PDEng Developing guided operational strategies for asphalt compaction

Are you interested in high-end technological design? Would you like to be part of a major road construction improvement initiative that will lead to constructing better roads in the Netherlands? Then, this Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) project may be very interesting for you. The PDEng is a 2-year post MSc technological designers programme. This programme at the University of Twente contains an educational part that will be followed at the University, and a design project that will be carried out at ASPARi network companies. The educational programme will have an in-depth and broadening character with ample attention for professional development and will be partly tailored to the design project. In collaboration with the external organisation, high level, creative and new designs for complex issues will be aimed at. During the educational part of the programme, you will receive a customised education package consisting of among others, courses in pavement design, finite element analysis, statistics, structural equation modelling and Java programming.

The Challenge

The asphalt construction industry is one perceived to be based on tradition and custom where work methods are largely based on implicit knowledge and experience. The ASPARi research has shown that traditional working methods lead to extensive variability in the asphalt construction process.

To support roller operators in achieving a more consistent, method-based asphalt compaction process, there is a need to develop guided operational strategies for the compaction process. This entails matching, testing and validating compaction strategies on site and in the laboratory, for specific asphalt mixtures under specific conditions.

The mission of this design project is to:

“Develop guided compaction strategies that will support roller operators achieve a more consistent compaction product”

The overall purpose is to develop operational strategies for achieving specified end-quality parameters (for specific asphalt mixes and circumstances). The main outcomes are:

An integrated software system capturing the asphalt mix design process, the construction process and the post-construction laboratory process that can be used to develop improved operational strategies
An improved system for simulating the on-site compaction process in the laboratory
Method-based operational strategies that can be simulated, tested and validated before construction commences.

Please send your application, by the link below before 13 June 2016, with a curriculum vitae, a list with grades of courses attended, references and, if applicable, a list of publications.

Further details:
PDEng Developing guided operational strategies for asphalt compaction