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Job profile
Job details
Job details
Job reference
0000000001
Date posted
17/11/2017
Application closing date
17/12/2017
Salary
The studentship will cover tuition fees, and a tax-free bursary (£14,292 per annum) over the three years of the doctorate.
Package
Blank
Contractual hours
Blank
Basis
Blank
Attachments
Blank
PHD Studentship within the School of Engineering & the Built Environment
Job description
PHD STUDENTSHIP - ENGINEERING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
An opportunity has arisen for an outstanding Ph.D. student to join the REBEL (Resource Efficient Built Environment Laboratory) Group at Edinburgh Napier University to work at the interface between the circular economy and the built environment.
Of all industrial sectors, the
built environment puts the most pressure on the natural environment. In the European Union, it accounts for 50% of all extracted materials, 42% of the final energy consumption, 35% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions (EC, 2011) and 32% of waste flows (EEA, 2012), and global figures are not much different (Khasreen et al., 2009). The role of the built environment in transitioning to a circular economy is therefore crucial, due to its high environmental impacts, which also conversely offer significant opportunities for reductions in energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production (Pomponi and Moncaster, 2017).
Buildings are unique entities, as they are often the results of one-off projects. This feature adds to their inherent complexity, where each of the materials used has its own specific life cycle and all interact dynamically in space and time. Furthermore, their long lifespan, and changes of use during their service life, lead to increased uncertainty about future scenarios. Therefore, although buildings are made up of components which are manufactured products, when assembled together those products create an entity which no longer fits into the logic of manufacturing. From a circular economy perspective, current research tends to focus mainly on short-lived manufactured products (e.g. Singh and Ordonez, 2016), and therefore the complexities that are inherent within buildings are often neglected.
A 'circular' built environment will need a systemic approach to develop a completely new set of design strategies, materials, rules, conventions, legal framework, supply chains, and behavioural patterns - to name but a few.
For instance, some of the questions we are currently facing are:
1) Steel structural elements are potentially reusable when the building they were used in has reached its end of life. However, this is not regulated at present, the supply chain is at its earliest stages, and most say it is not economically viable. How can this be addressed?
2) Concrete has a very definite useful life which can hardly be extended due to problems related to corrosion and structural safety. What is the future of concrete buildings in a circular economy? Can concrete waste be a readily available, high-value inputs for other sectors and supply chains? Does this require a paradigm shift in the way we design concrete-frame buildings?
3) Timber is a natural material, virtually constantly available and that can be regenerated. However, the growing use of timber is already creating shortage issues in some supply chains and there is conclusive evidence that there won't be enough timber to entirely replace the other structural materials. What is the future of timber in construction?
4) New natural and bio-based materials are being discovered and developed. However, they are mostly in their early stages and it will take a while before their supply chains reach maturity and therefore they can be used at scale. Are there other natural materials which promise a shorter "time-to-market" to address the urgency we face?
5) The long lifespan of buildings causes great uncertainty over what will happen at the end of their useful life. How to ensure that a 'circular design' does not get lost as years or decades go by?
6) Design for disassembly is a very promising solution to ensure that materials used in buildings can be separated and reused at the end of a building's life. However this requires a paradigm shift in building design and construction methods in a sector which is well known for its resistance to change.
How can these disruptive revolutions be facilitated?
These are only few of the many questions that a circular economy entails. The project is left intentionally broad in its aim, scope and objectives to allow perspective candidates to express their creativity in proposing an outstanding plan of work.
To apply for this exciting fully-funded PhD studentship you will need to submit the following:
- Your CV
- A one-page covering letter
- A two-page research proposal (plus one page for references) which highlights the question you would like to answer during your doctorate as well as some details on the methodology and the likely outcomes and impact.
Informal enquires are most welcome and can be addressed to:
Dr Francesco Pomponi (f.pomponi@napier.ac.uk) [Director of Studies]
Dr Bernardino D'Amico (b.damico@napier.ac.uk) [Co-supervisor]
The studentship will cover tuition fees, and a tax-free bursary (GBP 14,292 per annum) over the three years of the doctorate.
References:
EC 2011. Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions COM(2011) 571 final. European Commission.
EEA 2012. Material Resources and Waste - 2012 Update. European Environment Agency. Copenhagen.
KHASREEN, M., BANFILL, P. F. & MENZIES, G. 2009. Life-Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Impact of Buildings: A Review. Sustainability, 1, 674-701
POMPONI, F. & MONCASTER, A. 2017. Circular economy for the built environment: A research framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 710-718.
SINGH, J. & ORDONEZ, I. 2016. Resource recovery from post-consumer waste: important lessons for the upcoming circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 342-353.
