A new performance measure in piezoelectricity! This paper presents the notion of "energy-harvesting availability" -- an intrinsic material-level measure for piezoelectric energy-harvesting characterization. This contrasts with the prevailing approach of extrinsic characterization done at the structural or device levels.

Article is freely available at:

Smart Mater. Struct. 30, 085022, 2021
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-665X/ac0c2c

Multiple postdoc positions are available at Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Those possessing PhDs in the area of computational mechanics, experimental mechanics and material science are sought.

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Diagnostics and Inverse Mechanics

Two PhD openings in the Mechanics of Soft Matter group (https://www.colorado.edu/lab/vernerey/) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The positions are to be filled in fall 2021 or spring 2022. Successful candidates are expected to work on mathematical modeling and numerical simulations of soft materials and cell mechanics.

A general class of implicit bodies was proposed to describe elastic response of solids, which contains the Cauchy–Green tensor as a function of Cauchy stress. Here, we consider the buckling of solids described by such a subclass of implicit constitutive relation. We present a general linear incremental theory and carry out bifurcation analysis of a uniaxially compressed rectangular layer described by an implicit constitution. We then provide general governing equations regarding the mixed unknowns, i.e., displacement and stress fields, within the framework of finite strain deformation.

Weight functions are practical tools in linear elastic systems where several discrete or continuously distributed sources cause something, deformation, stress, or related stuff. In linear fracture mechanics, as also in the object of this blog, weight functions are used to calculate stress intensity factors. If the load is divided into discrete or continuous separate or overlapping parts which each gives a known contribution to the stress intensity factor, i.e. has a known weight, calculation for new loads may be reduced to simple algebra instead of extensive numerical calculations.

Multiscale and Multiphysics Mechanics of Materials Research Lab (M4RL) has one Ph.D. position (Graduate Research Assistantship) available in the field of advanced multifunctional durable concrete and cementitious materials. The research work will have both computational and experimental components. Individuals interested in multifunctional concretes, Phase Change Materials (PCMs), multiscale/multiphysics material modeling, experimental mechanics and machine learning are encouraged to apply.

Dear colleagues,