Postdoc towards a climate resilient adapted national network (crann) of bridges

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full-time fixed term position as a postdoctoral researcher based at TU Delft, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geoscience, Delft, The Netherlands. This position is available from 1st January 2025 to contract end date of 30th of December 2026.

The ability of existing transport infrastructure to absorb and recover from the projected effects of climate change is relatively unexplored. Bridges form a vital link in our transport systems, but they also carry energy, water, and communication networks, making them critical cascading failure points. The reliability and availability of bridges are two of the key climate-change relevant elements that need to be considered when preparing for uncertain future climate risks. They are vulnerable to natural hazards, in particular bridge scour is the leading cause of bridge collapse globally. The lack of data in relation to bridge structures and scour has been highlighted as a bottleneck for adaptation under uncertainty. Newly developed technologies allow for new datasets and analytics to be exploited; and not incorporating such advances into current bridge management practice is a missed opportunity for improving the resilience of bridge infrastructure.

CRANN (Towards a Climate Resilient Adapted National Network) is a new project which aims to develop toolkits to support bridge investment decisions considering economic benefits, mobility, public safety, and the environment while addressing the impacts of climate change. CRANN will adapt current bridge management processes to include sensor data, latest analytics, vulnerability analysis and citizen science to improve the assessment of scour risk under uncertain and changing climate conditions.

The candidate main duties will include:

• Undertake and prepare literature reviews to formulate a robust theoretical background.
• Develop a new risk-based framework for assessing bridge condition which uses sensor data, advanced analytics and climate uncertainty.
• Integrate sensor data with bridge management.
• Predispose the application of the framework for the demonstrators (case studies).
• Liaise and collaborate with stakeholders and consortium partners.
• Contribute to the writing of academic papers, policy-oriented reports or white papers.
• Develop and support the delivery of outreach and impact activity.
• Attend national and international meetings and conferences.
• Contribute to the management and reporting requirements of the project.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.

• PhD (or be near to completing a PhD) in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science or related area.
• Track record of high impact journal publications and international conference presentations.
• Demonstrated experience in bridge engineering or structural health monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience in statistical/probabilistic analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
• Experience of coordinating or managing collaborative research projects.
• Excellent interpersonal and written-verbal communications skills.

• Post-doctoral research experience or equivalent.
• Programming skills sufficient to adapt and/or modify existing models.
• Proven track record in using one or more scripting languages, e.g. MATLAB, Python or similar.
• Demonstrated experience in machine learning and data mining.
• Competence in transport management and decision making.
• Competence in a GIS and/or FEA environment.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

• Motivation letter (1 page).
• Detailed CV (4 page max).
• Copies of your BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts.
• At least, three relevant publications.

at 23:59 (CET time). Documents that do not fulfill the length criteria or the deadline will not be considered.