List of Mini Symposiums
The below listed Mini Symposiums are now accepted and have been added to the themes of the Abstract Submission Portal. New Mini Symposiums can be submitted here.
Title | Chair | Co-Organisers |
|---|---|---|
Fracture mechanics is advancing rapidly through developments in computational modelling, experimental characterization, and data-driven methodologies. Emerging approaches, including phase-field and cohesive-zone formulations, nonlocal methods such as peridynamics, and physics-informed machine learning techniques, are enhancing the prediction of damage initiation, crack propagation, and structural failure assessment in engineering systems. At the same time, advanced experimental methods are providing new insights into fracture processes and generating data for model development, calibration, and validation.
Despite these advances, significant challenges remain in integrating experimental observations with predictive models, establishing robust validation strategies, quantifying uncertainty, and translating advanced methodologies into practical engineering tools. Addressing these challenges is essential for improving confidence in fracture predictions and accelerating industrial adoption of advanced fracture assessment technologies.
This mini-symposium will bring together researchers, software developers, and engineering practitioners working at the intersection of computational fracture mechanics, experimental characterization, and engineering applications. Particular emphasis will be placed on approaches that improve physical understanding, predictive capability, and confidence in fracture simulations, while facilitating their deployment in engineering practice.
The symposium aims to strengthen links between modelling, experiments, and applications; foster collaboration between academia and industry; and identify key research directions for the next generation of reliable and deployable fracture assessment methodologies. Indicative themes include:
Fracture mechanics is advancing rapidly through developments in computational modelling, experimental characterization, and data-driven methodologies. Emerging approaches, including phase-field and cohesive-zone formulations, nonlocal methods such as peridynamics, and physics-informed machine learning techniques, are enhancing the prediction of damage initiation, crack propagation, and structural failure assessment in engineering systems. At the same time, advanced experimental methods are providing new insights into fracture processes and generating data for model development, calibration, and validation.
Despite these advances, significant challenges remain in integrating experimental observations with predictive models, establishing robust validation strategies, quantifying uncertainty, and translating advanced methodologies into practical engineering tools. Addressing these challenges is essential for improving confidence in fracture predictions and accelerating industrial adoption of advanced fracture assessment technologies.
This mini-symposium will bring together researchers, software developers, and engineering practitioners working at the intersection of computational fracture mechanics, experimental characterization, and engineering applications. Particular emphasis will be placed on approaches that improve physical understanding, predictive capability, and confidence in fracture simulations, while facilitating their deployment in engineering practice.
The symposium aims to strengthen links between modelling, experiments, and applications; foster collaboration between academia and industry; and identify key research directions for the next generation of reliable and deployable fracture assessment methodologies. Indicative themes include:
| Dr. -Ing. Guoyu Lin, Ansys, Part of Synopsys | Dr. -Ing. Habil. Michael Kaliske, Technical University Dresden Dr. Emmanouil Kakouris, University of Warwick Dr. Lampros D., University of Vermont Dr. Fatemeh Azhari, Monash University Dr. Dylan Agius, Monash University |
Fracture processes are primarily initiated at the microstructural scale, especially under high- and very-high-cycle fatigue (HCF/VHCF) conditions. At this level, microstructural inhomogeneities dictate the structural integrity and overall performance of engineering components.
This symposium addresses the critical influence of defects and residual stresses on fatigue behaviour. While defects are conventionally viewed as detrimental, particularly during crack initiation, they can, under certain mechanisms, play a beneficial role, such as acting as crack arresters. Conversely, the impact of residual stresses depends heavily on their nature: tensile stresses compromise performance, while compressive stresses enhance fatigue life by shifting the mean stress into safer regimes. Characterising these features involves a complex mix of destructive and non-destructive experimental methods. However, multi-scale quantification remains a challenge, especially regarding residual stresses and their "hidden" nature. Parallel to this, while predicting the occurrence of defects and residual stress, and their subsequent fatigue impact, has advanced rapidly, several fundamental mechanisms remain unresolved, regardless of the nature of the metallic material under study. The primary objective of this symposium is to map the latest breakthroughs in this domain and establish an international forum to chart future research directions. Fracture processes are primarily initiated at the microstructural scale, especially under high- and very-high-cycle fatigue (HCF/VHCF) conditions. At this level, microstructural inhomogeneities dictate the structural integrity and overall performance of engineering components.
