Department of Mechanics: Vacancies: UCEEB Postdocs

Announcement

The Czech Technical University in Prague - University Center for Energy Efficient Buildings (UCEEB) offers six post-doctoral positions in the field of modeling, simulation, assessment and optimization of multi-functional materials and structures.

Start date: From 1st January 2013, until all positions are filled
Contract duration: 30 months (with a critical evaluation after the first year)

UCEEB in brief

Launched in October 2012, UCEEB is a newly established joint project of five faculties of the Czech Technical University in Prague. The mission of the Center is to perform high-level interdisciplinary research in the field of energy savings in buildings, utilizing a simulation- based engineering approach. The theoretical research activities will be systematically complemented with experimental validation, performed in a full-scale setting. This will provide unique data on materials, structures, and systems of intelligent control, including on their impact on the built and natural environment. Development of the Center is supported by the European Union through the Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations, project No. CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0091.

Project organization

The present project integrates six different topics aligned with the research activities of UCEEB. Each topic will be supervised by a mentor from the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, with long-term experience in the relevant fields of research. The project is supported by the European Union .

The mentors involved in the project include, in alphabetical order:

• Milan Jirásek (full professor, Department of Mechanics, Milan.Jirasek@fsv.cvut.cz), an expert in the modeling of inelastic and time-dependent behavior of materials and structures;

• Petr Kabele (full professor, Department of Mechanics, petr.kabele@fsv.cvut.cz), his research interests include analytical and numerical modeling applied to development of high-performance cement- and lime-based composites and their structural applications, simulation of geological processes;

• Bořek Patzák (full professor, Department of Mechanics, borek.patzak@fsv.cvut.cz) with research interests in numerical methods in mechanics, particularly adaptive techniques and constitutive modeling of quasibrittle materials and in high performance computing and software development;

• Michal Šejnoha (full professor, Department of Mechanics, sejnom@fsv.cvut.cz), an expert in geometrical and constitutive modeling of ceramic, metal and polymer matrix composites with random microstructures;

• Petr Štemberk (associate professor, Department of Concrete and Masonry Structures, stemberk@fsv.cvut.cz), an expert in the design of concrete structures, experimental and numerical analysis of concrete structures and concrete technology;

• Jan Zeman (associate professor, Department of Mechanics, zemanj@cml.fsv.cvut.cz), whose expertise lies in numerical and analytical methods for random heterogeneous materials.

Topic details

Modeling of coupled cracking, creep and hygrothermal effects in construction materials

Mentor: Milan Jirásek

Description: The postdoctoral Fellow will work on a comprehensive model and simulation tool for the description of coupled thermo-hygro-mechanical effects in construction materials, in particular concrete. The model will take into account inelastic deformation processes (such as cracking or plastic yielding), viscous deformation processes, transport of moisture, and heat conduction. Particular attention will be paid to the mutual interaction between the mechanical problem and the heat and mass transfer, e.g. to the effect of temperature and humidity on creep, or to the effect of cracking on diffusivity and conductivity.

Specific requirements: Experience with nonlinear finite element analysis, good background in viscoelasticity, plasticity and continuum damage mechanics, excellent programming skills (preferably C++ or similar object-oriented languages).

Coupled multiphysics modeling of historical masonry

Mentor: Petr Kabele

Description: The research will include the development and implementation in FEM of a coupled numerical model for thermo-hygro-carbo-mechanical phenomena in masonry with lime-based mortars. The modeling will be accompanied by experiments necessary to acquire the material parameters of individual components (mortar, stone/bricks) as well as to validate the model. Ultimately, the numerical tool should serve such goals as the prediction of overall thermal/hygral transport and accumulation properties of massive historical masonry walls or the assessment of restoration performed with new high-performance mortars.

Specific requirements: Good background in numerical methods, programming skills (C++), ability to design and perform experiments.

General requirements

We are looking for candidates who

• hold a Ph.D. degree (or equivalent) in the research area related to the selected topic,
• have an ability to perform independent research with a strong emphasis on publications in refereed journals,
• possess excellent communication skills and written/verbal knowledge of the English language.