PhD researcher “Sustainability Assessment of Alkali activated Materials Structures in the Context of a circular Economy” in Zürich

The Chair of Sustainable Construction at ETH Zurich intends to ground sustainability in the disciplines of the built environment. We want to foster international collaboration among the different stakeholders involved in architecture, engineering and construction and to promote appropriate application of sustainable construction materials during the entire life cycle of buildings and infrastructure. We seek to start on October 1, 2019 or by agreement, a

The PhD position is funded by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network “DuRSAAM – European Training Network on Durable, Reliable and Sustainable Structures with Alkali-Activated Materials” within the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission. DuRSAAM is a consortium of high profile universities, research institutions and companies located in 9 different European countries and led by University of Gent. The current PhD position will focus on the sustainability assessment of Alkali activated materials (AAM) and in particular how the use of life cycle assessment complements the concept of circular economy. The green profile of AAM structures is one of the main key-selling-points of the new material, hence, a thorough assessment of the environmental performance of AAM structures compared to traditional OPC-based concrete in comparable structures will be documented. The PhD work will focus on a detailed life-cycle environmental analysis of the different AAM mixtures and of their practical applications, to define the direct and indirect impacts of the technology and to identify the main environmental hotspots and improvement opportunities throughout their production chain. Both material and structural considerations, in production, service and recycling, will be incorporated into the LCA approach and circular economic model adopted, to ensure that a holistic view is provided.

We look forward to receiving your online application. Applications must be submitted online with attention to ETH Zurich, Ms. Corina Niescher, Human Resources and should include 1) a cover letter that describes the candidate’s motivation and research experience, 2) a full CV, 3) academic transcripts/list of courses completed or on-going, including grades, 4) an abstract of the master’s thesis, and 5) name and address / contact details of two referees. The deadline for applications is the 15th June.

For further questions, please contact Prof. Dr. Guillaume Habert at habertg@ethz.ch (please do not send applications). More information about the Chair of Sustainable Construction are available online: .