Doctoral Researcher in Concrete Modelling

About us

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) at the University of Luxembourg contributes multidisciplinary expertise in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences and Medicine.
Through its dual mission of teaching and research, the FSTM seeks to generate and disseminate knowledge and train new generations of responsible citizens in order to better understand, explain and advance society and the environment we live in.

The Sustainable Concrete Structure Laboratory is looking for 3 new Ph.D. candidates based on the ERC project RESCUE. In this fully-funded position, the Ph.D. candidates will work on using developing new modelling frameworks for predicting the remaining life of reused concrete elements. This project calls for an open character with a strong knowledge on concrete structures as well as curiosity across discipline boundaries (civil engineering, material science, and computer science).

Your role

As the successful candidate, you will contribute to a research project at the intersection of engineering (concrete structures), material science (durability, mechanical behavior), data science (probabilistic modelling, ML, multi-scale, …), and life-cycle analyses.

The aim of these Ph.D. projects is to develop the first predictive modelling for reused concrete-element capacity. The tasks comprise the development of a laboratory campaign of full-scale reused concrete elements, the development of non-destructive testing methods, the development of new data-driven physics-informed models, and the evaluations of life-cycle gains.

This groundbreaking research output will lead to the extension of the service life of concrete infrastructures, leading to a significant reduction of carbon emissions and costs of the construction sector.

PhD topics:

• First PhD topic: Mechanical behavior of reused concrete
• Second PhD topic: Durability properties of reused concrete
• Third PhD topic: Data-driven modelling of reused concrete

We do not expect every single person to be an expert across all these fields, but you must be open to learning about and embracing challenges in fields you may not yet have been working with. We thus warmly encourage you to apply even if you feel that you only partially meet the criteria in terms of background and expertise, as you will have the opportunity to acquire the missing knowledge during the first year of the project.

Your profile

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in civil engineering or related area
• Good understanding of the structural behavior and material properties of concrete structures and modelling of civil structures. Knowledge of concrete reuse is a plus
• Curiosity, a genuine passion for scientific research
• Commitment and capacity to critical thinking and good research ethics
• Operational Language Requirements: Excellent command of English is required

Academic Eligibility (Thesis):

Applicants must demonstrate at least B2-level proficiency in the language of their thesis. For details and accepted certificates, please visit the Application for admission - Doctoral Candidates.

We offer

• A modern, dynamic university with a personal and inclusive atmosphere. Multilingual and international character. Staff coming from more than 90 countries. Member of The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities
• An exceptional research environment, supported by skilled staff and high-quality equipment. Strong links to professional sectors and the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban campus with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and a wide range of non-academic partners including ministries, local governments, associations, and NGOs

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter presenting your motivation for this project, explaining why do you want to work for a Ph.D. degree and why at the University of Luxembourg
• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken
• List of publications (if available) or work samples (5 pages max)
• PDF version of your Master Thesis with English abstract

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Belval Campus
• Internal Title: Doctoral Researcher
• Job Reference: UOL08530

The yearly gross salary for every Doctoral researcher at the UL is EUR 44531 (full time).