Graduation Internship: Creep Behavior and Remaining Capacity of Timber Pile Foundations

Haskoning; Delft; Hybrid; EUR 7,800 - 8,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Mentor guidance

€750 internship allowance

Job summary

Haskoning offers a graduation internship in Delft or Amersfoort (the Netherlands) focusing on creep behavior and remaining capacity of timber pile foundations. You will combine advanced numerical modelling with monitoring data to understand long-term performance of quay wall foundations.

Join the Maritime structures team, work with mentorship, and enjoy hybrid working and an internship allowance of €750 per month.

Qualifications

• MSc student in Hydraulic Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering or related field at a Dutch university.
• Interest in numerical modelling and soil-structure interaction.
• Experience with Abaqus, PLAXIS or similar tools (or willingness to learn).
• Fluent English and/or Dutch in documentation and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Investigate long-term creep behavior of timber pile foundations.
• Develop advanced numerical models (e.g. Abaqus) including pile tapering and soil-structure interaction.
• Validate models with monitoring and load-test data.
• Translate findings into recommendations for quay wall assessment.

Skills

Numerical modelling

Abaqus

PLAXIS

Programming

Education

MSc student in Hydraulic Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering or related field

Tools

Abaqus

PLAXIS

Job description

Graduation Internship: Creep Behavior and Remaining Capacity of Timber Pile Foundations

• Delft or Amersfoort (the Netherlands)
• 600 - 7500
• 40 hours

Help solve a real-world engineering challenge affecting historic quay walls in the Netherlands. In this internship, you will combine advanced numerical modelling with practical monitoring data to better understand how creep in timber piles influences the long-term behaviour and remaining capacity of quay wall foundations. The findings may contribute directly to future assessment methodologies for existing quay structures used by asset owners and municipalities.

What you will do as intern

As an intern, you will work on a dedicated research project within our Maritime structures team. You will investigate the long‑term behavior of timber pile foundations supporting quay walls, building upon earlier research conducted at TU Delft and extending it with state‑of‑the‑art modelling approaches. The internship combines numerical modelling, literature research, and validation using real‑world monitoring and load test data.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Reviewing existing research on creep behavior of timber pile foundations.
• Developing advanced numerical models (e.g. Abaqus) that account for pile tapering, pile group effects, soil-structure interaction and non-linear pile behavior.
• Investigating the influence of timber creep on load redistribution, pile group performance and remaining foundation capacity.
• Validating model results using field data from load tests and monitoring projects in Amsterdam.
• Translating research findings into practical recommendations for the assessment of existing quay wall foundations.

This internship is suitable as a graduation project. The research focuses on understanding how creep in timber piles affects the long‑term performance of quay wall foundations. Earlier studies have primarily considered simplified two‑dimensional representations. In this project, you will develop more advanced numerical models that include three‑dimensional soil interaction, pile group effects and recent insights into non-linear pile behavior. A key objective is to investigate whether load redistribution within pile groups can explain why some existing quay walls continue to perform adequately despite seemingly unfavorable assessments. The research outcomes may support future developments of assessment frameworks for existing quay structures and could also provide valuable insights for other piled maritime structures.

Where you will work

At Haskoning, you will join an independent, employee‑owned international consultancy that combines engineering, design, and consultancy services with software and technology.

As our new structural intern, you will become part of the team Maritime structures in Delft or Amersfoort (the Netherlands). The Maritime structures team is a very diverse team regarding background, age, gender and knowledge. From this team you can get the support that you need to fulfil your graduation assignment.

What you bring

You are curious, analytical and motivated to tackle complex engineering challenges. You enjoy combining theory, modelling and practical engineering applications, and you are comfortable working independently while collaborating with specialists from different disciplines.

Requirements

• MSc student in Hydraulic Engineering, Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering or a related field, at a Dutch university.
• Interest in numerical modelling and soil-structure interaction problems.
• Experience with or willingness to learn finite element software such as Abaqus, PLAXIS or similar tools.
• Affinity with programming, data analysis or scientific research methods.
• Strong communication skills in English and/or Dutch, enabling you to document and present your findings in the project team in a clear way.

This internship is particularly suitable for students interested in geotechnics, structural mechanics, foundation engineering and the long‑term performance of civil infrastructure.

What you can expect from us

During your internship at Haskoning, you’ll have the opportunity to grow professionally in an inspiring and inclusive work environment. We offer support, guidance, and attractive conditions to help you get the most out of your internship:

• Internship allowance of €750 per month (based on a 40-hour workweek)
• Personal guidance from a dedicated mentor
• Opportunity to contribute to impactful projects
• Access to knowledge groups and development programs
• Hybrid working and flexible hours
• Informal and inclusive work culture with social and sports activities
• Access to Young Haskoning, our network for young professionals, where you can join inspiring events, workshops, and informal gatherings with colleagues