Energy Micropiles for Sustainable Retrofit

One full scholarship is available in the School of Civil Engineering in 2026/27. This scholarship is open to UK applicants and covers fees plus and maintenance. <br /> <br /> This fully funded PhD place provides an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in energy micropiles, a sustainable solution to provide thermal energy to buildings as well as structural support. Micropiles used for retrofit (such as underpinning, or basement construction) can be converted to sources of energy by inclusion of heat transfer pipes. This PhD project will investigate performance of these piles, and can be focused on any aspect of solution, including energy assessment, geotechnical or structural behaviour. The PhD is linked to an EPSRC funded research project in collaboration with the Universities of Surrey and Cambridge, and NTNU in Trondheim. The successful applicant will work in a team of researchers from these institutions and have access to data from field scales trials of energy micropiles in the UK and Norway. There will be opportunities for international travel associated with the project. <br /> <br /> The School of Civil Engineering invites applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2026/27. The successful applicant will work with world leading researchers in energy geotechnics and have access to state of the art field scale thermal testing and fibre optic monitoring equipment.

<p>Heating and cooling currently accounts for over half of global building energy use, yet renewable sources contribute only 13%. In the UK alone, meeting net zero targets requires retrofitting 29 million homes to enhance energy efficiency and adaptation to climate change. Heat pumps are central to this effort. Although air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are less expensive and simpler to install, ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) offer a higher seasonal performance factor, thereby lowering overall energy consumption and better conserving limited green electricity resources. Subsurface energy structures such as boreholes (>100m deep) and energy piles (diameter>300mm), equipped with heat exchanger pipes wherein a heat-transfer fluid circulates, have already demonstrated success in extracting and storing heat for GSHP systems. However, energy piles are typically only feasible in new construction projects, representing merely 1% of the housing stock. Meanwhile boreholes are very expensive and cannot been installed in dense urban areas. Therefore, they remain unsuitable for many existing buildings, highlighting the urgent need for alternative solutions.</p> <p>At the same time, the demand for foundation retrofits of existing buildings is growing in urban areas, driven by upward and basement extensions, aging infrastructure, and climate adaptation where prolonged hotter summers and heavier rainfall will place more properties at risk of subsidence. The global foundation repair market is expected to grow significantly. Micropiles are ideally suited for underpinning old foundations in dense urban environments as they are compact (diameter<300mm), cost-effective, highly versatile and minimally disruptive to install in restricted sites. When integrated with GSHP technology, these micropiles become energy micropiles, simultaneously providing foundation reinforcement and a renewable heating and cooling source, markedly improving the resilience and sustainability of existing buildings.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A key design question for energy micropiles remains how to optimise heat exchanger pipe configurations within the already limited cross-sectional areas of the pile without compromising their structural integrity.  This needs to be answered through addressing practical challenges relating to pipe installation, heat transfer uncertainties around thermal performance, while understanding geotechnical behaviour in the coupled thermos-mechanical domain. The energy micropiles also need to be coupled successfully to building energy systems via heat pumps.  The successful applicant to this PhD project can choose to focus on one or several of these linked challenges. They will work alongside researchers in geotechnics, construction, and energy system modelling to address the overall challenge.</p> <p>The successful applicant will work within the renown <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/cities-infrastructure-energy/doc/energy-geotechnics">energy geotechnics</a> team in the <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering">School of Civil Engineering</a> at the University of Leeds, but will also have the opportunity to work with the wider academic team across the four universities and project partner Keller. The project will be able to make use of the School’s thermal response testing equipment, and optic fibre sensing capabilities, as well as laboratory equipment for thermal properties measurement.</p>

