PhD on buildings’ resilience in warmer and more humid climate of the future

We are excited to announce a PhD position about how the climate change impacts buildings. The goal is to enhance knowledge and prepare the society for the challenges of a warmer, more humid climate in the design, construction, and operation of buildings within the Swedish context. A special focus will be on using innovative and recycled materials to ensure resilient and sustainable buildings. The project will build on our pioneering work on the impact of climate change on buildings.

Project description
Research on how the climate change impacts the built environment has had a focus mainly on increasing temperature and precipitation, while limited attention was focused on increasing outdoor humidity. In Sweden, climate scenarios predict warmer and, consequently, more humid conditions. While warmer winters may reduce heating energy use, higher outdoor humidity will hinder ventilation efficiency, leading to increased mould growth risk in moisture-prone areas. Other issues include higher indoor humidity, decreased comfort, intensified VOC emissions from materials, more air-conditioner use, prolonged drying times during construction, and dimensional changes in wooden elements. The lack of similar studies limits definitive conclusions and recommendations for the industry and policy makers. Addressing these issues can help to prevent costly moisture damage repairs, which already today cost billions of SEK annually.

Information about the division and the department
The position is at the Division of Building Technology, specializing in Building Physics. Other research areas cover Building Materials and Sustainable Building. Together, we are a team passionate about physics, chemistry, computations, and sustainability, working together to advance building technology. From molecular reactions to urban-scale flows, we tackle complex phenomena, create innovative tools, and in close collaboration with the industry, we guide industry and policymakers with evidence-based solutions. Our two laboratories offer excellent opportunities for physical and virtual experimentation. We are about 40 people, mostly PhD students and postdocs, from over 20 countries and well-balanced in terms of academic rankings and gender.  


Major responsibilities
As PhD student, your major responsibility and task is to carry out the doctoral project described above. This means that you will develop a theoretical frame based on reviews of relevant literatures, articulate targeted problem formulations, select appropriate methodology and methods, collect data, and systematically and critically analyze the findings from your studies.

During this PhD journey, you will be embedded in a larger team, comprising your supervisors as well as collaborators in academia, business and civil society. Nevertheless, you are expected to develop your own scientific constructs and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing, demonstrating your capabilities of progressively becoming an independent researcher.

Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.

Qualifications
We are seeking a highly qualified individual with an MSc degree in civil or mechanical engineering, applied physics, or a related discipline. The ideal candidate will possess:


• Proven knowledge of the energy/hygorhtermal design and simulation of buildings.
• Programming and simulation skills in tools such as Matlab or Python. 

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Contract terms
The position is full-time for up to 4 years. It may include teaching or other departmental duties up to an additional 20% of 1 year at maximum. Preliminary start of the position is November 2024 but the starting date can be adjusted. 

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.


Application deadline: 2024-10-14