Applications are invited for a PhD studentship, jointly funded by Loughborough University and the European Construction Institute (http://www.eci-online.org/), to start in July 2015. The project will be based in the Loughborough’s School of Civil and Building Engineering, and will be developed in collaboration with global engineering and construction company, Fluor (http://www.fluor.com/uk), global logistics specialist, Mammoet (http://www.mammoet.com/) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano (http://www.dica.polimi.it/en/).

The project aims to apply concepts and tools of performance-based engineering (PBE) to modular structures transported by sea, and will develop an optimisation strategy under multiple sources of hazard for their design. Industry interest in this type of structures stems from the increasingly important role that modular construction plays in the delivery of large engineering projects, including petrochemical and nuclear plants. The size of modules for such applications varies from relatively small pipe-racks of about 50 tonnes to mega-modules exceeding 600 tonnes, which are assembled in specialised fabrication yards, where the majority of piping and wiring is fitted and the equipment is pretested before transportation. This means that, in addition to the loading scenarios typically considered for stick-built structures, e.g. wind and seismic forces, modular structures are also subjected to transportation loads. Unfortunately, existing codes of practice do not allow considering the combined effects of different actions in terms of the resultant probability of failure. PBE can therefore be resorted to, as it allows to rationally account for the different sources of uncertainties and provides the stakeholders with quantified information about the expected performance of the structure during its operational life. This approach is currently being developed for single hazards (e.g. earthquake, wind, fire and blast), while only a few pioneering works have considered multiple hazards, and very limited applications are available for transportation loads, which makes this project a challenging and exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated PhD student in civil and structural engineering.

The studentship provides a stipend of £13,863 per annum plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate for up to three years. International (non-EU) students may apply, but will need to find the difference in fees between those for a ‘UK/EU’ and ‘international’ student themselves.

Students will normally need to hold, or expect to gain, at least a 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering.  A relevant Master’s degree and/or experience in one or more of the following will be an advantage: Computational mechanics; Random vibration theory; Structural dynamics; Use of specialised software, such as SAP2000, MatLab and Mathematica. Applicants need also to demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English, as detailed at:http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/englang/index.htm

General information about the School of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University can be found at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/civil-building/

For informal enquiries about the project, please contact Dr Alessandro Palmeri: A.Palmeri<στο>Lboro.ac.uk

To apply, please complete the online application using the following link:https://luis.lboro.ac.uk/web_apx/f?p=100:1

The closing date for applications is Sunday 15^th March 2015 (or until a suitable candidate is selected).

Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 23^rd March 2015 (unless a suitable candidate is found first).

Please quote the following reference when applying: GS15CBE/S1