Postdoctoral Fellow
Structural Steel Design and Reliability
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Supervisors: Profs. Sanjay Arwade and Kara Peterman
Job Description
We seek a postdoc for an initial term of up to 1 year to work on a project funded by the Metal Building Manufacturer’s Association related to advancing roof live load provisions in the ASCE-7 specification. The postdoc will perform literature reviews, lead interviews and conduct surveys, and perform probabilistic and structural simulations of roof live loading and system response. The development of improvements to design provisions is a main goal of the work, and an expected outcome of the research. Other responsibilities of the postdoc include:
- Leading deliverables associated with MBMA grant on .
- Creating interview and survey questions, and administering those questions (data collection)
- Analysis of that data via stochastic load modeling
- Presentation of research to audiences at national and international scientific meetings.
Preparation of research papers and reports.
Competitive salary and benefits are provided commensurate with experience and qualifications. Residence in Amherst, MA is strongly preferred, but partial or full remote work options will be considered for exceptional candidates.
Background
In load and resistance factor design, live load provisions for roofs allow for little variation in how the roof is maintained and accessed. In metal building systems, roofs can see drastically different live loads than their counterparts in other structural systems. This research project will involve determining metal building roof live loads through in-depth surveying of the industry, and will characterize the intensity and patterning of those loads via stochastic analysis. This work will enable a new probabilistic basis for improvements to national design specifications. The research team will interact closely with industry professionals.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Civil Engineering or related topic
- Knowledge of steel structural systems
- Demonstrated skills in scientific communication, including scientific papers and project reports.
Application Instructions:
Email a single pdf file containing a statement of interest, a full CV and one peer-reviewed publication to Profs. Sanjay Arwade (arwade@umass.edu) and Kara Peterman (kdpeterman@umass.edu). Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled. We seek a candidate to start as soon as possible, but no later than July 1, 2022.