Integrating novel ground investigation techniques for efficient wind farm foundation design

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Prof. Susan Gourvernec and Dr Jamie Crispin

Recent advances in geophysical site surveying and machine learning have enabled the generation of synthetic Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data at arbitrary locations in a potential wind farm. In this project, you will gain skills and undertake research to unlock the potential of these valuable tools for efficient foundation design.

Lead the Way in Sustainable Energy Infrastructure Decarbonisation of our energy supply to meet UK and international Net Zero targets by 2050 requires rapid expansion of the offshore renewable energy industry. Tens of thousands of square kilometres of seabed need to be characterised, which would require hundreds of thousands of traditional CPTs. Synthetic CPTs offer a lower cost alternative, but require a shift away from position-specific in-situ testing to continuous spatial characterisation, with quantified uncertainty. To increase confidence in these new methods, significant research is required.

You will:

• assess the impact of using synthetic CPTs to design different foundation types
• develop an optimisation technique to select locations for all wind turbines in a site that optimises against key project drives, such as development timescale, total material usage, economic cost or embodied carbon
• provide new methods and guidance that allow engineers to utilise synthetic CPTs for design

You will work as part of the Intelligent & Resilient Ocean Engineering (IROE) research team in Southampton and take advantage of the facilities at the National Infrastructure Laboratory. The project will enable you to collaborate with industry and access real site data, as well as develop your programming and optimisation skills.

The outcomes of this project are expected to be taken up by the offshore renewable energy sector and therefore have a direct impact on the industry by improving the integration of synthetic CPTs into design methods. You will develop transferrable skills, write journal papers, attend conferences and extend your network, enabling you to choose your preferred path in academia or industry.

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, with a strong foundation in geotechnical or civil engineering.

Desirable skills:

• experience with interpreting ground investigation data and programming
• interest to learn about neural networks and optimisation techniques
• a passion for renewable energy and a desire to contribute to a sustainable future
• excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with supervisors, researchers, and industry partners

Fees and funding

We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.

Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.

Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.

Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)

Contact us

Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

If you have a general question, feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.

Project leader

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Susan.Gourvenec@southampton.ac.uk.