Since its establishment in 1997, the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems (COFS;

www.cofs.uwa.edu.au, www.ngcf.edu.au) at the University of Western Australia has

developed into one of the most sophisticated research and modelling facilities in offshore
geomechanics and engineering anywhere in the world. A large team of internationally
recognised researchers, consulting engineers and technical staff work together to solve
some of the key engineering challenges of today and tomorrow, both for the oil & gas and
offshore renewable energy industries. Our work on the mechanics of seabed sediments and
offshore foundations systems provides pivotal support to the local and global engineering
community. Further, COFS is embedded in the multi-disciplinary Oceans Graduate School,
which brings together experts in physical oceanography, hydrodynamics, coastal
engineering and related fields.

Caisson anchors for deep water oil and gas developments in calcareous soils
Supervisors: Muhammad Shazzad Hossain and Yuxia Hu

Suction caissons are an attractive solution for anchoring floating facilities for future deep
water oil and gas developments. Their application in calcareous seabeds, prevalent in
offshore Australia, raises significant challenges due to their complex geotechnical properties.
Advanced numerical and physical modelling will lead to scientific models and methods to
design secure anchoring systems for pushing floating platforms past the current 340 m water
depth limitation, potentially unlocking Australia’s currently in accessible gas reserves.
International leadership in offshore geotechnics and engineering will be displayed through
scientific publication and the provision of engineering design guidelines.

Prospective students may contact Associate Professor Muhammad Shazzad Hossain at

muhammad.hossain@uwa.edu.au with a copy of
• resume/CV
• full academic transcripts and a copy of your research thesis
• details of any published papers
• results of English tests, e.g. IELTS Academic, TOEFL or PTE (if
applicable)

The successful candidates will be invited to apply for a Research Training Program and/or
International Postgraduate Research (annual tax-free AU$30,000) scholarship.

For information on scholarships and to apply visit

http://www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au/future-students/postgrad and contact Monica Mackman
at monica.mackman@uwa.edu.au.