<p>To apply for this project you will need to make a formal application for research degree study through the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-applying/doc/applying-research-degrees">University's website</a>. You will need to create a login ID with a username and PIN. </p> <p>•    For <strong>‘Appli</strong><strong>cation type’</strong> please select <strong>‘Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate’</strong>. <br /> •    The <strong>admission year</strong> for this project is <strong>2026/27 Academic Year</strong>. <br /> •    You will need to select your <strong>‘Planned Course of Study’</strong> from a drop-down menu. For this project, scroll down and select <strong>EPSRC DLA (Engineering, Biological Sciences, Medicine)</strong>. <br /> •    The <strong>project start date</strong> for this project is<strong> 1 February 2027</strong>, please use this as your <strong>Proposed Start Date of Research</strong>. <br /> •    Please state clearly in the research information section that the research degree you wish to be considered for is <strong>Energy Micropiles for Sustainable Retrofit</strong> as well as <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/861/professor-fleur-loveridge"><strong>Professor Fleur Loveridge</strong></a>, <strong><a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/730/professor-simon-rees">Professor Simon Rees</a> </strong>and<strong> <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/6674/dr-ana-heitor">Dr Ana Heitor</a> </strong>as your proposed supervisors.</p> <p><strong>Please state in the finance section that the funding that you are applying for is EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award 2026/27: Civil Engineering.</strong></p> <p>More information on how to apply is available on our website <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-applying/doc/applying-research-degrees">here</a>. You will be required to provide a personal statement which outlines your interest in the project, why you have chosen it and how your skills map onto the requirements of the project.</p> <p>Applications will be reviewed and assessed after the closing date of Wednesday 30 September 2026. We will assess applications continuously as we receive them. We welcome and strongly encourage any potential applicants to contact the supervisor(s) for an informal discussion, prior to applying, and recommend submitting your application early. </p> <p><strong>Please note that you must provide the following documents in support of your application by the closing date of Wednesday 30 September 2026 or at the point you submit your application:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Full Transcripts of all degree study or if in final year of study, full transcripts to date including grading scheme</li> <li>Personal Statement outlining your interest in the project</li> <li>CV</li> </ul> <p>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English language requirements (below).</p> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline. The criteria for entry for some research degrees may be higher, for example, several faculties, also require a Masters degree. Applicants are advised to check with the relevant School prior to making an application. Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the School or Graduate School prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.

<p>A highly competitive EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award, providing full academic fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant at the standard UKRI rate of £21,805 for 3.5 years.  Training and support will also be provided.</p> <p>This opportunity is open to UK applicants only.  All candidates will be placed into the EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award Competition and selection is based on academic merit.</p> <p>Please note that there is 2 funded places available, however, this project is in competition with 3 other projects for this funding.  If you are successful in securing an academic offer for PhD study, this does not mean that you have been successful in securing an offer of funding.</p> <p>You will also be automatically considered for a School of Civil Engineering Scholarship.</p> <p><strong>Eligibility Criteria</strong></p> <ul> <li>Applicants must be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate.</li> </ul> <p>If you are unsure whether you are eligible for UK fees/funding, please visit the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ukcisa.org.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CJ.S.Hewer%40leeds.ac.uk%7C07632c93c06a442dca3d08ddfc172939%7Cbdeaeda8c81d45ce863e5232a535b7cb%7C0%7C0%7C638943898649349324%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nylGSov8jOc7hr6X%2FmfnfQPecbVUnGqgoSqVgPGy5K0%3D&reserved=0">UKCISA</a> website or our <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduate-fees/doc/fee-assessment">fee assessment page</a> regarding fee status for Non-UK nationals.</p> <p><strong>Other Conditions</strong></p> <ul> <li>Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered.  </li> <li>Awards must be taken up by 1 February 2027, or soon after that. </li> <li>Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship.</li> </ul>

<p>If you are interested in this project or have any questions, please do contact the project supervisor, Professor Fleur Loveridge by emailing <a href="mailto:F.A.Loveridge@leeds.ac.uk">F.A.Loveridge@leeds.ac.uk</a>.</p> <p>For further information about your application, including how to apply, please contact PGR Admissions by emailing <a href="mailto:phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk">phd@engineering.leeds.ac.uk</a>.</p>