Department TW14 - Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials
Contract Limited duration
Degree MSc in Structural or Mechanical Engineering
Occupancy rate 100%
Vacancy type Research staff
Job description
ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.
For the (faculty/department/research group) we are looking for a m/f/x
Doctoral fellow
YOUR JOB
The safe long-term storage of nuclear waste remains an open research question. In the Belgium context underground storage galleries are considered as a solution. To that end, in 2002, a connecting gallery as part of the HADES underground research facility was built. This 90-meter-long gallery features an inner diameter of 4 meters, supported by a concrete segmental lining made up of rings, each comprising 10 segments and two keys. Each ring is 100 cm wide and 40 cm thick. To better understand the behavior of the concrete lining and its interaction with the surrounding Boom Clay, strain gauges were embedded in the concrete segments. These strain gauges have been manually monitored for over 22 years. Monitoring the strain in the concrete lining has proven crucial for estimating the evolution of stresses within the segmental lining and assessing the overall stability of the structure. Additionally, this data facilitates the back-calculation of the external pressure, a crucial factor in understanding long-term soil-structure interactions. Unfortunately, the aging creep behavior of the concrete complicates the analysis and requires advanced multi-physics analysis tool.
The overarching goal of this PhD is to bridge material science and structural performance predictions, including uncertainty quantification. While the project will primarily involve theoretical and numerical investigations, it will also include a limited set of experiments to provide additional insights for refining constitutive laws.
Job profile
- You hold a Master’s degree (preferably) in Structural or Mechanical Engineering (or another MSc leading to sufficient knowledge on the topics of relevance),
- You have an independent and well-organized working style,
- You have well-developed social skills directed towards working in an interdisciplinary team,
- You show strong motivation to succeed in scientific research,
- You have excellent presentation and scientific writing skills and excellent English language skills (verbally and written).
- Interest in working in an international research team at the Belgian nuclear research center SCK-CEN in a collaboration with ONDRAF/NIRAS
- Knowledge of programming languages (C++, Python, Matlab,…) for efficient data processing and developing novel computational tools is a requirement.
- Experience with underground structures, multi-physics finite element simulations, design of concrete structures and probabilistic calculations are an added value.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
- Your contract will start on 1/9/2025 at the earliest.
- The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by Team Personnel Administration based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.
How to apply
Send your CV, copy of your diploma (if already in your possession) and a motivation letter to [email protected].
We do not accept late applications.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Roman Wan-Wendner ([email protected])