This symposium addresses the critical influence of defects and residual stresses on fatigue behaviour. While defects are conventionally viewed as detrimental, particularly during crack initiation, they can, under certain mechanisms, play a beneficial role, such as acting as crack arresters. Conversely, the impact of residual stresses depends heavily on their nature: tensile stresses compromise performance, while compressive stresses enhance fatigue life by shifting the mean stress into safer regimes. Characterising these features involves a complex mix of destructive and non-destructive experimental methods. However, multi-scale quantification remains a challenge, especially regarding residual stresses and their "hidden" nature. Parallel to this, while predicting the occurrence of defects and residual stress, and their subsequent fatigue impact, has advanced rapidly, several fundamental mechanisms remain unresolved, regardless of the nature of the metallic material under study. The primary objective of this symposium is to map the latest breakthroughs in this domain and establish an international forum to chart future research directions. | Dr. Enrico Salvati, University of Udine | Prof. Andrea Tridello, Politecnico di Torino Prof. Dr. Ir. Joris Everaerts, KU Leuven |
Energy-based approaches are increasingly recognised as a powerful scientific framework for understanding fatigue and fracture, characterising material behaviour, and assessing structural integrity and service life. By relating irreversible energy dissipation to damage evolution, these methodologies provide physically meaningful alternatives and complements to conventional stress-, strain-, and fracture mechanics-based approaches. Moreover, energy offers a common physical metric linking material behaviour, damage accumulation and structural performance across different materials, geometries and loading conditions. This Mini-Symposium aims to bring together researchers and industrial practitioners working on experimental, theoretical, numerical and data-driven methodologies for fatigue characterisation and structural integrity assessment. Topics include infrared thermography, thermoelastic stress analysis, dissipated energy methods, strain energy density, thermodynamic and entropy-based models, energy release concepts, rapid fatigue characterisation, and hybrid methodologies integrating full-field measurements, computational modelling and artificial intelligence. Contributions addressing metals, composites, polymers, additively manufactured materials, welded structures, biomaterials and engineering components are welcome, covering fatigue damage, crack initiation, service life prediction, structural health monitoring and industrial applications. By promoting dialogue between experimental mechanics, computational modelling, thermodynamics and engineering practice, this Mini-Symposium aims to strengthen the international community working on energy-based approaches, fostering collaboration and a common scientific framework for future research. The proposed topic aligns with the conference theme “Structural Integrity for Sustainability & Circular Economy”, highlighting methodologies that reduce experimental effort, material consumption and development time while improving the reliability, sustainability and resource efficiency of engineering structures. Energy-based approaches are increasingly recognised as a powerful scientific framework for understanding fatigue and fracture, characterising material behaviour, and assessing structural integrity and service life. By relating irreversible energy dissipation to damage evolution, these methodologies provide physically meaningful alternatives and complements to conventional stress-, strain-, and fracture mechanics-based approaches. Moreover, energy offers a common physical metric linking material behaviour, damage accumulation and structural performance across different materials, geometries and loading conditions. This Mini-Symposium aims to bring together researchers and industrial practitioners working on experimental, theoretical, numerical and data-driven methodologies for fatigue characterisation and structural integrity assessment. Topics include infrared thermography, thermoelastic stress analysis, dissipated energy methods, strain energy density, thermodynamic and entropy-based models, energy release concepts, rapid fatigue characterisation, and hybrid methodologies integrating full-field measurements, computational modelling and artificial intelligence. Contributions addressing metals, composites, polymers, additively manufactured materials, welded structures, biomaterials and engineering components are welcome, covering fatigue damage, crack initiation, service life prediction, structural health monitoring and industrial applications. By promoting dialogue between experimental mechanics, computational modelling, thermodynamics and engineering practice, this Mini-Symposium aims to strengthen the international community working on energy-based approaches, fostering collaboration and a common scientific framework for future research. The proposed topic aligns with the conference theme “Structural Integrity for Sustainability & Circular Economy”, highlighting methodologies that reduce experimental effort, material consumption and development time while improving the reliability, sustainability and resource efficiency of engineering structures. | ||
MS: Failure Analysis in Transportation Accident Investigations The principles of failure analysis are used in a variety of industries, but in few is it as critical as that of transportation. Whether it is people or freight, safe and reliable transportation is crucial to the functioning and sustainability of society. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of major transportation accidents, many governments have established specialized agencies dedicated to investigating, resolving, and preventing such incidents. These investigations employ the principles of failure analysis to identify the root and proximal causes, informing actions to prevent their recurrence and ensure public safety. Whether the mode of transportation is air, space, rail, marine, highway, or pipeline, failure analysis is necessary to understand the mechanisms leading to an accident and to develop the proper solutions. This symposium will highlight major international accident investigations, focusing on applied failure analysis techniques, from atomic-level materials mechanisms to the systematic human decisions that drive the process. | Dr. Erik M. Mueller, National Transportation Safety Board | Ms. Emily Frain, Australian Transport Safety Bureau Dr. Matthew Fox, University of Warwick |
MS: FAS Joint Session on Applied Failure Analysis and Prevention The principles of failure analysis are used in a variety of industries, but in few is it as critical as that of transportation. Whether it is people or freight, safe and reliable transportation is crucial to the functioning and sustainability of society. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of major transportation accidents, many governments have established specialized agencies dedicated to investigating, resolving, and preventing such incidents. These investigations employ the principles of failure analysis to identify the root and proximal causes, informing actions to prevent their recurrence and ensure public safety. Whether the mode of transportation is air, space, rail, marine, highway, or pipeline, failure analysis is necessary to understand the mechanisms leading to an accident and to develop the proper solutions. This symposium will highlight major international accident investigations, focusing on applied failure analysis techniques, from atomic-level materials mechanisms to the systematic human decisions that drive the process. | Mr. Pierre Dupont, UMONS& ULiège, Faculties of Engineering Mr. Robert O'Shea, Applied Materials Technologies, Inc. | |
MS: Fatigue Crack Growth Thresholds and Short Crack Behaviour: From Mechanisms to Structural Integrity Assessment Fatigue crack growth thresholds and short crack behaviour remain central challenges in fracture mechanics and structural integrity assessment. While long-crack threshold concepts are widely used in damage-tolerant design, their transferability to small, short, and microstructurally short cracks is limited. Short cracks can propagate below conventional long-crack threshold values, show strong sensitivity to microstructure, environment, load ratio, crack closure, residual stresses, and surface condition, and may dominate fatigue life in high-performance engineering components.
