Konstantin Volokh's blog

Previous studies have reported fracture localization within the inclusions of 3D-printed staggered composites, despite their significantly higher strength compared to the matrix – a seemingly counterintuitive phenomenon. In this letter, we investigate whether material failure is governed by the volumetric energy of fracture rather than the maximum stress criterion. We perform experiments on the constituent phases of 3D-printed staggered composites to evaluate the validity of energy-based failure criteria.

Nonlinear continuum mechanics allows solving problems beyond the scope of the theory of linear elasticity for solids and the Navier-Stokes theory for fluids. The success of the nonlinear continuum mechanics would be impossible, of course, without its happy marriage to numerical methods that flourished after the computer revolution. Nowadays, the nonlinear continuum approach is used to model fracture.

Ph.D. position at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.  The research is concerned with experiments and modeling of failure and fracture in soft materials.  Preference will be given to candidates with background in nonlinear finite element methods and constitutive modeling. If you are interested, please send an email to me at: cvolokh [at] technion.ac.il (cvolokh[at]technion[dot]ac[dot]il) with a single PDF file containing your CV, g

Cracks usually propagate dynamically that makes them so dangerous. However, most crack simulations are based on quasi-static analyses because they are simpler than the dynamic ones. Is it correct to use quasi-static analyses instead of the dynamic ones? Will the quasi-static and dynamic simulations provide similar results? We try to answer these questions in the present work. We compare results of quasi-static and dynamic simulations of crack propagation in aneurysm material.

The mechanism of drag reduction via polymer additives is long debated in the literature. We present results of 3D numerical simulations of the realistic pipe flow where material instabilities develop into turbulence. We observe in the simulations that the addition of the polymer solute suppresses the chaotic turbulent motion, indeed, in accordance with the experimental observations of the phenomenon.

Ph.D. position at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.  The research is concerned with experiments and modeling of failure and fracture in soft materials.  Preference will be given to candidates with background in nonlinear finite element methods and constitutive modeling. If you are interested, please send an email to me at: cvolokh [at] technion.ac.il (cvolokh[at]technion[dot]ac[dot]il) with a single PDF file containing your CV, g

During the period of October 3 - 7, the course "MECHANICS OF STRONGLY INHOMOGENEOUS MULTI-COMPONENT AND MULTI-LAYERED STRUCTURES" will be held at CISM, Italy. The course is offered in a hybrid format giving the possibility to attend the course also by remote (on Microsoft Teams platform).

EUROMECH “Mechanics of soft active polymers” Colloquium therefore welcomes the scientists, the early career researchers and industry researchers to contribute to the three sessions devoted to Theory, Experimental and numerical approaches, Applications, including sensors, actuators, robotics and energy harvesters.

This note discusses the Timoshenko–Ehrenfest beam theory and the Griffith fracture theory. Both were annunciated in the West in 1921, exactly a century ago. Much progress has been made in these fields. Discussing the deficiencies of the theories might pave way ahead.

EUROMECH “Mechanics of soft active polymers” Colloquium therefore welcomes the scientists, the early career researchers and industry researchers to contribute to the three sessions devoted to Theory, Experimental and numerical approaches, Applications, including sensors, actuators, robotics and energy harvesters.