Job description
Tsunami engineering is a field that has grown rapidly over the last 22 years, spurred by a number of devastating events. In particular, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that devastated coastlines across the Indian Ocean and killed over 230,000 people across 14 countries, resulted in a significant worldwide effort towards a better characterisation of tsunami induced scour and forces on structures. The subsequent 2010 Maule earthquake and tsunami in Chile and 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, which damaged numerous modern engineered buildings, industrial facilities, bridges and large coastal defence infrastructure, resulted in the revision of building codes for tsunami design and the development of analytical methods for assessing buildings under tsunami loads. Despite this growth in activity, there are still many areas of tsunami interactions with the built environment that are not well understood.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and talented Postdoctoral Researcher to join the Hydraulic Engineering Department at TU Delft and contribute to this global effort in advancing Tsunami Engineering.
This role specifically aims to build insights from the extensive tsunami experimental programmes already conducted under the ERC funded URBANWAVES project and in the MAKEWAVES project. In both projects, experiments were conducted in very large flumes at HR Wallingford (UK) using a pneumatic tsunami simulator that is globally unique in its capacity to generate waves with representative tsunami wavelengths. The experiments involved the simulation of tsunami of different form and wavelengths propagating along the flume, running up a beach and interacting with engineered coastal defence structures, natural defences, single and multiple buildings with different characteristics founded on solid and mobile sediment beds. This rich dataset has only been partly published and presents a unique opportunity to develop new knowledge and insights on both the physics of these destructive waves and their interaction with the built and natural environment.
In this role, you will analyse data sets from the experimental programmes to develop new insights, which you will disseminate through academic publications and outreach materials aimed at influencing the development of future codes of practice. For the latter, new insights into loading on structures may also be translated into structural response impacts using the structural analysis software OpenSEES and the bespoke VDPO toolkit for tsunami analysis of structures developed by the group. For this work, beyond TU Delft, you will need to collaborate with a wider consortium of international researchers, academics and engineers that contributed to the experimental campaigns (i.e. from University College London, HR Wallingford, London Southbank University, Imperial College. University of Naples Federico II, and others).
Our team promotes a healthy and collaborative work environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and where you will receive full support to develop your skills and expertise, including mentoring, opportunities to co-supervise students, and access to TU Delft’s training programme.
This vacancy is positioned within the globally recognized Department of Hydraulic Engineering (HE), known for its excellence in education, research, and career development, addressing key challenges like climate change, energy transition, and biodiversity loss. The department boasts cutting-edge facilities, a collaborative culture, and a diverse team, including 68 permanent staff, and over 100 PhD students and postdocs driving innovative research.
For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.
At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.
The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.
