The Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering (SBN) offers a unique and collective research expertise in the field of building and construction. The department https://www.ltu.se/forskning/forskningsamnen/byggkonstruktionsöker is now looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher who wants to contribute to science and technology in the field of condition assessment. Within our department, we strive for everyone to develop and grow as human beings.

Building design covers the loading, design, dimensioning, durability, load-bearing capacity, repair and strengthening of buildings and structures made of concrete, steel, wood and other materials, individually or in combination, under normal conditions, in cold climates and in fire.

The project aims to further develop data-driven structural health monitoring (SHM) of railroad bridges under varying environmental conditions, with a particular focus on cold climate and effects such as temperature variations, moisture and freeze-thaw cycles. Based on unique long-term measurements from instrumented bridges in northern Sweden, the aim is to develop methods that enable infrastructure owners to distinguish between environmental variation and actual structural damage.

The work includes data analysis and modeling of the interaction between climate and structure (processing of long-term data, identification of the influence of environmental factors on the structure's response and development of statistical and machine learning-based models for prediction and anomaly detection), as well as validation through integration with finite element models.

The project also includes structural evaluation and development of decision support for bridge management, integrating sensor data and weather information to support condition assessment, maintenance planning and robust and reliable operation of the infrastructure in cold climates.

You will conduct research with significant experimental and data-driven elements, with the aim of publishing results in international peer-reviewed journals and presenting at major conferences.

The work includes:

• conducting research that combines field data, modeling and data-driven analysis
• working with long-term data from monitoring of railway bridges
• developing and validating predictive models and anomaly detection methods
• contributing to the development of decision support for bridge management
• collaborating with relevant actors and stakeholders
• publishing scientific results and presenting at international conferences
• participating in the supervision of MSc and PhD students and contributing to teaching

To be eligible for the postdoctoral position, you should have a PhD in civil engineering, structural engineering or a related field, with a specialization relevant to structural health monitoring, bridge engineering, structural dynamics and/or condition assessment. The PhD degree should be completed at the time of employment.

Required qualifications:

• documented experience in structural health monitoring (SHM)
• good knowledge of structural dynamics and vibration analysis
• experience in sensor-based measurements and field monitoring
• experience in data analysis of structural response (e.g. acceleration, strain, deflection, etc.e.g. acceleration, strain)
• good understanding of structural behavior and bridge engineering
• programming skills (e.g. Python, MATLAB or equivalent)
• good ability to communicate in English in speech and writing and ability to work both independently and in collaboration in multidisciplinary teams

Additional qualifications:

• experience in long-term monitoring of bridges or other infrastructure
• experience in environmental effects on structures (temperature, humidity, freeze-thaw cycles)
• experience in statistical analysis, signal processing or machine learning
• knowledge of finite element models and model validation
• knowledge of anomaly detection or data-driven SHM methods
• experience of collaboration with infrastructure owners or industry
• interest in translating research results into practical engineering tools

This position is a full-time position for two years. The place of employment is Luleå. Planned start date: May 2026.

For further information, please contact

Jaime Gonzalez, Senior Lecturer, 0920-49 2970, mailto:jaime.gonzalez@ltu.se or

Chao Wang, Senior Lecturer, 0920-49 2944, mailto:chao.wang@ltu.se

Union Representative:

SACO-S Diana Chroneer, 0920-49 2037 mailto:diana.chroneer@ltu.se

OFR-S Marika Vesterberg, 0920-49 1721 mailto:marika.vesterberg@ltu.se

We prefer that you apply for the position via the application button below where you attach a cover letter, CV/resume and copies of verified diplomas. Please mark your application with the reference number below. Both the application and the diploma must be written in Swedish or English.

Reference number: 2776-2026