Doctoral Student in Structural Dynamics and Metamaterials for Hybrid Steel-Timber Buildings 100 %

Shape the future of sustainable structures by combining advanced simulation with cutting-edge experiments and contributing directly to safer, more comfortable and resource-efficient construction.

School:

Architektur, Gestaltung und Bauingenieurwesen

Starting date:

01.02.2027 or by agreement (fixed-term position with annual renewals for up to 4 years)

Your role

• Review the literature on vibrations in hybrid steel-timber structures and on conventional mitigation solutions
• Select representative hybrid subsystems (floor segments, beam-slab interfaces, joints)
• Develop numerical models in COMSOL (frequency domain) and Abaqus (time domain) to identify vibration hot spots in the 1-100 Hz range
• Benchmark conventional damping solutions (viscoelastic layers, tuned mass dampers) numerically and experimentally
• Prepare and run tests on reduced-scale specimens with laser Doppler vibrometry, shakers and the multi-axial shaking table at ETH Zurich
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences and write your doctoral thesis

Your profile

• Master's degree in civil, structural or mechanical engineering, or a related field, meeting the admission requirements of the ETH Zurich doctoral programme
• Solid background in structural dynamics and finite element modelling; experience with COMSOL and/or Abaqus is an advantage
• Interest in experimental work and hands-on laboratory testing
• Knowledge of steel or timber construction is welcome
• Programming skills (e.g. Python or MATLAB)
• Fluent English; German is an advantage
• Curious, structured and able to work in an interdisciplinary team across institutions

This is what we stand for

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff.

The Institute of Building Technology and Process IBP, together with two other institutes, provides services in teaching, research, and continuing education. In research, IBP focuses on hybrid lightweight construction, digital technologies in design and fabrication, building energy systems and technologies, as well as digital construction processes and management. At the intersection of architecture and engineering, we develop practical approaches and solutions in collaboration with industry partners.
We offer an exciting, varied, and challenging role in a dynamic and ever-changing environment, working alongside an interdisciplinary and highly motivated team.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

What you can expect

We offer working conditions and terms of employment commensurate with higher education institutions and actively promote personal development for staff in leadership and non-leadership positions. A detailed description of advantages and benefits can be found at Working at the ZHAW. The main points are listed below:

Contact

Dr. Andrea Colombi
Senior Researcher / Project Leader, ZHAW IBP

Irina Keiser
Recruiting Manager