A Data-Driven Framework for Modeling Post-Cyclone Residential Roofing Recovery in New Zealand

About this opportunity

Applicants for this opportunity must be eligible for Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation funding.

New Zealand’s increasing exposure to cyclonic and extreme wind events poses growing challenges to the resilience of residential buildings, particularly for lightweight roofing systems that may sustain extensive damage or become uneconomical to repair following such events. Despite the critical role of roofing systems in restoring habitability and reducing long-term recovery disruption, limited research has focused specifically on post-cyclone roofing recovery dynamics and the factors influencing recovery outcomes.

This study proposes a hybrid data-driven framework to investigate and model post-cyclone residential roofing recovery in New Zealand. The framework integrates empirical damage and recovery observations with probabilistic and machine learning techniques to quantify recovery timelines and identify key determinants influencing repair, replacement, and reconstruction decisions. Variables including roofing component profiles, damage severity, wind intensity, socioeconomic conditions, insurance processes, and regional recovery capacity are incorporated into the analysis.

At the building level, probabilistic modeling is employed to characterize uncertainty in recovery durations and post-event decision pathways. At the community level, predictive models are developed to estimate recovery trajectories and assess the broader implications of roofing vulnerability on housing restoration. The proposed approach aims to improve understanding of recovery behaviour following cyclone events and support evidence-based strategies for enhancing roofing resilience and informing future building and recovery policies in cyclone-prone regions of New Zealand.

Location

The University of Waikato, Hamilton campus, New Zealand.

Scholarship Value

This opportunity is intended only for applicants eligible or intending to apply through the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation scholarship pathway. No University, supervisor-held or project-specific funding is currently available to support this PhD outside that scholarship pathway.

Applicants should hold a Master’s degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, architecture, mechanical engineering, or relevant disciplines.

Applicants should have strong analytical skills.

Eligible for Omani Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation funding.

Applicants must be eligible to enrol in a PhD programme at the University of Waikato.