This mini-symposium aims to bring together experimental, theoretical, and computational contributions addressing the transition from short to long fatigue crack growth, the determination and interpretation of crack growth thresholds, crack arrest phenomena, and the integration of short-crack concepts into lifetime assessment methods. Topics may include threshold testing methodologies, cyclic R-curve approaches, Kitagawa–Takahashi-type assessments, crack closure and effective driving force concepts, microstructure-sensitive crack propagation, environmental effects, high-temperature fatigue crack growth, additive manufacturing-related defects and surface conditions, and probabilistic or mechanistic modelling approaches.
The symposium is intended to foster discussion between researchers working on fundamental crack growth mechanisms and engineers developing robust assessment procedures for safety-critical components in aerospace, energy, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. Particular emphasis will be placed on bridging the gap between laboratory threshold data, physically meaningful short-crack descriptions, and practical design or standardization concepts. | Dr. -Ing. Karl Michael Kraemer, Technical University Darmstadt | Dr. Mauro Madia, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) Berlin |
MS: Fracture in Discrete and Complex Materials: Disorder, Architecture, and Multiscale Failure Discrete and complex materials — granular media, fiber and cellular networks, lattice-based and additively manufactured metamaterials, composites, biological and bio-inspired hierarchical solids, and disordered or amorphous matter — fail in ways that classical continuum fracture mechanics was not designed to capture. Discreteness, structural disorder, heterogeneity across scales, and long-range or nonlocal interactions give rise to diffuse damage and crack nucleation in random media, statistical size effects, rough and intermittent crack growth, and architecture-controlled toughening. Predicting failure in these systems is increasingly urgent as engineered metamaterials, 3D-printed lattices, and bio-inspired composites transition from the laboratory to structural, biomedical, and energy applications.
This mini-symposium brings together mechanicians, physicists, materials scientists, and applied mathematicians working on crack initiation and propagation in discrete and complex media. Contributions are invited on discrete and lattice models, the discrete element method, peridynamics and nonlocal theories, the statistical physics of fracture, molecular and multiscale simulation, and in-situ experimental techniques such as X-ray tomography and digital image correlation. A central aim is to confront discrete and continuum descriptions of failure and to identify unifying principles — scaling laws, criticality, and the roles of disorder and topology — governing toughness and reliability across material classes. By gathering complementary modelling and experimental perspectives, the symposium seeks to sharpen predictive failure theories and inform the design of damage-tolerant architected and complex materials. | Prof. David Kammer, ETH Zurich Prof. Luc St-Pierre, Aalto University | |
MS: Heterogeneity and Fracture: Mechanisms Across Ordered and Disordered Multi-phase Solids Fracture in multiphase solids spans a wide range of material systems, from engineered fiber-reinforced composites and architected materials to naturally occurring and structural materials such as bone and concrete. Despite their diversity in composition and length scales, these materials exhibit strikingly similar fracture phenomena, including crack deflection, interfacial debonding, damage localization, and transitions between stable and unstable crack growth. These observations suggest the existence of underlying common principles governing fracture in heterogeneous media. Recent advances in experimental characterization and computational modeling have enabled new insights into how microstructural architecture influences fracture processes. In ordered multiphase systems such as fiber-reinforced composites, fracture is strongly governed by designed interfaces and controlled load transfer mechanisms. In contrast, disordered materials such as concrete exhibit emergent toughening mechanisms arising from statistical heterogeneity and random crack-bridging processes. Bridging these two regimes is central to the materials genomics paradigm, which seeks to establish structure–property relationships across material classes, and remains an open challenge in fracture mechanics. This mini-symposium aims to bring together researchers working on experimental, computational, and theoretical aspects of fracture in multiphase solids to identify unifying mechanisms governing crack initiation and propagation. Contributions are invited on multiscale modeling, network-based and phase-field approaches, data-driven methods for fracture prediction, and experimental techniques including X-ray tomography, digital image correlation, thermal imaging, acoustic emission, and related in situ characterization methods. By integrating perspectives from engineered composites, geomaterials, and biological analogues, the symposium seeks to advance a unified mechanics framework for fracture in heterogeneous materials. | Dr. Ashwij Mayya, Tortoise S.A.S Dr. Rajesh Ravindran, Institute of Mathematical Sciences | |
