PhD Candidate in Fatigue Assessment and Enhancement of Aluminium Welded Structures

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41sAbout the position The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MTP) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a PhD candidate within fatigue and structural integrity, funded through the Centre for Research-based Innovation SFI FAST Future Aluminium Structures. The position is 3-year doctoral research fellowships starting in 2026. The PhD candidate will be embedded in the fatigue and structural integrity research activities of SFI FAST and will work closely with NTNU, SINTEF, and leading international industrial partners in the aluminium value chain. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. You will be supervised by Associate Professor Nima Razavi.

About the project SFI FAST (Future Aluminium Structures) is a national Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) funded by the Research Council of Norway and the aluminum industry. The Centre is led by NTNU in close collaboration with SINTEF and a broad consortium of 15 leading industrial partners across the aluminium value chain. FAST runs from 2026 to 2034 and represents one of Norway’s most ambitious long-term research initiatives within aluminium materials, manufacturing technologies, and circular economy. The primary objective of FAST is to establish the scientific and technological knowledge base required to enable the large-scale use of post-consumer scrap (PCS) aluminium in high-value, structural, and safety-critical products. FAST adopts a through-scale and through-process research methodology, integrating materials science, manufacturing processes, product and structural design, and lifecycle performance. A key outcome of FAST is the development of the FAST Virtual Lab, a digital framework combining experimental data, physics-based models, and data-driven methods to support design, manufacturing, and decision-making across aluminium value chains. Education and competence building are central pillars of FAST. The Centre will educate more than 18 PhD and postdoctoral researchers and over 100 MSc students, strengthening Norway’s international position in aluminium research and innovation. Please see the centre’s website: Future Aluminium Structures (FAST) - NTNU PhD project This PhD position focuses on the fatigue performance of welded aluminium structures, with particular emphasis on understanding and improving fatigue-critical regions in the weldment. Welding introduces local variations in microstructure, mechanical properties, residual stresses and defects across the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone, which can strongly influence fatigue crack initiation and propagation. The research will investigate how these local characteristics, together with weld geometry and the processing route of the substrates, govern fatigue performance and the transferability of fatigue assessment methods across different structural configurations. The candidate will investigate strategies for fatigue-life enhancement through selected local post-weld heat treatments, mechanical treatments and in-situ thermo-mechanical modification techniques. Experimental work will include fatigue testing supported by relevant local characterization, XCT-based defect characterization and in-situ mechanical testing to study damage and crack evolution. The experimental findings will be combined with local, defect-based and fracture-mechanics-based fatigue prediction approaches to assess fatigue performance and treatment effectiveness. The research will also explore the implications of thickness-dependent behaviour and local weld properties for existing fatigue design approaches and potential future design recommendations. The candidate will work in close collaboration with industrial partners and other researchers within FAST and will be responsible for reporting progress and delivering research outputs to the centre.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Take part in the mandatory PhD research education programme • Investigate the fatigue behaviour and damage mechanisms of aluminium weldments, considering local variations in mechanical properties, microstructure, residual stresses, and weld-induced defects • Develop and evaluate local post-weld heat treatment and mechanical modification strategies to improve the properties and fatigue performance of critical weld regions • Investigate the applicability of in-situ thermal and mechanical modification techniques during welding for controlling local material properties and improving fatigue resistance • Perform fatigue testing combined with XCT-based defect characterization and in-situ mechanical testing to investigate fatigue crack initiation and evolution and their relationship with local material and geometrical features • Develop and validate local, defect-based and fracture-mechanics-based fatigue prediction approaches using the experimental findings, and assess their applicability to welded aluminium structures • Evaluate the implications of the obtained results for existing fatigue design approaches, particularly regarding material thickness, local weld properties, presence of post-consumer scrap, and potential recommendations for fatigue design standards • Conduct and publish high-level research in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences • Work closely with industrial and academic partners and participate in relevant SFI FAST activities, including mentoring and supervising MSc students Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information. • You must have a relevant Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Material Engineering, Solid Mechanics or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis • Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position • You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works. • Documented strong background in experimental mechanics, solid mechanics, and mechanics of materials • Excellent written presentation skills and oral English language skills The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• •Scandinavian language skills
• •Knowledge of fatigue and fracture mechanics
• •Knowledge and testing skills in material characterization and microstructural analysis
• •Knowledge and experience in mechanical testing of materials or components
• •Experience in using Finite Element Codes such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, etc. for numerical analysis

Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

• •Highly motivated
• •Able to work independently
• •Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• •Present and discuss your research with other profe