Access profile

Applicants should have an academic background in engineering, science or technology and have completed a master’s degree in a field related to the scientific area of the programme. Students seeking admission to the programme must demonstrate basic knowledge in the field of structural analysis, particularly with regard to the mechanics of continuous media; solid and fluid mechanics; and linear, nonlinear, static and dynamic behaviour of materials and structures. It is recommended that students have some knowledge of programming (computational mechanics).

In addition to a suitable academic background, it is considered important that applicants have certain personal characteristics – namely, an interest in the research projects carried out within the framework of the programme; critical and analytical skills; initiative and perseverance in their academic work; the ability to work in a team; and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Specific admission requirements

Students who have completed one of the following UPC master's degrees qualify for direct admission to the doctoral programme in Structural Analysis and will not be required to take any bridging courses.

- Master's degree in Civil Engineering
- Master's degree in Numerical Methods in Engineering
- Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Computational Mechanics

The academic committee may recognise other master's degrees or postgraduate studies in the sciences as equivalent to the qualifications listed above. For the recognition of degree equivalency, the academic committee for the programme will assess to what extent the qualification in question corresponds to one of the masters degrees listed above in terms of the number of credits and the subjects studied. The academic standing of the institution that awarded the degree will also be considered. Students who hold a master's degree or have completed postgraduate studies recognised by the UPC as equivalent to one of the masters degree’s specified above will be admitted to the doctoral programme automatically.

The academic committee will consider applications from students who do not meet these requirements on a case-by-case basis. In general, preference will be given to applicants who hold a master's degree in the sciences as defined in the Bologna Process guidelines.

Output profile

Doctoral candidates who complete a doctoral degree will have acquired the following competencies, which are needed to carry out quality research (Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies):

a) A systematic understanding of the field of study and a mastery of the research skills and methods related to the field.
b) An ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.
c) An ability to contribute to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
d) A capacity for critical analysis and an ability to assess and summarise new and complex ideas.
e) An ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general as regards their fields of knowledge in the manner and languages that are typical of the international scientific community to which they belong.
f) An ability to foster scientific, technological, social, artistic and cultural progress in academic and professional contexts within a knowledge-based society.

The award of a doctoral degree must equip the graduate for work in a variety of settings, especially those requiring creativity and innovation. Doctoral graduates must have at least acquired the personal skills needed to:

a) Develop in contexts in which there is little specific information.
b) Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
c) Design, create, develop and undertake original, innovative projects in their field.
d) Work as part of a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
e) Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgements with limited information.
f) Offer criticism on and intellectually defend solutions.

Finally, with respect to competencies, doctoral students must:
a) have acquired advanced knowledge at the frontier of their discipline and demonstrated, in the context of internationally recognised scientific research, a deep, detailed and well-grounded understanding of theoretical and practical issues and scientific methodology in one or more research fields;
b) have made an original and significant contribution to scientific research in their field of expertise that has been recognised as such by the international scientific community;
c) have demonstrated that they are capable of designing a research project that serves as a framework for carrying out a critical analysis and assessment of imprecise situations, in which they are able to apply their contributions, expertise and working method to synthesise new and complex ideas that yield a deeper knowledge of the research context in which they work;
d) have developed sufficient autonomy to set up, manage and lead innovative research teams and projects and scientific collaborations (both national and international) within their subject area, in multidisciplinary contexts and, where appropriate, with a substantial element of knowledge transfer;
e) have demonstrated that they are able to carry out their research activity in a socially responsible manner and with scientific integrity;
f) have demonstrated, within their specific scientific context, that they are able to make cultural, social or technological advances and promote innovation in all areas within a knowledge-based society;
g) have demonstrated that they are able to participate in scientific discussions at the international level in their field of expertise and disseminate the results of their research activity to audiences of all kinds.

