PhD Position Hydraulic Boundary Conditions and Loads on Dutch Storm Surge Barriers

Job description
SSB-Delta is a multi-disciplinary project to assess the technical and functional lifetime of the Storm Surge Barriers (SSB)’s and to develop barrier- and delta adaptation pathways as a basis for adaptive decision-making. The project is a collaboration with Universities (TU Delft, Utrecht, Rotterdam) Universities of Applied Sciences (Rotterdam, Vlissingen), Technological institutes (Deltares, TNO) and stakeholders (governmental organisations and industry). The project includes 9 new positions covering a variety of topics. The project will be embedded in ongoing research in the Netherlands and Texas, and strongly linked to international networks like I-STORMS. This position will be hosted by the Hydraulic Engineering Department, a department that stood at the basis of the design of the storm surge barriers and coastal management of the Netherlands. We combine expertise on hydraulic structures as well as on estuarine system dynamics, using numerical models, probabilistic methods, Machine Learning techniques, field measurements, etc.

In this PhD project the hydraulic boundary conditions for the barriers will be studied. This study will go beyond the state of the art, determining the extreme loads on the two major Storm Surge Barriers. This will be done in several separate tasks. First the extreme conditions in both the present and future climates will be described. To this end long duration (thousands of years) synthetic weather patterns of climatic data sets will be analyzed. Machine learning will be used to identify storm patterns of extreme storms. These storm patters can then be used to find the probability of occurrence of certain failure mechanisms (joint probability of governing parameters). For the Maeslant barrier these conditions are mainly dependent on water levels (including long waves and seiches), while for the Eastern Scheldt barrier they are also dependent on the wind wave loading. Next, the load models for the latter wind wave loads on flood gates will also be extended, validated and/or optimised, and the influence of non-linear effects will be determined more exactly. Lastly, a detailed description of the extreme loads on the separate gates of the barriers will be obtained using the outcomes of the preceding tasks, combined with a detailed nearshore wave model that takes into account wave-current interactions in instationary calculations. This will be input for other studies within the research programme.

The maintenance and operation of storm surge barriers is a very interdisciplinary team effort. Therefore, in this project you will have to interact and cooperate with many other researchers, and people from Rijkswaterstaat and the many other (industry) partners. 

Job requirements
We are seeking a candidate with:

• a MSc degree in Hydraulic Engineering, Geography, Earth system science or related discipline, 
• an excellent ability to think conceptually and quantitatively,
• an excellent ability to write and communicate in English, 
• an intrinsic motivation to cooperate in a larger project
• significant experience with a coding language commonly used in engineering (e.g., Fortran, Matlab, Python),
• prior knowledge of coastal zone hydrodynamics 
• prior knowledge or experience in numerical modeling of waves,
• good organisation skills
• affinity with engineering practice
• being able to read Dutch is a strong preference

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 is 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 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. 

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