PhD candidate in smart soil stabilisation

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The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NTNU has an open position for a PhD candidate in smart soil stabilisation. It focuses on evaluating non-destructive monitoring techniques for soil stabilisation using laboratory and field trials.

The PhD position will be affiliated to the Geotechnical Engineering group which focuses on computational geotechnics complimented by extensive field work and advanced field and laboratory testing of geomaterials. The research of our group aims for safe, environmentally sound, and cost-effective solutions for the built infrastructure. Research encompasses roads, railways, harbours, and complex deep-underground city construction.

A key aspect of soil stabilisation is to evaluate the strength and deformation properties of the improved ground in the field. Today's methods are based on destructive methods where the stabilised soil is either tested in the field using a penetrating device or sampled and transferred to the laboratory. These methods are limited in terms of their spatial and temporal resolution. Consequently, a significant amount of uncertainty on the properties of stabilised soil exist which is reflected in conservative design solutions. Better methods to assess the properties of stabilised soil in the field could have a significant impact on industry practice by reducing design uncertainties; thus, minimising the use of materials, energy, and labour.

The successful PhD candidate will be conducting research on non-destructive monitoring techniques for soil stabilisation using laboratory and field trials. First, this research will involve physical modelling experiments to investigate the performance of techniques such as distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) and S-wave velocity measurements in a controlled environment. Second, the developed methods will be tested at full-scale using field trials at the Norwegian GeoTest Sites (NGTS, www.geotestsite.no , RCN grant No. 245650/F50). Third, the candidate will be involved in research on utilising industry by-products such as bioash, steel slag, wastepaper sludge ash and biochar as alternative materials to stabilise soil. Finally, the successful applicant will explore data mining techniques to identify correlations between execution parameters, monitoring data and engineering properties of stabilised soil.

This role will be part of an international research project, called GOAL (Green sOil stAbiLisation, RCN grant No. 328767), https://www.ngi.no/eng/Projects/GOAL-Green-sOil-stAbiLisation ), which is funded by The Research Council of Norway (RCN). The primary objective of this project is to transform soil stabilisation technologies using latest sensing and monitoring techniques, automated data‐driven design solutions and more sustainable materials. GOAL consists of the following team: Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Keller Geoteknikk, Lindum, Bergene Holm, Celsa Armeringsstål, Norske Skog Skogn, University of California Berkeley, University College Dublin and the Technical University of Denmark. The PhD candidate will conduct research in close collaboration with the consortium partners. Research stays at the academic consortium partners such as NGI, UC Dublin and University of California Berkeley are foreseen.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the target is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The position has a duration of 3 years. Starting date for this PhD position is 1st of April 2022. The PhD candidate will report to the main supervisor.

Associate Professor Priscilla Paniagua from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will be the main supervisor of the PhD candidate. Professor Mike Long at UC Dublin and Dr Stefan Ritter at NGI will be Co-supervisors. A strong collaboration and support from the GOAL consortium partners is anticipated.