Deterioration of earthworks slopes (cuttings and embankments), which support transport infrastructure and act as flood defences, is accelerating under increasing weather extremes resulting from global change, damaging critical infrastructure resilience.

This project is part of the prestigious Loughborough University Vice Chancellor’s PhD Cluster – RAINDROP (Resilient eArthwork INfrastructure: Diagnosis, RehabilitatiOn & Prognosis) – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/clusters/raindrop/ . The Doctoral Researcher (DR) will join a cohort of DRs who will be working on a series of interlinked, interdisciplinary projects for sustainable, intelligent, and climate change-resilient infrastructure slopes.

Current earthworks assessment remains largely based on visual inspection of the surface. Subsurface deterioration is often missed, and failures occur without warning. This PhD project aims to develop novel diagnostic techniques for earthwork asset condition appraisal and deterioration detection, helping to answer the question ‘how close to failure is the asset?’. By integrating a suite of state-of-the-art sensors and monitoring technologies with data fusion and AI analytics, this research will enable timely identification of deterioration processes and assessment of their evolution/extent.

Please reach out to the primary supervisor, Dr Craig Hancock, if you have any questions.

Name of primary supervisor/CDT lead:

Dr Craig Hancock ( [email protected] )

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/staff/craig-hancock/

Names of secondary supervisors:

Dr Hui Fang https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/compsci/staff/hui-fang/

Professor James Flint https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/meme/staff/james-flint/

Dr Alister Smith https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/staff/alister-smith/

Entry requirements:

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated candidate with a first-class / high 2:1 degree in a relevant Engineering or Physical Science discipline. A relevant master’s degree and/or employment experience will be an advantage.

English language requirements:

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website ( http://www.lboro.ac.uk/international/applicants/english/ ).

Funding information:

The studentship is for three years and provides a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.

Closing date of advert: 9 May 2025

Start date: October 2025

Full-time/part-time availability: Full-time 3 years

Bench fees required: No

How to apply:

All applications must be made online and must include a completed studentship application form (instead of a personal statement), a two-page research proposal based on the project description outlining how you would approach the project, and an up-to-date CV. Under programme name, please select 'Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering'. Please quote reference RAINDROP-CH .

Only applicants with the minimum supporting documents , comprising a CV, two-page research proposal, and studentship application form will be considered for an interview. Please make sure you have uploaded all these documents. Incomplete applications after the advert closing date may not be considered.

ABCE will use these selection criteria to make a decision on your application.

Project search terms:

artificial intelligence, civil engineering, computer science - other, data analysis, engineering - other, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology, machine learning, surveying

Email Address ABCE:

[email protected]