UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Department of Engineering
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UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Department of Engineering
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Bridge Research Group
Post: Research Associate in Structural Engineering (Bridges)
A position exists for a post-doctoral Research Associate to join a multidisciplinary team working on wireless sensor monitoring of the existing bridge, tunnel and pipeline infrastructure in the UK. The project is part of a major initiative by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and involves civil engineers, computing experts, wireless communications specialists and sensor researchers from the University of Cambridge (both within the Engineering Department & the Computer Laboratory), Imperial College London and a number of partner organisations including Intel, London Underground Limited, the Highways Agency and the Humber Bridge Board.
The Project
(http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/news/stories/2006/smart_infrastructure/)
The successful candidate will lead the bridge part of this project. The job will firstly involve identification of the primary information sought by bridge managers to assist in the effective management of the bridge stock. In particular, the researcher will determine the parameters that need to be measured to assess the strength, serviceability and/or condition of a bridge and its critical components. Discussions with the partner organisations and visits to existing bridge monitoring installations will be an integral part of this task.
Secondly, you will liaise with the tunnel and pipeline researchers, and the sensor and wireless network specialists in the consortium to ensure the appropriate sensor network is produced. You will then oversee the installation of this network on a suitable trial bridge site. This will require practical skills in managing a complex site installation task and the ability to work with specialists in electronics, instrumentation, wireless networks and sensor manufacture. Experience in the measurement and testing of structures, possibly during your PhD research, would therefore be valuable.
Finally, the data from the sensors will be collected and interpreted and a decision support tool developed to assist the bridge manager in determining appropriate actions for the efficient ongoing management of the structure. This is likely to be in the form of a software package. Here the researcher will need to understand how the data collected is to be interpreted by the bridge engineer and used to assist in determining appropriate action. Experience with any or all of bridge assessment, inspection, testing, monitoring, maintenance and management would be valuable.
The primary requirement is for a high intellectual capability and the ability to comprehend new concepts quickly as well as work with other specialist disciplines to produce a working prototype of a structural monitoring system.
Exceptional candidates without a PhD but with a very good engineering degree or an advanced level of professional experience in bridge assessment and monitoring will also be considered. If the successful candidate falls into either of the above two categories, funding for undertaking a PhD on this project will be provided.
This is an exciting opportunity to work with cutting edge technology in a rapidly evolving and critically important area of infrastructure management. The researcher will be given the opportunity to lead the bridge part of this multidisciplinary project and will be undertaking both theoretical and experimental work and working closely with senior bridge engineers from some of the major bridge owning organisations in the UK as well as with experts in new technological areas with very wide potential applications throughout the construction industry.
Salary and Tenure
The appointment will be for up to three years starting on 2nd October 2006 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary is on the Research Associate scale in the range £23,457 to £30,607 p.a.
The Structures Research Group at Cambridge
http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/div-d/divDStructures.shtml )
The Structures Research Group at Cambridge University currently has 9 academic staff, 4 Research Associates/Assistants and 23 PhD students. In addition there are 7 visitors, including the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor Ian Liddell.
The research of the Structures Group covers a wide range of applications, from civil infrastructure to aerospace and biological structures. Our research aims to address problems of a fundamental nature and often this involves a combination of subtle experimental observations, analysis and computer simulation.
Work on civil infrastructure is concerned with the aeroelastic behaviour of long span bridges, novel concepts for lightweight retractable roofs, the whole life performance of existing concrete bridges (including the development of new and improved methods for inspection, testing, analysis and management of the bridge stock), the use of fibre-reinforced polymers in prestressed concrete and the repair and enhancement of concrete structures. Our research on concrete structures seeks to develop a unique perspective by combining a fundamental understanding of concrete as a material, as a reinforced composite, and as a structural system. This approach leads to innovations that directly meet the needs of the construction industry.
Application Deadline
Monday 14th August 2006 (earlier applications welcomed)
To apply
Send the following information, preferably electronically as email attachments, to Miss Stephanie Fitch, Secretary to the Structures Research Group, Department of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, (Tel: +44 1223 332812, Fax: +44 1223 332813, email: srf32@eng.cam.ac.uk) so as to reach her not later than the application deadline of Monday 14th August 2006.