EPSRC DTP PhD studentship: Sustainable multi-storey building design through incorporation of active vibration control technology

Location: University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Exeter, Devon

Recent trends towards more slender and efficient civil engineering structures are resulting in an increased prevalence of vibration problems caused by human occupants. These problems will only become worse as engineers strive to save material use for sustainability reasons. Advanced vibration control technologies offer innovative ways to both control vibration problems when they occur and also to achieve material efficiencies that are not currently possible using standard construction technologies.

There is a particular opportunity in multi-storey building design to utilise active vibration control technology to reduce thickness and weight of floor plates, which in turn can result in lower storey heights, reduced structural frame costs, reduced foundation costs, and reductions in other building costs such as cladding and mechanical services. This project will study the potential sustainability benefits that may be achieved using vibration control technology, in particular using a novel AMD device that has been developed at University of Exeter.

The successful candidate will develop their technical skills in structural vibration engineering, with particular focus on human excitations, evaluation of human response to vibration and methods of passive and active vibration control. They will also carry out research into methods of whole life costing and life cycle analysis of building structures, both without and with the added benefits of advanced vibration control technologies incorporated. This will help to develop a case utilising vibration control as a means to improve sustainability of modern building structures.

The Vibration Engineering Section at University of Exeter has outstanding experimental and analytical facilities that will be available to the successful candidate to carry out their research. There is a strong ‘real world’ culture within the research team, whereby the results of our research are adopted and incorporated into real world engineering practice, either through development of vibration design guidance or through development of products and services based around our research. Given this excellent research environment, the successful candidate can expect to carry out a well-resourced project with every expectation of successful conclusion of PhD. The technical knowledge learned and the practical/analytical training undertaken will strongly underpin a future career either in industry or academia