Research Themes: Structures & Solid mechanics, Computational Engineering, Materials & Surface Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment

Deadline: Applications will be accepted at any time until the position is filled.

Although glass offers great potential to be used in buildings, one of the main challenges that inhibit the use of load bearing glass structures is the lack of an efficient connection method. Adhesive bonded joints are structurally superior to bolted joints for applications ranging from glass-glass and glass-hybrid joints. However, the use of stiff adhesives is relatively unproven technology for joints in glass. Adhesive joints are subjected to complex 3D stress and strain states that may in some cases lead to premature failures. This PhD project aims to develop an experimentally validated combined analytical and numerical methodology to analyse both the load response and the initiation and progressive catastrophic failure of selected glass-adhesive joint configurations.

The modelling techniques will develop from simplistic analytical approaches to finite element modelling using ABAQUS/Standard. Depending on the complexity required to accurately capture the behaviour advanced finite element models, including geometric and material nonlinearity, will be developed. The proposed analyses may include plasticity, viscoelasticity as well as cohesive zone modelling to capture interface fracture processes. The material properties required for analytical/numerical models will be determined from ASTM standard tests. Experiments will be used for the characterisation of material properties, as well for the evaluation of the load-response and failure behaviour of selected joint configurations. Experimental investigations will use digital image correlation (DIC) and other experimental methods to characterise the evolving deformation/strain fields. A parametric study will then be conducted to determine the effects of mechanical and geometrical properties of adhesives (e.g. ductile and brittle adhesives / thin and thick adhesives) and adherends on the stresses developed, and as well to study the load response and failure of joints. Effects of surface treatments will also be studied.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Mithila Achintha, Infrastructure research group, Email: Mithila.Achintha<στο>soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 2924.