Shear banding and stick-slip instabilities have been long observed in sheared granular materials. Yet, their microscopic underpinnings, interdependencies and variability under different loading conditions have not been fully explored. Here, we use a non-equilibrium thermodynamics model, the Shear Transformation Zone theory, to investigate the dynamics of strain localization and its connection to stability of sliding in sheared, dry, granular materials. We consider frictional and frictionless grains as well as presence and absence of acoustic vibrations.

We provide a very simple result for a problem which has been often neglected (variable amplitude loading) in academia, but which is of paramount importance in real engineering situations, where fatigue is almost never "constant amplitude".

We found few cases where we could check this extremely simple result, but it worked very well.  We would welcome further verifications.

The paper is in press here.

In this paper, we study the dynamic flexural behaviour of a long bridge, modelled as an infinite periodic structure. The analysis is applied to the ‘Brabau’ bridge across the river Tirso in Italy. The approach reduces to a spectral problem leading to the analytical expression of the dispersion relation, which provides the ranges of frequencies for which waves do and do not propagate. The contributions of the bridge structural elements on the dispersive properties of the structure are investigated in detail.

                            2017年华中科技大学诚聘力学专业海内外优秀人才（含申请青年千人计划的候选人、博士后）

      华中科技大学位居美丽的江城武汉，是教育部直属的全国重点大学，是首批列入国家"211工程"重点建设和"985工程"建设的高校之一。华中科技大学力学系有30多年的发展历史、较为雄厚的科研力量和一些重要的科研成果。力学系拥有力学一级学科，固体力学、动力学与控制、工程力学和流体力学博士学位授予权，工程力学国家级特色专业，力学博士后流动站，湖北省重点学科，工程结构分析与安全评定湖北省重点实验室等学科平台。承办的国际期刊《Acta Mechanica Solida Sinica》被SCI收录并由Elsevier公司向全球发行。

力学系现拥有教师50余人，其中长江学者讲座教授1名、国家教学名师1名、教授14名、副教授20名。现面向海内外招聘若干名具有力学专业背景，愿意从事与力学学科相关的教学和（或）科研工作的优秀人才。

(Computational mechanics, structural optimization) Postdoc position in Hanyang university, South Korea (2017~)

We are currently looking for a post-doctoral researcher to join the Photo Dyn group (www.photodyn.org). The initial contract if for two years, starting October 1st 2017. The online application deadline is May 12th 2017. For more information, please see https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=848217BX.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellowship attached to the South African Research Chair in Computational Mechanics.

Conditions of award: Eligible applicants must hold a PhD in computational mechanics or a related area. The PhD degree must have been granted within the last five years, or have been submitted for examination. In the latter case evidence to this effect must be provided.

Applicants may not previously have held any permanent academic or professional posts.

Applications are invited for a PhD position in atomistic simulations and first-principles experimental investigations of nanomaterials for energy harvesting in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University at Buffalo - The State University of New York. Preference will be given to candidates with a master degree. Candidates should possess a strong background in continuum mechanics, coarse-grained simulation, multiscale modeling, molecular dynamics, and computer programming.

We are looking for candidates for this PhD project entitled: 'Strain rate sensitive properties of skin- The development of combined theoretical and experimental tools to capture the strain rate dependent behaviour of soft tissues'. If you are interested, you can consult the full project description here, and contact Dr Frances Davis at frances.davis [at] soton.ac.uk.