Department of Mechanics: Vacancies: UCEEB Postdocs

Announcement

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

Start date: as soon as possible after 29 September 2014
Contract duration: until 30 June 2015

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 four 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, through the Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations, project No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0034.

The mentors involved in the project include:

• Petr Kuklík (associate professor, Department of Steel and Timber Structures, kuklik@fsv.cvut.cz), an expert in the design of timber structures, experimental and numerical analysis of timber structures and wood-based materials;

• Jan Valentin (deputy head, Department of Road Structures, jan.valentin@fsv.cvut.cz) an expert in pavement technology and asphalt materials testing.

Research topics

Wood-based materials II

Mentor: Petr Kuklík

Description: Evaluation of physical and mechanical properties of wood and wood-based products by destructive and non-destructive methods. Investigation of microstructure of wood and wood based materials. Development of wood-based materials. Modification of wood and wood-based materials in order to enhance their quality (UV-stability, durability, fire resistance, etc.).

Specific requirements: Good knowledge of wood mechanics, experience with experimental work in laboratory, with emphasis on microscopic evaluation of wood and wood-based materials (the ability to work with electron microscope).

Adhesion between bituminous binder and aggregate including asphalt mortar

Mentor: Jan Valentin

Description: The adhesion between aggregate and bitumen has been aiming research interest for more than 60 years. Several test procedures and theories of adhesion have been developed. Nevertheless the problem of understanding correctly this phenomenon and its effect on asphalt durability or sensitivity to ageing faster are still not answered completely. The development in microscopy, functional testing of bitumen and asphalt mechanical properties, new techniques in image processing and its application in the asphalt mixture field facilitate the possibility to assess the binder adhesion to aggregate in less empirical way. The ageing of asphalt materials is affected by several aspects during its live time and performs as crucial factor in pavement durability where several factors are combined – water, frost, temperature changes, UV. The research fellow will perform and develop improved procedures for the adhesion testing, address the short and long term ageing processes and simulate the effects on the pavement durability.

Specific requirements: bitumen and asphalt material testing, finite element method, numerical simulation, knowledge of the EU and US pavement design and asphalt material specification, bitumen ageing phenomena

General requirements

We are looking for candidates who

• hold a Ph.D. degree (or equivalent) in the research area related to the selected topic dated from 29 March 2008 or later,
• 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.

We offer

• the possibility to work in a newly established dynamic and ambitious research center with the state-of-the art equipment,
• a contract with a duration until 30 June 2015,
• a gross salary of 56,000 CZK per month (approximately 2,050 Euro or 2,800 USD; the average gross salary in the Czech Republic is about 900 Euro),
• a partial coverage of the mandatory social and medical insurance by the employer (the employee has to contribute 6.5% of the gross salary to pension insurance, 4.5% to health insurance and, according to the currently valid legislation, approximately 16.5% is deduced as income tax),
• the coverage of travel expenses of up to 55,000 CZK per year,
• the coverage of operating costs of up to 40,000 CZK per year,
• a three-month internship at a foreign university or a company.

Application

For more information, please contact the mentor using the e-mail address specified above.

Interested candidates are invited to send their applications directly to the relevant mentor no later than 29 August 2014. The application must contain

• a Curriculum Vitae (one page),
• a motivation letter (two pages), stating personal goals and research interests in relation to the research topic,
• a detailed list of publications,
• two letters of recommendation sent by the referees directly to the mentor (with detailed contact information: email, telephone number and address), one of them written by the previous supervisor,
• a certificate of proficiency in English (CAE, TOEFL or equivalent) or an electronic copy of the candidate’s Ph.D. thesis written in English.

Both national and international applications to this advertisement are welcome. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until all the positions are filled. Promising candidates will be contacted by e-mail, and will be invited for an on-line interview.

Important dates

• 29 August 2014, 24:00: Deadline for application submissions,
• 30 August 2014: Review of applications, promising candidates will be contacted by e-mail,
• 1 September 2014: Final selection of the candidates by the selection committee.

Evaluation criteria

• Publications in refereed journals (50%),
• Assessment of the mentor (25%),
• Quality of the motivation letter (25%).