Research Associate in Permeable Concrete Pavements

Full time, Fixed Term for 1 year

Job summary

Applications are encouraged for a Research Associate position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London, to work as part of the Resilient Sustainable Infrastructure Group (www.imperial.ac.uk/resilient-sustainable-infrastructure). The project, led by Dr Alalea Kia, strives to investigate the structural performance of next-generation permeable concrete pavements used in critical infrastructure, such as highways, railways and airports.

Roads contribute to surface water flooding and are a widespread example of safety critical, weather-affected infrastructure. Road users’ visibility is affected by the splash/spray produced in wet weather and their vehicles are susceptible to skidding due to hydroplaning. To address this urgent need, a novel climate change resilient permeable pavement with a new engineered pore structure (Kiacrete) has been developed. There is a need to quantify Kiacrete’s structural performance through numerical modelling and laboratory testing using the state-of-the-art facilities in the Structures Laboratory. The initial term will be one year, with the potential to extend the appointment based on performance. The starting date is flexible, with a preference for March 2023.

Duties and responsibilities

You will be responsible for designing (using CAD, e.g. Rhino, SolidWorks) and developing a range of novel high-strength permeable concrete pavement specimens, which will be laboratory tested to measure the structural performance and numerically modelled (e.g. using COMSOL, ABAQUS).

Essential Requirements

• Hold a PhD in Engineering or a closely related field, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience,
• Experience in numerical modelling (structural performance/load-bearing capacity),
• Experience in setting-up and conducting large-scale laboratory testing, including the use of sensors and data loggers,
• Experience in small and large-scale structural testing,
• Knowledge of developing engineering drawings,
• Experience in steel reinforced concrete mix design development,
• Practical experience within a research environment and/or publication in relevant journals.

Further information

Applicants are recommended to contact Dr Alalea Kia (alalea.kia@imperial.ac.uk) for informal discussions about the project.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £38,194 - £41,388 per annum.

Further information about the post is available in the job description. Applicants wishing to be considered for this post should send a current CV and a one-page covering letter with the application.    

Any queries regarding the application process should be directed to Briony Webb at b.webb@imperial.ac.uk.

For technical issues when applying online please email support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk.

Closing Date: 24 February 2022.

To apply, visit www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs and search by the job reference ENG02476.

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