In the Reliability and Mechanics of Failure Lab (RMFLab) we study how materials break under stresses. At RMFLab you learn the physics behind the failure mechanisms by stressing material beyond their limits. We use a variety of destructive and non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques to detect crack initiation and propagation from micro to macroscale.
We use advanced materials testing and characterizations along with physics-based computational modeling to improve our understanding for lifing materials. The overarching theme of our research group is to explore the effects of complex microstructure on emergent physical properties in engineering materials. Exquisite control over microscopic properties, such as local elastic anisotropy or the geometry and topology of the microstructure, enables the design of functional local mechanical properties.