Inaugural lecture
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Inaugural lecture - Martin Fagerström, Mechanical Engineering

Martin Fagerström gives his inaugural lecture for Full Professor, at the division of Computational Mechanics and Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

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Overview

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Picture of Martin Fagerström

Martin Fagerström’s main research interest lies in computational solid mechanics with a focus on understanding, modelling, and predicting failure in engineering materials and structures. A central theme is how materials deform and eventually break under complex loading conditions, and how this behaviour can be captured through mathematical models and numerical simulations across geometrical scales. His research centred on fibre-reinforced polymers aims to improve the ability to numerically predict composite damage and failure in engineering applications, particularly emphasising numerically efficient methods.

Predicting Failure and Growth

Abstract:

Fibre-reinforced composite materials are widely used in high-performance engineering applications due to their high specific strength and stiffness, yet their failure behaviour remains complex and multi-scale in nature. This presentation begins with an overview of the key failure mechanisms in fibre-reinforced composites, and how these interact to drive macroscopic material degradation.
Building on this foundation, the talk will review numerical approaches used to predict damage initiation and evolution in composite materials. Particular emphasis will be placed on modelling strategies for crack nucleation and growth, as well as on the transition from distributed (diffuse) damage to localised failure modes such as crack bands and fracture surfaces. Methods such as continuum damage mechanics, cohesive zone modelling, and phase-field approaches will be discussed in a comparative and multiscale context. While the primary focus is on fibre-reinforced composites, the discussion will also draw illustrative examples from metals and polymer foams to highlight commonalities and differences in failure evolution across material classes.
The presentation concludes with a personal reflection on academic development, offering perspectives on the question: What would I have wanted to know about academia and how to grow an academic career 20 years ago?

Martin Fagerström
  • Professor, Computational Mechanics and Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
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Inaugural lecture - Martin Fagerström, Mechanical Engineering | Chalmers