Background: Landslides are the deadliest and costliest hazard in Aotearoa New Zealand, and when they occur on the road network, they result in significant disruptions to communities, freight transport, and emergency services. Road construction and management practices have a significant influence on the stability of slopes adjacent to and supporting roads. Yet the spatial and temporal relationship between these practices and landslide occurrence is poorly constrained.
Methods: This PhD project will utilise a mixed-method approach to characterise road construction and management practices (i.e. design, construction, drainage, maintenance and repair methods) in three key case study regions (Marlborough, Banks Peninsula and the Coromandel) across Aotearoa New Zealand. The spatial relationship between these practices and landslides will be established through participatory approaches, remote sensing, and ground truthing. The influence of road construction and management practices on the stability of slopes will be investigated through site monitoring and numerical slope stability analyses.
The result will be one of the first regional-scale datasets linking road construction practice to landslide occurrence in Aotearoa New Zealand, with direct application to infrastructure resilience planning.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Ellen Robson
Other Supervisor(s): Liam Wotherspoon (University of Auckland), Katherine Yates, Tom Robinson
Key qualifications and skills
Candidates must meet University of Canterbury PhD entry requirements and have:
- an Honours or Master’s degree with a research thesis in Engineering Geology, Geotechnical Engineering or Geology or a related field;
- experience or demonstrated interest in field investigation, remote sensing, geomechanics, landslide hazards, or transport infrastructure; and
- strong analytical and research skills.
The scholarship is open to domestic and international candidates. The successful candidate will enrol full-time at the University of Canterbury and reside in New Zealand for the duration of the PhD.
Does the project come with funding
NZ$30,000 annual stipend for three years, full tuition support, and opportunities for international collaboration.
Final date for receiving applications
Ongoing
How to apply
Interested candidates should apply via email with the subject line “Road landslides PhD Application” to Dr Ellen Robson, ellen.robson@canterbury.ac.nz. Applications should include:
1. A Curriculum Vitae (including publication list, if any)
2. Academic transcript(s)
3. A one-page cover letter outlining your motivation
4. Contact details for two academic references