MS: Impact Fatigue, Dynamic Fracture, and Failure of Metallic and Composite Materials Metallic alloys and composite materials are increasingly employed in aerospace, transportation, offshore, energy, and defense structures where accidental impact, repeated impact, blast, and other high-rate loading conditions can govern structural integrity and service life. Recent advances in experimental diagnostics, multiscale modeling, computational mechanics, and data-driven approaches have significantly improved our understanding of dynamic fracture and impact fatigue. Nevertheless, many challenges remain in characterizing failure mechanisms across multiple length and time scales and in translating these advances into reliable engineering design. This symposium focuses on the behavior of metallic alloys and composite materials under high strain-rate impact loading. This symposium aims to bring together researchers from academia and industry to present the latest experimental, theoretical, and computational advances in dynamic fracture and impact fatigue, to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration among researchers and industry experts, and to identify key challenges and future research directions in the field. The following topics are included but not limited to
| Prof. Tao Suo, National University of Singapore Assoc. Prof. Xudong Qian, National University of Singapore | |
MS: Laser Shock Peening and Advanced Surface Engineering for Structural Integrity Surface engineering technologies play an increasingly important role in enhancing structural integrity and extending the service life of engineering components across a wide range of industrial sectors. Among them, laser shock peening (LSP) has emerged as an advanced surface treatment capable of introducing beneficial compressive residual stresses, enhancing fatigue performance, delaying crack initiation and propagation, and improving resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) with minimal thermal effects.
This Mini-Symposium aims to provide an international forum for presenting the latest advances in laser shock peening and related surface engineering technologies that contribute to structural integrity throughout the life cycle of engineering structures. Contributions are invited on fundamental mechanisms, residual stress characterization, fatigue and fracture behaviour, process modelling and simulation, additive manufacturing, welding and repair, life extension of engineering structures, as well as industrial applications in aerospace, energy, transportation, infrastructure, and other critical sectors.
The symposium will also encourage discussions on emerging trends in advanced laser-based surface engineering, digital manufacturing, and maintenance technologies that support structural integrity for sustainability and the circular economy. By bringing together researchers from academia, research institutes, and industry, the symposium aims to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and identify future research directions in advanced surface engineering. | Dr. Yuji Sano, The University Of Osaka | Dr.Niroj Maharjan, Swinburne University of Technology Dr. Kiyotaka Masaki, Saitama Institute of Technology |
MS: Length Scale Effects on Fracture and Damage: A Mini-Symposium in Honor of Professor Vikram Jayaram Fracture and damage are strongly influenced by characteristic length scales associated with microstructure, defects, deformation mechanisms, crack-tip processes, and specimen dimensions. When these intrinsic and extrinsic length scales become comparable, measured fracture and damage responses may depart significantly from conventional bulk behavior, giving rise to pronounced size and length scale effects. Understanding the origins of these effects and their implications for characterizing and predicting material behavior remains a fundamental challenge in fracture mechanics and materials science. This mini-symposium will bring together experimentalists and computational researchers working on length scale effects in fracture and damage. Topics will include, but are not limited to: (i) micro-and meso-scale fracture, fatigue, and creep testing under diverse environments; (ii) specimen, geometry, and microstructural size effects; (iii) microstructure-sensitive damage initiation and crack propagation; (iv) fracture, fatigue, and creep of thin films, coatings, interfaces, and layered systems; (v) statistical and weakest-link effects; and (vi) the coupling of plasticity, damage, and fracture across multiple length scales. The symposium will also encompass experimental and modeling approaches that bridge local mechanisms with macroscopic material and structural response. The mini-symposium is proposed in honor of Professor Vikram Jayaram (Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru), whose pioneering contributions to small-scale mechanical testing and the understanding of deformation and fracture across length scales have significantly advanced the fields of fracture, failure and related microstructural aspects. By bringing together researchers from diverse domains, the symposium aims to stimulate new experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches for understanding and predicting fracture and damage. | Dr. Praveen Kumar, Indian Institute of Science | Dr. Ankur Chauhan, Indian Institute of Science Dr. Nagamani Balila, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Dr. Dong (Lilly) Liu, University of Oxford Dr. Bernd Gludovatz, University of New South Wales Dr. Jaafar El-Awady, John Hopkins University |
