Start date: 5th October 2015

Duration: 3 years

The project: Geotechnical modelling of embankments for high speed railways

Transportation systems such as high-speed railways have become increasingly important for the economy and wellbeing of our society. High speed trains impose more stringent demands on the engineering performance of the embankment on which they transit than low speed ones. Embankments are subject to both static and dynamic stresses resulting from traffic induced loads. Increasingly extreme climatic variations are causing new problems: recently in the UK a major cause of train delays was due to shallow landslips triggered by intense prolonged rainfalls. Also during the 2000-2001 winter, higher soil moisture contents and pore water pressure resulted in 60 slope failures on roads and more than 100 on railways. Therefore, by understanding the underlying physical phenomena leading to the onset of failures, the project has the potential to provide new design guidelines to significantly improve the performance of embankment infrastructures and reduce their maintenance costs.

The thesis may involve an analytical, numerical and experimental (based on small scale tests run in the laboratory) part.

Depending on the skills and preferences of the PhD student, some research avenues will be pursued over others.

University of Warwick is a research led university within the Russell group. The School of Engineering was ranked 3rd in the UK in the latest REF (2014).

Eligibility:

Due to funding restrictions this award is available for well-qualified UK or EU students. Candidates are required to hold a 1st or 2.1 UK honours degree or equivalent in Civil Engineering or a related discipline is essential. Some prior knowledge of basic soil mechanics is required. Experience in MATLAB and C++ are desirable. The admission process will also require two supporting academic references and an English qualification if your first language is not English.

Funding Details:

The Scholarship will pay an annual stipend at the standard rate (currently £14,140) and cover the UK tuition fees for 3 years.

How to apply:

To apply for this post you must complete the online application form and quote scholarship reference XG-CRG.

As soon as you have a University ID number you will be invited to upload your degree certificate, transcripts, CV and a personal statement that explains your specific research interests and why you should be considered for this award.

Application Form Course Details:

Department: School of Engineering

Course Type: Research

Course: Engineering (PhD)

Application form: http://www.go.warwick.ac.uk/pgapply.