PhD Studentship in Engineering: Computational Fluid Dynamics - Assessing Bridge Resilience to Flooding: Computational Modelling of Hydrodynamical Scour

Location: Streatham Campus, University of Exeter, EX4 4QJ

This PhD studentship is part of a larger EPSRC-funded project assessing the risks to masonry bridges from flooding. Failure of bridges, which are vital links in the national transport network, can lead to loss of life and significant damage, have severe knock-on effects on local and national economies, and hamper post-flood rescue and recovery efforts. The project will use a combination of experimental investigations and numerical modelling to characterize the hydrodynamic effects of debris blockage, which is one of the major causes of bridge failure during floods, and implement findings within guidance for practitioners.

You will lead the work-package on numerical modelling within the project. You will be responsible for creating the CFD models required to simulate flow under masonry bridges and around bridge piers with floating debris blockage, particularly investigating the hydrodynamic effects of scour and pressure forces on bridges. You will develop novel approaches to modelling scour using advanced techniques such as dynamic meshing and modern turbulence models and LES, and compare results with in-house experimental data to validate the results. You will be part of a multidisciplinary research team that is composed of leading researchers from Exeter, Heriot-Watt and Belgrade, and will be assisted by an industry-led steering committee including consultants, asset owners and stakeholder groups involved in bridge management in the UK.

Applicant criteria: applicants should have or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent, in Mechanical or Civil Engineering, Physics or Mathematics. Applicants will need a good understanding of fluid dynamics and mathematical modelling; experience of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the OpenFOAM code would be beneficial; understanding of bridge scour or sediment transport techniques would also be beneficial.

Contact for informal enquiries: Prof Gavin Tabor (tel: 01392 723662)