MS: Thermomechanical Fatigue of Advanced Materials: Damage, Deformation, Modelling, and Life Prediction Across Scales Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) remains one of the most severe and least tractable damage modes limiting the life of high-temperature structural components in gas turbines, aero-engines, automotive exhaust and powertrain systems, nuclear plants, and next-generation concentrated solar and hydrogen energy hardware. Unlike isothermal fatigue, TMF couples cyclic mechanical loading with simultaneously varying temperature, producing interacting deformation mechanisms, including plasticity, creep, oxidation, and phase transformation, whose relative contributions shift continuously through each cycle. This interaction makes TMF life prediction, microstructural damage characterisation, and constitutive modelling substantially more challenging than conventional fatigue assessment, and existing design methodologies often rely on conservative empirical correlations rather than mechanism-based understanding. This mini-symposium will bring together researchers and industry practitioners working across the full spectrum of TMF research. On the experimental side, contributions might range from TMF testing to in-situ synchrotron and neutron diffraction studies that track microstructural evolution. On the mechanistic side, a talk on creep-fatigue-oxidation interaction in a Ni-based superalloy sits naturally alongside one on short-crack initiation in an additively manufactured steel, since both speak to how damage actually accumulates under coupled thermal and mechanical load. Modelling contributions are equally welcome, whether the approach is a physically motivated crystal-plasticity model or a more design-oriented energy-based life-prediction correlation. The symposium is meant to put different modelling philosophies in the same room. We are also keen to include work motivated by decarbonization in hydrogen-compatible alloys. Overall, the session is designed to surface open challenges in the field and spark new collaborations between experimentalists and modellers. | Dr. Ivo Šulák, Institute Of Physics Of Materials, Czech Academy of Sciences | Dr. -Ing. Stefan Guth, Karlsruhe Institute Of Technology |
MS: Damage and Fracture of Composites: From Manufacturing to In-Service Performance and Repair The damage and fracture behaviour of composite materials is shaped by factors that span the entire lifecycle, ranging from defects introduced during manufacturing, crack initiation and propagation under service loads, to the influence of repair interventions on subsequent failure. In practice, however, most research efforts tend to focus on one particular stage of this continuum, whether it be process-induced defects, delamination under impact or fatigue, or the structural integrity of repaired components.
This symposium invites contributions on any aspect of composite damage and fracture, regardless of whether the work addresses a single stage or crosses multiple stages. Experimental, numerical, theoretical and data-driven studies are all welcome. The aim of this symposium is to bring together researchers working on different facets of composite failure to exchange ideas and identify connections that might otherwise be overlooked and thus to advance our collective understanding of composite failure in its broadest sense. | Prof. Yanhong Chen, Harbin Institute of Technology | Prof Raj Das, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Assoc. Prof. Ziwen Xu, Harbin Institute of Technology |
MS: Fracture Behavior of Interpenetrating Phase Composites: Experimental Characterization and Modeling Interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) are a distinct class of composites consisting of two or more phases that form topologically co-continuous and interlocking 3D networks. These architectures enable enhanced damage tolerance by promoting stress transfer and distributed damage between constituent phases. Co-continuity also enables each constituent to retain its intrinsic functional properties, such as electrical/thermal transport, damping and bioactivity. This integrated structural-functional capability makes IPCs promising for aerospace and automotive components, energy systems, thermal management and biomedical applications. Recent advances in additive manufacturing, infiltration techniques, and architected materials have significantly expanded the design space for IPCs, from metal–ceramic, metal–polymer and metal–metal systems to triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS)- and lattice-based geometries. The fracture response of IPCs may involve interacting processes such as interface decohesion, constituent phase fracture, crack deflection, crack bridging, and fragmentation or loss of continuity of the phase networks. However, the influence of topology, constituent material and interface properties, manufacturing defects, and loading conditions on the dominant mechanisms remains less well understood. This mini-symposium will focus on experimental, computational, and theoretical studies of fracture behavior in IPCs. Contributions are invited on emerging constituent combinations and topologies, damage characterization using X-ray CT, microscopy, in situ imaging and digital volume correlation, and damage modeling through approaches such as cohesive-zone and phase-field methods. The session will link phase continuity, topology and constituent properties to structural integrity. | Dr. Isha Gupta, University Of Southampton | |
MS: Impact and Damage Tolerance of Composite Materials Composite materials are increasingly used in aerospace, automotive, energy, and other high-performance applications because of their outstanding mechanical properties. However, their susceptibility to impact-induced damage, together with the complex mechanisms governing damage initiation, interaction, and propagation, continues to pose significant challenges to the reliable and safe design of composite structures. This mini-symposium will bring together researchers working on the impact response, damage mechanisms, and damage tolerance of composite materials and structures. Contributions addressing recent advances in experimental characterisation, numerical modelling, analytical prediction, and damage detection or inspection under impact and dynamic loading are particularly encouraged. Studies exploring novel material concepts, architectures, and design strategies aimed at improving the toughness and ductility of composites are also welcome. | Dr. Raúl Muñoz, University Of Salamanca, Spain | |
