Doctoral student in Building technology

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Linnaeus University, Department of Building technology, is searching for applicants for a 4-year full-time Ph.D. position. The responsibilities include research education up to a Ph.D. degree in Building Technology. The Swedish Higher Education Act indicates that a person employed as a Ph.D. student shall mainly devote themselves to their studies. The candidate may, however, work with education, research and administration in a limited capacity. Such compulsory work may not comprise more than 20% of the total working time and the total employment can then be extended up to 5 years. Place of employment is Växjö, Sweden and it is 100 % employment

Project description

Modern engineered wood-based products are gaining importance as load bearing elements in structures. Particularly the share of cross-laminated timber in timber structures is increasing considerably, also in the Nordic European countries. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a composite structure of wooden lamellas glued together in a cross-wise, layered manner. Thereby, large-sized elements are produced for wall and floor elements, allowing for a two-dimensional load transfer compared to traditional timber beam structures. Since there are no European product standards nor harmonized product lay-ups, today, there is a huge diversity in CLT products, which challenges the engineering design of CLT structures. At the same time, harmonized European design guidelines are currently under development. 

The PhD project deals with the engineering, structural design of CLT structures by means of a bottom-up approach from the product and component scale up to the structural scale. Besides the mechanical performance of the CLT product itself, the load bearing characteristics of connections in CLT elements constitute an important design issue that will be dealt with in this project. The latter encompasses the behaviour of CLT in contact situations, inducing relative deformations due to compression perpendicular to the grain stresses, as well as connections with mechanical fasteners. The load-displacement characteristics of dowel-type connections, such as nails or screws, commonly used in CLT structures in combination with steel or timber plates, will be investigated. Special emphasise will be placed on the exploitation of findings on the product and component scale in the structural analysis and engineering design of CLT structures, establishing consistent and enhanced design concepts, based on scientific research and suitable for the timber engineering industry and for standardization in a European context.

The load transfer in CLT structures will be studied by means of advanced experimental methods of mechanics and analytical and numerical modelling including the structural analysis of CLT structures.

Entry requirements

Required basic qualifications

•    a master’s level degree

•    completed course requirements of at least 240 university credits, including 60 credits in a relevant master’s level program, or

•    in some way has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge within or outside of Sweden.

 

Required specific qualifications

•    at least 90 credits in the subject building technology or subjects relating to the proposed research subject or equivalent knowledge acquired in any other manner within or outside of Sweden.

•    good language skills in English, and preferably Swedish as well.

 

Other selection criteria are

•    courses taken and completed project works within the fields of timber construction, wood materials, structural mechanics and modelling of timber elements and timber structures with FEM;

•    courses taken and completed project works within the field of experimental mechanics with application to wood mechanics and timber engineering

•    high grades in basic and advanced level education,

•    the ability to write in English and Swedish,

•    working experience relevant for the research studies and

•    an interest in participating in teaching and other activities at the department.

 

Information is provided by

Dr. Thomas K. Bader, tel: 0470 76 75 79, E-post thomas.baderl@lnu.se
Head of department: Johan Vessby, tel: 0470 70 88 45, E-post: johan.vessby@lnu.se
Human resource consultant: Camilla Andersson, tel: 0470-70 80 36
E-post: camilla.andersson@lnu.se

Please mark your application with dnr 2016/2924-2.2.1. Last day to apply is 8 of August 2016


Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. The applicant also requested to submit with their application a proposed research plan within the current area of research. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 24.00 on the closing day.