Doctoral student on structural rehabilitation of concrete hydro dams

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Civil and Architectural Engineering

The division for Concrete Structures at KTH Civil and Architectural Engineering is in search for a doctoral student to be assigned a project on reinforced concrete structures within hydropower. Dams in Sweden and many other countries are aging and have an average age of over 50 years. Spillways and associated concrete structures play a crucial role in reducing the risk of dam overflow and serious damage. However, over the years, these have been exposed to varying flows, including extreme high flows, which in many cases has caused damage. The most common repair method today is underwater concrete casting, which is costly and experience shows that many such repairs do not last as long as planned.

The project is part of a national research program within the hydropower area called SVC – Swedish Centre for Sustainable Hydropower. The research is carried out together with senior researchers at KTH and in interdisciplinary research collaboration with international researchers and industry partners. The aim is to create a better understanding of how damage occurs, what forces and hydraulic loads act, and how these affect both concrete and the rock subsurface. The project is expected to provide decision-making information for maintenance, repair and reconstruction of embankments and associated structures.

Supervision: The doctoral student is proposed to be supervised by Professor Anders Ansell, Docent Andreas Sjölander and PhD Erik Nordström. Decisions are made on admission.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

The ideal candidate has an exam that covers the areas of concrete structures, structural engineering and structural mechanics, also with experiences from structural dynamic analysis and testing, and from using advanced finite element modelling for structural analysis.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a doctoral student, you are entitled to a workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement. Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) | KTH | Sweden.

Union representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

Doctoral Student’s network (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for PhD chapter.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must include the following elements:

• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

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