MS: Advances in Fracture Processes in Geo‑Materials: Coupled Modelling and High‑Resolution Monitoring Fracturing in geo‑materials is a fundamental process governing subsurface deformation, fluid transport, and the evolution of both engineered and natural reservoirs. Robust modelling, monitoring, and verification (MMV) frameworks are therefore critical for characterising fracture behaviour and ensuring safe, predictable operations across geotechnical and geo‑energy applications. This mini‑symposium brings together state‑of‑the‑art advances in coupled thermo‑hydro‑mechanical‑chemical (THMC) modelling and cutting‑edge numerical techniques for simulating fracture initiation, propagation, and interaction with heterogeneous lithologies and pre‑existing discontinuities. Contributions employing high‑fidelity monitoring technologies—including microseismic monitoring, distributed acoustic sensing, tilt and strain measurements, and downhole pressure and flow diagnostics—are strongly encouraged. Submissions that integrate these observational datasets to illuminate fracture geometry, growth dynamics, and injection‑induced seismicity are particularly welcomed. | Dr. Saeed Salimzadeh, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation | Dr. Ronghao Cui, University of Bergen, Norway Prof Brice Lecampion, EPFL, Switzerland Prof Inga Berre, University of Bergen, Norway Prof Yinlin Ji, Nanjing University in China and DECRA Fellow in UNSW Sydney |
MS: Fatigue Damage and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures: Mechanisms, Modelling and AI-Aided Approaches This Mini-Symposium focuses on recent advances in mechanism-based modelling and AI-aided approaches for fatigue damage and fracture in engineering materials and structures. It aims to integrate physical understanding, advanced computational modelling, and machine learning to develop more predictive, efficient, and reliable approaches for characterizing and assessing complex fatigue and fracture behaviours. AI/ML is particularly encouraged not merely as a black-box predictor, but as a tool to enhance, accelerate, or discover physics-based models.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
The Mini-Symposium will bridge fracture mechanics, computational modelling, and artificial intelligence, promoting physically interpretable, data-efficient, and transferable approaches for structural integrity assessment and life prediction. | Prof. Zheng Zhong, School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) | Prof. Hao Wu, School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University Assoc. Prof. Keke Tang, School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University Assoc. Prof. Lei Gan, Institute Of Materials Research And Engineering |
MS: Fracture and Fatigue in Random and Porous Media and Advanced Materials Fracture and fatigue in advanced materials are increasingly governed by complex interactions among material heterogeneity, microstructural randomness, multiphysics coupling, cyclic loading, and environmental effects. At the same time, emerging computational and data-driven approaches are providing new opportunities for understanding, predicting, and controlling failure across multiple length and time scales. This mini-symposium aims to bring together researchers working on theoretical, computational, experimental, and data-driven aspects of fracture and fatigue in complex materials and structures. Particular emphasis will be placed on fracture in random and heterogeneous media, multiphysics-coupled fracture of functional and energy materials, fatigue and fracture of shape memory alloys, and mechanisms and modeling of fatigue crack initiation and propagation. Emerging machine-learning and deep-learning approaches for fatigue-life prediction, fracture characterization, damage identification, and reduced-order modeling are also of particular interest. The mini-symposium will provide a forum for discussing recent advances in fracture mechanics, computational modeling, multiscale methods, phase-field approaches, experimental characterization, uncertainty and stochastic analysis, and artificial-intelligence-assisted prediction. By connecting physics-based fracture mechanics with emerging data-driven techniques, the symposium seeks to promote interdisciplinary exchange and advance predictive capabilities for the failure and reliability assessment of complex engineering materials. | Dr. Guozheng Kang, Southwest Jiaotong University | Dr. Xiangyu Li, Southwest Jiaotong University Dr. Qianhua Kan, Southwest Jiaotong University Dr. Chao Yu, Southwest Jiaotong University Dr. Peidong Li, Sinchaun University Dr. Ruifeng Zheng, Northwestern Polytechnical University Dr. Yu Tan, Chengdu University of Technology |
MS: Brittle Rock Fracturing across Length Scales: Mechanisms, Modelling, and Engineering Applications Brittle fracture governs the safety and performance of nearly every major rock engineering activity — from deep underground mining and tunnelling to hydraulic fracturing, geothermal reservoir stimulation, CO₂ and hydrogen storage, and the long-term integrity of nuclear waste repositories. Unlike ductile materials, rock fails through the initiation, interaction, and coalescence of microcracks under complex, often multiaxial and dynamic stress states, frequently influenced by pre-existing discontinuities, mineral fabric, and environmental conditions such as temperature, confinement, and pore pressure. Predicting this behaviour reliably, from the grain scale to the scale of an engineered excavation, remains one of the central challenges in rock mechanics and fracture mechanics more broadly. This mini-symposium brings together researchers and practitioners working on brittle fracture in rock across experimental, theoretical, and computational fronts. We welcome contributions on laboratory