Two PhD Positions in the Department of Civil Engineering of Istanbul Technical University

Two PhD students will be employed within the context of the TUBITAK Project ‘Damage identification in existing buildings using real time system identification techniques and finite element model updating’. The tax-free salary for the PhD students employed for the project is 1300 YTL per month. Applicants should hold a BSc and/or MSc degree from the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace or Electrical (Electronics) Engineering Faculties. The candidates are also expected to have a strong background in Computational Mechanics, Finite Element Modelling and experience in the use of computer packages ANSYS, SAP2000 and MATLAB in an advanced level.

A school building is fully instrumented within the context of this project. The main objective of this project is to develop an integrated methodology for vibration based damage identification in existing buildings by combining the following research activities:

1. Continuous monitoring of the structural health of an existing public building and collecting high quality experimental data under ambient vibrations as well as earthquakes.

2. Application of time and frequency domain system identification methods for extracting the modal parameters (mode shapes and frequencies) of the continuously monitored existing building.

3. Extension of different techniques for optimal sensor placement (used currently in NASA for on-orbit modal identification and correlation of large space structures) to civil engineering structures.

4. Damage identification in the structure using finite element model updating techniques. Within this context, the aim is not only to detect but also to locate and quantify damage.

5. Use of different damage patterns as parameters in the updating process of the FE model.

6. Developing statistical decision making tools in order to discriminate the influence of damage from that of environmental factors.

7. Soil structure interaction instrumentation

Applications must include:

1. full CV, including list of publications;

2. research statement outlining research achievements up to date, (not exceeding one page);

3. copies of two recent published papers if available;    

4. names and addresses of three referees;

5. TOEFL (513 classic, 183 computer based, 65 internet) or IELTS (IELTS 6 from all parts)

6. Copies of full transcripts
7. GRE result (minimum 610 from the quantitative part)

The applications should be emailed to gundesbakir@yahoo.com or mailed to the address:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pelin GUNDES

Pembegul sok. Pelin apt. No:20 D:5 Suadiye, 34740

ISTANBUL TURKEY

Please put the note ‘PhD Application’ on the envelope. The positions will remain open until suitable candidates have been found.