PhD in Computational Fracture Mechanics: Methods, Programming and Simulation

About the Project

The aim of this PhD programme is to develop efficient numerical strategies for the prediction and assessment of fracture. Our group has got success in the development of new numerical strategies, e.g. pioneering the use of the Extended Finite Element Method in the prediction of delamination in composite structures (Curiel Sosa et al., 2018). This will permit you to research at the forefront of this area as well as the possibility of devising more efficient methodologies.

This can be an excellent PhD research if you are keen on engineering programming and simulation with application to industrial problems of interest. The confidence of the industry for commercial finite element packages is high for classical materials and structures. However, anisotropy and nonlinearities associated to some materials under damage and fracture introduces a complexity which is not adequately addressed yet. This area is currently a trending topic in most countries due to the impact it can make in a near future in terms of cost, reliability and structural safety.

You will benefit of excellent computing facilities at the University of Sheffield, experienced supervisors, and specialised support.