Guest Seminar - Dr Marcelo A. Dias - Cracking Down on Fracture to Functionalize Damage

You are cordially invited to attend a Guest Seminar by Dr Marcelo A. Dias, Reader in Structural Mechanics, School of Engineering | The University of Edinburgh.

The seminar is organized by Prof. A.O. Krushynska, Computational Mechanical and Materials Engineering research unit, ENTEG.

Abstract:

Mechanical metamaterials achieve extraordinary responses by virtue of their architecture. In this talk, I will discuss a few examples of how geometry and topology can be harnessed to create functionality through clever mechanics. Yet manufacturing constraints—minimum feature size, build volume, multi-material integration and defect control—limit scalable realization of metamaterials. Embedding fabrication constraints into the design loop via reduced-order models and high-fidelity data lets us predict how size effects, process variability and material nonlinearities are a critical step in reducing this phenomenological gap. The result is a true design-for-manufacture workflow that delivers adaptive, multistable metamaterials that are both physically realizable and predictably fail-safe at scale.

To illustrate these ideas, I will introduce the “meta-adhesive”: an adhesive bondline engineered around a metamaterial lattice. By tuning the lattice topology, we can guide crack paths, boost fracture toughness and extend life-cycle of structural components. This concept directly supports circular-economy goals by creating joints that last longer, can be reused or repurposed and generate less waste. By embracing controlled failure and geometric nonlinearity—and by integrating smart design, next-generation fabrication and sustainability principles—we hope to contribute to develop a new class of adaptive, high-performance materials and bonding strategies that satisfy both mechanical demands and environmental imperatives.

Bio:

Marcelo earned his BSc in Physics and MSc in Theoretical Physics from São Paulo State University (Brazil), and his PhD in 2012 from the University of Massachusetts (USA), where he made key contributions to soft-matter physics and mechanics, focusing on origami structures and growth mechanisms. He then held research positions on a broad range of topics in physics, applied mathematics, and engineering at Brown University School of Engineering (USA), Aalto University (Finland), and the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics at KTH (Sweden). Before moving to the UK, Marcelo was an Associate Professor of mechanical engineering at Aarhus University in Denmark, where he led his research group "Mechanical Metamaterials and Soft Matter." Marcelo is currently an Associate Professor in Structural Mechanics at the University of Edinburgh, School of Engineering, leading the "Mechanics and Geometry of Advanced Structures Laboratory" (MEGA SLab) in the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment at the School of Engineering. Additionally, he holds a UKRI EPSRC Fellowship.