Number of places

10

Duration of studies and dedication regime

Duration
The maximum period of study for full-time doctoral studies is three years, counted from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. The academic committee of the doctoral programme may authorise a doctoral candidate to pursue doctoral studies on a part-time basis. In this case, the maximum period of study is five years, counting from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. For calculating these periods, the date of admission is considered to be the date of the first enrolment for tutorials, and the date of submission the moment in which the Doctoral School officially deposits the doctoral thesis.

For full-time doctoral candidates, the minimum period of study is two years, counted from the date of an applicant's admission to the programme until the date on which the doctoral thesis is deposited; for part-time doctoral candidates it is four years. When there are justified grounds for doing so, and the thesis supervisor and academic tutor have given their authorisation, doctoral candidates may request that the academic committee of their doctoral programme exempt them from the minimum period of study requirement.

The calculation of periods of study will not include periods of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other reason provided for in the regulations in force. Students who find themselves in any of these circumstances must notify the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which, where appropriate, must inform the Doctoral School. Doctoral candidates may also temporarily withdraw from the programme for up to one year, and this period may be extended for an additional year. Doctoral candidates who wish to interrupt their studies must submit a justified request to the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which will decide whether or not to approve the request. Each programme will establish conditions for readmission to doctoral studies.

Extension
If full-time doctoral candidates have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, the academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year. In exceptional circumstances, a further one-year extension may be granted, subject to the conditions established by the corresponding doctoral programme. In the case of part-time doctoral candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Dismissal from the doctoral programme
A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

Organization

• Chiumenti, Michele

• Baiges Aznar, Joan
• Cervera Ruiz, Miguel
• Chiumenti, Michele
• Rossi, Riccardo

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (PROMOTORA)

Office 202 – Building C2 (North Campus)
Tel.: 934 016 497
E-mail: doctorat.AE.camins@upc.edu

Agreements with other institutions

Access profile

Applicants should have an academic background in engineering, science or technology and have completed a master’s degree in a field related to the scientific area of the programme. Students seeking admission to the programme must demonstrate basic knowledge in the field of structural analysis, particularly with regard to the mechanics of continuous media; solid and fluid mechanics; and linear, nonlinear, static and dynamic behaviour of materials and structures. It is recommended that students have some knowledge of programming (computational mechanics).

In addition to a suitable academic background, it is considered important that applicants have certain personal characteristics – namely, an interest in the research projects carried out within the framework of the programme; critical and analytical skills; initiative and perseverance in their academic work; the ability to work in a team; and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Specific admission requirements

Students who have completed one of the following UPC master's degrees qualify for direct admission to the doctoral programme in Structural Analysis and will not be required to take any bridging courses.

- Master's degree in Civil Engineering
- Master's degree in Numerical Methods in Engineering
- Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Computational Mechanics

The academic committee may recognise other master's degrees or postgraduate studies in the sciences as equivalent to the qualifications listed above. For the recognition of degree equivalency, the academic committee for the programme will assess to what extent the qualification in question corresponds to one of the masters degrees listed above in terms of the number of credits and the subjects studied. The academic standing of the institution that awarded the degree will also be considered. Students who hold a master's degree or have completed postgraduate studies recognised by the UPC as equivalent to one of the masters degree’s specified above will be admitted to the doctoral programme automatically.

The academic committee will consider applications from students who do not meet these requirements on a case-by-case basis. In general, preference will be given to applicants who hold a master's degree in the sciences as defined in the Bologna Process guidelines.

Access requirements

Applicants must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees (Royal Decree 43/2015, of 2 February)

In addition, the following may apply:

• Holders of an official degree awarded by a university in Spain or any other country in the European Higher Education Area, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, which establishes official university course regulations, who have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on official university degrees, of which at least 60 must be at the master's degree level.
• Holders of an official Spanish bachelor’s degree comprising at least 300 credits, as provided for by EU regulations. Holder of degrees of this kind must complete bridging courses unless the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in question included research training credits equivalent in value to those which would be earned on a master's degree.
• Holders of an official university qualification who, having passed the entrance examination for specialised medical training, have completed at least two years of a training course leading to an official degree in a health-sciences specialisation.
• Holders of a degree issued under a foreign education system. In these cases, homologation is not required, but the UPC must verify that the degree certifies a level of training equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Holders of a Spanish doctoral qualification issued under previous university regulations.

