Hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns incorporating composite materials. The project aims to investigate the behaviour of and design hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns, a form of column. These columns allow the use of small circular high-strength steel tubes, readily available in the market, to suit the specific needs of construction projects of various scales. In the column, a durable outer tube made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites protects steel tubes, and their high yield stre ....Hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns incorporating composite materials. The project aims to investigate the behaviour of and design hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns, a form of column. These columns allow the use of small circular high-strength steel tubes, readily available in the market, to suit the specific needs of construction projects of various scales. In the column, a durable outer tube made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites protects steel tubes, and their high yield stress can be fully exploited through section configuration. The new column is expected to enable wider, safer and more economical use of FRP and high-strength steel, and meet demands for resilient civil infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Design of Composites for Exceptional Functional Properties by Maximising the Poisson Effect. This project will establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological optimisation of composites whose constituent phases possess significantly different Poisson ratios. In particular, the proposed research will be focused on exploiting the dramatic improvements in functional properties of composites when the Poisson ratio of one of the constituent phases is either negative o ....Design of Composites for Exceptional Functional Properties by Maximising the Poisson Effect. This project will establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological optimisation of composites whose constituent phases possess significantly different Poisson ratios. In particular, the proposed research will be focused on exploiting the dramatic improvements in functional properties of composites when the Poisson ratio of one of the constituent phases is either negative or near its incompressibility limit. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design tool that can be used for the development of a new class of composites with exceptional properties. Such new composite systems will have many potential applications, particularly in aerospace, defence and medical industries.Read moreRead less
Design of Novel Metamaterials Considering Large Deformation and Plasticity. The project aims to establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological design of novel mechanical metamaterials considering both geometrical and material nonlinearities. This would overcome a formidable bottleneck in practical applications of metamaterials which are mostly based on linear elastic assumptions. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design ....Design of Novel Metamaterials Considering Large Deformation and Plasticity. The project aims to establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological design of novel mechanical metamaterials considering both geometrical and material nonlinearities. This would overcome a formidable bottleneck in practical applications of metamaterials which are mostly based on linear elastic assumptions. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design tool that can be used for the development of new classes of metamaterials with exceptional mechanical properties (eg negative compressibility or negative Poisson’s ratio) over a large strain range. Such novel metamaterials would have many important applications, particularly in biomedical and defence industries.Read moreRead less