The fundamental characteristics of solid materials and their behavior under external forces is of major importance to many scientific and engineering fields. A variety of methodologies, based on both continuum and discrete theoretical descriptions, have been developed to simulate numerically the diverse characteristics, from the molecular to the macroscopic levels. Computational Solid Mechanics (CSM) is employed in a wide range of industrial fields, from civil engineering to materials science.
At EPFL, research is undertaken in the development of advanced numerical algorithms and multi-scale methodologies, and their use to provide increased understanding of the fundamental behavior of solid materials as well as their application for the analysis of complex structural problems. Specific STI and ENAC laboratories involved in CSM activities include:
- LBO – Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics (Prof. Dominique Pioletti)
- LMAF – Laboratory of Applied Mechanics and Reliability Analysis (Prof. John Botsis)
- LMC – Laboratory of Construction Materials (Prof. Karen Scrivener)
- LMM – Laboratory of Mechanical Metallurgy / PSI – Paul Scherrer Institut (Prof. Andreas Mortensen & Prof. Helena Van Swygenhoven)
- LAMMM – Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics Modeling (Prof. William Curtin)
- LMS – Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (Prof. Lyesse Laloui & Prof. Laurent Vulliet)
- LSMS – Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory (Prof. Jean-François Molinari)
- THEOS – Theory and Simulation of Materials (Prof. Nicola Marzari)