Note 1: Doctoral studies entrance regulations for holders of an undergraduate degree awarded before the introduction of the EHEA (CG 47/02 2014)

Note 2: Governing Council Decision 64/2014, which approves the procedure and criteria for assessing the fulfilment of academic admission requirements for doctoral studies by holders of non-homologated foreign degrees (CG 25/03 2014)

Admission criteria and merits assessment

 • Nature and details of previous studies (30%)
 • Academic record (20%)
 • Previous research experience and publications (10%)
 • Motivation to undertake studies in structural analysis (10%)
 • Scientific/academic excellence of the university or higher education institution where the applicant completed their previous degree (10%)
 • Knowledge of English (10%)
 • Availability of scholarships or grants (10%)

Training complements

The academic committee for the programme may require that doctoral students pass specific bridging courses. In such cases, the committee will keep track of the bridging courses completed and establish appropriate criteria to limit their duration.

Bridging courses will provide research training. In no case may doctoral students be required to enrol for 60 or more ECTS credits.

When students admitted to the doctoral programme are required to complete additional training, the bridging courses they must take will be specified at the time of admission from among the subjects listed below (grouped according to the master’s course on which they are taught).

Master's degree in Civil Engineering

Subject: Mechanics of Continuous Media

Subject: Structural Analysis

Subject: Structural Engineering

Master's degree in Numerical Methods in Engineering

Subject: Finite Element Method

Subject: Mechanics of Continuous Media

Subject: Computational Solid Mechanics

Subject: Mechanics and Computational Dynamics of Structures

Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Computational Mechanics

Subject: Finite Element Methods

Subject: Continuum Mechanics

Subject: Computational Solid Mechanics

Subject: Computational Structural Mechanics and Dynamics

Enrolment period for new doctoral students

From around mid-September to mid-October of each academic year

February (extraordinary enrolment), mainly for students awaiting visas and/or grants

More information at the registration section for new doctoral students

Enrolment period

From around mid-September to mid-October of each academic year

More information at the general registration section

Procedure for the preparation and defense of the research plan

Doctoral candidates must submit a research plan, which will be included in their doctoral student activity report, before the end of the first year. The plan may be improved over the course of the doctoral degree. It must be endorsed by the tutor and the supervisor, and it must include the method that is to be followed and the aims of the research.

At least one of these annual assessments will include a public presentation and defence of the research plan and work done before a committee composed of three doctoral degree holders, which will be conducted in the manner determined by each academic committee. The examination committee awards a Pass or Fail mark. A Pass mark is a prerequisite for continuing on the doctoral programme. Doctoral candidates awarded a Fail mark must submit a new research plan for assessment by the academic committee of the doctoral programme within six months.

The committee assesses the research plan every year, in addition to all of the other activities in the doctoral student activity report. Doctoral candidates who are awarded two consecutive Fail marks for the research plan will be obliged to definitely withdraw from the programme.

If they change the subject of their thesis, they must submit a new research plan.

Formation activities

Tutorial (compulsory, 288 hours): Advice, support, progress review and monitoring of doctoral students to ensure that they develop the necessary competencies. This activity will be recorded on the doctoral student activity report and reviewed by the student’s thesis supervisor.

Procedure for assignment of tutor and thesis director

The academic committee of the doctoral programme assigns a thesis supervisor to each doctoral candidate when they are admitted or enrol for the first time, taking account of the thesis supervision commitment referred to in the admission decision.