characterisation of crack initiation and propagation; fracture toughness testing under static, cyclic, and dynamic loading; the role of microstructure, anisotropy, and heterogeneity in governing failure; numerical and analytical modelling approaches, including discrete, continuum, and hybrid methods; and field-scale case studies from mining, tunnelling, hydraulic fracturing, and energy geo-storage applications. Contributions addressing rock behaviour under extreme environments - high temperature, high confinement, or post-fire conditions - are particularly encouraged. By connecting the rock mechanics community with the broader fracture mechanics audience at ICF16, this symposium aims to foster cross-disciplinary exchange on multiscale fracture modelling, test standardisation, and the translation of fundamental fracture mechanics into safer, more reliable geo-engineering design. | Assoc. Prof. Wasantha Liyanage, Victoria University | Assoc. Prof. Samintha Perera, The University of Melbourne Assoc. Prof. Manoj Khandelwal, Federation University |
MS: Materials 4.0 for Structural Integrity Structural integrity is the integrated multi-disciplinary set of activities that delivers safe and economic design and operation of components over their service-life. It can allow for safe life extension for as long as required, reducing unnecessary use of resources and energy. It is therefore central to the transition towards a circular economy and Net Zero.
Materials 4.0 offers the opportunity to transform structural integrity through the integration of data, digital technologies, and advanced materials informatics. By combining data science, physics-based modelling, AI, robotics and high-throughput experimentation, Materials 4.0 can accelerate the discovery, qualification, and deployment of new materials as well as improving the prediction of the performance of current materials throughout their service life.
The symposium will cover:
A particular objective is to stimulate discussion on interoperability of experiments and modelling. We therefore invite each speaker to reserve one slide and one minute to share their views on how interoperability between data, models, and experimental platforms and what digital infrastructures can achieve in accelerating translation of Materials 4.0 into materials innovation and structural integrity assessment. | Prof. Bo Chen, University Of Southampton | Prof. Mahmoud Mostafavi, Monash University |
MS: Modelling of delamination and debonding This mini-symposium welcomes all latest work on the modelling of delamination and debonding of (composite) materials and structures. Potential topics include but are not limited to: - Cohesive element technologies - Virtual Crack Closure Technique - Domain integral approaches - Enriched finite elements - Data-driven approaches - Multi-scale approaches - Constitutive laws for interfaces
We look forward to receiving your work in our mini-symposium. We hope to bring together researchers working in this field to have in-depth discussions and fruitful exchanges in Melbourne. | Prof. Boyang Chen, Soochow University | Dr. Xin Lu, University of Tokyo |
MS: From Welding Process Effects to Fatigue and Fracture Assessment of Welded Components and Structures Welded components exhibit a complex combination of geometrical, metallurgical, and mechanical heterogeneities introduced by the welding process. Local weld geometry governs local stress concentrations, while spatial variations in material properties across the weld metal and heat-affected zone, together with welding-induced residual stresses, influence crack initiation and subsequent crack growth. These effects are often assessed separately or represented implicitly in conventional fatigue and fracture approaches. This mini-symposium aims to bring together experimental, numerical, and engineering methods for characterising and incorporating welding-induced features into fatigue and fracture assessment. Topics include 3D-scanned weld geometries, local and nonlocal fatigue approaches, residual-stress measurement and simulation, spatially varying material properties, process–structure–property relationships, crack initiation and growth, fracture-mechanics-based life assessment, as well as probabilistic and data-informed methods. Contributions linking welding process data or process simulation to structural integrity assessment are particularly encouraged. The symposium focuses on the integration of relevant welding-induced features into practical life assessment, while recognising that their significance and the extent to which they can be characterised depend on the application. The aim is to improve predictive assessment of welded structures and support reliable integrity evaluations in demanding engineering applications, including large-scale infrastructure such as offshore wind foundations. | Dr. -Ing. Antoni Artinov, Bundesanstalt Für Materialforschung Und -prüfung | Dr. Mauro Madia, Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung |
MS: Mechanical degradation of materials under reactor conditions - studies in strength, fracture, fatigue and creep Irradiation by neutrons and ions is known to introduce defects like self-interstitials, vacancies, dislocation loops, voids, bubbles, etc., which increase the hardness and reduce the ductility of metals, frequently resulting in a simultaneous decrease in the ductile to brittle transition temperature. It is also known to accelerate stress corrosion cracking, as observed in materials exposed to neutron irradiation in reactor environments. Such cracking is one of the major causes for failure in a variety of structural components used in pressurised water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs). This clearly shows the importance of these processes in determining the lifetime of reactors and the usability of components therein.
