Entreprenørfirmaet Nordkysten are looking for talented civil engineers interested in numerical analysis and experimental mechanics for an Industrial PhD position and the project #GREENPIPE – Green and Resourceful Pipe Construction using Modern Sensing techniques.

The project is carried out in collaboration with DTU Sustain with support from Innovation Fund Denmark

Currently, drilling fluids and soil residues from drilling operations in pipe construction are considered waste materials and are disposed of in landfills. At the same time, there is a shortage of raw materials such as sand and gravel in Denmark. Therefore, this project aims to create a circular concept where traditional raw materials are partially replaced with modified waste soil.

The goal is to develop and experimentally validate a model-based method to quantify the properties of recycled materials in pipe trenches, thereby challenging current guidelines for designing pipe trenches and promoting more sustainable construction.

About the job

Do you want to contribute to green research, technology and innovation? Join the Industrial PhD project #GREENPIPE - Green and Resourceful Pipe Construction using Modern Sensing techniques. You can obtain a PhD from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) while working for Entreprenørfirmaet Nordkysten A/S. We offer a PhD position that aims to bring us a step closer to circularity in construction using modern sensing techniques and numerical modelling.

Description

Currently, drilling fluids and soil residues from drilling operations in pipe construction are considered waste materials and are disposed of in landfills. This practice causes environmental problems and incurs additional costs for contractors. Simultaneously, the construction industry faces a high demand for raw materials, such as natural aggregates, leading to supply shortages, project disruptions, and price and availability issues.

This project aims to develop a circular material concept for contractors by replacing natural aggregates used as fill in pipe trenches with stabilized waste soil from the same contractor's drilling operations. This approach seeks to reduce transport distances, costs, and raw material usage.

The objective of the project is to establish a model-guided method for testing and monitoring trenched pipe systems. It aims to use modern sensing technology and numerical modeling to investigate and understand the structural behavior of pipes and the surrounding fill material produced with non-standard materials. These experiments will involve instrumenting the pipes and surrounding material with fiber-optic sensors.

The main tasks include

• Laboratory testing of recycled construction material based on waste soil.
• Formulating and coding an efficient mechanical model for analyzing buried pipe systems.
• Full-scale testing and analysis of data.
• Quantify the environmental impact of the proposed recycled material.
• Internal and external dissemination and network activities.

The PhD candidate will use the research infrastructure of Entreprenørfirmaet Nordkysten and DTU Sustain and receive support from industry experts. Academic supervision will be given by Associate Professor Asmus Skar and Postdoc Emil Mejlhede Kinslev from DTU’s Section for Geotechnics and Geology.

Main place of work: Entreprenørfirmaet Nordkysten A/S, Pårupvej 183-185, 3250 Gileleje.

Secondary place of work: DTU Sustain Section for Geotechnics and Geology, DTU Lyngby Campus Building 119.

Candidate profile: We are looking for a curious, creative, friendly, ambitious, and hard-working candidate with some experience in civil engineering and numerical modelling. The candidate must be self-driven, capable of working independently and in teams, and possess excellent communication skills in English.

Required qualifications: The candidate must hold an MSc degree in Civil Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.

Preferred qualifications: (i) background in working with finite element modelling; (ii) background in soil-structure analysis; (iii) experience within geotechnical or pavement engineering; (iv) pedagogical skills; and (v) previous industry/work experience.

Enrolment approval: the candidate will be subjected to academic approval by DTU; please refer to DTU's rules for the PhD education.

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Nordkysten is a family-owned construction company with more than 60 years of experience and 500+ employees. The company is situated in Region Hovedstaden (Gilleleje and Glostrup) and is a specialized contractor focused on construction projects for district heating, electricity, water, sewers, and site preparation. Nordkysten strives to be innovative by exploiting the most modern technologies within the industry and being ambitious in the green transition itself. We offer a workplace filled with dedicated people with different skills, nationalities and backgrounds who collaborate across the board with an informal tone, strong collegiality and a common identity linked to the construction industry.

Salary and appointment terms

The salary for the PhD position will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is three (3) years. The preferred starting date is September 1 (2024) or soon thereafter.

Further information:

DTU: Asmus Skar (asska@dtu.dk)

Entreprenørfirmaet Nordkysten: Kamilla Mercedes Kuld (kmk@nordkysten.dk)

You can read more about the department at https://sustain.dtu.dk/en/ and https://nordkysten.dk/

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at “DTU – Moving to Denmark”. Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup“ Zoom seminar for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application

Please send a single PDF file containing (in English) all relevant information and documentation; this file must include: (i) a cover letter; (ii) curriculum vitae; (iii) BSc and MSc diplomas with full grade transcripts and an official description of the grading scale; (iv) at least one reference letter; and (v) one authored (or co-authored) scientific manuscript, e.g., journal article, conference paper, or MSc thesis.