Performance-based Design and Assessment of Civil Infrastructure Systems Under Extreme Winds

Position description: The Institute of Bridge Engineering (IBE) is recruiting a PhD student to conduct research on performance-based design and assessment of civil infrastructure systems under winds. The work will involve interdisciplinary research including wind engineering, structural engineering, structural aerodynamics, and engineering meteorology. A solid background and/or interest in the following subjects is preferred: performance-based wind design of bridges, risk assessment of coastal bridges under multiple climate-driven hazards (wind, storm surge and wave, and scour), hurricanes in a changing climate and associated impacts on transportation infrastructure, and assessment of hurricane resilience of transportation infrastructure using artificial intelligence.

Financial support: Doctoral students are supported with a stipend ($28,541 for AY 22/23), paid tuition and healthcare. Financial support after the first year is contingent on academic standing and research progress.

Research Facilities: IBE faculty and students have access to state-of-the-art research facilities, including Structural Engineering and Earthquake Simulation Laboratory (SEESL), Shared Instrumentation Laboratories (SIL), and the Center for Computational Research (CCR). SEESL is equipped with a diverse array of test equipment and platforms, including two 6 DOF earthquake simulators, a geotechnical laminar box, a multiple-fan wind tunnel, a strong floor and strong wall, a furnace for structural fire testing, wind tunnel, and standard tools and equipment needed for performing state-of-the-art concrete materials and geotechnical-engineering research. The wind tunnel, shown right, is an individually-controlled, multiple-fan facility. SIL provides access to a scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, nano-indenter, and other advanced equipment for nano/micro-scale investigation of materials. CCR is an academic supercomputing facility at the University at Buffalo and maintains high-performance computing and visualization laboratories.

Contact associate professor Teng Wu for the position description and Jackie Baum, graduate studies coordinator, for other information, including admission, visas, and the graduate program in the department.