Qualification type: PhD
Location: Loughborough
Start date: April 2022, July 2022
Closing date: 27 February 2022
Overview
Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF 2014). In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College , including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career. Find out more .
The School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering boasts world-class facilities, with one of the fastest High-Performance Computer clusters in the UK and a £1.4m investment in its 3,000m2 laboratory, home to the two 100kg payload robots that underpin the work of the Hybrid Concrete Printing Group. The School is a place where diverse perspectives, cultures and values are accepted, appreciated, and celebrated. In the past ten years, we have averaged a successful PhD completion every two weeks, with doctoral graduates coming from 48 different countries.
You will join a world-leading research group at the cutting edge of design for digital manufacturing in construction and co-develop new tools for the design of structural components manufactured by 3D Concrete Printing in partnership with Cundall, a global multi-disciplinary engineering practice. The concrete printing group at Loughborough currently numbers 15 academics, research associates, interns and PhD students.
3D Concrete Printing is a digitally driven, off-site, large-scale additive manufacturing technology, which is rapidly establishing itself worldwide. Key to the wider application is the manufacture of structural materials that combine cement-based concretes and mortars with reinforcement.
Project details
This PhD will focus on the development of digital modelling tools and techniques to support structural design calculation and simulation. The candidate will be excited by the application of modelling techniques and undertaking experimental validation. The candidate will benefit from working closely with a leading structural engineering practice, providing excellent industrial experience and the potential to embed the developed codes into practice.
Entry requirements
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent international qualification) in a relevant subject. A relevant master’s degree and/or employment experience would be an advantage. Knowledge of control and automation, CAD/CAM, cementitious materials and/or design/digital workflow is desirable.
Funding information
The three-year studentship is intended to start by 1 July 2022. It provides a tax-free stipend of £15,609 a year (2021/22 rates – stipend will rise in line with the level set by the Research Council) for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at the UK rate. International students may apply for these positions; funding will cover tuition fees at the international rate in full, but the student will be responsible for their own living costs (estimated at £15,000 per year).
How to apply
All applications should be made online and must include a research proposal . Under programme name, please select 'Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering (Built Environment)'. Please quote reference number: ABCE22/Cundall.