Research database

Thirteen early-stage researchers will be selected for a high-level doctoral training programme offered by the EU-funded NEWFRAC project. With a consortium of seven university research teams and five high-tech companies, the young researchers will become experts in fracture prediction in heterogenous systems. They will develop new failure-predictive computational tools and will beneficiate from a strong academia-industry collaboration framework. They will also apply these tools to relevant problems in strategic industrial sectors like energy, health and transport. The NEWFRAC project will integrate two new strategies for computational fracture modelling: the finite fracture mechanics and the phase field model of fracture to solve wide-ranging interconnected fundamental issues of fracture modelling such as crack initiation and propagation interacting with interfaces in ultra-thin ply composites, curved laminates and their joints, injection molded fibre reinforced plastics, thermoplastics, layered ceramics, photovoltaics and human bones.