The Laboratory for the Chemistry of Construction (LC2) Materials in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is seeking a postdoctoral candidate starting April 1, 2017. Special emphasis is placed on recruiting candidates with a Ph.D. in civil engineering, materials science/engineering, chemical engineering, or other comparable fields, with expertise in the proportioning, production and forming (e.g., by extrusion and slip-casting, compression molding, structural foam molding, etc.) of concrete and related composites with a capacity for world-class research that is reflected in a strong publication record.
The successful candidate will work on designing/proportion mixtures of a transformative low-CO2 footprint concrete, which utilizes an alternative binder system that is realized by CO2 mineralization of lime. Special focus will be placed on optimizing dosages of suitable chemical admixtures to enhance performance (e.g., rheological behavior/workability, mechanical strength, etc.). The ability to extend principles of mixture design of portland cement concretes to a novel material system is critical. Associated expertise in optimizing concrete/mortar workability for a range of applications (i.e., for self-consolidating concrete, or extrudability) by design of admixture-material pairs, and performing tradeoff analyses of monetary input, and environmental impact is advantageous. For further details regarding the CO2 mineralization process, see: Vance et al., Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 54, pp. 8908-8918, 2015.
For full-consideration, the applicant should possess the following qualifications: (a) a Ph.D. degree from a reputable university in a topic of relevance (see above), (b) a fundamental understanding of concrete mixture design and production, extendable to alternative binder systems, and © an interest in working in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment. The applicant will collaborate with other researchers having expertise in interfacial reaction kinetics, process design and optimization, and microstructure-property relationships.
Applicants with relevant experience will be given special preference. The successful candidate will be expected to take personal initiative to structure tasks to meet project functions and author novel publications. The candidate will also be expected to mentor students, teach courses in relation to expertise (if opportunity arises), fulfill project administration functions and assist in proposal development. The candidate is expected to meet programmed project goals, and be capable of responding to deliverable timelines as are typical in “academia-industry” collaborative research.
All positions are programmed for a 1-year duration, but can be extended by mutual agreement. If you meet the above requirements and are interested in this position, please provide (as PDFs) to the contact noted below: a detailed resume, a short personal statement explaining your scientific and research interests and contact information for three referees in support of your application.
Contact:
Prof. Gaurav N. Sant
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
420 Westwood Plaza, 5731-J Boelter Hall
University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Email: gsant@ucla.edu