Fixed-term assistant professor
Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering (DISEG)
Profile
Research interests
Biography
Leonel Echer is a Researcher at the Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering (DISEG) at Politecnico di Torino. His research is focused on computational mechanics, structural optimization, and the application of advanced composite materials. He develops novel numerical methodologies to enhance the structural integrity and extend the lifespan of critical structures, with primary applications in the energy (wind turbine blades, circular economy), oil & gas, and aerospace sectors. His scientific contributions include patented technologies, registered software, and numerous peer-reviewed publications. He is also an active peer reviewer for international journals in his field.
Scientific branch
(Area 0008 - Civil engineering and architecture)
Research topics
- Computational mechanics and structural optimization of composite materials, focusing on the mechanical characterization of orthotropic properties and their integration into advanced finite element models.
- End-of-life strategies for composite wind turbine blades, focusing on recycling, reuse, and co-processing solutions to promote a circular economy in the energy sector.
- Extending the lifespan of critical structures (e.g., wind turbine blades, pipelines) through the development and application of advanced fiber-reinforced composite repairs and predictive numerical modeling.
- Modeling, monitoring, and analysis of damage mechanics and brittle failure in structures reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites, including reinforced concrete.
Skills
ERC sectors
SDG
Awards and Honors
- Prêmio Inventor Petrobras conferred by Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.), Brasile (2023)
- Seal of Excellence – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions conferred by European Commission Horizon Europe, Italy (2023)
Other research or teaching roles outside Politecnico
- Ricercatore, presso SENAI de Inovacao em Engenharia de Polimeros (10/4/2023-28/2/2025)
Teaching
Collegi of the degree programmes
- Collegio di Ingegneria Civile ed Edile. Componente
Publications
Latest publications View all publications in Porto@Iris
- Echer, Leonel; Ochoa, Ozden O.; De Souza, Carlos Eduardo; Marczak, Rogério J. (2026)
A modal-based shape optimization methodology for conventionally shaped patches in composite plate repair. In: COMPOSITES. PART B, ENGINEERING, vol. 309, pp. 1-18. ISSN 1359-8368
Contributo su Rivista - Rocha, J. T. Da; Echer, L.; Pollet, A. A.; Silva, G. E. H. Da; Dias, T. C.; Oliveira, G. ... (2025)
Influence of Tabs on Tensile Properties of Fiber Reinforced Composites. In: Offshore Technology Conference Brasil, Rio de Janeiro (Brasile), 28/10/2025 -- 30/10/2025, pp. 1-16
Contributo in Atti di Convegno (Proceeding) - Echer, Leonel; Marczak, Rogério José; De Souza, Carlos Eduardo (2017)
Studies on Shape Optimization of Repair Patches for Damaged Composites. In: XXXVIII Iberian Latin-American Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, Florianópolis, 05/11/2017 -- 08/11/2017
Contributo in Atti di Convegno (Proceeding) - Echer, Leonel; Marczak, Rogério J. (2016)
Optimized representation for overlapped welded components using shell FE along with the structural stress method. In: 5th International Conference on Engineering Optimization (EngOpt), Foz do Iguaçu (Brasile), 19/06/2016 -- 23/06/2016, pp. 1-9
Contributo in Atti di Convegno (Proceeding) - Echer, Leonel; Marczak, Rogério J. (2014)
A formulation and comparison of different shell FE modeling techniques for fatigue life simulation of welded joints. In: XXXV Iberian Latin-American Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, Fortaleza (Brasile), 23/11/2014 -- 26/11/2014
Contributo in Atti di Convegno (Proceeding)