delft University of Technology is seeking candidates for a new Assistant or Associate Professor of Experimental Soil Mechanics with a focus on physical modelling.

The position is proposed to improve our understanding of the fundamental mechanical behaviour of geotechnical structures undergoing ageing and cyclic loads, and to provide new solutions to the present and future challenges of the built (including offshore) environment. The focus is on developing new physical modelling strategies to better assess and design geotechnical structures and infrastructure subjected to increasing anthropogenic and environmental (e.g. wind, wave, hydraulic, thermal, seismic) loadings, and to study the impact of soil-fluid-structure interaction processes. Emerging sensor and imaging technologies, as well as advanced data analysis, offer the opportunity to develop a new generation of experimental techniques for geotechnical testing in the laboratory and in the field.

See attached file for more details.

Deadline for applications: 7 February 2022.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University invites applications for two postdoctoral positions in Computational Geomechanics.

About PolyU Hong Kong: the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is ranked the second-best universities for Civil Engineering in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Ranking 2021.

Available positions: There is currently one postdoctoral position at PolyU Hong Kong funded by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the year 2022. The position offers the possibility of working on multiscale multiphysics modelling of fluid-structure-soil interaction in offshore geotechnics.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Computational Mechanics or other relevant disciplines and have the ability to build an independent, externally funded research program at the forefront of their field. Programming experience in C++/Fortran/etc. and numerical modelling experience using FEM/DEM/CFD code(s) are required.

Research topics: The research topic mainly focuses on FEM/PFEM/SPH/MPM based modelling on the fluid-structure-soil interaction problems in offshore engineering, such as offshore foundations, soil-pipeline, offshore geo-hazards.

Starting date: The position is expected to get started as early as possible. Contract duration: 1~2 years (extensions are possible based on the performance of research achievements).

Closing date for applications: You may apply for this position until Feb. 21, 2022 by email to the contacts given below. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be scheduled with early close of application depending on the number of candidates received.

Salary: 312,000 ~ 384,000 HK$ / year (35400~43600 EUR/year), depending on the performance and contribution. The tax rate of salary in Hong Kong is very low (https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/taxes/taxfiling/taxrates/salariesrates.htm).

Contacts: Please submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae C.V. and a letter stating your motivation to apply and your key relevant qualities to Dr. Yin-Fu JIN (yinfu.jin@polyu.edu.hk). Information of the research group can be found via: http://geoinvention.com/.

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