Geotechnical-Hydrodynamic Modelling of Offshore Structures

The research at KU Leuven’s Hydraulics Laboratory focuses on process understanding, numerical modeling and statistical analysis of aspects of the water cycle in the urban environment, river systems, the coastal zone including shelf seas and estuaries.
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Project

The PhD candidate will contribute to develop an integrated model for wave-flexible structure-soil interaction under cyclic wave loading. The research combines high-fidelity numerical simulations (using CFD based software capable of multiphysics simulations, and DEM-based solvers). The insights gained will contribute to optimizing offshore structural design and advancing geotechnical-hydrodynamic interaction modelling more broadly.

Profile

• You hold (or are about to obtain) a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Coastal Engineering, Geotechnics, Computational Mechanics, or a related discipline.
• You have a solid background in fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, and numerical methods.
• Experience with SPH methods, FEA, or DEM modelling is an advantage.
• Programming skills (e.g., C++, Python, CUDA) and familiarity with high-performance computing are considered assets.
• You are enthusiastic, self-motivated, and capable of working both independently and as part of a team.
• Good communication skills in English are essential.

Offer

• A fully funded 4-year PhD position at KU Leuven, one of Europe’s top research universities.
• Supervision by experts in coastal and computational engineering.
• Opportunities for international collaboration (e.g. Uppsala Univ, UVigo, PARI).

Interested?

Submit your application through the KU Leuven job portal, including:

• A cover letter (1 page) explaining your motivation and fit for the position
• A detailed CV
• Copies of transcript of records and diplomas

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Tomohiro Suzuki, tel.: +32 16 32 50 57, mail: [email protected] or Prof. dr. ir. Stijn François, tel.: +32 16 37 35 83, mail: [email protected].

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