Sh.24.2 PhD in Acoustic Performance, Analysis and Design of Steel Composites

• Project type: Industry-driven
• Supervisors: Anton Krynkin and Hassan Ghadbeigi, University of Sheffield
• Project Partner: Hadley Group, producer of cold rolled steel sections and allied products

This is an exciting opportunity to carry out a programme of research supported by Hadley Group, a leading manufacturer of rolled steel products for applications in building sector. Hadley Group have developed the UltraSTEEL dimpling process which won the 2006 and 2014 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. The PhD will be focused on integrating this process with acoustic enhancements to reduce significantly transmission of sound through lightweight building elements that include Hadley Group steel components. The student will get access to real-word manufacturing processes and data, and expertise at the dedicated Technical Centre of Excellence with over 50 engineers involved in machinery, tooling, product design and R&D activities. The student will also be provided with a substantial financial support to travel extensively in the UK and overseas to visit the manufacturing facilities of the Hadley Group in Europe, Middle East and USA, and present the results of their work at high-profile international events. The student will also receive extensive training in acoustics, machine learning, material science, communication skills, related legislation, commercialisation, marketing and outreach skills.

Specifically, the work will involve computer simulations of sound transmission through lightweight building elements, rollforming UltraSTEEL process, laboratory experiments and site trials of full-scale building elements. A key research challenge is to find a balance between the manufacturability of novel steel products with advanced acoustic performance, material composition, structural integrity, weight and cost.

There will be opportunities to study the use of acoustic metamaterials, advanced vibration damping methods and new types of porous media through computer simulation and experiment. The student will be expected to contribute to the integration of the acoustic modelling capabilities, e.g. based on commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics, with in-house Copra FEA software to achieve the required acoustic enhancement without jeopardising the structural integrity of the building elements and their cost.

This research would be well suited for graduates in mechanical engineering, materials science, manufacturing or other related areas of engineering and engineering design. Experience in acoustics, vibration and numerical simulation with finite element method will be useful. You will be based in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

Please see details on how to apply: Apply - EPSRC CDT Sound Futures