PhD Position Effective Chemical Barriers against Rising Damp NL, CD

Help Shape the Future of Damp‑Proofing Technology in Buildings

Join a cutting‑edge PhD project tackling one of the most persistent challenges in the built environment: rising damp. Rising damp poses an increasing threat to buildings and their occupants worldwide. In the Netherlands alone, around 150,000 homes are vulnerable to groundwater‑related moisture problems, and this number is expected to grow as climate change intensifies.

While chemical damp‑proofing treatments are among the most widely used solutions to tackle rising damp, their effectiveness remains inconsistent and poorly understood. Laboratory studies often report promising results, yet field performance frequently falls short. Key questions remain unanswered: how do damp‑proofing products spread through porous building materials, what reactions occur within the pore network, and which factors determine whether a treatment succeeds or fails in practice?

As a PhD researcher in the CHEMBARIDA project you will investigate these fundamental challenges and contribute to the development of more reliable and effective solutions for protecting buildings against rising damp. Using a unique multiscale research approach you will study the behaviour of chemical products within building materials, validate laboratory findings on real masonry structures and develop innovative methods to monitor spreading and reaction of chemical products, identify variables that influence performance, and evaluate their effectiveness under realistic conditions.

A central objective of your work will be the development and validation of a new laboratory testing protocol capable of reliably assessing damp‑proofing products within practical time frames.

Your research will combine:

• advanced laboratory experimentation
• moisture transport modelling in porous materials
• in‑situ testing on masonry structures
• validation across scales, from building material to full‑scale constructions

You will join the Architectural Engineering + Technology (AE&T) Department at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Lubelli and Prof. Dr. Ir. Martin Tenpierik. Part of your experimental work will take place at The Green Village, TU Delft’s renowned living lab for sustainable innovation. The project is carried out in close collaboration with researchers from the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, providing a highly interdisciplinary research setting that bridges materials science, building physics, and building conservation.

You will have the opportunity to work alongside research, industry, and public‑sector partners, including Buildwise, Safeguard Europe, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

• A Master's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Building Physics, or a related field.
• A hands‑on attitude and demonstrated experience with laboratory work.
• Knowledge of moisture transport modelling in porous materials.
• Experience with experimental techniques for the characterization of building materials.
• Enthusiasm for connecting fundamental research questions with real‑world applications.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (e.g. a TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS of 7.0).
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in an international, multidisciplinary team.

• (Basic) knowledge of organic chemistry.
• Previous academic research experience, for example through participation in research projects, conference contributions, or scientific publications.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4‑year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5‑year contract with an official go/no‑go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a full‑time contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end‑of‑year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline‑related and research skills. The TU Delft offers a customizable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.