Offer Description
The SLOOP project, funded by the ORACLE LabEx, addresses critical challenges in offshore wind turbine (OWT) design: the transition from deterministic to stochastic modelling. As OWTs move into deeper waters and larger scales, standard design methods struggle to capture the complex, long-term cumulative displacements caused by stochastic, multidirectional marine environments. SLOOP aims to bridge the gap by integrating advanced aero-hydrodynamic load simulation with high-fidelity geotechnical…
response modelling.
As a core member of the SLOOP research team, the Postdoctoral Researcher will contribute to Work Package #2, focusing on the soil-pile interaction under realistic offshore loading conditions. Key tasks include: (1) Offshore Monopile Loading Analysis: Integrate aero hydrodynamic load time series generated at École Centrale de Nantes using Morison’s equations, potential-flow theory, and OpenFAST into the geotechnical modelling workflow. (2) 3D Finite Element Modelling: Develop, calibrate, and refine high‑fidelity ABAQUS models of monopile–sand interaction. Use geotechnical centrifuge data from Gustave Eiffel University to calibrate advanced soil constitutive models (Hypoplastic, SANISAND). Simulate monotonic, unidirectional cyclic, and multidirectional loading conditions. (3) Design Tool Development: Develop simplified or macro‑element models for cyclic loading. Contribute to improved P–y curves, stiffness-degradation laws, and long‑term displacement prediction. (4) Collaboration and Dissemination: Participate in co-supervision of MSc interns. Work closely with hydrodynamics experts (ECN) and centrifuge specialists (UGE). Contribute to project deliverables and progress meeting. Prepare journal papers and conference contributions.
We offer a highly collaborative research ecosystem that connects three leading laboratories: GeM at Nantes Université, providing advanced expertise in soil mechanics; LHEEA at École Centrale de Nantes, a world‑class center for hydrodynamics modelling; and the Geotechnical Centrifuge Laboratory at Gustave Eiffel University, home to France’s national centrifuge testing facility. We provide access to high‑quality experimental and numerical datasets from major offshore geotechnical projects—including SOLCYP, SOLCYP+, MUTANC, and SLOOP. We provide new personal workstation and access to high-performance computing resources for numerical simulation. We support publication in top journals and participation in international conferences. We foster an interdisciplinary research collaboration within the ORACLE LabEx network, linking geotechnics, hydrodynamics, and offshore renewable energy.
Requirements
- Research Field: Engineering » Civil engineering
- Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Additional Information
Benefits
An unprecedented model in France combining a university, a university hospital (CHU de Nantes), a technological research institute (IRT Jules Verne), a national research organization (Inserm) and the Grandes Écoles (Centrale Nantes, École des Beaux-arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Nantes).
- Commitment to professional equality, diversity and inclusion and addressing gender-based and sexual violence
- Membership in the EUniWell European Alliance committed to wellness
- Certified HR Excellence in Research since 2022 as part of the HRS4R strategy
- Transport subscription up to 75 % supported
- Sustainable mobility package, in line with the institution’s commitment to sustainable development
- Access to university restaurants with a preferential rate
- Access to sports, university libraries and other activities on campus