Supervisory Team : Dr Jack Denny, Steeve Chung Kim Yuen (University of Cape Town)

Explosions remain a serious threat to buildings and their occupants due to the occurrence of terrorist attacks, armed conflicts, and large-scale accidents. Such events have highlighted a key knowledge gap: we do not yet understand the effects of blast waves propagating in different urban environments. As a result, it remains challenging to predict blast loading in built-up areas, which reduces our ability to predict structural damage and injury risk. Specifically, it is unknown how building ‘frangibility’ (i.e. tendency for materials to disintegrate under blast loading) influences blast loading (in comparison to assumed rigid structures) and how this modifies the risk of harm. New knowledge and predictive methods are needed to inform risk assessments, structural protection requirements and injury mitigation strategies.

In this PhD research project, you will investigate the influence of building frangibility on blast wave propagation and internal loading effects. Using advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses, you will formulate advanced numerical frameworks to scrutinise how structural failure and material loss influences blast wave propagation and blast injury risk. There will also be opportunities for you to design and conduct physical blast experiments at reduced scale using specialist facilities at the University of Cape Town. Using the data from your findings, you will generate new understanding and fast-running prediction methods that take into account the effects of material frangibility and provide recommendations for injury mitigation.

Outcomes of this project will be of direct relevance to the blast engineering research community, protective design engineers, security consultants and humanitarian organisations, contributing towards improved protection and reduced harm.

Entry Requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent .

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk) .

You need to:

• choose programme type (research), 2025/26, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

• please select if you will be full time or part time

• choose the relevant PhD in Engineering & Environment

• add name of the supervisor in Section 2

Applications should include:

• personal statement

• CV (resumé)

• 2 reference letters

• degree transcripts to date