Mechanics, Structures and Materials (MSSMat) - UMR CNRS 8579

Research fields

Mechanical behaviour of structures at widely different scales, from the kilometre (earthquake engineering) to the nanometre (carbon nanotubereinforced composites), based on a multidisciplinary approach emphasising both experimentation and intensive computation.

• GEO-ENVIRONMENT AND RISKS
  Reactive transports in porous media and chemical-mechanical coupling Physics and mechanics of clay and granular media (Geotechnics of the environment: depollution and barriers; Natural risk management: seismic, swelling and shrinkage; Civil engineering and geotechnics for sustainable development: roads, peat).
• BEHAVIOUR AND DAMAGE OF MATERIALS
  Polycrystalline materials, CerMets, etc. Nuclear reactor materials, Generation IV, etc. Energy materials, aeronautic materials, etc. Tire frames, ITER cables, etc.
• COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE FOR MECHANICS
  Media with internal structure. Contact modelling - rubbing. Multi-model / Scale. Transitory and vibratory dynamics. Human-computer dialogue. Mechanism and machine design (Multi-models (Arlequin, Static and dynamic multi-scale: adaptive computing, finite element - integral equations coupling, Contact mechanics, Development of computing codes: OOFE, Arlequin, SDT, OpenFEM, Multifil, etc.).
• BIOSCIENCES AND NANOSCIENCES
  Carbon nanotubes: CVD synthesis, use as reinforcement. Ab initio calculation by finite element method. Mechanical resistance of semiconductors at nano-scale. Clay at nano-scale. Mechanical behaviour of biological materials; osteoporosis. Mechanical simulation of embryo development and correlation between mechanical actions and genic development. Resin infiltration in dentin.

Applications

Natural and anthropogenic risks, transport (space, aeronautic, rail, automobile), energy (petroleum, nuclear power plant security: damage, corrosion, fatigue), nanomaterials, biomechanics and health engineering.

Research facilities

• SGI Altix 350 parallel supercomputer, 48 processors;
• Gas analysis bench-FTIR portable gas analyser;
• F.E.G. (LEO 1530) Field Emission Electron Scanning Microscope with EBSD analysis and x-ray microanalysis;
• Philips CM20 Ultra-twin transmission electron microscope with energy loss detector;
• Digital Instruments (AFM-STM) near-field microscope;
• Nanoindentor;
• Mercury porosimeter;
• X-ray diffraction texture analyser;
• Soil depollution pilot and densimetre;
• MTS 500kN dynamic mechanical testing machine (1m/s) in temperature domain (20 °C - 1200°C);
• Micro-extrudor for polymers;
• Rheometer for electrorheologic liquids; XPERT MDR PRO diffractometer.