Job title
PHD Studentship within the School of Engineering & the Built Environment
Job reference
0000000001
Date posted
17/11/2017
Application closing date
17/12/2017
Salary
The studentship will cover tuition fees, and a tax-free bursary (£14,292 per annum) over the three years of the doctorate.
Package
Blank
Contractual hours
Blank
Basis
Blank
Attachments
Blank
Job description
PHD STUDENTSHIP - ENGINEERING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
An opportunity has arisen for an outstanding Ph.D. student to join the REBEL (Resource Efficient Built Environment Laboratory) Group at Edinburgh Napier University to work at the interface between the circular economy and the built environment.
Of all industrial sectors, the
built environment puts the most pressure on the natural environment. In the European Union, it accounts for 50% of all extracted materials, 42% of the final energy consumption, 35% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions (EC, 2011) and 32% of waste flows (EEA, 2012), and global figures are not much different (Khasreen et al., 2009). The role of the built environment in transitioning to a circular economy is therefore crucial, due to its high environmental impacts, which also conversely offer significant opportunities for reductions in energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production (Pomponi and Moncaster, 2017).
Buildings are unique entities, as they are often the results of one-off projects. This feature adds to their inherent complexity, where each of the materials used has its own specific life cycle and all interact dynamically in space and time. Furthermore, their long lifespan, and changes of use during their service life, lead to increased uncertainty about future scenarios. Therefore, although buildings are made up of components which are manufactured products, when assembled together those products create an entity which no longer fits into the logic of manufacturing. From a circular economy perspective, current research tends to focus mainly on short-lived manufactured products (e.g. Singh and Ordonez, 2016), and therefore the complexities that are inherent within buildings are often neglected.
A 'circular' built environment will need a systemic approach to develop a completely new set of design strategies, materials, rules, conventions, legal framework, supply chains, and behavioural patterns - to name but a few.
For instance, some of the questions we are currently facing are:
1) Steel structural elements are potentially reusable when the building they were used in has reached its end of life. However, this is not regulated at present, the supply chain is at its earliest stages, and most say it is not economically viable. How can this be addressed?
2) Concrete has a very definite useful life which can hardly be extended due to problems related to corrosion and structural safety. What is the future of concrete buildings in a circular economy? Can concrete waste be a readily available, high-value inputs for other sectors and supply chains? Does this require a paradigm shift in the way we design concrete-frame buildings?
3) Timber is a natural material, virtually constantly available and that can be regenerated. However, the growing use of timber is already creating shortage issues in some supply chains and there is conclusive evidence that there won't be enough timber to entirely replace the other structural materials. What is the future of timber in construction?
4) New natural and bio-based materials are being discovered and developed. However, they are mostly in their early stages and it will take a while before their supply chains reach maturity and therefore they can be used at scale. Are there other natural materials which promise a shorter "time-to-market" to address the urgency we face?
5) The long lifespan of buildings causes great uncertainty over what will happen at the end of their useful life. How to ensure that a 'circular design' does not get lost as years or decades go by?
6) Design for disassembly is a very promising solution to ensure that materials used in buildings can be separated and reused at the end of a building's life. However this requires a paradigm shift in building design and construction methods in a sector which is well known for its resistance to change.
How can these disruptive revolutions be facilitated?
These are only few of the many questions that a circular economy entails. The project is left intentionally broad in its aim, scope and objectives to allow perspective candidates to express their creativity in proposing an outstanding plan of work.
To apply for this exciting fully-funded PhD studentship you will need to submit the following:
- Your CV
- A one-page covering letter
- A two-page research proposal (plus one page for references) which highlights the question you would like to answer during your doctorate as well as some details on the methodology and the likely outcomes and impact.
Informal enquires are most welcome and can be addressed to:
Dr Francesco Pomponi (f.pomponi@napier.ac.uk) [Director of Studies]
Dr Bernardino D'Amico (b.damico@napier.ac.uk) [Co-supervisor]
The studentship will cover tuition fees, and a tax-free bursary (GBP 14,292 per annum) over the three years of the doctorate.
References:
EC 2011. Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions COM(2011) 571 final. European Commission.
EEA 2012. Material Resources and Waste - 2012 Update. European Environment Agency. Copenhagen.
KHASREEN, M., BANFILL, P. F. & MENZIES, G. 2009. Life-Cycle Assessment and the Environmental Impact of Buildings: A Review. Sustainability, 1, 674-701
POMPONI, F. & MONCASTER, A. 2017. Circular economy for the built environment: A research framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 710-718.
SINGH, J. & ORDONEZ, I. 2016. Resource recovery from post-consumer waste: important lessons for the upcoming circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 342-353.