Studentship at University of Paisley

PhD Studentship
Decay in cleaned sandstone and granite buildings
University of Paisley

A fully funded Ph.D. studentship, maintenance award of UKP12,600
plus fees, is available to undertake the following project, based at
the University of Paisley.  Applications are invited from UK/EU
students:

    Current mechanisms and future patterns of stone decay in cleaned
    sandstone and granite buildings

    British Geological Survey-University Collaboration Scheme
    British Geological Survey, University of Paisley, the Robert
    Gordon University and Historic Scotland

The environmental conditions in which urban sandstone and granite
buildings exist have changed rapidly over the last century, and will
change again over the next. Rates of stone weathering can be
anticipated to increase due to the effects of climate change. In
many cases this will be exacerbated due to earlier cleaning regimes
which have introduced significant damage to the structural, as well
as aesthetic, characteristics of stone buildings. This projects aims
to elucidate how the effects of previous aggressive cleaning
techniques have impacted on the ability of sandstone and granite to
adapt to changing environmental conditions, and to predict the
effects of repairs such as new stone block replacement on the
detailed weathering processes, and consequences for the overall
performance of the building structure.  The project seeks to fill
the knowledge gap by evaluating the detailed decay mechanisms in
damaged stone from a mineralogical and geochemical point of view,
and also investigate how this impacts on the microstructural
properties that control building stone performance.

This collaborative project is jointly funded and supervised by the
four main players in building stone research in Scotland: BGS,
University of Paisley, Robert Gordon University and Historic
Scotland. All partners have strong track records in different
aspects of building stone research, bringing different strengths and
state of the art analytical facilities to the project.  The project
will be based at the University of Paisley, and will add a new
dimension to the recent Glasgow Stone Project and previous work
funded by Historic Scotland. Training will be given in techniques
for materials characterisation hosted across the partners, including
X-ray and electron beam techniques, nanoindentation and experimental
weathering.

Applicants may informally contact Dr. John Hughes
<john.hughes [at] paisley__ac__uk> for additional details.

Applications are welcome from UK/EU candidates with at least an
upper second class degree in earth science, mineralogy, soil science
or allied disciplines.

The closing date for applications is 22 June 2007.

The application form and guidelines can be obtained at

    <URL:http://www.paisley.ac.uk/apply>

All applications should be returned to:

    Morag Milner-White
    Research Office, Quality and Enhancement Unit
    University of Paisley
    Paisley PA1 2BE
    +44 141 848 3919/3681,
    morag.milner-white [at] paisley__ac__uk


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:8
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