Universidad
Politécnica de Madrid

The program is devoted to research in the field of Civil Engineering, focusing on the following areas which originate the name of the program: a) structural engineering, b) foundation engineering, c) materials engineering.

The fields of structural engineering, mechanics of soils and rocks and structural materials are essential technologies for transport infrastructure and for systems of civil engineering, oriented to hydraulics, energy or urban systems. The evolution of these areas of technology is showing an important activity in the last decades, spurred by the advances in computational techniques, in experimental and measurement techniques, as well as the manufacture of new materials. Innovative structural types and erection procedures allow to tackle the new social challenges. Among these one can mention the application of new technologies to Civil Engineering or new transport modes such as the high-speed railway. Many of these technologies and knowledge have a broad base and have applications in other fields such as mechanical engineering, aerospace or naval engineering. It is important also to mention the projection of this knowledge into other fields with important social impact such as biomechanics and biological materials and their applications in medicine, or nanomechanics or micromechanics of materials.

The goal of the doctoral program is the training of researchers at the highest level, with the capability for innovation and integration required to develop an academic career in the university or to enter into a research centre or departments dedicated to research, development or innovation of companies or administration.

Lines of research of multidisciplinary nature are an important objective. This is made possible thanks to the cooperation between researchers of the program with external centres and laboratories, be it in Spain or abroad.

An agreement for cooperation exists with IMDEA – materials, a research centre of the Madrid region. Additionally, there is a tradition for cooperation and joint tutorship of theses with the CEDEX network of research centres or with the Institute Eduardo Torroja (CSIC). There are also numerous active exchanges between the research groups and international centres.

The program obtained the seal of excellence from the ministry of Education MEE2011-0215 (period 2011-12 to 2013-14), regulated according to the decree RD1393/2007. In the five-year period (2008-2012) the numbered of PhD Theses completed has been 33, and at the beginning of 2013 the number of active theses was 52.