PhD position in Civil Engineering at EMPA, Switzerland

Deadline:  Not specified
Open to:  Applicants with Master’s Degree in civil engineering and excellent background knowledge in mathematics, physics and computer science; excellent written as well as spoken English is required.
Salary: According to the Swiss salary Scheme for the PhD students

Description

Empa is an interdisciplinary research and services institution for material sciences and technology development within the ETH Domain. Empa’s research and development activities are oriented to meet the requirements of industry and the needs of our society, and link together applications-oriented research and the practical implementation of new ideas, science and industry, and science and society. Empa employs more than 900 people from 50 nations. Empa is a responsible employer to its staff, offering them progressive employment and working conditions. Empa’s laboratory for Structural Engineering offers a position for a PhD student in civil engineering.

Together with your supervisors at Empa and EPFL you will work on the project “Updated braking forces for the assessment of road bridges”. The main goals of the project are:
– the development of a new simulation model describing the response of bridges to braking vehicles that considers the stochastic character of traffic flow, realistic braking processes and the dynamic response of a road bridge,
– a systematic analysis of the influence of physical parameters (braking force, bridge length, natural frequency, damping, ductility etc.) on the dynamic response of a road bridge,
– the implementation of simplified load models of braking forces being suitable for the design and maintenance of road bridges.
The work will be carried out mainly at Empa Dübendorf under the supervision of Dr. Glauco Feltrin. The PhD degree will be granted from EPFL. The supervisor of the PhD thesis is Prof. Katrin Beyer. The planned project duration is three years.

The salary will be based on the contract decided between the PhD student and the research facility and it will be based on the Swiss salary scheme for PhD students.

Conditions of the PhD position

What Empa offers

• Application-oriented PhD degree
• Fast conclusion of your thesis
• Experience in self-dependent project leadership
• Consolidated knowledge in materials science
• Good prospects on the job market
• Valuable contacts to research and industry
• Training in state-of-the-art scientific equipment
• Numerous experts covering several disciplines

Eligibility

You have a Master’s Degree in civil engineering and excellent background knowledge in mathematics, physics and computer science. Good knowledge in bridge design and structural dynamics are of great advantage. You are proficient in spoken and written English.

How to apply?

The selection will be based on a rigorous two-step application process. In a first step, applications (motivation letter, CV, diploma copies, all university records, 2 reference letters) will have to be submitted. After a first selection, potential candidates will be contacted for the final selection. It will be based on the candidate’s qualifications as well as on a personal interview with the supervisors. The position will be available upon agreement.
In order to apply, please click here to apply online via the Empa’s website.

Contacts

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Dr. Glauco Feltrin, Structural Engineering Laboratory, +41 58 765 44 50, glauco.feltrin@empa.ch.

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