Associate ProfessorDaniel Dias-da-Costa

Project Opportunities

Title: Non-destructive techniques for detecting damage in structures

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this research is to develop non-destructive techniques for assessing, measuring and characterising the structural response of structures.

Opportunity synopsis:

There are currently many non-destructive techniques available for assessing and measuring different features in existing structures. In particular, thermal variations occurring at the surface of a structure during the day, or even acoustic or ultrasonic measurements, and image processing techniques can be quite valuable tools for detecting potential damage. This research aims at exploring such techniques in the scope of concrete structures. Particular focus will be given to the development of the experimental set-up and procedure, and of the necessary processing algorithms for identifying/quantifying existing damage. There are several pathways possible for this research focusing depending on the research interests and background of the applicant. 

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions.   Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Concrete and rock hydro-cracking

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this research is to identify the micro-mechanisms governing the permeability of concrete and rocks featuring cracks, and those governing the crack opening induced by increasing pore-water pressure.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project will carry out fundamental and applied research in the field of concrete and reservoir rock failure.  The research will comprise laboratory experiments as well as computer simulations. The final goal is to develop a computational framework based on the discrete crack approach to predict the seepage and structural soundness of concrete dams, and to discover effective ways of recovering water/oil from reservoir rocks. 

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures and computational mechanics. Background in civil engineering, fluid mechanics, applied mathematics, numerical methods and/or programming skills will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions.   Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Development of apps for designing concrete structures

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this project is to develop a platform to support the design of concrete structures.

Opportunity synopsis:

There are currently many interactive platforms that can be used for enhancing the learning experience or even engineering practice. Unfortunately, in the scope of concrete structures, such features are yet to be fully explored. Stemming from current gaps, this project will develop a platform in the scope of iOS tablets or smart phones that can be used for concrete structures. There are several pathways that will be explored, depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions.Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: A predictive framework for the behaviour of concrete structures

Summary of opportunity:

This research will aim at developing a computational framework based on the discrete crack approach that can be efficiently used in engineering.

Opportunity synopsis:

The need to predict the fractured behaviour of a structure with a high degree of certainty is becoming a significant problem in the construction industry, whether for designing new structures or for assessing and strengthening existing structures. It is becoming critical to bring new predictive tools to assure the safety and serviceability of these structures, and to accomplish the full potential of the new construction designs that are now becoming possible. This research will aim at developing a computational framework based on the discrete crack approach that can be efficiently used in engineering. The outcome will be an effective platform for technological development that will allow a close-to-reality prediction of the behaviour of reinforced concrete structures and geomaterials.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures and computational mechanics. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, applied mechanics and a general interest in structural engineering, and in computational and fracture mechanics, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions.   Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: XFEM methods for fracture propagation

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this research is to develop a FEM method for simulation of fracture.

Opportunity synopsis:

There are several computational techniques that are now available for predicting the crack propagation in structures. However, these are yet to gain traction in commercial software. This project will develop a finite element methods that are robust and can be easily implemented, possibly based on XFEM or in elements with embedded discontinuities, for handling the large-scale modelling of structures. Focus will be given to the development of the technique and its validation. There are several pathways possible for this research depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions. Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Simulation of dynamic fracture propagation

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this research is to develop a computational method for dynamic fracture propagation associated with impact and blast.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project will involve the development of a numerical approach for predicting the behaviour of structures under dynamic fracture growth. This could be associated with severe loading from impact and blast. This project involves fundamental research on the development of a finite element method, or other numerical technique, that can be used to handle both local and global scales of material behaviour and the development of damage. There are several pathways possible for this research focusing depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions. Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Computer vision techniques for forensic engineering and damage assessment in structures

Summary of opportunity:

This research will develop high-end technology based on computer vision for structural health monitoring and damage localisation in structures.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project will take advantage of the most recent development in computer vision and structural health monitoring. The purpose is to develop high-end techniques to assess the behaviour of structures and possible damage. It is expected that high-resolution cameras and other non-destructive techniques can be combined in this work. Namely, in association with finite element methods capable of capturing discrete cracks inside the body will be combined with monitoring data to assist reverse engineering algorithms in the localisation of damage. The candidate should be interested in the areas of structures and computer programming, and have a strong desire to explore new fields of knowledge, and interact with multidisciplinary teams. There are several pathways possible for this research focusing depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions. Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Computational modelling of fibre-reinforced concrete and other composites

Summary of opportunity:

The purpose of this research is to develop high-end computational tools for the design of fibre-reinforced concrete and other composites.

Opportunity synopsis:

Fibre reinforced concrete is getting an increased interest in Civil Engineering, as the material gradually becomes more widely accepted. Current issues include the impact that the distribution of fibres in the cement-based matrix has on its material properties. It is the purpose of this project to delve into the issues of material characterisation to develop robust numerical models and design guidelines for fibre-reinforced concrete. Candidates are expected to take advantage of a high-end x-ray equipment within the school to characterise the material behaviour during casting, after which real-scale testing will be made. Finally, a computational FEM model and suitable constitutive models and guidelines will be developed. This is a research at the forefront of computational and material science. There are several pathways possible for this research depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions. Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.

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Project Opportunities

Title: Development of constitutive models for self-healing cementitious and soil materials

Summary of opportunity:

This research will develop constitutive models to handle the mechanics of self-healing materials.

Opportunity synopsis:

This project will develop constitutive models and finite element methods that can be used to simulate and predict the behaviour of self-healing cementitious materials. Strong background in computational methods and interest in material science is expected. There are several pathways possible for this research depending on the research interests and background of the applicant.

Applications are invited for researchers interested in joining a world-leading research group within the School of Civil engineering and pursuing further studies in the field of concrete structures. Background in civil/mechanical/aerospace engineering, and skills on numerical methods and/or programming, will be very useful. It is expected a strong commitment to academic research in the proposed field and the capacity to create and develop original approaches to tackle open questions. Interested researchers are encouraged to get in touch with Dias-da-Costa as soon as possible.