The Institute for Infrastructure and Environment at Heriot-Watt University is seeking to recruit a PhD candidate to work on the investigation of freeze/thaw action on soils behaviour. To be eligible, applicants should have a first-class honours degree in a relevant subject or a 2.1 honours degree plus Masters (or equivalent).

The need for constructed facilities in the cold regions of the world has greatly increased interest relative to freeze/thaw action on soil behaviour in geotechnical engineering practice. The large increase in soil strength on freezing has been utilised by engineers in construction of frozen earth structures. The ice becomes a bonding agent, fusing together adjacent soil particles to increase their combined strength and make them impermeable to water seepage. Contrarily, when the ground temperature is increased to above 0oC, the process of thaw is initiated and the apparent increased strength and bonding is gradually lost. In the practice, the ground can be subjected to consecutive cycles of freezing/thawing that may alter the soil performance. This project aims to experimentally investigate the effect of temporal freeze/thaw action on soil behaviour.

The closing date for applications is Friday 29 February 2016.

For further information on the position & how to apply, see:http://www.hw.ac.uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/research/postgraduate/opportunities/institute-for-infrastructure-and-environment.htm

If the information provided by the link above is not enough, further information is available via email: G.Medero@hw.ac.uk

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