The Chair of Infrastructure Management at the Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, offers a doctoral position focused on risk-based inspection and maintenance planning for tunnels. This role is part of an interdisciplinary SNSF project in collaboration with the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, the Hagerbach Test Gallery, and the EuroTube Foundation. The preferred starting date is 1 February 2027, with other dates negotiable.
Tunnels are critical links in transport networks, and many Swiss road and rail tunnels are ageing while facing increasing traffic loads, climate-related stressors, and evolving safety requirements. The project Predictive, Resilient, Integrated Systems for Management of Tunnel (PRISM-T), funded by the SNSF, aims to address these challenges through an integrated digital twin workflow for tunnel maintenance decision support.
Tasks
- Map and formalise current tunnel maintenance decision processes for structural and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing domains through workshops and interviews with practitioners.
- Formulate risk and consequence models based on Bayesian networks and develop incremental risk updating methods.
- Develop a computationally tractable Value of Information analysis using approximation strategies such as surrogate models and scenario reduction.
- Formulate and solve intervention program optimisation models accounting for sequencing, bundling, access windows, and resource constraints, with outputs traceable to the underlying evidence.
- Contribute to validation campaigns at the Hagerbach Test Gallery and the EuroTube Foundation.
- Participate in regular field work at the Tunnel Digitalisation Centre in Flums and the DemoTube facility in Dübendorf, and collaborate closely with the partner team in Bolzano.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in civil engineering, operations research, industrial engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field.
- Strong background in probabilistic modelling, reliability and risk analysis, and mathematical optimisation.
- Very good programming skills, preferably in Python, and experience with optimisation solvers.
- Familiarity with infrastructure asset management, Bayesian networks, decision analysis, Value of Information analysis, or business process modelling is considered an advantage.
- Willingness to carry out field work in underground environments and to collaborate within an interdisciplinary and international team.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English is required; knowledge of German is regarded as an asset.
Benefits
ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology, renowned for excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research, and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find the university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and inspires excellence. ETH Zurich values diversity, promotes equality of opportunity, and nurtures a working and learning environment that respects the rights and dignity of all staff and students. Sustainability is a core value, with ongoing efforts towards a climate-neutral future.
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Das Team
The position is within the Chair of Infrastructure Management, led by Professor Dr. Bryan T. Adey, at the Institute of Construction and Infrastructure Management. The doctoral research involves close collaboration with interdisciplinary and international partners, including regular field work and teamwork with the partner team in Bolzano.