Research Interest
Research Interest and Motivation
My research revolves around designing the structural materials to control cracking. Instead of existing numerical models which address crack growth in a random medium inversely, I developed analytical relation (forward design approach) between the degree of randomness of various scales and its tendency to propagate cracks.
Research Interest
- Concrete and Cementitious materials.
- Mechanics of materials: fracture mechanics.
- Micro scale experimental testing
- Construction material tests and modeling
Motivation
Motivated by recent advances in material design methods that allow for the controlled engineering of microstructure, I studied the impact of microstructure on the mechanical behavior of composite material. Recent developments in microscale fracture testing methods have revealed a greater sensitivity to the presence of particles as seen in random heterogeneous materials such as rock and ceramics. By controlling the spatial statistics of the particle microstructure in the matrix of a composite material, it is possible to control the amount or direction of crack development and may be possible to improve the material’s reliability. The reliability of any structure is a function of its resistance to fracture. Cracks resulting from stress concentrations are the major sources of fracture whether the material is classified as ductile, brittle, or quasi-brittle.