"Postdoc Sediment to Soil: Setting-up a Consolidation-Ripening Model"

Vacancy number

TUD05659

Job description

While the construction of dikes and embankments requires large amounts of non-renewable mineral soil resources, tens of millions of tons of fine-grained sediment ('mud') are dredged annually in Europe alone. For this, transport, relocation, treatment and disposal are laborious and costly. Sediment-to-Soil (S2S) is motivated by the gap between the demand in mineral construction material on the one hand and the availability of sediment on the other. Before fine-grained sediment can be used as material for a safe final construction, it has to undergo physical, biological and geochemical ripening processes which must result in a material that is functionally equivalent to traditional materials. For the assessment of long-term stability and environmental compliance of the construction as well as its cost-effectiveness, these ripening processes should also be predictable. 

To achieve this, Sediment-to-Soil will

(1) Provide soil ripening indices that enable monitoring of the ripening process and assessing whether the planned ripening status has been achieved

(2) Develop a detailed protocol for optimized sediment ripening in terms of both soil mechanical and environmental properties of the end product,

(3) Link the achieved soil ripening status to parameters that allow comparison of functional equivalency to the hitherto used aged marsh soils and enable assessment of environmental compliance.

Active involvement of users, including sediment-focused research institutions, will ensure application-oriented scope, detail and format of the project outputs. This will advance expansion of the 'Building with Nature' concept and further boost the Dutch water sector. 

Requirements

The aim of the postdoc work is to set-up new model, coded in Python, whereby a consolidation model currently being developed within the S2S project is linked to a geochemical speciation model also developed withi S2S, with the help of our partners. The geochemical speciation model will account for these changes, so that at each step, both consolidation and geochemical speciation parameters are adapted. The boundary conditions of the numerical code will be flexible to allow for additional deposition of mud over time (as is done in practice) and changes in environmental conditions (influx of water from rain, changes in drainage system). The model will be calibrated and validated using field observations.

The applicant should have:

• A PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or any related field with a mathematical background so as to be able to work with numerical coding.
• Experience in numerical coding (Python especially).
• Excellent disposition towards learning new concepts (as two fields of science, ie soil mechanics and geochemistry should be combined).
• Be able to work in a team and have good communication skills.

Conditions of employment

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. T he TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of € 300 gross based on full-time employment.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Program for partners and they organize events to expand your (social) network.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

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.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  ​​and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That's why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

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 programs and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanization 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.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.  

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 28 August 2024 via the application button and upload your motivation letter and CV.

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Claire Chassagne, c.chassagne@tudelft.n l