Are you passionate about structural engineering?

The 3 years' position is under the auspices of Norwegian Military Academy, The Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) and the doctoral school of Department of Structural Engineering at Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) research group SIMLab (Structural Impact Laboratory).

NDUC educates leaders for the Norwegian Armed Forces. The leaders being trained must be able to lead personnel in complex and extreme situations.

NTNU is Norway's premier university for engineering disciplines. SIMLab's aim is to understand how materials and structures react to impact and other extreme loadings. Its objective is to develop computer models that describe behaviour. Decades of research and unique lab facilities have made the group a world-leader. Experiments interchange with modelling and simulations, if necessary down to nanoscale. Research started with steel and in due course, aluminium, polymers, glass and concrete were added.

The behaviour of protective structures has been extensively studied throughout history. To date, thousands of studies have been carried out using phenomenological models to simulate the response of structures exposed to extreme loadings. In most of these studies, emphasis has been put on validation of computational methods rather than scientific understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind the behaviour of materials and structures under extreme loads. Although these studies have been important with respect to how we utilize materials and design structures exposed to extreme loadings, phenomenological models have reached a level where they cannot be used to further extend our knowledge on how to improve such structures to make them safer, smarter and more cost-effective. Thus, to move forward, we need a deeper understanding of extreme mechanics and a paradigm shift in our modelling of materials and structures subjected to extreme loads where the microstructure of the material is embedded.

The selected candidate will work on one of the research areas of SIMLab.

Associate Professor, Katalin Vertes, and Professor Tore Børvik will, supervise the PhD research project.

Responsibility and Tasks

• Theoretical studies of advanced computational models
• Numerical modelling of materials and structures exposed to extreme loading
• Experimental work on materials and components under transient dynamic loads
• Validation and verification of the established modelling framework
  

Qualifications

• Master degree in structural engineering, preferably with a focus on solid mechanics. If the master degree is earned from another country, it must be equivalent to a Norwegian master
• Strong academic background as reflected in grades. Minimum B or equivalent grade average. In case you have a lower grade average, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD position
• Admission requirements to the doctoral program at the Faculty of Engineering, NTNU must be satisfied (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv)
  
• Good verbal and written language skills in English, preferably also Norwegian
• The successful applicant must be able to obtain security clearance for SECRET / NATO SECRET before commencing the job

Desireable Qualifications

• Demonstrated competence in impact mechanics, non-linear finite element analysis, continuum mechanics andconstitutive modelling
  
• Experience in conducting experimental work
  
• Experience in coding using e.g., Python and Fortran
• Experience in structural optimization

Personal Qualities

• Good communications and collaboration skills
  
• Creative and eager to learn
• High personal integrity
  

We Offer

• Good opportunities for personal and professional development with many exciting tasks and challenges in a good and positive working environment
• Flexible working hours
• Membership in the State pension fund, with attractive pension and insurance schemes
• Good employees' welfare schemes, e.g. opportunities for up to two hours of work out during working hours per week
• The position is remunerated according to the State's salary regulations as a PhD fellow (position code 1017) within the range of 59-65, currently NOK 575 400 - 635 400 per year before tax, depending on qualifications. For particularly qualified candidates, a higher salary may be considered. A 2% statutory pension contribution to the State Pension Fund will be deducted from the salary

Other Relevant Information

• With the application, a CV, transcripts, any list of publications, references, and a project outline on the dissertation topic, up to a maximum of 8 pages, should be attached