PhD’s in Measuring, Modelling and Monitoring Chloride Ingress in Cracked Concrete, Netherlands

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September 4, 2010

2 PhD’s Measuring, modelling and monitoring chloride ingress in cracked concrete, Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands.

The Department of Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology has 15 professorial chairs with about 65 academic and 60 technical specialists, as well as 110 graduate and 375 undergraduate students. The leading research themes cover functional materials, transport physics, and plasma physics and radiation technology. The department has extensive national and international partnerships, including industrial partners. It participates in several national (top) research schools, and in two national top technology institutes: Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) and Materials Innovation Institute (M2i). Eindhoven University of Technology is one of the three participants in the Dutch 3TU Federation of Universities of Technology.

The major degradation mechanism in concrete structures is corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride penetration. Corrosion reduces serviceability and safety due to cracking and spalling of concrete and loss of steel cross section. Recently, service life design has moved from prescriptive to model and performance based. The current approach aims at postponing initiation of corrosion until the end of the required service life with a predetermined reliability, based on simplified modelling of transport in uncracked concrete and testing of laboratory samples for chloride diffusion. Real structures under service load contain cracks and execution defects. Cracks are fast transport routes for chloride, but the effect is mitigated by poorly known mechanisms such as self-healing and crack blocking. Current models do not cover the effect of cracks, voids and compaction defects in concrete on chloride transport and corrosion initiation, rendering them less robust than acceptable.

This projects aims at understanding of mechanisms that control chloride transport, and the influence of cracks on the transport. To study the transport of chloride and other relevant substances in concrete a non-destructive, high temporal and spatial resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) setup capable of quasi-simultaneously measuring Na, Cl and moisture will be developed within this project.

Requirements:

We welcome candidates who hold a Master’s degree in (technical, applied) physics, chemistry, materials science, civil engineering (materials) or a related field, have affinity with materials science, transport in porous media and/or durability of concrete and have hands-on experience with experimental work.

Starting date:

As soon as possible.

Appointment:

This position offers full-time employment for 4 years, with an initial evaluation period. The monthly (gross) salary will be approx. 2000 Euro in the first year and increase to approx. 2600 Euro in the fourth year, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities. The University offers an attractive package of fringe benefits such as excellent technical infrastructure, child care, savings schemes and excellent sports facilities.

Application:

Please submit contact information, an motivation letter, contact information of two or more references (including a research supervisor), and a copy of the M.Sc-thesis and other relevant publications, if available by using the apply button given in the link mention below:

Application Deadline: 31-10-2010

Further scholarship details:

Scholarship Tags: Chloride, Concrete, Cracked, Ingress, Measuring, Modelling, monitoring, Netherlands, PhD