Funded PhD position in Geotechnical / Tunnelling Engineering at UCC & CERN

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PhD position inGeotechnical / Tunnelling Engineering at UCC & CERN

Project title: Distributed fibre optic sensingand deep learning-based photogrammetric analysis of ageing undergroundinfrastructure

Supervision team: Dr. Zili Li (UCC) and John Osborne (the European Centre for Nuclearresearch (CERN))

Project description:

This 4-year PhD project willconduct an innovative field monitoring and analysis of ageing tunnelinfrastructure at the European Centre for Nuclear research (CERN) over tens ofmiles. Unlike conventional manual inspection at high cost of labour and time,two types of innovative field technologies will be developed and improved inthis project: 1) Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing (DFOS) and associated fibreoptic data processing code; 2) Automated defect classification software forlarge-scale tunnel infrastructure using an autonomous camera system. Theadvanced monitoring technologies will give more insights into ageing CERNtunnel behaviour both globally over tens of miles and specially at localcritical deteriorating sections. The gathered field data will be analysed togetherwith hydrogeological environment and structural features along the monitoredtunnel route for more comprehensive structural health assessment thanpreviously available by conventional methods, providing insightful guidance forunderground infrastructure maintenance and design in CERN, Ireland andworldwide.

Position Description: This 4-year PhD full-time position is jointly funded by Irish Centrefor Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) and CERN. The successful candidatewill be registered at University College Cork, starting in September 2021 orsoon thereafter. The stipend is 18,500 euros per annum at UCC in Year 1 & 4,while ca. 39,500 euros per annum at CERN in Year 2 & 3, with a contributionto tuition fees of 5,500 euros per annum.

Candidate Experience: The candidate should have aminimum 2.1 in an honours Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, or anequivalent standard from an overseas university. All applicants whose firstlanguage is not English must provide evidence of English languageproficiency (e.g. IELTS or TOEFL) according to UCC entry requirement.  Some experience in fibre optic sensing, structuralhealth monitoring and machine learning for civil / geotechnical / geologicalengineering would be an advantage.

Application: Please e-mail a CV (max. 2 pages)and a cover letter outlining your experience and motivation to Dr. Zili Li (zili.li@ucc.ie).