We are looking for a PhD Student to collaborate with us on a project entitled:

“Towards neutral carbon building materials: Chemo-hydro-mechanical response of cement paste carbonation through coupled X-ray and neutron high resolution imaging and modelling in recycled concrete aggregates”

supervised by Matthieu Briffaut, Alessandro Tengattini, and Stefano dal Pont, to be carried out at project at the Institut Laue Langevin/Laboratoire 3SR, at the Université Grenoble Alpes.

More details about this at the link below
https://esrf.gestmax.eu/1486/1/phd-position-towards-neutral-carbon-building-materials/en_US

Agricultural and forestry plant residues are available sources of carbon, but require fragmentation/ separation operations to extract ultrafine powders with targeted properties. This plant-based dry biorefinery is a promising alternative to oil, particularly for energy and materials applications. IATE laboratory hosts the INRAE national plant fractionation platform and is developing, in collaboration with LMGC laboratory, unique numerical models for granular materials composed of breakable particles. A major challenge is to understand how the microstructure and interactions in plant tissues influence the size, composition and shapes of the fragments. In this thesis, we will associate a massively parallel peridynamic model for the propagation of the fracture across the histological structures of plants (μm scale), and a Discrete Element approach for grain fragmentation (process scale). The ultimate goal is to elucidate the deconstruction mechanisms and develop bottom-up models accounting for both mechanical and physicochemical interactions.

See attached file for more information.

The Spanish National Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona) invites applications for a PhD position to develop a novel multi-scale approach to predict the hydro-chemo-mechanical behavior of cementitious materials from the aggregate to the continuum scale. The position is part of the MAGIC WP on Chemo-Mechanical AGIng of Cementitious materials (European Joint programme on Radioactive Waste Management, EJP-EURAD). The research team at IDAEA-CSIC is formed by Dr. Víctor Vilarrasa, Dr. Marco Dentz, Dr. Josep Soler and Dr. Jordi Cama.

We offer a 3-year PhD position for developing a novel multi-scale method and its subsequent application to numerical simulations of multi-scale hydro-chemomechanical behavior of cementitious materials (concrete) under repository conditions. The candidate will perform her/his research at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC) in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment.

See attached file for more information

One position of “PhD Studentship – Predicting Heave in Mudstone Excavations for High Speed Rail” is available at the University of Bath, UK.

The application is open until the 25th April 2021 (https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CEG713/phd-studentship-predicting-heave-in-mudstone-excavations-for-high-speed-rail).

The funding is for UK and EU Students.

Experimental and numerical study on the hydromechanical-gas behaviour of clay materials

Research project

Clay materials have been considered as potential candidate for closure structures in high-level radioactive waste repositories. In spite of several studies investigating its hydro-mechanical behaviour, the kinetics of the re-saturation process and the development of swelling pressure of clay materials, observed in the large-scale experiments during long periods (e.g. several years), can still not be accurately predicted by the existing numerical models. Besides, its behaviour under the development of gas pressure, induced by corrosion of ferrous materials under anoxic conditions, is still not well understood.

This project aims at investigating the hydromechanical behaviour of clay materials under re-saturation following injection of gas at high pressure. Advanced laboratory experiments (using X-ray microtomography and magnetic resonance imaging) will be first used to observe these processes at various scales. The experimental results will be then used to develop and validate numerical models to predict the behaviour of clay materials at the field structure scale.

Candidates profile

Candidates should have strong background on geomechanics and be interested in both experimental and numerical approaches.

Candidates must be under 26 years of age on October 1, 2021. For administrative reasons, candidates must be citizens of the European Union.

Contact and application

The application (including CV and motivation letter) should be sent to Dr. Anh Minh TANG (anh-minh.tang@enpc.fr) before March 15, 2021.

One position of “Researcher in Geotechnical Engineering : physical and numerical modelling” is available at the Gustave Eiffel University, Nantes campus, France.

The application is open until the 19th March 2021 (https://www.concours.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/charge-e-de-recherche-du-developpement-durable-de-a126.html).

More  information in the attached file.

Lund University welcomes applicants for a PhD position at the division of Geotechnical Engineering (LTH). The project will investigate the mechanical properties of clay till in drained condition. In particular an experimental characterization of clay till from different sites in the region of Skåne in south Sweden will be performed. The aim is to carry out a systematic laboratory test campaign to provide quality results, in terms of intern friction angle and effective cohesion, to be used as benchmark for the empirical relations used to derive these quantities from most common field tests. Based on the results of the experimental campaign, improvements to the existing relations or new relations will be suggested. Furthermore, to fully understand the role of stiff inclusions, typical of clay till, advanced experimental techniques such as x-ray computed tomography, will be used.

Applications should be submitted by the 23th of March 2021.

More information available at https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:383511/

Applications are welcomed for two PhD positions starting in September 2021.

The first position is a joint PhD position between Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (France) and UCLouvain (Belgium). The focus of the project is on the mechanism of grain crushing and the environmental factors affecting this phenomenon. More information in the attached file

The second position is PhD-teaching assistant position at UCLouvain. The objective of the PhD research will be to study the different multi-physical mechanisms affecting the flank collapses around volcanoes. More information in the attached file

Ineris proposes a post-doctoral position on the understanding and modelling of THMC processes in deep geothermal systems.

The postdoctoral position is offered in the Natural Hazards, Underground structures and storages unit within the Site and Territory Division. This post-doctoral is expected to begin on 15th March 2021 for 6 months.

For more information, please check the document enclosed.