Reader in Mechanics of Composites MSc, PhD

Administrative Duties

Head, The Composites Centre

The susceptibility of polymer matrix composites to delamination has been major thread which has run through much of my research activity to date. This activity has included the development and investigation of tests for characterising delamination resistance and the development of methods for predicting delamination growth in composite components due to static loading and, more recently, fatigue. My interest in failure mechanics of composites has developed beyond delamination to include test methods for the through-thickness properties of laminates, the energy absorption characteristics of sandwich panel structures and the application of interlaminar toughness tests to through-thickness reinforced composite laminates. Recently I have also been developing tests for measuring the energy absorption associated with in-plane failure modes of composites for use in general failure modelling of composite structures.