In this symposium, we invite original research on the experimental study and computational modelling of the effect of irradiation on yield and tensile strength, fracture toughness, crack growth, irradiation assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) and related phenomena. Experimental studies may include mechanical testing at any scale, advanced electron microscopy, X-ray or neutron diffraction, or any other methods which enable the discovery of new phenomena or elucidation of known processes in this field. Computational methods could include finite elements, phase field, dislocation dynamics, or other suitable techniques which enhance the understanding of these effects. | Dr. Dhriti Bhattacharyya, ANSTO | Dr. Michael Preuss, Monash University Dr. Simon Barter, RMIT University |
MS: Fatigue and Fracture of Additively Manufactured Multimaterials and Composites Structural integrity is central to sustainable engineering and the circular economy, enabling durability, life extension, repair, reuse, and remanufacturing. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers opportunities for material-efficient production of metallic and composite structures, lightweight design, localized repair, and tailored multimaterial, composite, and architected structures. However, AM defects, porosity, surface condition, residual stresses, heterogeneous microstructures, and material interfaces can significantly affect fatigue, fracture, delamination, and long-term durability. Reliable prediction of damage evolution and remaining life is therefore essential for the safe and sustainable use of additively manufactured, repaired, and remanufactured components. This mini-symposium will bring together researchers and practitioners across fracture mechanics, materials science, additive manufacturing, and computational engineering. Emphasis will be placed on experimental and computational approaches, multiscale modelling, data-driven and physics-informed methods, and digital twins for understanding damage mechanisms and predicting structural life. The symposium aims to advance structural integrity methodologies that enable safe life extension, repair, reuse, and remanufacturing, supporting the development of durable, lightweight, resource-efficient, and sustainable engineering structures. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
| Dr. Kamran Ahmed Khan, Khalifa University of Science and Technology | Dr. Akbar Khatibi, The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
MS: Hydrogen embrittlement and its similar fracture phenomena in metallic materials Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is a long-standing research topic; however, its underlying mechanisms and their translation into structural integrity assessment and materials design remain under active debate. In this symposium, we aim to share recent insights into hydrogen-related microscopic plasticity, microstructural cracking behavior, and associated mechanical properties, with the goal of bridging metallurgical understanding and mechanical assessment and design. Furthermore, toward a more general understanding of hydrogen-induced degradation, we encourage discussion of the similarities and differences between HE and other plasticity and fracture phenomena that share common or analogous microscopic mechanisms with HE. Examples include carbon-induced blue brittleness and nitrogen-related embrittlement or cracking associated with localized or planar slip in steels. Such comparative discussions are expected to provide new perspectives on the roles of mobile solute atoms, dislocation behavior, strain localization, and crack initiation in environmentally assisted fracture. The scope of this symposium includes:
| Dr. Motomichi, Koyama, Tohoku University | Prof. Ryosuke Matsumoto, The University of Osaka Prof. Shinya Taketomi, Saga University |
MS: Numerical modeling and simulation of fatigue crack propagation for structural life extension. Accurate simulation of fatigue crack propagation under complex mixed-mode and variable-amplitude loading is essential for damage-tolerant design and structural integrity management. Within the overarching ICF-16 theme of sustainability and the circular economy, extending the safe operational lifespan of existing assets (such as offshore wind turbines, maritime structures, bridges, and aerospace components) serves as a primary way to minimize material waste, lower life-cycle carbon footprints, and prevent premature decommissioning. This mini-symposium brings together researchers developing advanced computational methods and predictive simulation pipelines for fatigue crack propagation. While existing conference sessions focus on defect characterization or short-crack mechanics, this symposium centers on the underlying numerical formulations, tracking algorithms, and remaining useful life (RUL) prediction tools.
| Prof. Dr. Kris Hectors, Ghent University | |
MS: Fatigue and Fracture in High-Temperature Materials and Structures High-temperature materials and structures are increasingly required to operate under severe thermo-mechanical loading and corrosive environments. Fatigue and fracture under such conditions are strongly influenced by oxidation, hot corrosion, molten salt deposits, thermal cycling, and protective coating degradation. These environmental effects can accelerate crack initiation and propagation, promote interfacial delamination and coating spallation, and lead to premature failure in gas turbine blades, aero-engines, power plants, and other high-temperature systems. This Mini-Symposium aims to bring together researchers and engineers working on fatigue, fracture, high-temperature materials, corrosion, surface engineering, and structural integrity. It provides a forum to discuss recent advances in understanding and predicting high-temperature fatigue and fracture, including coupled thermo-mechanical-chemical damage, multiscale modelling, advanced characterization, and life-assessment methodologies. Contributions linking high-temperature fatigue and fracture resistance to life extension, repairability, remanufacturing, and reduced material consumption are particularly welcome. | Assoc. Prof. Biao Li, Northwestern Polytechnical University |
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