The thesis supervisor will ensure that training activities carried out by the doctoral candidate are coherent and suitable, and that the topic of the candidate’s doctoral thesis will have an impact and make a novel contribution to knowledge in the relevant field. The thesis supervisor will also guide the doctoral candidate in planning the thesis and, if necessary, tailoring it to any other projects or activities undertaken. The thesis supervisor will generally be a UPC professor or researcher who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience. This includes PhD-holding staff at associated schools (as determined by the Governing Council) and UPC-affiliated research institutes (in accordance with corresponding collaboration and affiliation agreements). When thesis supervisors are UPC staff members, they also act as the doctoral candidate’s tutor.

PhD holders who do not meet these criteria (as a result of their contractual relationship or the nature of the institution to which they are attached) must be approved by the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee in order to participate in a doctoral programme as researchers with documented research experience.

The academic committee of the doctoral programme may approve the appointment of a PhD-holding expert who is not a UPC staff member as a candidate’s thesis supervisor. In such cases, the prior authorisation of the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee is required. A UPC staff member who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience must also be proposed to act as a co-supervisor, or as the doctoral candidate’s tutor if one has not been assigned.

A thesis supervisor may step down from this role if there are justified reasons (recognised as valid by the committee) for doing so. If this occurs, the academic committee of the doctoral programme will assign the doctoral candidate a new thesis supervisor.

Provided there are justified reasons for doing so, and after hearing any relevant input from the doctoral candidate, the academic committee of the doctoral programme may assign a new thesis supervisor at any time during the period of doctoral study.

If there are academic reasons for doing so (an interdisciplinary topic, joint or international programmes, etc.) and the academic committee of the programme gives its approval, an additional thesis supervisor may be assigned. Supervisors and co-supervisors have the same responsibilities and academic recognition.

The maximum number of supervisors of a doctoral thesis is two: a supervisor and a co-supervisor.

For theses carried out under a cotutelle agreement or as part of an Industrial Doctorate, if necessary and if the agreement foresees it this maximum number of supervisors may not apply. This notwithstanding, the maximum number of supervisors belonging to the UPC is two.

More information at the PhD theses section

Permanence

The academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year for full-time doctoral candidates who have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, in the terms outlined in the Academic Regulations for Doctoral Studies of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. In the case of part-time candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

International Mention

The doctoral degree certificate may include International Doctorate mention. In this case, the doctoral candidate must meet the following requirements:

a) During the period of study leading to the award of the doctoral degree, the doctoral candidate must have spent at least three months at a respected higher education institution or research centre outside Spain to complete courses or do research work. The stays and activities carried out must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and authorised by the academic committee of the programme. The candidate must provide a certifying document issued by the person responsible for the research group of the body or bodies where the stay or activity was completed. This information will be added to the doctoral student’s activity report.
b) Part of the thesis (at least the summary and conclusions) must be written and presented in one of the languages commonly used for science communication in the relevant field of knowledge, which must not be an official language of Spain. This rule does not apply to stays and reports in Spanish or to experts from Spanish-speaking countries.
c) At least two PhD-holding experts belonging to a higher education institution or research centre outside Spain must have issued officially certified reports on the thesis.
d) The thesis examination committee must have included at least one PhD-holding expert from a higher education or research institution outside Spain who was not responsible for the candidate’s stay abroad (point a) above).
e) The thesis defence must have taken place on UPC premises or, in the case of joint programmes, at the location specified in the collaboration agreement.

List of authorized thesis for defense

Last update: 19/05/2022 04:45:30.

List of lodged theses

Last update: 19/05/2022 04:30:24.

List of defended theses by year

• BOVÉ TOUS, ORIOL: Improvement of Down-aisle Stability and Ductility for Unbraced Adjustable Pallet Racking Systems.
  
