PhD Studentship in development of strength grading methods for round bamboo

Eligibility: UK/EU/International
Tuition Fees + Bursary £15000 per year
Three years fixed term

PI: David Trujillo: http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/researchnet/cucv/Pages/Profile.aspx?profileID=117

THE PROJECT

It is estimated that over 1 billion people around the world live in bamboo housing, mainly in developing countries in the tropics and subtropics. Over the past 20 years, increasingly ambitious structures are being built across the world including foot-bridges and schools, with scant guidance from standards and codes. This research project is framed in the context of developing bamboo standards, for which the first step is deemed to be the development of strength grading procedures. The next step is the development of appropriate factors of safety, followed by appropriate connection design theory. Strength grading is a technique already used in timber engineering that uses non-destructive methods to infer the strength of a piece of wood. Developing these methods requires an investigation into the relationship between the proposed non-destructive tests and the strength properties in question.

Bamboo’s appeal as a structural material includes its remarkable strength, sustainability and low-cost. The techniques or methods that are developed need to be sufficiently reliable to justify their adoption, yet not so costly that makes their adoption unlikely.

Due to the geographical distribution of bamboo for structural applications, travel is likely to be required.

ABOUT THE CENTRE/DEPARTMENT

The department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Building has an established reputation in materials and structures research, offering arguably the largest structures laboratory in the West Midlands and excellent links to industry.

The candidate will have access to all the necessary research equipment and materials (including bamboo) and test facilities and can draw from expertise from the department and beyond, including TRADA (the Timber Research and Development Association) and INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan).

The Centre for Low Impact Building’s (CLIB) aims to be an academic and industry partner of choice in delivering real solutions to close the design versus in-use performance gap in the built environment. This PhD supports our research theme on owner and occupant responses, their perception of comfort and satisfaction, and consequently the energy and in-use performance of a building, including the well-being and productivity of occupants.

CLIB staff enjoy a vibrant environment of collaboration across academic disciplines, other universities, practionners and industry to ensure that our research has proven impact on the global challenge for sustainability of the built environment that includes human factors.

How to apply: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-students/how-to-apply/

Link to CU page: http://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-students/research-studentships/Development-strength-grading-methods-round-bamboo/