About the position

A two-year postdoctoral position is available at the Department of Marine Technology, NTNU, within the area of safety assessment of large floating bridges.

The position is associated with the project currently carried out by the Norwegian Public Road Administration (NPRA) to assess a possible replacement of ferry transport across 8 fjords by providing bridges or submerged tunnels on the coastal highway route E-39 project. The width of the strait crossings is up to 5 kilometers and the water depth is up to 1250 m.

Floating bridges are subjected to self-weight, traffic -, temperature-, wave-wind and current as well as accidental loads. Due to their long span and the topography of fjords, floating bridges are subjected to complex inhomogeneous environmental conditions. Moreover, the large dimensions make such structures relatively flexible, with many natural frequencies that can cause resonant excitation by environmental loads. In addition the hazards relating to ship impacts, explosion and fire scenarios associated with the road traffic, as well as subsea landslides, need to be considered.

This position reports to Professor Torgeir Moan.

Job description

The scope of this position is to contribute to the assessment of the safety level inherent in current and possibly modified design and operational criteria for floating bridges and hence contribute to the design basis. The safety assessment in general will essentially involve two types of activities, namely:

• estimating the risk (probability and consequences of accidental events caused by human and organizational factors) relating to Accidental Collapse Limit State (ALS) criteria. The main focus in this activity is related to ship impacts, but might also include relevant fire and explosion scenarios, subsea landslides and abnormal ice loads. This activity includes establishing a design procedure for (floating) bridges  relating to accidental loads for floating bridges.
• estimating the  failure probability associated with the uncertainty in loads, load effects and resistances due to normal variability and lack of information relating to ULS criteria and applying structural reliability methods to estimate the notional failure probability and to check the implied safety level by a semi-probabilistic design (partial safety factor) method.
• assess the risk acceptance level relating to current and future engineering practice for bridges  and especially how the ALARP principle might be applied in connection with handling the risk associated with accidental loads on floating bridges.

The total scope of these activities is comprehensive. The contribution from the postdoctor will be focused on selected aspects depending on competence and experience of the candidate. The work will be carried out in a group of researchers including specialists in numerical and experimental studies of structural analysis associated with environmental loads and determining the response due to ship impacts, supported by NPRA and also other projects.  

Qualification requirements

Postdoctoral fellow:

A postdoctoral research fellowship is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions. Completion of a Norwegian doctoral degree in Marine Technology, Ocean Engineering, Civil Engineering or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree is required.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, postdoctor and research assistant

Other qualifications

• Disciplines such as structural analysis, hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, probability theory and statistics, and structural reliability and risk analysis are particularly relevant.
• Excellent English skills, spoken and written, are required. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries outside Europe must document English skills by an approved test. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).
• Experiences with bridges are considered to be an advantage.

Personal characteristics

The successful candidate should be

• enthusiastic and dedicated
• highly motivated to perform interdisciplinary work and
• willing to work both independently and collaborate with other researchers.  

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

Postdoc:

Postdoctoral candidates are remunerated in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 515 200 before tax per year. There will be a 2% deduction to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund from gross wage.

The appointment of the Postdoctoral fellows will be made according to Norwegian guidelines for universities and university colleges and to the general regulations regarding university employees.

The Postdoctoral fellowship is awarded for 2 years.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

General information

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

Questions about the position can be directed to Professor Torgeir Moan Email: Torgeir.Moan@ntnu.no Cell phone: +47 95050791; Office phone: +47 73595541 

About the application:

The application must contain information of educational background and work experience. The applicant should also indicate which reliability and risk aspects that he would like to focus on in his postdoctoral research.  

Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the individual applicant's contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, grade transcripts, and other enclosures should be submitted as one document. The name and address of two reference persons, diplomas and certificates. Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters.

Please refer to the application number IV-154/19 when applying.

Application deadline: 19 May 2019

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Marine Technology

We develop methods and technology related to the blue economy: oil and gas extraction at sea, ship technology and the equipment industry, fisheries and aquaculture. We also have a strong commitment to the development of sustainable solutions for offshore renewable energy, coastal infrastructure, and marine robotics. Marine technology helps to solve major global challenges related to the environment, climate, energy, food and efficient transport. The Department of Marine Technology is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 19.05.2019
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Department of Marine Technology