  Author: BOVÉ TOUS, ORIOL
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/673615
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
  Department: (DECA)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Reading date: 04/02/2022
  Thesis director: LOPEZ ALMANSA, FRANCISCO | FERRER BALLESTER, MIQUEL
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: BENAVENT CLIMENT, AMADEO
       SECRETARI: BONADA BO, JORDI
       VOCAL: SIMONCELLI, MARCO
  Thesis abstract: Pallet racking systems are structures intended to store products. Their proper structural design is of paramount importance as its collapse can lead to significant economic losses and even human. This type of structures is prone to instabilities and also presents low ductility; consequently, the integrity of these structures is compromised, especially when exposed to extreme actions such as seismic events. Therefore, selective racks' stability and ductility improvement is a relevant issue. Nevertheless, the costs must be as low as possible due to tough industrial competitiveness. The objective of this Thesis is to provide numerical tools and technological solutions aiming to enhance, in an inexpensive way, the stability and ductility of racks. In the first step of this Thesis ¿presented in the paper: Systemized Structural Predesign Method for Selective Racks¿ a systemized predesign method of non-regular racks is developed based on a single-column model made with 2-D beam elements. This model considers the down-aisle global behavior of unbraced pallet racks under both gravitational and lateral actions. The aim is to obtain optimal structures in terms of cost while satisfying certain used-defined stability requirements. The results highlight the crucial role of the beams (and the beam-to-upright connections) in the inexpensive improvement of global stability. Since the solutions are non-regular and not obvious, no simplified design rules are given; some computationally efficient numerical tools are provided instead. The second step of this research is focused on one specific beam-to-upright connection. The objective is to improve its ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and stiffness under seismic excitation as inexpensively as possible. This objective is achieved by modifying the welding layout in order to distribute the stresses more efficiently and, as a consequence, move the failure point away from the welds; the new failure mode is more ductile. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated through FEM numerical analyses of monotonic tests, shown in the publication: Numerical investigation on a seismic testing campaign on adjustable pallet rack speed-lock connections. The models are first calibrated with experiments, and then the stress distributions in both the elastic and plastic range are deeply analyzed. Finally, continuing with the research on this specific joint, a wide experimental campaign is performed, including monotonic and cyclic tests; these tests are presented in the publication: Ductility improvement of adjustable pallet rack speed-lock connections: Experimental study. This paper successfully demonstrates the aforementioned enhanced properties of the novel welding layout. Additionally, two different cyclic testing protocols are compared and proven to influence the failure mode and, thus, the obtained ductility and energy dissipation capacity.
  

Last update: 19/05/2022 05:01:04.

Research groups

• (MC)2-UPC-Computational continuum mechanics
• ANiComp-Numerical analysis and scientific computation
• GMNE-Numerical Methods in Engineering Group
• RMEE-Strength of Materials and Structural Engineering Research Group

Teachers

• Agelet de Saracibar Bosch, Carlos
• Badia Rodriguez, Santiago
• Baiges Aznar, Joan
• Barbat Barbat, Horia Alejandro
• Bugeda Castelltort, Gabriel
• Cante Teran, Juan Carlos
• Carreño Tibaduiza, Martha Liliana
• Casafont Ribera, Miquel
• Cervera Ruiz, Miguel
• Chiumenti, Michele
• Codina Rovira, Ramon
• Dadvand, Pooyan
• Di Capua, Daniel
• Ferrer Ballester, Miquel
• Ferrer Ferre, Alex
• Flores Le Roux, Roberto Maurice
• Garcia Espinosa, Julio
• Gil Espert, Lluis
• Gonzalez Lopez, Jose Manuel
• Hernandez Ortega, Joaquin
• Huespe, Alfredo Edmundo
• Lloberas Valls, Oriol
• Lopez Almansa, Francisco
• Marimon Carvajal, Frederic
• Martinez Garcia, Javier
• Miquel Canet, Juan
• Oliver Olivella, Xavier
• Oller Martinez, Sergio
• Oñate Ibañez de Navarra, Eugenio
• Ortega, Enrique
• Rivera Amores, Juan Jose
• Rossi, Riccardo
• Roure Fernandez, Francesc
• Suarez Arroyo, Benjamin
• Zarate Araiza, Jose Francisco