PRR Project

Summary

The position is integrated in the Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Unit (NESDE) of LNEC, created in 1996, which evolved from previous LNEC Divisions working on this field of activity since the 1950s.The R&D&I activities carried out in the Unit address topics that range from experimental and analytical modelling which support the progress of knowledge in Earthquake and Wind Engineering, as well as specialized consultancy studies, carried out for public and private entities, to the drafting and implementation of regulations at national and European level. NESDE has supported the development of all national and European seismic regulations, namely by hosting the secretariat of Eurocode 8 (EC8) at European level. It also holds the secretariat of the Portuguese Society of Earthquake Engineering (SPES) since its foundation.The researcher will be expected to conduct and lead the following tasks:- Development of seismic risk assessment and mitigation tools and frameworks- Collaboration on the planning of preparedness actions and on the response to seismic events- Seismic risk communication- Seismic performance assessment of building structures- Structural vulnerability and retrofitting evaluation- Advanced numerical modelling of structures- Support to experimental studies, including shaking table tests and field test campaignsTo address the aforementioned tasks, the researcher should possess skills on key areas of work within LNEC’s mission, in particular, the researcher should have a strong experience in Earthquake Engineering topics and be able to lead innovative research on Seismic Vulnerability and Risk Assessment.Programming skills are fundamental as the researcher should be able to develop analytical models to simulate structural response under earthquakes and multi-hazard risks, as well as to develop tools in the scope of risk assessment both at local and at macro scales. Knowledge in the fields of artificial intelligence applied to seismic risk, cost-benefit analysis, and decision-making is extremely valued.Finally, interest in experimental testing is also important in order to collaborate on experimental campaigns both on site and at the NESDE shaking table laboratory, and to analyse and interpret the results obtained in such testing activities.The R&D&I activities related to Earthquake Engineering have shown great development, mainly due to the number of European and co-funded projects that are under execution. Examples of such projects are the ERIES - Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies (HORIZON-INFRA-2021-SERV-01-07) and R2U Technologies - Modular Systems (PRR) projects.At the same time, NESDE has been asked to provide specialized support to different public and private entities on the areas of seismic vulnerability of buildings and infrastructures, seismic risk of individual assets, as well as at local or regional levels, and seismic risk communication. Examples of such projects are the seismic assessment of several critical buildings, the analysis of vibrations induced by the construction and operation of underground transportation lines in Lisbon, and the risk assessment of Almada municipality.Therefore, it is of paramount importance to integrate in NESDE’s team a researcher able to lead advanced studies in core areas of the unit, such as on seismic vulnerability and risk assessment of critical systems (e.g. bridges, lifelines and other infrastructures) using performance-based methodologies, thus contributing to the specialized support to public and private entities on the areas of risk assessment and asset management.