CAREER: Modeling The Failure of Advanced Materials

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Spearing 9702399 Structures made from composite materials and laminates generally fail by a combination of interacting damage modes operating over a continuum of length scales. Design against failure is complicated because, unlike monolithic metal alloys, no single failure mode dominates. It is, therefore, critical to develop models with a predictive capability that include the effects of such damage for the efficient design of structures, using polymer, metal and ceramic-based advanced materials. Dr. Spearing's core research activity is the development of physically-based models for the failure of advanced materials. These models will be presented and actively communicated in a form suitable for use as structural design tools, in aerospace applications and elsewhere. Dr. Spearing has a strong grounding in this activity through his involvement in previous projects, in industry and academia, on polymer and ceramic matrix composites and layered ceramic materials. Research will include modeling, using closed-form and numerical, solid mechanics and fracture mechanics solutions supported by appropriate mechanical testing and observational techniques. The emphasis will be on conducting research on technologically important topics in conjunction with partners in industry, academia and government agencies. Dr. Spearing's educational goal is to excel at classroom teaching, student supervision and mentoring activities. He will continue to develop a new graduate course to give students a solid grounding in the failure mechanics of composite materials, particularly focusing on the use of mechanics of materials models to predict structural performance. This course links directly to the established departmental curriculum, through an existing course on the "Mechanics of Filamentary Composites," taught by Dr. Spearing in 1995. In additi on the new course complements the research plan outlined above. A longer term goal of this curriculum and research integration is to refine the teaching of this important subject to the point where it can be written as textbook or as a computer-based teaching tool. Dr. Spearing co-teaches an undergraduate laboratory course on the manufacture and mechanical testing of composite materials, which provides a strong link between the department's research activities and the undergraduate curriculum. Dr. Spearing will continue to act as an advisor for undergraduate and graduate students, on academic, career and other concerns, He will also continue to educate graduate and undergraduate students through the supervision of research activities. The award of this grant under the CAREER Faculty Early Career Development Program will support the educational and research activities described in this proposal. In particular it will allow the investigator and a graduate student to devote time to the integration of these activities. In addition it will enable increased collaboration with colleagues, in universities, government agencies and industry. The overall aim is to achieve the synthesis of more generalized models for the failure of advanced materials, and to communicate them in such a way as to inform and educate current and future generations of engineers.