A  doctoral position is available at IGE for developing a 3D coupled model of creeping snow on slopes. This position is part of a project which final goal is to improve the design of snow avalanches protective structures (snow racks).

This position is proposed by IGE-INRAE and 3SR, both located in Grenoble. It will be supervised by T. Faug, B. Chareyre and S. Lambert.

The attached document gives further details on the context and aims of this position, together with the required qualifications for applying.

Lund University welcomes applicants for a PhD position at the division of Geotechnical Engineering (LTH). The position concerns research in dynamics and wave propagation, applied to installation of steel sheet piles in the ground. The research work includes development of numerical methods and models for analysis of vibrations and dynamic response with particular interest in stop criteria for cases when blocks are encountered during installation. Experimental investigations will be performed for model verification purposes.

Applications should be submitted by the 3rd of May 2024.

More information available at https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:703701/

The mechanics of large creeping rockslides: experimental and numerical modeling of hydro-mechanical interactions in basal shear zones

Large rockslides evolve by progressive rock failure and strain localization in basal shear zones, with a time-dependent macroscale behavior (“creep”) anticipating catastrophic collapse. Nonetheless, existing forecasting and Early Warning approaches are often based on empirical descriptions of observed creep styles not accounting for the microscale physical processes governing the transition to collapse. In particular, hydro-mechanical interactions in basal shear zones and their sensitivity to hydrological forcing, especially in climate change scenarios, remain elusive.

This PhD project will explore the effects of mineralogy and evolving texture on the magnitude, timing, and velocity dependence of rockslide shear zone response to stress and pore pressure perturbations. To this end, innovative laboratory creep experiments on natural shear zone materials will be combined with state-of-art constitutive and numerical techniques (e.g. PFEM, MPM), able to model large deformation and strain localization, and compared to field and remotely sensed in situ monitoring data.

We seek a candidate with an engineering/structural geological or geotechnical background, motivated to work in a multi- disciplinary team with strong geological, geotechnical, and computational expertise, to improve our understanding of large landslide behavior in a risk reduction perspective. The research will be carried out in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome (Rock Mechanics and Earthquake Physics Lab) and the Universidad de Los Andes (Chile), where the PhD student will spend a research period.

Supervisors:  Prof. Federico Agliardi (federico.agliardi@unimib.it) & Prof. Matteo Ciantia (matteo.ciantia@unimib.it)

call for application link

The project focuses on the process of maturation of active faults in the upper crust by chemical alteration of their fault walls, and on the feedback between alteration and tectonic activity. This topic is at the center of the AlterAction ANR project (https://anr-alteraction.osug.fr) gathering 20 scientists from four institutions funded for 42 months (2024 2027).

More information on this pdf file.

At the DMEX center for X-ray Imaging in Pau, France, we apply X-ray imaging to study a plethora of things, employing advanced X-ray tomography methods, including spectral tomography. We are currently seeking a motivated postdoc to use this technique in order to develop a methodology for estimating the amount of natural hydrogen present in the North American intracratonic zone, in collaboration with IFPEN.

You can download the job offer here: English or French.
Interviews will take place until a suitable candidate is found.   

Applications are welcome for a fully funded PhD position on the response of backfill soil – seawall interaction subjected to sea level rise.

This is an exciting PhD position within the framework of the Project “PIONEER: An adaptation approach for resilient coastal infrastructure against sea level rise”, a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and Virginia Tech, funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

For further information on the eligibility criteria and application process, please follow the link below:

https://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate/research/phd/impact-sea-level-rise-backfill-soil-%E2%80%93-seawall-interaction

The position is available for Home/EU and International students.

Application deadline is May 15^th!

Further enquiries on the vacancy can be directed to Dr Melis Sutman (melis.sutman@ed.ac.uk)

Scholarship Coverage: The scholarship includes full tuition (available for both local and international students) and an annual living stipend of £19,237 (tax free), for a funding period of 4 years.

Research Topic: Optimising Trenching Techniques for Subsea Cable Installation

Main Research Focus: The research will focus on optimising trenching techniques for the installation of subsea cables, utilising the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) within the existing research group.

Industrial Collaboration: UK Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) Ltd

Suitable Fields: This scholarship is suitable for graduate students with backgrounds in mechanics, geotechnical engineering, geological engineering, mechanical engineering, or related fields with experience in computer simulation.

Application Deadline: May 20, 2024 (British time)

Application Link: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/studentships/optimising-trenching-techniques-for-subsea-cable-installation/

Additional Information: This scholarship is part of the UKRI EPSRC CDT – Net Zero Maritime Energy Solutions (N0MES). The centre has 33 partners in the maritime energy sector, and N0MES doctoral researchers will conduct interdisciplinary research related to maritime energy.

Collaborating Supervisor: Dr. Xue Zhang (https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/engineering/staff/xue-zhang/) Contact Email: xue.zhang2@liverpool.ac.uk

EDF R&D Lab Paris-Saclay in collaboration with the LMPS laboratory of CentraleSupélec is seeking a candidate for a doctoral position on the following topic: “An integrated methodology for source-to-structure seismic safety assessment including uncertainty propagation by surrogate modeling”.

The position has a duration of 3 years and the PhD is expected to start on autumn 2024.

The PhD offer can be found in the attached pdf.

Post-doctoral Fellowship positions of Machine Learning in Geotechnical Engineering are currently open at the Geotechnical Engineering Research Group, Shandong University, Jinan, China. Candidates should have graduated with a Ph.D. within the last three years and have experience in the field of machine learning in geotechnical engineering. Successful candidates will engage in interdisciplinary research in the application of machine learning in transportation geotechnics or offshore geotechnical engineering. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Prof. Kai Yao by emailing yaokai@sdu.edu.cn

The salary package could be referred to https://www.en.sdu.edu.cn/info/1169/7271.htm

In collaboration with ESTP-ENPC, we are proposing two thesis topics for the new academic year, on the subject of clay shrinkage and swelling.

One is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a treatment solution in inhibiting the phenomenon, while the second is aimed at assessing the development of the risk of shrink-swell in the context of an increase in extreme weather events linked to climate change. The two descriptions are attached:

• Development of an in-situ soil treatment solution for clay shrink-swell inhibition.
• Modeling soil-atmosphere interactions to study the clay shrink-swell hazard in a context of climate change.