Hygrothermal loading

Elevated and hight temperatures, together with humidity, are those parameters defining the hygro- and thermal- loading conditions usually seen by engineering applications in operation. Additional accidental actions, e.g., fire, can happen and shall be also considered in the desing phase to avoid unwanted failure.
Composite material physical and mechanical properties and their structural components are sensitive to these parameters, especially in the long term.

Thermo-physical/mechanical modeling

– Thermophysical, thermomechanical properties
– Thermomechanical structural response
– Remaining (post-fire) properties

Composites at high temperatures

– Effect of elevated temperature on failure mode (buckling, kinking)
– Experimental investigation and modeling of failure modes
– Time-temperature superposition principles

Joints under fatigue hygrothermal loads

– Effect of elevated temperature on joint’s fracture behavior
– Fatigue of joints at various thermomechanical loads
– Crack measurement techniques, modeling

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Completed PhD theses

Composite sandwich bridge decks on fire
N. Vahedi, T. Keller and A. Vassilopoulos (Dirs.). EPFL, Lausanne, 2019.

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Temperature effects on material properties and structural response of polymer matrix composites
W. Sun, T. Keller and A. Vassilopoulos (Dirs.). EPFL, Lausanne, 2015.
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Fracture and Fatigue of Adhesively-Bonded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Structural Joints
Y. Zhang, T. Keller and A. Vassilopoulos (Dirs.). EPFL, Lausanne, 2010.
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