Welcome to Linnaeus University! We meet the societal challenges of today and tomorrow in a spirit of openness, curiosity and creativity. By creating arenas for exchange of knowledge from different subjects, fields and cultures, we open up for new ideas and create new opportunities for long-term sustainable societal development. Linnaeus University – where people grow.

The Faculty of Technology strives to ensure that Linnaeus University’s vision permeates all activities, with a focus on the keywords: Attractive knowledge environment, Excellent research, Social drive, and Global values. The Faculty of Technology has broad operations spanning ten different departments through which Linnaeus University provides education and conducts research. The faculty has approximately 3 100 students at the undergraduate and advanced levels, 90 doctoral students and 300 teaching staff including administrators.

The department of Building Technology has extensive collaboration with business partners in research and education. The department works together with the neighboring departments for a creative environment with challenging educations and outstanding research. Research in building technology includes wood building technology, steel and concrete construction technology, building physics, historical structures, structural health monitoring, life cycle analysis and building materials. The department currently offers two Bachelor’s programs and a two-year Master’s program, the latter in Sustainable Structural Engineering.

The research group of which you will be a part, has extensive experience of the type of research to which the doctoral student project relates, often driven in close collaboration with industry.

Admitted to: Building technology

Terms of employment: The employment as a doctoral student is limited according to chapter 5, section 7 of the Higher Education Ordinance. The total employment period may not be longer than the equivalent full-time postgraduate studies of four years

Location: Växjö

Start: September 1^st, 2022, or by agreement

Work description

The main goal of the doctoral project is to develop a sustainable and cost-competitive timber-concrete composite (TCC) floor slab system with enhanced user comfort, with the aim to obtain reduced active deflections, improved vibrational behavior of the floor due to human walking, and better floor acoustics. To achieve this, the doctoral student will therefore, together with his/her supervisors:

– prepare state-of-the-art in the field of TCC structures with a focus on the floor slab,

– learn how to design sustainable building structures that better comply with circular construction principles,

– study the issue of composite action of floor slabs with the use of various types of shear connection systems (dowel-type fasteners, grooved or notched connectors, longitudinal connectors, glued connections),

– learn how to consider rheological effects in wood, concrete and reinforcing steel in the analysis of the behavior of composite structures,

– develop numerical models of TCC building structures,

– apply different analytical models of composite structures,

– plan experimental investigations and the operation of testing and measuring devices in the field of material tests and large-scale tests of building structural elements,

– develop a new, fully prefabricated TCC floor slab system.

Through the work, the doctoral student shall gain insight into and contribute to new knowledge regarding:

• efficient interface shear connection in TCC slabs,
• understanding of the behavior of multi-span, continuous TCC slab structures in terms of bending-shear interaction,
• deeper scientific understanding of the effect of concrete cracking on rotation possibility over the support and redistribution of internal forces over floor length,
• better description of the effects of rheological phenomena occurring in TCC floor slabs,
• FE modelling of TCC slabs that includes advanced material models based on multi-scale modelling of wood and concrete,
• TCC slab design methods which will contribute to improved design standards.

The work includes both theoretical studies on TCC structures, numerical modelling, experimental investigations, and development of new analytical models which could be used in future design standards for such structures.The work is conducted in close collaboration with researchers within the supervision team and in collaboration with companies that are expected to utilize the new opportunities in the construction business. It is also included in the doctoral studies to take doctoral courses.

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, a person appointed to a doctoral studentship should primarily devote himself/herself to his/her own studies. An appointee may, however, work to a limited extent with education, research, artistic development, and administration. However, before a doctoral degree has been awarded, duties of this kind may not comprise more than 20% of a full-time position.

Requirements

General requirements

A person fulfils the general entry requirements if he/she has:

• An advanced level degree
• A completed undergraduate program of at least 240 credits, including 60 credits at the advanced level
• Or the equivalent knowledge obtained in or outside of Sweden

Specific requirements

A person fulfils the specific entry requirements if he/she has:

• a minimum of 90 higher education credits in the subject of Building Technology or in subjects related to the doctoral level studies, or equivalent knowledge acquired in some other manner either in Sweden or abroad.
• You have good communication skills and can express yourself both orally and in writing in English.

Lastly, the applicant must be assessed as having the ability to pursue the studies.

Other requirements

You have a master’s degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, material engineering or a degree from another equivalent technically oriented program.

Desirable qualifications

Strong merits are in-depth knowledge in the areas of building technology, in particular: concrete, timber, and composite structures; structural mechanics; numerical modelling. Technical and organizational skills to conduct experimental research on real scale structural elements are valuable. The individual’s ability to work independently and as part of a team is desirable.

We are looking for a person who is curious, analytical, and open to learn about new theories and concepts. We expect that you develop your ability both by taking personal responsibility and by utilizing results and insights that have been established through the research group’s previous work.

Assessment criteria

The selection to third cycle studies is based on the assessed ability to pursue the studies. The assessment focuses mainly on study results from first cycle and second cycle studies. The following is considered:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis work and the subject, see Work description above. These can be shown via attached documents
2. Assessed ability to work independently and ability to formulate and approach scientific problems. The assessment may be based on the degree project and a discussion about this at a possible interview
3. Level of written and oral communication
4. Other merits relevant to the third cycle studies, e.g. professional experience

The following will also be considered: ability to work with others, ambition, independence and personal aptitude, as well as the applicant’s assessed ability, based on their own experience and competence, to successfully complete the studies.

More information about assessment and selection criteria can be found in each subject’s General study plan for postgraduate education, please see https://lnu.se/utbildning/forskarutbildning/

Application process

Applicants are expected to submit their application in English, which should include:

• A personal letter which states the reason for being interested in the position and in which ways the research project corresponds to your interests, experience and educational background
• A CV
• Master’s degree transcripts/diploma, and copy, or link, to master degree project
• Any other relevant documents (references, recommendation letter, transcript of records)

For further information, please contact

Main supervisor: Wit Derkowski, +46 470 70 81 50, wit.derkowski@lnu.se

Head of department: Thomas K Bader, +46 72 522 59 78, thomas.bader@lnu.se

Regarding the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources Officer Ulf Sernelin, 0470 70 82 77, ulf.sernelin@lnu.se.

You are very welcome to apply according to instructions until August 31- 2022.

Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the “Apply” button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. The applicant also requested to submit with their application a proposed research plan within the current area of research. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 24.00 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.

Apply