PhD student position in Cementitious Materials

We are looking for a PhD student who will investigate the carbonation process in cementitious materials in which cement is largely replaced by natural pozzolans. Your work will contribute to substantial reduction of embedded CO2 in cementitious materials by enabling real-world application of natural pozzolan incorporated binders with minimized embedded CO2. You will contribute in developing novel experimental techniques that offer new fundamental insights into the material during deterioration that have direct impact onto the construction industry.

Project description
Globally, the cement industry accounts for around 7% of total carbon dioxide emissions. This is mainly due to the fact that concrete is by far the most common building material in the world and that concrete consists largely of cement. But there are solutions to reduce the climate impact. In climate-enhanced concrete, parts of the cement are replaced by alternative binders with lower carbon dioxide emissions. This project will focus on the performance of a new generation of binders, with incorporation of volcanic ash and calcined clay which were pioneered by the Romans 2000 years ago.

Your work will be an essential first step towards standardisation and mass production of these new types of binders ensuring their durability and technical properties. An important -often overlooked- step for these new binders that will be addressed in this project is the impact of carbon dioxide on the material response. You will investigate the positive and negative impact of carbonation in cementitious materials, i.e. the potential for carbon sequestration whilst balancing potential material degradation mechanisms that affect the material at the micro-structural scale. The main challenge is to maximize carbon sequestration before cracks appear.
Your research will investigate the effects of carbonation on the physico-chemical properties of the cementitious system, including hydrate phase assemblage, binding capacity, pore structure, changes in effective permeability and microcracking. The dimensions considered for the research span from the bulk response at continuum scale to the full 3D response at submicron scale.


Information about the division and the department
The research will be done in the research group Building Materials, which is part of the Division of Building Technology at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, in collaboration with the research groups Geotechnics and Concrete Structures at the same department.

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibility will be to carry out the PhD project and to conduct research in the area of Cementitious Materials. You will have the opportunity to influence the details of the research towards the needs of the project, with the possibility to combine experimental work with theoretical modelling. As a doctoral student, you will participate in doctoral courses and be involved in teaching activities. You will develop your skills in communicating scientific results, both to the public and industry and through scientific publications to the research community.

As a Ph.D. student you are employed by Chalmers and will receive a salary according to current salary agreements. The position is limited to maximum 5 years. A maximum of 20% of your time will be required for carrying out departmental duties, mainly teaching of undergraduate courses. The remaining time will be spent on your own courses and research, and you are expected to obtain a Ph.D. degree within 5 years (nominal time without department duties is 4 years).

Qualifications
You have good knowledge of cementitious materials and enjoy both experimental and modelling work. A suitable background is a Master of Science (Swedish: civilingenjör) in Chemical/Materials engineering or Civil or Structural Engineering, or an equivalent degree. A sound knowledge and experience of data processing and scripting, e.g. by the use of Python or Matlab, is recommended.

You are expected to work relatively independently (although you will be a part of a research environment with several other researchers and PhD students), have an ability to plan and organize your own work, to work in collaboration with others, and to be able to communicate your scientific results in English.

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

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 procedure
To apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=11408


Application deadline: 27-05-2023