Qualitative assessment of sound insulation of building envelopes and development of an adapted noise annoyance construct applicable for building acoustics issues

ORGANISATION/COMPANY ………. TGM Versuchsanstalt (BMBWF)

RESEARCH FIELD ………………………… Other

RESEARCHER PROFILE ……………….. First Stage Researcher (R1)

APPLICATION DEADLINE …………… 25/09/2022 23:00 – Europe/Brussels

E-MAIL …………………………………………. herbert.muellner@tgm.ac.at

PHONE ………………………………………… +43 1 33126 400

MOBILE PHONE ………………………….. +43 6648153001

LOCATION …………………………….. Austria › Vienna

TYPE OF CONTRACT ……………. To be defined

JOB STATUS …………………………… Full-time

HOURS PER WEEK ………………… 38

EU PROGRAMME ………………….. H2020

REFERENCE NUMBER ………….. TGM PhD 2022_01

Interested? You can apply by sending all required documents to: herbert.muellner@tgm.ac.at

OFFER DESCRIPTION

This PhD focuses on the development of a psychophysical valid single number quantity for characterizing the sound insulation properties of the smart façades systems and the proposal of an adapted noise annoyance construct applicable for building acoustics issues related to the attitudes toward certain occurring urban sound sources, urban environment, and architectural aesthetic issues, living and daytime contexts, and fits in the framework of the ACTAREBUILD EU – DN – project. This joint PhD doctorate will be awarded and signed by STUBA Bratislava and KU Leuven.

In the framework of ActaReBuild new building technologies and techniques for façades are intended to be developed. Thus, an appropriate applicable sound insulation descriptor system which correlates closely with the experience of the building inhabitants has to be established. The sound insulation values of the façades determined according to the new advanced single number quantities have to be linked to noise annoyance adequately to be able to refer to appropriate international sound insulation requirements.

The research task comprises the development of a new valid sound insulation single number quantity for façades built according to the new technology approach, which has risen from the process of changing the purpose of office blocks into apartment buildings. This will be based on building acoustics perception experiments in a perception laboratory, regarding the influence of a wide range of different urban situations and urban sound sources.

This approach includes the adaptation of the currently applied noise annoyance constructs to be applicable for building acoustics issues related to expected interactions like attitude toward possible sound sources, the arrangement of the surrounding urban environment and particular aesthetic issues, living and daytime contexts. The derived building acoustics noise annoyance dimensions, their effects and interactions have to be investigated in a multi-sensorial perception lab with suitable experimental settings and validated in situ in relation to objective environmental noise measurements.

This interdisciplinary research is hosted by the Laboratory of TGM-Versuchsanstalt, Department Acoustics and Building Physics, and will be done in close collaboration with and exchange visits to the Laboratory of Acoustics in the Soft Matter and Biophysics Unit of the Department of Physics and Astronomy (Prof. Christ Glorieux) and the Faculty of Architecture (Prof. Monika Rychtarikova) of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU-Leuven) Belgium and the Department of Materials Engineering and Physics (Prof. Vojtech Chmelik) of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava Technical University of Bratislava (STUBA).

MORE INFORMATION

Benefits

  • A remuneration package in line with Marie Sklodowska Curie Doctoral Network regulations, which is competitive with industry standards in Belgium, a country with a high quality of life and excellent health care system.
  • The researcher allowances granted by Europe will cover all (employer’s and employee’s) taxes and contributions; the exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment.
  • An opportunity to pursue a PhD in Science, in a stimulating and ambitious research environment, with 3 years funding within the ACTAREBUILD ITN project.
  • An opportunity to work within a challenging European research project with leading industry players across Europe.
  • TGM Versuchsanstalt is located in Vienna, close to the city center with its historic buildings and cultural hot spots.
  • Vienna is a safe city with high quality of life which combines history and tradition with a modern spirit and an incomparable cultural life. Healthcare, infrastructure, and recreational facilities are generally of a very high standard.
  • The international airport Vienna – Schwechat can be reached in about 30 minutes by train or bus. The distance of most of the capitals of the European countries are within 1- or 2-hour flights. Bratislava the capital of Slovakia, and so called Twin City of Vienna, is very well connected by public means of transport, and it takes less than an hour to get there.
  • This PhD will be performed in collaboration with KU Leuven (Belgium) and STU Bratislava (Slovakia) and candidate will be awarded by joint PhD degree.

Eligibility criteria

If you recognize yourself in the story below, then you have the profile that fits the project and the research group.

  • I have a master’s degree in psychology with focus on experimental psychology or in engineering with focus on computer sciences (artificial intelligence) physics, electrical engineering, or civil engineering.
  • I do not yet have a PhD
  • I am adept at learning new concepts, skills and tasks and have a problem-solving approach to complex challenges
  • I am proficient in written and spoken English, and write and communicate clearly in an interdisciplinary environment
  • During my courses or prior professional activities, I have gathered experience with acoustic measurements, data-acquisition, numerical simulations, and mathematical modelling and/or I have a profound interest in these topics.
  • I got background of and/or interest in quantitative methods, advanced statistics, and test theory and the application of statistics and modelling software (e.g., SPSS, MPlus, R, Matlab, Python and/or others).
  • As PhD researcher at TGM-Versuchsanstalt I perform research in a structured and scientifically sound manner. I read technical papers, understand the nuances between different theories and implement and improve methodologies myself.
  • I work goal-oriented and have a getting-things-done attitude, always with scientific rigor.
  • In frequent reporting, varying between weekly to monthly, I show the results that I have obtained and I give a well-founded interpretation of those results. I iterate on my work and my approach based on the feedback of my supervisors which steer the direction of my research.
  • I feel comfortable working as a team member and I am eager to share my results to inspire my colleagues and be inspired by them.
  • I value being part of a project that aims at finding sustainable solutions in the domain of building applications and I am eager to learn how academic research can be linked to industrial innovation roadmaps.
  • During my PhD I want to grow towards following up the project that I am involved in and representing the research group on project meetings or conferences. I see these events as an occasion to disseminate my work to an audience of international experts and research colleagues, and to learn about the larger context of my research and the research project.
  • During the past 3 years I have not resided, studied or worked in Austria for more than 12 months

Selection process

For more information please contact Herbert Muellner by e-mail and mention ACTAREBUILD in the title.

You can apply for this job no later than 25/09/2022 by sending email to herbert.muellner@tgm.ac.at with all required documents.

Applications in English should be submitted online and include:

  • Curriculum Vitae (including your contact address, work experience, publications, as well as all other academic achievements)
  • Cover letter explaining your motivation
  • Transcript of all courses and grades for your Bachelor and Master program
  • A short description of your master’s work (max 1 page)

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. TGM-Versuchsanstalt embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.

Website for additional job details

https://actarebuild.eu/