Research Associate in multi-physics models for concrete and porous media (x2 posts)

Contract Type: Fixed Term

EU post - starting as soon as possible, for 36 months (contract ends after 36 months or on 30 September 2026, whichever comes first)

KE Post –starting as soon as possible, for 16 months (contract ends after 16 month or on 31 March 2025, whichever comes first). 

Are you interested in developing next-generation material models that enable high-fidelity simulations of real components? We have a great opportunity for someone with expertise in computational methods to undertake research in support of projects that involve the development of physics-based models for concrete and porous media, taking advantage of modern computational resources and recent advances in machine learning for modelling and simulation.

For the 36 months EU post, you will work on an exciting collaborative EU project concerned with the numerical design and development of low-carbon repair cementitious composites for energy efficient retrofitting of historic concrete building, comprising 18 European institutions. As part of this project, reliable multi-physics concrete models will be developed to achieve a high-fidelity description of the thermal-hygro-mechanical phenomena taking place in repair mortars, with the final goal to develop fast-running numerical design tools to achieve whole-life carbon savings.

For the 16 months KE post, you will support a research project being undertaken in collaboration with Sir Robert McAlpine, engineering consultancy firm with specialist expertise and long heritage of involvement in design and asset management in nuclear power. As part of this project, reliable multi-physics concrete models will be developed to achieve a high-fidelity description of the thermal-hygro-mechanical phenomena taking place in heated concrete in the context of nuclear applications. You will focus on the implementation of physics-based governing equations, combining the resulting models with cutting-edge data-driven approaches for fast prediction of material behaviour.

You will be primarily based within the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, which has a long track record of developing innovative computational methods, but will work closely with colleagues based in other Departments in the University (e.g. Materials Science and Engineering) and international academic collaborators. You will also collaborate closely with national and international industrial project partners.

The work seeks to make significant contributions to the field, stimulating uptake in industry and also future research. This will require effective communication of results to both the international scientific community and industry. Good communication and project management skills are therefore essential.

These positions provide significant training opportunities. Given the multidisciplinary nature of the project, you will have opportunities to learn new skills (technical and professional) by closely collaborating with partners from academia and industry.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in engineering or a related subject area. As these roles involves the development and advanced numerical models, you will also need to have relevant experience in this area. If you are passionate about putting your hard-earned experience in this area to advance the state-of-the art of multi-physics modelling of materials, then we would love to hear from you!

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