Design & Applied Mechanics

Design and Applied Mechanics

The Applied Mechanics group pursues fundamental research on mechanics of solids, materials and structures. Members of this group develop and use modern analytical, computational, and experimental tools to engineer applications in materials (nanomaterials, Magnesium and other alloys, wood, paper and other composites), structures (marine and aerospace), coupled fluid-structure-acoustic analysis, and devices (Biomedical stents and catheters, bio-inspired adhesives). They attract funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and industries from Canada and abroad.

The faculty members are Mattia Bacca, Peter Cripton, Mohamed Gadala, Antony Hodgson, Rajeev Jaiman, Thomas Oxland, Srikantha Phani, Mauricio Ponga, Gary Schajer, and Machiel Van der Loos. Some of the projects currently underway are outlined below.

Dr. Mattia Bacca — Multi-scale Mechanics of Materials, Contact Mechanics

Current Projects: Computational tools for optimal design of bio-inspired dry-adhesive interfaces; Fracture toughening in soft materials; Chemo-mechanics of active hydrogels; The mechanics of cutting.

Homepage for Mattia Bacca

Dr. Mohamed Gadala — Finite Element Applications

Current Projects: Industry solution procedure for crack detection and propagation in rotating components, steel run-out table design, and electric fatigue of piezoelectric actuators.

Homepage for Mohamed Gadala

Dr. Antony J. Hodgson — Medical Robotics, Biomechanics

Current Projects: Developing tools for computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery based on phase-processing of 3D ultrasound images to provide realtime 3D imaging information and on mini-robotic devices to enhance accuracy and shorten surgical time; designing a 3D scale model of the human eye to study sensorimotor issues; comparing surgical motor performance in simulators and the live operating room to validate simulators.

Homepage for Antony J. Hodgson

Dr. Rajeev Jaiman — Variational Methods and Coupled Analysis for Aerospace and Marine Engineering

Current Projects: Aero-/hydroelasticity of thin structures, Multiphysics and multiscale modeling using partitioned techniques, Multi-fidelity modeling and optimization for marine/offshore engineering, High-order variational methods for continuum mechanics, Phase-field modeling for interfacial problems, Coupled fluid-acoustics analysis for marine environment.

Homepage for Rajeev Jaiman

Dr. Thomas Oxland — Orthopaedic Research

Current Projects: Revision hip replacement, fixation of the osteoporotic spine, regeneration of damaged neural tissue, behaviour of orthopaedic implants, and musculoskeletal tissues.

Homepage for Thomas Oxland

Dr. Srikantha Phani — Lattice Materials, Nanotubes, Graphene Sheets, and Biomedical Implants

Current Projects: Dynamic Response of Lattice Materials and Structures; Mechanics of Nanotubes and Single Layer Graphene Sheets;  Mechanics of stents and stent grafts; Lattice Filters for MEMS Signal Processing.

Homepage for Srikantha Phani

Dr. Mauricio Ponga — Multiscale modeling of materials

Current Projects: Ductile failure in metals and alloys; Lightweight alloys design; Mechanisms of deformation in materials; Electronic structure calculations of materials including plasticity and electronic properties; Nanoscale heat conduction.

Homepage for Mauricio Ponga

Dr. Gary Schajer — Measurement of Residual Stresses, Wood Quality Control

Current Projects: Developing methods to measure residual stresses suitable for industry use through ESPI and strain-gauge techniques, developing high-speed scanner to measure surface profile of rapidly moving lumber to enhance cut accuracy, and identifying lumber properties using microwave techniques.

Homepage for Gary Schajer

Dr. Machiel Van der Loos — Robotics

Current Projects: Safe design of mobile manipulation robotic systems, exploration of ethical design principles for robot interfaces and neurotechnologies, development and testing of mechatronic exercise systems for stroke therapy.

Homepage for Machiel Van der Loos