Multi-scale analysis and design of sustainable structural composites

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Durable, sustainable, and pre-fabricated materials for modular construction are the future of the building industry. In the past decade, significant advancements in digital manufacturing processes, coupled with growing concerns about the carbon footprint of cement and steel production, have driven the use of sustainable composite products made from renewable resources such as natural fibres, wood and bamboo. However, development, certification and full-scale testing of sustainable composites for structural applications are costly and time-consuming. Having predictive, computational tools that enable engineers to analyze sustainable composite structures under complex loadings will lead to safe, cost-effective, and time-effective designs for a greener industry. The aim of the proposed research is to create a multi-scale computational modelling framework for innovation in sustainable composites. This computational framework will consist of integrated multi-scale mechanistic models and enable composite manufactures to predict the failure of large sustainable composites based on their microstructural features and material lay-ups. Hence, novel multi-layered products utilizing a wide range of local resources (e.g. wood species and natural fibres) can be designed and analyzed for certification within this framework. To demonstrate the capability of the entire framework, a series of insulating shear walls with optimized microstructure and layer configuration will be designed and analyzed under structural loadings. The novelty of the proposed program lies in the multi-scale methodology used to design and optimize the composition of the next generation of greener panels. The optimized composition will allow low-cost panels to effectively resist structural, humidity, and thermal loads based on available resources. These next-generation components will be recyclable and have a lower environmental footprint compared to the conventional materials currently used in buildings. The proposed computational methodology employed to efficiently analyze the performance of multi-layered panels under cyclic structural and thermal loads is original and can be applicable to components in other key industries, such as automotive, aerospace, marine, and defense sectors. The research program will strengthen Canada's position at the forefront of green composite technology through development of high-performance sustainable composite products from renewable resources. It will provide a novel and multidisciplinary training environment for HQP in the application of digital technologies for the design, analysis, and testing of structural composites. Trainees will learn in a collaborative research environment that emphasises teamwork, innovation and training in civil, materials, and mechanical engineering. HQP will benefit both the regional and national manufacturing industry sectors that apply leading-edge technologies such as advanced manufacturing and wood composite processing.