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RESEARCH INTERESTS
The thrust of my research
is the mechanics-materials linkage, i.e., the understanding of the
behavior of engineering and construction materials through their
constitutive modeling. This involves a combined theoretical,
computational and experimental effort.
 | I have a
strong interest in time-dependent properties of materials, such as
asphalt, concrete, reinforced concrete, ceramics, polymers and elastomeric
foams. I have also a strong interest in shape memory alloys and fatigue
of materials. |
| A
particular aspect of my research effort is the inclusion of rate effects
into material modeling. Another of my main interests is the study of
material instabilities e.g. strain localization and shear banding. |
| The
theoretical framework of my studies lies in the theory of
thermodynamics of continuous media with internal variables; in
particular in the theories of viscoelasticity, (visco) plasticity and
damage mechanics. The internal variables are physically motivated
providing a connection to materials' microstructure. |
| I also
have a strong interest in developing efficient computational algorithms
and their implementation in a finite element environment for the
numerical evaluation of the constitutive laws and the solution of boundary
value problems. |
| I
have been, very recently, pursuing a novel idea in mechanics and
constitutive modeling, the idea of the material metric (with
Professor K.C. Valanis): Constitutive equations are developed under the
assumption that materials are Euclidean. In general though
materials are not Euclidean and the resulting constitutive
equations are wrong. How then does one deal with and model these
materials? The novel concept of the material metric is the vehicle to
address these questions. This is an exciting new area of research. |
| I have
developed a strong interest in biomechanics with emphasis in the
biomechanics of cells. |
My research has been
funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), Ohio Board of
Regents (OBR),and the Asphalt Institute. |
