Postdoctoral Fellow at the Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Multifunctional Building Materials

The selected postdoctoral fellow will join the Canada Research Chair on Sustainable Multifunctional Construction Materials in the Department of Construction Engineering. The Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Multifunctional Construction Materials aims to develop and manufacture sustainable, environmentally friendly materials that are part of a circular economy and ecological transition. The postdoctoral fellow will participate in his or her own research activities, and will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the implementation of two funded projects.

Reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs)
The most widely used interior coverings are gypsum wallboard. In Canada, few companies have positioned themselves to recycle gypsum board, and the literature points out that large quantities of gypsum board waste are generated every year, even though much of it could be recycled. More locally, in Quebec, only 10,000 tonnes of gypsum were recycled in 2015, while drywall waste is around 500,000 tonnes/year in Canada. Sending gypsum board to landfill also releases sulfur, which can cause odour nuisance and potential health problems for users and centre managers. Replacing or improving interior cladding technologies therefore appears to be a promising lever for achieving zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. The aim of the project is to reduce anthropogenic GHG emissions by proposing a locally sourced, renewable, and sustainable interior coating solution. The proposed alternative is based on the design of a panel made from wood and hemp concrete. To ensure the success of the new panel, the composition of the hemp concrete will be studied, its hygrothermal performance will be measured, and modelling (hygrothermal, life cycle analysis) will be carried out. The development of a new marketable solution should promote the use of hemp-based biomaterials in the Quebec construction industry.
Description of the candidate's role

The candidate's role will focus on research into multifunctional materials. He/she will play an active role in coordinating research projects and, if necessary, in writing proposals to funding bodies. The candidate will be expected to act as an expert in the field of energy (from production to end use) to ensure the success of the projects entrusted to him/her. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to contribute to the supervision and mentoring of master's and doctoral students. More specifically, he/she will :
•        Coordinate research projects and supervise master and doctoral students:
o        Reduction of anthropogenic GHGs project: monitoring and development of the multiphysics model (water heat) and the life cycle assessment model, checking and validating the results of the various models;
o        Participate in the activities of the Research Chair (: Research on multifunctional building materials, write proposals for calls for projects and participate in budget planning; provide laboratory manipulations; coordinate students;
•        Liaise between the university and industrial partners, social media communication;
•        Organize and lead various meetings; coordination with the various parties involved;
•        Supervise and coordinate the work of master's and doctoral students;
•        Monitor scientific developments and participate actively in writing scientific publications.