JOB DESCRIPTION

The decommissioning of offshore monopile foundations is an emerging challenge as the first generation of offshore wind farms nears the end of its operational life. This project aims to develop and validate advanced modelling approaches to simulate the physical processes associated with monopile extraction, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of soil–structure interaction and a deeper understanding of cyclic soil behaviour.
The appointed researcher will explore different decommissioning strategies and develop numerical models to investigate the mechanical response of the soil–pile system under various removal scenarios. These models will be calibrated and validated using available experimental and field data. The outcomes will provide key insights into safe, efficient, and cost-effective decommissioning strategies and will contribute to circular economy approaches in the offshore wind sector.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• MSc degree in Civil Engineering, Applied Mechanics, or a related field.
• Strong background in numerical modelling and soil-structure interaction.
• Experience with FEM packages (e.g. PLAXIS, Abaqus, OpenSees) is desirable.
• Programming experience (e.g. Python, MATLAB) is a plus.
• Good communication skills and ability to work independently in an international research environment.

• Advance the understanding of the mechanics behind monopile decommissioning, including vibratory extraction techniques.
• Develop and implement advanced computational models to simulate monopile removal processes.
• Investigate the influence of decommissioning parameters—such as method, loading frequency and amplitude, and soil conditions—on extraction performance.
• Potentially contribute to the design of a testing programme focused on monopile extraction and validation of modelling results.Publish research findings in leading peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences.