Industrial PhD on LCA tools for carbon optimised fire safety strategies in bio-based buildings/

Job description: Industrial PhD for the project: LCA tools for carbon optimised fire safety strategies in biobased buildings

Intro

• We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate for appointment from November 1st 2022 or soon hereafter and for a period of three years.
• Project name: LCA tools for carbon optimised fire safety strategies in biobased buildings
• A collaboration between DBI and BUILD

Background

With the ratification of the Paris Agreement, Denmark and 196 other countries are committed to achieving net greenhouse gas emissions neutrality by 2050. Reducing radically the impact related to the construction sector, responsible for 39% of GHG emissions, will, in many cases, include a switch to biobased materials. Although the increased use of wood can reduce GHG emissions, its implementation in new projects can encounter barriers due to the potential risks associated with fire in biobased buildings, which may be greater due to its combustible properties. Consequently, biobased buildings may require special measures for fire safety strategies. As the environmental impacts associated with fire protection are still unknown, there is great potential in implementing LCA in the early design phases of fire safety. Therefore, this project will develop intuitive LCA-based tools for analyzing environmental impacts associated with fire safety strategies and identifying the most environmentally friendly solution for biobased construction, targeting the Danish National Strategy for Sustainable Construction (or Paris Agreement) for climate neutrality.

The project

The project contributes to the green transition of construction, aiming at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by supporting the increased use of biobased building products. The project will create cross-disciplinary research and new business opportunities by combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and fire safety design which is novel to the industry. The results include a practical tool for LCA optimized  fire safety strategies that will lead to easier use of biobased construction methods which have proven to be a key method towards a carbon neutral building sector.

Applicants for this PhD position are expected to have the following attributes:

• Education and/or professional experience within relevant field: civil engineer, architect, LCA.
• Good written and spoken communication skills in English
• Good written and spoken communication skills in Danish are an advantage but not a requirement.
• For Master-students from a Danish University: A Master thesis grade of at least 10 and EITHER a weighted grade average of 9.5 for your master’s degree alone, OR a weighted grade average of 8.2 for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees together.
• An Industrial PhD candidate with a non-Danish education does not have to meet a certain grade requirement. Instead, the candidate must be among the top 30 % in the graduation class for the master’s and bachelor’s study programs combined. The application must include documentation for the ranking of the candidate. This documentation must be signed by the educational institution, and must be in Danish, English, Norwegian or Swedish.
• Interested in the processes of the building industry and interdisciplinary work between the stakeholders.
• To apply academic work and results to practice in the industry
• Talent for project management with handling of different stakeholders
• Can handle both the technical details of the phases of a building project as well as the overall complex systems (e.g., regulations)
• A great deal of drive and self-confidence since the research area is novel

Details:

• The candidate can start the PhD-project at the earliest possible, however no later than: 30/11/2022
• The PhD is fully funded.
• The candidate will be located in DBI’s Building Design team employing several experts and researchers in fire safety related matters. Our current focus is on facilitating an increased use of bio-based materials in buildings.
• The candidate will also be partially stationed at BUILD as an integrated part of the Sustainability of Buildings research group.

DBI:

The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology (DBI) is Denmark’s leading knowledge center in the field of security and fire safety and prevention. We maintain our knowledge through relevant participation in research and development activities and services that we offer to private and public enterprises, institutions, and authorities. DBI is an independent, private, non-profit enterprise. The mission of DBI is to protect lives and property. We aim to increase innovation in Danish companies and provide testing, consultancy, and investigation for the purposes of security and fire safety.

We are approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and science as a GTS institute. All profits earned are invested in research and development. DBI employs 250 people, mainly engineers.

Research Institute:

The Working Group Sustainable Construction in the Department of the Built Environment (BUILD) at Aalborg University covers a broad spectrum in the area of construction sustainability. The group with experience in the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) provides extended expertise in the development of LCA tools (early design stage of projects), low carbon construction, circular economy, building energy analysis, life cycle costing (LCC), multi-criteria decision models, improving the reliability of life cycle assessment (LCA) of buildings and roads and waste management. We maintain our knowledge through relevant participation in research and development activities. The group has been in charge of developing LCA tools for the Danish building sector at BUILD at Aalborg University in Copenhagen and participating in several national and international research projects.

Contacts:

For interested candidates, please submit your application expressing your interest, and attach CV, diploma, and grades and if relevant a list of publications via the ‘Apply for position’ button at the right. We will contact relevant applicants for an interview.

For questions about the position, you are welcome to contact:

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

23rd of September 2022