Base-isolated buildings, founded on steel springs or laminated rubber bearings, have been employed since the 1960s in locations susceptible to ground-borne vibration.  Examples exist across a wide range of buildings, from residential to commercial. In all cases, the objective is to reduce internal levels of perceptible vibration and re-radiated noise, with the most common sources being nearby surface or underground railways.  Despite the extensive use of base isolation, there is a significant lack of guidance on all aspects of design. This reflects a fundamental lack of understanding of various aspects of the system dynamics, such as: the significance of different vibration sources and multiple vibration transmission paths; the nature and significance of soil-structure interaction; and the sensitivity of the isolation performance to system uncertainty.

This project will apply fundamental engineering science, underpinned by site measurements, to develop an improved understanding of base-isolation performance, working towards the ultimate objective of developing a performance-based design approach for controlling ground-borne vibration.

The project is wholly funded by WSP Consulting Engineers and will involve close collaboration with the company to ensure that the research leads to practical implementation wherever possible. Access will be granted to some unique construction sites, offering rare opportunities to undertake vibration measurements for validating theory.   

Applicants should have (or expect to obtain) the equivalent of a UK first class honours degree (and preferably a Masters degree) in Mechanical or Structural Engineering.  Preference will be given to those with experience in Structural Dynamics. The studentship will cover fees and an annual maintenance grant for EU nationals equivalent to the standard EPSRC grant (currently £13,863 per year).  Non-EU nationals will be considered only if they can cover the differential for overseas tuition fees.

Requests for further details should be sent to Dr James Talbot (jpt1000<στο>cam.ac.uk).

Closing date: end of June 2015, but earlier application is advised.

Applications should be submitted via the University of Cambridge Graduate Admissions web pageshttp://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/gradadmissions/prospec/apply/, with Dr Talbot identified as the potential supervisor. 

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