PhD Candidate in Timber Engineering - Trondheim, Norge - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Beskrivelse

About the job

We have a vacancy for a Ph.D. Candidate within the timber structures' group at the Department of Structural Engineering.

The timber structures group at NTNU has had a great development over the last years. The research interests of the group are focused on development of structural concepts for mid-rise timber buildings, timber bridges with long spans, development of high-performance connections based on threaded rods, static and dynamic testing of timber components and investigation of fracture and high-cycle fatigue. The research methods are based on both small-scale and full-scale experimental testing and on Finite Element Modelling.

Timber structures have gained increasing attention in the European construction field because of their sustainability, cost effectiveness, and reduced self-weight. The use of wood is particularly beneficial because of its low carbon footprint compared to other construction materials such as concrete and steel. Wood products can achieve high mechanical performance not only at the material level, but also at structural level, as it was proved by the recent efforts to design and construct high timber buildings in Europe. Such buildings require performant connections in terms of stiffness and resistance to achieve sufficient serviceability and safety. Performant moment-resisting connections can contribute to the lateral stiffness of the building, reducing the need for diagonal bracing or walls and allowing for more spacious buildings. An innovative moment-resisting beam-to-column connection has recently been developed at NTNU, based on friction, and utilizing threaded rods as fasteners.

The design life of load-carrying wooden structures is recommended to be up to 100 years by the Eurocodes. However, the long-term mechanical deterioration of wood driven by cyclic variations of the environmental conditions is a challenging topic for large structures. Furthermore, increasing circularity and prolonging the service life of buildings and structural components is a step forward towards more sustainable, resource-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly construction. Therefore, the response of the connection subjected to long-term loading and moisture effects should be investigated, as well as the potential for disassembling/reassembling. Moreover, design recommendations about the long-term performance need to be developed for the application of such connections.

The scope of this Ph.D. project is to investigate the long-term behaviour of moment-resisting connections with threaded rods subjected to permanent load under varying climate conditions and evaluate the long-term effects on the structural response of buildings.

The research will involve both finite element modelling and experimental work. The research will involve cooperation within the framework of an international project.

The Ph.D. project aims to start in August/September 2024. The Ph.D. position holder will be required to work in Trondheim, together with the rest of the timber structures group.

Your immediate leader is Associate Professor Francesco Mirko Massaro.

Duties of the position

Required selection criteria

The appointment is to be made in accordance with and

Preferred selection criteria

Personal characteristics

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years, with a possible extension to 4 years with 25 % teaching duties.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.