The paper "Estimating static/dynamic strength of notched unreinforced concrete under mixed-mode I/II loading" by N. Alanazi and L. Susmel in Engineering Fracture Mechanics 240 (2020) 107329, pp. 1-18, is a readworthy and very interesting paper. Extensive fracture mechanical testing of concrete is throughly described in the paper. The tests are performed for different fracture mode mixities applied to test specimens with different notch root radii at various elevated loading rates. 

I would like to share another article from my group just published in CMAME. I think this is an interesting approach towards the automatic generation of constitutive laws for arbitrary microstructures:

https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1bxlSAQEIt1ls

The article focuses on how to systematically create constitutive laws using only:

1) Available microstructural models

2) Machine learning techniques

The winter school on Trends on Additive Manufacturing for Engineering Applications will be held in Timisoara (Romania),

25-29 January 2021  &  Online.

The main aim of the Winter School is to involve PhDs and young researchers in the field of AM with an engineering perspective.

The winter school is an annual key activity of the European Twinning Project SIRAMM, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020.

I have a new postdoc position  for the design, computational modeling and experimental testing of metallic architected materials using additive manufacturing in collaboration with a manufacturing company. The successful candidate will have (i) a Ph.D. in engineering, materials science or physics, (ii) experience in at least two of the following areas: finite elements, fracture and damage modeling, experimental characterization, and testing of large specimens. (iii) Excellent interpersonal skills and strong oral and written communication skills.

OPEN POSITION

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

Computational Diagnostics and Inverse Mechanics

A postdoctoral appointment is available in the Computational Diagnostics and Inverse Mechanics (CDIM) research group under the supervision of Dr. John C. Brigham at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 

Hierarchical toughening of bioinspired nacre-like hybrid carbon composite, Jiao, Zhang, Liu, Liu, Zhang, Tang, Liu, Zhang, Carbon, 2021

Novelty/impact/significance:

EML Webinar on November 18, 2020 will be given by Professor Vikram Deshpande, The University of Cambridge. Discussion leader: Professor Lihua Jin, UCLA

Title: Ballistic and blast response of structural materials: lessons from architecting materials 

Time: 7 am California, 9:30 am Boston, 2:30 pm London, 10:30 pm Beijing on November 18, 2020

The attached tutorial paper is yet unpublished but I am posting a pre-print since several students I know have found it to be a useful pedagogical resource. You may also access the document on arXiv.

Here is the abstract.

Dear Colleagues,