PhD student position

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering works with every aspect of construction in the community – houses to live in, roads to travel on, and water to drink – from planning to maintenance, taking into account the environment, energy and economics.
Analysis and problem-solving focus on the ways in which technology, humans and nature interact in society.

The Department has around 170 employees, divided between seven research divisions and an administrative team, and is based at the Johanneberg Campus.

When it comes to research and education, our Department is at the forefront, and through our work, we contribute to a sustainable built environment.

 

Information about the research
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is continuously gaining importance in the construction sector. The application of voluntary certification systems that include e.g. the assessment of the environmental impacts over the entire life cycle of a building is steadily growing. More building owners require an indication of the environmental impacts over the entire life cycle that go far beyond the pure energetic performance and considering e.g. the impacts caused by the choice of construction materials. The variety of possible methods to communicate the environmental impacts over the life cycle of a building is large. Many stakeholders in the construction sector are overwhelmed by the compelexity of a full LCA according to the ISO 14040, the amout of indicators, potential trade offs etc.

The project seeks to develop a new methological approach on how to reduce the complexity of a full LCA of residential and office buildings without loosing the accuracy of the results to be expevted. The new methodological approach should provide guidance especially in the early design stage of a planning process.

The PhD project is part of the wider effort of the research group Sustainable building to advance the field of LCA in the construction sector and its application in the market.

Major responsibilities
The PhD candidate is responsible for developing a methdological approach on how to reduce the complexity of a full Life Cycle Assessment approach following ISO 14040 on residential and office buildings in Sweden without losing the accuracy of the results to be expected. You will also be responsible for gathering a reliable sample size of representative data on the building level to develop a new methodology. Veryfying the feasibility and accuracy of the simplified LCA approach is also a major responsibility.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
The successful PhD candidate for this project ideally has past experiences in Life Cycle Assessment on the building level.

To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field. The successful PhD candidate for this project ideally has past experiences in Life Cycle Assessment on the building level. Experiences with buildings in Sweden is considered a big asset.

The PhD position is part of a national research project in collaboration with different stakeholders of the Swedish construction sector. Hence, an ability and interest to communicate with these stakeholders is crucial.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20160315 and written in English.
Application deadline: 19 September, 2016

For questions, please contact:
Professor Holger Wallbaum,
holger.wallbaum@chalmers.se
+46317721994

Head of division Stefan Forsaeus Nilsson,
stefan.nilsson@chalmers.se
+46317722553

 *** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. *** 
   



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our eight Areas of Advance; Built Environment, Energy, Information & Communication Technology, Life Science, Materials Science, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!